Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Society of United Irishmen

The Society of United Irishmen was a radical nationalist group founded by Theobald Wolfe Tone in October 1791 in Belfast, Ireland. The groups original purpose was to achieve profound political reform in Ireland, which was under the domination of Britain. Tones position was that various religious factions of Irish society had to unite, and political rights for the Catholic majority would have to be secured. To that end, he sought to bring together elements of society which ranged from prosperous Protestants to impoverished Catholics. When the British sought to suppress the organization, it transformed into a secret society which essentially became an underground army. The United Irishmen hoped to gain French aid in liberating Ireland, and planned an open revolt against the British in 1798. The Rebellion of 1798 failed for a number of reasons, which included the arrest of United Irishmen leaders early in that year. With the rebellion crushed, the organization essentially dissolved. However, its actions and the writings of its leaders, particularly Tone, would inspire future generations of Irish nationalists. Origins of the United Irishmen The organization which would play such a large part in Ireland of the 1790s began modestly as the brainchild of Tone, a Dublin lawyer and political thinker. He had written pamphlets espousing his ideas for securing the rights of Irelands oppressed Catholics. Tone had been inspired by the American Revolution as well as the French Revolution. And he believed reform based on political and religious liberty would bring about reform in Ireland, which was suffering under a corrupt Protestant ruling class and a British government which supported the oppression of the Irish people. A series of law had long restricted the Catholic majority of Ireland. And Tone, though a Protestant himself, was sympathetic to the cause of Catholic emancipation. In August 1791 Tone published an influential pamphlet setting forth his ideas. And in October 1791 Tone, in Belfast, organized a meeting and the Society of United Irishmen was founded. A Dublin branch was organized a month later. Evolution of the United Irishmen Though the organization seemed to be little more than a debating society, the ideas coming out of its meetings and pamphlets began to seem quite dangerous to the British government. As the organization spread into the countryside, and both Protestants and Catholics joined, the United Men, as they were often known, appeared to be a serious threat. In 1794 the British authorities declared the organization illegal. Some members were charged with treason, and Tone fled to America, settling for a time in Philadelphia. He soon sailed to France, and from there the United Irishmen began seeking French help for an invasion which would liberate Ireland. The Rebellion of 1798 After an attempt to invade Ireland by the French failed in December 1796, due to bad sailing weather, a plan was eventually made to spark a rebellion across Ireland in May 1798. By the time for the uprising came, many leaders of the United Irishmen, including Lord Edward Fitzgerald, had been arrested. The rebellion was launched in late May 1798 and failed within weeks from lack of leadership, lack of proper weapons, and a general inability to coordinate attacks on the British. The rebel fighters were mostly routed or slaughtered. The French made several attempts to invade Ireland later in 1798, all of which failed. During one such action Tone was captured while aboard a French warship. He was tried for treason by the British, and took his own life while awaiting execution. Peace was eventually restored throughout Ireland. And the Society of United Irishmen, essentially ceased to exist. However, the legacy of the group would prove strong, and later generations of Irish nationalists would take inspiration from its ideas and actions.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Hardship Friendship and People - 2800 Words

Hardship Everyone in life have to been through hardship, it’s depend on own characteristic to solve it. People who never give up when they met their own hard times will always met their success. Sometimes we will just get jealous of some of the person who success but in reality we did not know how they feel when they met their hardships and how much did they pay off to their success. We will never know in case we met the same problem as them. Normally I do feel suffering in the early age from family problems and generally I will have to fight for life, but when I achieve what I have done, it’s always a big task for me to have done. I may choose to be more confident and take more risk to challenge myself to successfully finish the†¦show more content†¦Besides that , we accept differences between us and different of opinion we given. It’s not fun being friends with closen sometimes it gets bored but we still apologize to each other when we went wrong and forgiving and never hold past mistakes against each other. In the other hand , we do acknowledge teach other when we have done something well. Give us the attention on what us deserve. Between me and my friends are always jelousy around but we always be aware of our feelings and do not sabotage our friendship. Acknowledge our feelings and understand each other because we are still humans. Sometimes we do talk about good things as well as bad. Get to know the good sides and bad sides of people. A real friend will know when your being unreasonable, call you on it, love you and still be your friend without missing a beat. Understand that friendships isn’t hard, even the really good ones, can experience times when you don t spend much time or talk to each other often. It isn t what we do when we re apart, it s what we do when we re together. Disappointment in my college life. Does disappointment really make one stronger? Personally, I think that disappointments help one to be stronger. Everyone has felt disappointed at least once in their lives. When someone disappoints you, you will feel sad as the person has notShow MoreRelatedHandicaps, Hardships, and Friendships in â€Å"Of Mice and Men†1300 Words   |  6 PagesHandicaps, Hardships, and Friendships in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† The American Dream is a dream that everyone imagines to be picture perfect. The American Dream means having freedom, equality and opportunity’s to achieve the dream that you conceptualize to be right by you. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck did not want to just illustrate the American dream as being easy, but he wanted to point out the American Dream as being difficult too. Steinbeck made a work of art by composing a great novelRead MoreAnalysis Of Marcus Aurelius And Cicero806 Words   |  4 Pagesor something. In Cicero’s â€Å"On Friendship† he bases his guides on what he has learned from important people in his life. In Marcus Aurelius’ â€Å"Meditations† he bases his guide off of what he has learned as an emperor with stoic views. Some of what he Aurelius has learned is different from Cicero’s view of stoicism; an example of this is in section seven of Meditations. Section seven of Meditations is about what Aurelius learned from his tutor. He states, â€Å"Endure hardship, and have few needs; to do thingsRead MoreFriendship and Overcoming Adversity1200 Words   |  5 Pages Topic: Friendship and Overcoming Adversity Story: â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck ( a story about the hardships of two diverse men and their friendship) Literary Text: â€Å"Finding Nemo† by Andrew Stanton Introductory Claim: Of Mice and Men- Both â€Å"Of Mice and Men† and â€Å" Finding Nemo† both display an example of friendship and overcoming adversity within the novel and movie. Body 1: Of Mice and Men- Claim: Steinbeck displays the ideal of friendship and overcoming adversity within his novelRead MoreHardship Makes People Stronger950 Words   |  4 Pagesagree with this opinion. In everyone’s life, hardship is inevitable which usually makes people suffer painfully. For the short term hardship seems a negative thing that no one would want it. However, adversity does bring some benefits for the ones who try to fight against it. For one thing, everyone has his or her own potential to deal with difficulties competently that even he or she is not awarded of. Usually it is been hidden somewhere deep that people cannot realize that. Being in a hard conditionRead MoreHandicaps, Hardships, and Friendships in Of Mice and Men1362 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Depression was a very dire time that left multiple of people despondent and the unavailing to move on with their lives. The Great Depression created a world where everyone had to seek and survive for themselves. In the novel Steinbeck wanted to explore and point out how powerless people where during the time of the Great Depression. Steinbeck purposely incorporated his characters to depict the life struggle of what people go through during grim times. In the novel, Steinbeck illustratedRead MoreGood Friends in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay655 Words   |  3 PagesGood friendships make life easier. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is about two men, George and Lennie, who go on various journeys in order to get a job. Although George would consider Lennie to be his closest friend, he ultimately ends up shooting and killing Lennie. George did this, not out of hatred, but rather out of protection. A good friend will always want what is best for one another. Steinbeck uses his protagonists’ friendship in order to show that true friendship can help make any ofRead MoreHow Does Private Property Begin1140 Words   |  5 Pagesprimordial habitation where humans live uncontaminated by the society. He said men are born with the blank face which is neither good nor bad, but the society and social environment in which he is brought up plays an important role in shaping their nature. People have complete physical and emotional freedom for doing anything in society. But he also mentioned some of the drawbacks of humans are that they have not yet learned wisdom and morality. But Rousseau views state of nature as a good thing and the manRead MoreThe Greatness of John Steinbeck1761 Words   |  7 PagesThe Greatness of Steinbeck Why is faith and friendship a vital part of life? In his writing, John Steinbeck beautifully captured life in the United States during the 20th century. In 1929, the stock market crashed, sparking the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a worldwide economic depression that occurred in the 20th century. It had devastating effects on everyone, from the rich to the poor. After the Great Depression, Steinbeck published Of Mice and Men, a book about two men, George andRead MoreRepairing A Relationship Essay590 Words   |  3 PagesThere are many different kinds of relationships, and all of them require a commitment and an understanding between people. There are ties of friendship, relationships with family, those that we have with co-workers, and there are relationships in which two people are romantically involved. Regardless of the type of relationship, the desires are the same, to have perfect harmony between all connected. However, since we are human, a perfect relationship us ually does not exist. When relationships areRead MoreRelationship Between Friendship Quality And The Amount Of Time1420 Words   |  6 PagesFriendship quality in connection to time spent with romantic partner Humans are naturally a social species (Furman, 1999). People engage in different types of relationships throughout their entire lives. Certain relationships are lifelong, others maybe just a day or even a few seconds. Among those longer lasting relationships, are friendships and romantic relationships. Nearly all people can relate to both at some point in life, however, do the two ever intermix? Based upon personal experience,

Monday, December 9, 2019

A Sick Medicaid System free essay sample

They received two offers. DHS chose the lowest bid from a company called CNSI. CNSI had no experience with a Medicaid system. When trying to build this new system there was very little communication between CNSI and the medical experts. In 2003 the new governor John Baldacci merged the Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services with the Department of Human Services in the new Department of Health and Human Services (Oz, 2009). In doing this the new system was a disaster. The claims were being denied and medical providers had to take out loans and some had to close their businesses because of no payments. DHHS fell so far behind due to the system they had to hire more experts. Instead of the system costing $15 million they had to pay out $70 million and they were six years behind. Were there any factors that contributed to the project failure which were not the fault of the project team and its leaders? There were several factors that played a roll in the project failure. The first issue was the fact that they only had two RFP’s and the states head of procurement that chose the lower of the two bids. When making the decision he/she didn’t hold in account that they didn’t conduct any type of research for either company, they checked no references, they checked no past projects of CNSI, and left no room for negotiations for the more experienced company. By choosing CNSI because of the lower bid they took a very big risk. The project team and leaders weren’t the biggest factor in this disaster. The new governor was. When he chose to merge systems from several departments in the attempt to save money he made the project cost go from $15 million to $22 million because the project team had to go back and rework the project they had already started for only DHS. Some critics said that the fact that only two bidders made offers, and that the price quotes were so different, should have alerted DHS that either the RFP was unrealistic or that the low bidder could not develop the system properly. What is your opinion? They totally could have taking the additional measures in submitting more than two RFP’s. It is very important to â€Å"avoid nebulous, unprioritized requirements, and never used canned RFP’s† (Byrne, 2010). RFP’s are sometimes not cost effective for vendors where they may not make the profit margin they hope to, so not as many are responding to them as in the years past (Byrne, 2010). DHHS should have made sure that listed all requirements they needed very clear so that potential companies could have offered up bids. They may have received bids from companies that had the experience and knowledge needed to make sure the system was correctly. In actuality DHHS paid twice the amount of the bid from Keane. Some states decided to continue to use their old (legacy) Medicaid claim systems, update them, and provide a Web link to the system, instead of developing a new system. What are the advantages of this approach? There are several advantages that this approach would have shown such as: †¢ The legacy system will still contain all the old medical information. †¢ Old claims are still able to be accessed and researched with the legacy system. The legacy system is not likely to have the same problems occur that a new system is expected to. By updating the legacy system can cut down on the cost and time that it would take for a new system. †¢ â€Å"Investment in a new system would not justify the improved features because the old systems have some advantage that cannot be obtained from newer systems† (Oz, 2009) In many cases organizations decide to convert to a new IS by cutting over. In what sense was the cutover in this case riskier than in other such conversions? As for DHHS they chose to build a new system unlike most states that chose to only integrate their systems so they met HIPAA requirements. By choosing to build a new system they would have no access to the legacy system and all information would now become extinct once the cut over occurred. By DHHS rushing the conversion they in turn were not ready for the cut over and in turn also fell behind on the agreed schedule. By this occurring and the merging of departments the IT department was cut in half and no one discussed what the other was doing. Also, there was no one from HIPAA on the committee to begin with to approve and assist with all programming rules and regulations (Oz, 2009). Recommendations: There are several ways that DHHS could have conducted this conversion. My recommendations are as follows: (1) A project team should have been selected before the RFP’s were to be processed. (2) DHHS should have made some efforts to negotiate with Keane seeing that they were more qualified out of the two. (3) DHHS should have conducted more research on the companies that offered the bids. (4) DHHS should have conducted research on other states that just integrated their system to see if it worked for them. 5) DHHS should have used the agile project management model so that there could be open lines of communication and room for any changes that needed to be made. They would have been able to test their work every two to three weeks to see what worked for them and what didn’t. (6) The project teams should have worked together and shared all ideas instead of working separate. These are my recommendations. As of today DHHS no longer uses the CNSI systems. â€Å"As a result of certification, MIHMS has been found to meet the standards of CMS for a certified claims management system.This will allow Maine to claim 75% reimbursement for ongoing operations retroactive to Sept 1, 2010-the date that the system began processing claims.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Song Summary Hey Kid If/Then Essay Example For Students

Song Summary: Hey Kid If/Then Essay For my first song selection, I chose a piece from the musical If/Then called Hey Kid. If/Then centers around the story of Elizabeth, a New York City planner who is looking for a fresh start. She meets two of her friends in Central Park. Her friend Kate says that she should experience life more while her friend Lucas tells her to make more professional connections in the city. The musicals plot line then splits into two different story lines, one following Liz and her new experiences and the other following Beth and her professional career. In Lizs story line, she falls in love with an army doctor named Josh. We will write a custom essay on Song Summary: Hey Kid If/Then specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now At the end of Act 1 it is revealed that Liz and Josh are expecting their first child. Act two opens with their marriage and then transitions to the birth of their son. Josh sings the song Hey Kid to inform the audience of the childs birth. By applying the six musical theater actors questions, one can interpret the songs lyrics and can better perform this piece. The first question asks who is the character singing to. Hey Kid in the context of the musical is being sung to the child that is on its way. It is also being sung to the singer himself. In the beginning to the piece Josh sings Hey, Kid. Evryones waiting on you, kid. which is clearly directed at the child. Later in the piece he sings And I realize, in an instant that Ive know you all along. This could be interpreted as him saying this to the child but is more of a thought to himself. After understanding which parts of the song are being sung to who, we now must understand what the character wants. In the moment of the song, he wants he child to be born. In the long term he wants to reassure the child that whatever this world comes to, and whatever come our way every this is going to be okay. Josh shows these goals by singing about his excitement and fears about this kid coming into this world. He wants everything to be perfect for this kid, but he knows that he and his wife have no clue what they are doing, but they are going to try their best. This song can be broken down into three sections. Section A is what I call the pre-baby stage. During this part Josh is waiting for the kid to get here. Section B is called the delivery phase. This section talks about getting the call about the birth and they the actions during the labor process. Section C is when the baby has finally arrived and he is telling the kid about his bright future. The pauses in this song are a time for the actor to gather his thoughts and think about how to move the action into the next phrase. Since most of the chunks of lyrics are continuous and flow from one line to the next, the pauses are a way for Josh to think about this time in his life. This is his first child so he is trying to wrap his head around the situation. Since he doesnt have another birth to compare this one too, he compares it to his times in the army. He is both terrified and excited about this event that an actor can uses the pauses to help convey these feelings. The entire piece is a series of arsis and thesis. He will say one thing and say another that completely contradicts what he just said. For example he says Im a doctor and a solider/ Ive been shelled and under fire/ But kid,/ If I say that you dont scare me/Im a liar. He has been through so much action in the army, by being shot at and fired upon, but the birth of this child is more frighting then that. .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 , .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 .postImageUrl , .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 , .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884:hover , .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884:visited , .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884:active { border:0!important; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884:active , .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884 .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubeb32cbb0c37fdc2bc7d570ff836a884:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The music changes between non-diagetic and diagetic sound EssayBy finding these comparisons, you can better connect the thoughts in the piece. According to The Dramatic Function of Songs in Musical Theater by Dr. Larry A. Brown and my interpretation of the piece, I would categorize this piece as a narration piece. Dr. Brown describes a narration song as describing events that we otherwise do not see ( Brown 4). Over the course of the piece we go from Liz being pregnant, through 18 hours of labor, and into the childs life getting started. By compacting these events into one, 4 minute song, Hey Kid can be labeled as a narration song.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Academy of Management

Academy of Management Academy of Management The academy of management is the most significant and the largest professional association in the world whose main goal is facilitating and equipping scholars with information about management and organization. It was established in November 1936 by Professor Chares L. Jamison and William N. Mitchell of the University of Michigan and the University Chicago respectively thus making it the oldest management association worldwide. It is located on the Briarcliff manor campus of New York University (AOM, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Academy of Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Academy of management was established on the basis of advancing the philosophy of management. As the organization continued developing, its original founding members saw the rising need for scholarly research in management. This resulted to making the academy wholly academic. Today, the Academy of manag ement hosts 18, 518 members from 104 different countries as compared to its ten members during it formation. The academy’s efforts to involve members form various countries is based on its efforts to share management information as well as giving people from different communities a chance to participate in the organizations. Among its affiliates are Asia, Iberoamerica and five management academies of the USA which include â€Å"the Eastern, Midwest, Southwest, the Western Academy of management as well as the Southern management association† (AOM, 2003, p. 1). The operations management division of the Academy of management deals with change management in the process of producing goods and services regardless of whether it’s a profit or a non-profit making organization. The major topics in management include â€Å"operations strategy, products and service development, supply chain management, project management, quality management and issues facing operations suc h as international, human resources, environmental and IT† (AOM, 2003, p. 1). Some of the sponsors that took place in this program in 2009 include â€Å"Platinum, Project Management Institute, BGSU college of Business Administration, University of Manchester-Manchester Business School, Kelly School of Business, Gold, College of Business-University of Illinois, Stanford University, Portland University, Wake Forest University† (AOM, 2003, p. 1) among others. Operations Strategy The topic of operations strategy in management deals with the strategic decisions that chief executive officer in the operations department of a company come up with. It links the strategic decisions and the products or the results of these decisions (Waters Waters, 1999). Operations strategy differs from the corporate and Business strategy in that while the latter describes general strategies the former finds means to accomplish the general strategies. The operations strategy tries to relate the company’s strengths with consumer’s tastes and preferences. Some of the details that this strategy considers before coming up with a product include the kind of products to manufacture, the range of these products, the processes employed, technology, means of producing and maintaining quality goods, the areas of establishing their business and capacity to produce as well as means of enjoying the economies of scale (Waters Waters, 1999). Products and Service Development The topic of products and service development involves the means which can be employed to ensure quality work in a company. The wave that is employed in this scenario is called the Design For Six Sigma which is built upon two principles or goals. The first goal is â€Å"Do the right things† while the second goal is â€Å"Do the right things all the time† (Yang El-Haik, 1999).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper wi th 15% OFF Learn More The first goal means that when designing the manufacturing a product or a service, it is important to do it excellently. Doing the right things ensures that product gives the consumer great excitement since it fits his desires, delivers the product in the most economical, efficient and flexible way and it gives room for competitive advantage. The second goal ensures consistence in the results of the first goal and does not give room for compromising. Supply Chain Management Supply chain refers to a relationship created among various companies by interconnections in terms of services, information; finances among others form a source to a customer. Therefore supply chain management involves coordination of various businesses involved in the supply chain in order to ensure a long term existence of a company as well as the supply chain (Mentzer, 2001). Some of the areas covered in the topic of supply chain management include its application in the g lobal environment, how it can affect customer’s value, satisfaction, behavior and differential advantage, roles of marketing in supply chain management among others. Project Management In Academy of Management conferences in 2007, several workshops and papers were basically geared towards project management. This was one of the best management conferences whereby the quality of the conference was quite good. Among the issues discussed concerning project management included: teaching project management with people in mind, debating a research agenda on the management of large engineering projects, how to study project management while involving diverse research methods and specific phenomena in studying project, as well as the relationship between project management and firm success. (Yaghootkar, 2007. P.1) The conference put emphasis on giving the students projects that were applicable in the real life situation as well as in the Job market. Quality Management This is another major topic in management according to the Academy of management. The four main components of quality management include â€Å"quality planning, quality control, quality assurance, and quality improvement† (AOM, 2003, p. 1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Academy of Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The quality standards of the ISO 9000:2000 and ISO 9000:2008 which were derived from the experts who took part in the ISO certification among which were the Academy of management included â€Å"customer focus, leadership, involving people, system approach to management, consistent improvement, factual approach to decision making, and mutually beneficial supplier relationship† (ISO, 2011, p.1). Issues facing Operations Another major topic in management is the topic covering issues facing operations in management. Some of the major issues discussed in details in this area include international, hu man resources, environmental and IT issues facing business bodies which the Academy of management have identified through continued scholarly research and real life experiences. These issues have been triggered by globalization which has reduced the world to a cyber space as well as extending the work of operations in management since businesses and organizations are no longer limited to geographical boundaries. Conclusion Since its formation in 1936, the Academy has contributed a lot and impacted so many people who have interest in the field of management. The Academy has been developing with time while giving academic scholars greater room for research in order to come up with scholarly materials. The above discussed major topics in the field of management have equipped managers with the required information in their line of profession. This has prevented frustrations in the field of management since such knowledge brings about excellence in organization management. Managers and s cholars in management should acquire membership to the academy of management to continue equipping themselves with quality ideas in this field. References AOM. (2003). Dedicated to Advancing the Scholarship and Advancement of Management. AOM Online. Retrieved from http://aom.org/ ISO. (2011). Quality Management Principles. ISO Organization. Web. Mentzer, J. (2001). Supply Chain Management. California: Sage.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Waters, C Waters, D. (1999). Operations Management. London, UK: Kogan Page. Yaghootkar, K. (2007). Project Management Session in AOM Conference. Project Management Review. Retrieved from http://project-management-review.blogspot.com/2007/06/project-management-sessions-in-aom.html Yang, K El-Haik, B. (1999). Design for Six Sigma: A Road Map to Product Development. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Professionals.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

World War 1 Battles

World War 1 Battles The battles of the World War I were fought across the globe from the fields of Flanders and France to the Russian plains and deserts of the Middle East. Beginning in 1914, these battles devastated the landscape and elevated to prominence places that had previously been unknown. As a result, names such as Gallipoli, the Somme, Verdun, and Meuse-Argonne became eternally entwined with images of sacrifice, bloodshed, and heroism. Due to the static nature of World War I trench warfare, fighting took place on a routine basis and soldiers were rarely safe from the threat of death. The battles of the World War I War are largely divided into the Western, Eastern, Middle Eastern, and colonial fronts with the bulk of the fighting taking place in the first two. During World War I, over 9 million men were killed and 21 million wounded in battle as each side fought for their chosen cause. Battles of World War I by Year 1914 August 7-September 13: Battle of the Frontiers - Western FrontAugust 14-25: Battle of Lorraine - Western FrontAugust 21-23: Battle of Charleroi - Western FrontAugust 23: Battle of Mons - Western FrontAugust 23-31: Battle of Tannenberg - Eastern FrontAugust 28: Battle of Heligoland Bight - At SeaSeptember 6-12: First Battle of the Marne - Western FrontOctober 19-November 22:Â  First Battle of Ypres - Western FrontNovember 1: Battle of Coronel - At SeaNovember 9: Battle of Cocos - At SeaDecember 8: Battle of the Falklands - At SeaDecember 16: Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool, Whitby - At SeaDecember 24-25: The Christmas Truce - Western Front 1915 January 24: Battle of Dogger Bank - At SeaFebruary 19-January 9, 1916: Gallipoli Campaign - Middle EastApril 22-May 25: Second Battle of Ypres - Western FrontMay 7: Sinking of the Lusitania - At SeaSeptember 25-October 14: Battle of Loos - Western Front 1916 February 21-December 18: Battle of Verdun - Western FrontMay 31-June 1: Battle of Jutland - At SeaJuly 1-November 18: Battle of the Somme - Western FrontAugust 3-5: Battle of Romani - Middle EastDecember 23: Battle of Magdhaba - Middle East 1917 January 9: Battle of Rafa - Middle EastJanuary 16: Zimmermann Telegram - Western FrontMarch 26: First Battle of Gaza - Middle EastApril 9-May 16: Battle of Arras - Western FrontJune 7-14: Battle of Messines - Western FrontJuly 31-November 6: Battle of Passchendaele (Third Ypres) - Western FrontOctober 24-November 19: Battle of Caporetto - Italian FrontOctober 31-November 7: Third Battle of Gaza - Middle EastNovember 20-December 6: Battle of Cambrai - Western Front 1918 March 21-April 5: Spring Offensives - Operation Michael - Western FrontJune 1-June 26: Battle of Belleau Wood - Western FrontJuly 15-August 6: Second Battle of the Marne - Western FrontAugust 8-11: Battle of Amiens - Western FrontSeptember 19-October 1: Battle of Megiddo - Middle EastSeptember 26-November 11: Meuse-Argonne Offensive - Western Front

Thursday, November 21, 2019

TV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

TV - Essay Example Notably, Simba goes to exile as Scar succeeds the king. Nevertheless, after maturing, the young lion returns to the Pride Lands to challenge his evil uncle to end his rule (Allers Film). The Lion King has received a lot of praise subject to its plot, music, and animation. Indeed, the Lion King is a captivating and entertaining animated film. The Disney film shows how the young lion suffered under the jealous and evil Scar who killed his brother, Mufasa to inherit to take over power in Pride Lands (Allers Film). The film shows Scar as a devil with dark brown-red fur and green eyes. His cunning and charismatic enabled him to gain immense support from his enemies to conquer the young lion. However, despite Scar’s craving for power, the film depicts Scar as a coward and Simba as a brave person (Allers Film). Indeed, the film presents Simba as a young lion hero seeking to find his identity in nature and follow his father’s

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Role of Philosophy in Ancient Greece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Role of Philosophy in Ancient Greece - Essay Example Although Greece prospered as a superpower, its iron-fisted rule caused frustration and discontentment. The teachings and admonition of Homer, Hesiod, and other philosophers, thinkers, and other men of renown had an impact although they were neither taken seriously nor officially acknowledged. It would be incorrect to say that they were totally and exclusively rejected. However, at best, the ruling class’ opinion was divided. Thus, a conscientious section among learned men of the times deemed it necessary to invoke the gods, goddesses, the consequences of evil, and the trysts and involvement of the divine beings with the lives and affairs of men. They exhorted the people in the name of their god, Zeus, and other gods including the deathless gods, that these great divine beings hated violence and injustice. Ancient inscriptions, texts and another archaeological evidence point to the greatness of the empire, its height of power, corruption, and decline, and ultimate albeit temporary demise in the times of Hesiod. The empire was to resurrect a few centuries later. The political, economic, social and administrative structure of the great monolith was so powerful and wielded such influence that there was no way it could not find its way back. Those who recorded the decrees and events and the architects and sculptors who designed city and town structures conformed to the best information and technology available at that time. They did so under duress. However, the system was near perfect and all-pervasive to the extent it left no stone unturned in ensuring a feasible, time and motion-based planning and execution. The execution of administration itself was ruthless enough to quell insubordination. Obviously, the Greek rulers had in place some form of reward and punishment system in place to spur performance and forbid failure.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Haptic Technology - Feeling the Future Essay Example for Free

Haptic Technology Feeling the Future Essay What is haptic technology? It’s the technology relating to or based on the sense of touch. We see it every day with our touch screen phones. It is needed to interact with your phone, computer, keyboard, mouse, car, gaming system and more! It can also be used in medicine, robotics, art, design, electronics, toys, and more! Where is the technology feeling to go? What is haptic feedback? What is haptic feedback? Haptic feedback the shake of your gaming console’s remote, the vibration of your phone, clicking of the keyboard and mouse. the interaction of touch and response (Figure 1). How does this correlate with human memory?   Memory has several categories. There is long-term memory, short-term and sensory memory. Each one plays an important part of overall memory. â€Å"They all cooperate in the process of memorization, and can be seen as three necessary steps in forming a lasting memory† (Mastin, 2012). Haptic technology uses sensory memory. What is sensory memory?   According to Mastin, sensory memory is the shortest-term element of memory. â€Å"It is the ability to retain impressions of sensory information after the original stimuli have ended. It acts as a kind of buffer for stimuli received through the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch† (Mastin, 2012). Touch is the key word in haptic technology. How will this technology change the way we interact with computer? The interactions of computer and humans are known as human-computer-interface (HCI). Human-computer-interface (HCI) developers and engineers goals are to improve the user’s overall experience. This can be accomplished by creating a lasting memory for the end user and a good feeling of using the technology known as haptic technology. What is HCI? HCI is the study on how to better improve the interaction between human and computers. For example Human Machine Symbiosis Laboratory Department of Biomedical Informatics Arizona State University conducted a study on the Psychology of Haptics, Haptic User Interfaces and Human Motion Analysis. Their main goal for the haptic user interface study is to design effective and efficient interfaces; in psychology of haptics study they focused on the role of haptic modality in formation and retention of memory and categorization; and in the human motion study they concentrated on gesture analysis. Human computer interaction (HCI) has emerged as a focal area of both computer science research and development, and of applied social, behavioral and psychological research† (Kahol, 2010). The research team in Arizona State University focused on memory and categorization controlled experiments using mechanisms of haptic memory and categorization. They also explored whether individuals who were blind and sighted can abstract a haptic prototype from a study set; the nature of haptic space through multidimensional scaling; and haptics in early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Arizona State University research team are concerned with design, development and testing of tactile and force feedback devices and its associated software(s). â€Å"These devices have widespread applications such as surgical simulations, medical and procedural training, scientific visualizations, assistive and rehabilitative devices for individuals who have physical or neurological disorders and assistive devices for individuals who are blind† (Kathol, 2010). The human motion research field is guided towards understanding human motion through gesture analysis. The research team from Arizona State University has developed novel gesture segmentation and gesture recognition tools for understanding and modeling human motion. They plan to develop scalable gesture segmentation and gesture recognition tools. They plan to apply the models to generic human motion as well as specialized human motion as in dance and in various scenarios such as surveillance, human computer interfaces and 3D Dance motion. Once these devices are implemented, they must remain consistent. Why you ask? Image a medical procedural being done on you. The doctor is located in different part of the world and is using new technology which allows him to operate remotely, but wait. The controls he is using are not consistent with the standard controls accepted in the USA. Will you risk your life on this doctors questionable HCI? I know I wouldn’t. Designing the right HCI is key to any successful implementation of new technology. What are some design factors to consider in the implementation of HCI and where does the future of HCI feel to go? Figure 2 User-Centric Design (SAP, 2013) One possible design process we can use is UCD. What is is UCD? User-centered design (UCD) is a design methodology and process that focuses on the needs of end users, limitations of end users, preferences of end users, and business objectives (USABILITY, 2013). The UCD has several components: plan, research, design, adapt, and measure (Figure 2). â€Å"Plan – In the Plan phase, the team determines all of the UCD activities and ensures that the necessary resources are available. Research – Before you can design a product, it is imperative that you have a clear understanding of the users goals and tasks, the market needs, and related work. Design – In the design phase, you define your system from the users perspective. Initially, this phase takes the form of use cases and an object action model, which describes the tasks that the system will support. From these tasks you create UI designs, beginning with rough sketches and ending with detailed UI design specifications. Adapt – The adapt phase acknowledges that even the best conceived designs often need to be adapted when development begins coding. This adaptation can occur as a result of unforeseen limitations in the target technology, new requirements, or missing functionality in the initial design. Measure – When the product is released, it is possible to measure its usability quantitatively. These tests measure a products effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction† (SAP, 2013) HCI FUTURE Microsoft researchers wrote Being Human Human Computer Interaction in the Year 2020. In the paper they state: â€Å"HCI needs to extend its methods and approaches so as to focus more clearly on human values. This will require a more sensitive view about the role, function and consequences of design, just as it will force HCI to be more inventive. HCI will need to form new partnerships with other disciplines, too, and for this to happen HCI practitioners will need to be sympathetic to the tools and techniques of other trades. Finally, HCI will need to re-examine and reflect on its basic terms and concepts. Outdated notions of the ‘user’, the ‘computer’ and ‘interaction’ are hardly sufficient to encompass all that HCI will need to attend to† (Microsoft, 2008).

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Interview With A Marine :: essays research papers

The Few the Proud and the The Brave. Timothy Durham A corpral in the United States Marine Corps Considers himself to be a example of what the Marines exemplify. "I am a Marine to the heart 100%." Timothy joined the Marines at the age of twenty three, in search of a better lie for both himself and his daughter. He felt like the Marines would be the best route to not only developing him into manhood but also providing him with the best "possible benefits". "I wanted To be a better person and open up doors of oppurtunity for myself. I wanted to provide for my family, buy a house and be able to live comfortably.What better way then to serve my country." During his four years in the Marines Timothy has traveled throught the United States and around the world to Japan, Australia, Korea, Panama and the Phillapines. In Addition He has recieved numerous certificates of commendation for going above and beyond. Because of being such an outstanding Timothy and 13 others from his squad were invited to preform in the Australian bicentenial parade to preform military drills. But despite his accomplishments What does it mean to be a Marine? "Discipline, heart, Attention to detail and pride"are all qualities that Timothy feelsare nessacary to being a Marine.The Marines are the toughest branch of the military. They break you down and build you back up. It requires strength, endurance, and determination. Everyone is not tmade for the Marines because it is both a physical and mental challenge. You have to be able to take instruction and follow them apprioatley. You have to me Marine quality." A day as a Marine is very extensive. A Marines day begins at 4:30 am. Physical Training starts at 5:00 am and last for an hour. Immedialy following is morning formation a brief explanation of the days activity as well as morning attendance. Wheter on the field or in the classroom military training begins at 7:00 am. This a basic insturction class which last 5hrs and teaches skills for combat. Lunch last about 40 mins and is followed by another shower. Then comes field training a basic overview of the skills learned in the classroom. Next, is weapons cleaning. Company formation begins at 4:00 pm. This is a marching drill exercise that teaches marching skills. The Squads day comes to a close after dinner with liberty or free time.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Buyer Program Essay

The intent behind the development of Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Buyer Program is to increase the level of customer loyalty. The system will be broken down into two different levels; the frequency of a buyers shopping with Kudler Fine Foods and the amount of money that the buyer spends with each purchase. A program like this is typically used as a marketing strategy that is â€Å"enabled by point-of-sale technology to record and store customer purchases in exchange for rewards’ (Appel, p. 156, 2006). A web-based shopping program will be used to enhance the Frequent Buyer Program for Kudler Fine Foods. This will be achieved by applying web-based advertising. A projection of frequent buyers growth is expected on the initial employment of the frequent buyer program. It is the estimate of the Sales and Marketing Department that there will be a 5% growth within the first 12 months of this program. The department has also conducted an analysis considering what legal courses of actions, if any, Kudler Fine Foods will need to take to ensure the success of this program. Legal Considerations A study of the consumer trends in this area will have to be conducted. The will enable the Sales and Marketing Department to allow for a smooth and functional program and give them an idea on how to better market the product. â€Å"Market research and demographics data can be used to better target products and produce better or customized products; such data are becoming increasingly valuable: (national Research Council, p. 156, 1994). Some of the legal issues that will be taken in to consideration are costumer privacy as this will have an increased attention in response to the initial data that we will be requesting. It is important that Kudler Fine Foods incorporate some sort of privacy statement into the initial request form stating that the information will not be shared with anyone outside of Kudler Fine Foods, and state the basic reason of why Kudler Fine Foods is requesting such data. Employees of Kudler Fine Foods will need to be trained on the proper handling of such data and what ramifications can happen in the event that costumer information is released without the expressed consent of the costumer. Ethical Considerations The intent of the Frequent Buyers Programs with Kudler Fine Foods is to be one of electronic commerce application. An e-commerce program can provide Kudler Fine Foods another level of costumer shopping and potentially receiving new customers for Kudler’s. As the program grows so will be profit margins of the company. However, internet security will have to be in the foremost thought of the IT Department in the development stages through the employment of the Frequent Buyers Program launch. The IT systems employed will â€Å"gather personal data about customer bases, and use it to support vital functions, such as the authentication of individuals requesting service, verification of credit and accounting information, delivery of services and goods, marketing, decision-making and law enforcement† (Appel, p. 156, 2006). Security Considerations The design and development of the database should not solely be focused on the access to and the protection of the personnel identifiable information that is being stored of the database. This information should be considered sensitive as it could be access in the attempt of identification theft or other forms of fraud. Programs of the nature have shown that they release they sensitive information to third party buyers. (Appel, 2006). Purchases that an individual makes should be held in a private and secure location and should not be shared with anyone outside of Kudler Fine Foods. An implementation of this should help ease a buyers concern that we are sharing their information with anyone who does not need to have it. The development of Kudler’s e-commerce site should be designed to fully secure. This is to help any unethical occurrences form happening; however, it will not prevent them from being attempted. Financial Analysis This initial cost of the startup of this program will be a minimal impact on Kudler Fine Foods. The initial advertisement effort will be done via social media; the companies Facebook page and Twitter account, email and word of mouth. Allowing for a reward system for costumer referrals can be used for current and new customers as the programs is employed and continues to grow. Rajiv and bell argue â€Å"customer retention costs are generally lower than customer acquisition costs, companies are better of focusing attention on their more loyal customers especially since the top 20% of customers account for 80% of revenues and often more than 100% of profits† (p. 180, 2003). Kudler Foods could reduce their marketing expenses by using a customer loyalty system through the use of rewards. The sales increase from this program should be reflected by the increase of new customers and the increased returning customers increased spending. The use of seasonal promotions only available to costumers enrolled into the frequent buyers program could also help in increased sales profits. Conclusion A frequent shopper program can be a successful tool is used correctly by a company. The difficult task will always be bringing in new costumers. This program should allow for the retention of existing customers with Kudler Fine Foods. A rewards points system should be used for the exchange of costume items only available to customers enrolled in the frequent shopper program. This will entice customers to remain loyal to the company and refer the friends and family to the program. The increased awareness of the customers privacy should always stressed from the designing of the program, through the implementation and further in the continuing changes of the program. Ensuring that the customers understand that their information is not shared with any third party organizations and that their information will help in the advancement of this program should minimize conflicts. The paramount concern should always be information security and privacy of customers identifying information will help keep this program a success.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

How Tourism Promote Culture of Peace Essay

â€Å"I have watched the cultures of all lands blow around my house and other winds have blown the seeds of peace, for travel is the language of peace.† .. . Mahatma Gandhi Does tourism promote culture of peace? The tourism has become the important industry in the developing countries for the economic development. Tourism appears to be one of the few economic sectors able to guide a number of developing countries to higher levels of prosperity and for some to leave behind their least developed country status: As tourism is one of the world’s major industries and in continuously expanding. Tourism is the biggest and fastest growing industry in the world. Peace is a precondition for travel and tourism and all aspects of human growth and development. Tourism can rise above governmental boundaries by bringing people closer together through the understanding of different cultures, heritages, and beliefs. Therefore, it is potentially one of the most important vehicles for promoting peace among the peoples of the world. Tourism society of England (1976) defines tourism as â€Å"Tourism is a temporary short term movement of people to destination outside the places where they normally live and work and their activities during the stay at each destination.† It includes movements for all purposes. Alister Matheison and Geoffrey wall in their book â€Å"Tourism Economic, Physical and Social Impact† 1980 have tourism as â€Å"it is the temporary movement of the people to destination outside their normal places of work and residence, the activities undertaken during their stay in those destination and facilities created to cater to their needs.† Tourism has a wide range of positive economic impacts. It contributes directly to sales, profits, jobs, tax revenues, and income in the primary tourism sectors such as hotels, restaurants and transportation. Positive aspects of Tourism * Provides employment opportunities * Increases incomes and governmental revenues * Increased gross national products * Can promote local products and resources * Promotes a global community * Promotes international understanding and peace As there are also negative aspect of tourism which creates the social problems, degrades natural physical environment and creates pollution. It also increases the crime, prostitution and gambling but in another way it can be develop as a part of tourism. There are some criticisms on tourism that creates conflict in the host country, and commercialize culture, region and arts. So we can relate tourism and peace as peace can be simply known as â€Å"the absence of war† and calls for new positive concept of peace accepting the perspective of an organic and interconnected world. Regarding the peace; World tourism conference in Manila in 1980, declared that world tourism can be vital force for the world peace. So the tourism industry has a role of promoting global understanding, trust and world peace. Further, United Nations has also focused on peace and tourism and has identified creating peace through tourism is an important means to create peace in the world. Marxist theorist also assumed that inequality is a cause of conflict. More than inequality between individuals, rather inequality between ethnic groups or between regions referred as horizontal inequality. The major thing is the movement of people as a tourism triggers important process of capital formation and wealth distribution. It also helps to change the fundamental nature and social cultural relation of the people. Moreover, tourism reduces social inequalities by uplifting the living conditions of marginalized people which also helps to reduce structural violence. From the peace studies point of view, we considers tourism has potential to reduce violence as tourism is consumed at the point of production of increasing opportunities for individual and micro enterprises to sell additional products or services. Tourism is also based on diversity drawing from a large resources base which increases scope of wider participation. Tourism helps to raise living standard of people and deprived communities. Based on the common perception of the link between Tourism and peace, a number of scholars have argued for a role for tourism in the promotion of peace for specific countries. The relationship of the USA and the People’s Republic of China is a good example of the contribution of tourism to world peace. After the terrorists’ attack to the World Trade Centre on the 11th of September 2001, there was a significant decline (6.8 per cent fewer international tourists visiting than the previous year) in the number of tourists as was seen in the financial difficulty of many aviation companies. Terrorist attacks have sprung up in many tourist destinations, such as Bali and more recently Madrid. D’ Amore (1988) suggested that the key to a changed political relationship between the USA and the People’s Republic of China was opening travel in various forms such as conferences, sports and trade. The role of tourism in the promotion of peace compatible with liberalism has been supported by a number of examples such as relations between the USA and the People’s Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan. The nature of traditional society is both an expression and cause of underdevelopment. So major and fundamental changes must occur across social, cultural, political and economic values, institutions and patterns of action if modernization to occur. There is a close relationship between economies and violent conflict. Conflict begins with the economic factor that makes some societies move to conflict. One of the main factors is poverty, mostly feature in civil wars. Economic growth is also associated with lower levels of conflict. If there would be policy that aim to promote growth in developing countries are in effect, agents of conflict prevention. Absence of war is an essential condition for peace and for the development, but it is not at all sufficient for any people to feel peaceful. Peace contains more positive concept. Tourism is not only the beneficiary of peace, but also vital force for negative and positive peace. Tourism should be designed and conducted in a proper way because it has both benefits and costs to local and global economy and society, culture and environment. If all the actors play their own role, tourism can gradually lead to peace. Tourism can lead peace when it is properly conducted by each actor and when more people can have opportunities to serve in this sector. Tourism is recognized as an instrument of social and cultural understanding by the opportunity offered to bring different people in contact and to provide facility of a acquisition and exchange of information about the way of life, cultures, languages and other social and economic endowments of the people as well as a change for making friendships and achieving goodwill and peace. The basic assumption of those who see tourism as a peace generator is that tourism allows people to know each other, to work with each other, and to learn to appreciate each other’s cultures and by so doing come to appreciate each other. The role of tourism and peace can be viewed from two perspectives, namely socio cultural and political (Kunwar, 2010). The political perspective on tourism and world peace focuses upon tourism as a promoter of national integration and international understanding, goodwill and peace. Peace tourism sees every traveler as an ambassador to peace. Socially and environmentally responsible tourism helps to foster stability, economic equity, and ultimately, a more peaceful society. Tourism can become a vital force to promote positive peace. Although tourism has negative and positive impacts, all the actors involved in tourism seems to recognize the necessity of global perspective, aided by the growing concern for sustainability in tourism. Based on a long-term perspective, tourism in a sustainable way can maximize the revenues of destination communities and governments and the profits of tourism enterprises, and keep attracting tourists and motivating local populations. Sustainable tourism satisfies tourists and host regions by protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future. The ultimate aims of tourism should be heading towards creating a better quality of life for all people, tolerance, economic sustainability and the reduction of structural violence. It has been argued that tourism is a positive force able to reduce tension and hostility by promoting peace in international relations. Tourism has significant political implications in world politics and international relations. Governments can use tourism as a political leverage to either promote tourism with friendly countries or restrict tourism with hostile countries by controlling the movement of tourists and the opportunities to have people-to people contacts. Therefore promotion of tourism leads to establish the global â€Å"culture of peace†. REFERENCES * Alon Gelbman (2008): Border Tourism in Israel: Conflict, Peace, Fear and Hope, Tourism Geographies: An International Journal of Tourism Space, Place and Environment, 10:2, 193-213 * Dallen J. Timothy (1999): Cross-Border Partnership in Tourism Resource Management: International Parks along the US-Canada Border, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 7:3-4, 182-205 * Ap, John, and Turgut Var (1990): Does Tourism promote World Peace? Tourism Management 11(3):267-273 * Anson, Caroline (1991): Planning for Peace: The role of tourism in the aftermath of violence. journal of travel Research 38(1): 57-61

Thursday, November 7, 2019

drug testing1 essays

drug testing1 essays Precision Machine Tool is a machine tool company that primarily manufactures for the automobile industry. The machine tool industry is self-sufficient in that they use their resources to manufacture products; that is, they use their own tools. Precision Machine tool uses big machines to build parts for lathes, which are sold in the automobile industry for use in factories. Precision has always had a reputation of quality, though it has declined because of aging technology and machines. The aging of the technology is because of a decline in their capital caused by a recession in the automotive industry. During the late 1970s, the American automotive industry was at its apex. Americans fell behind during this boom because of inadequate production capacity. The Japanese had identified the machine industry as a growing industry and invested in modernization of technology. Consequently, Japanese technology was better and costs were lower. When a recession hit in 1980-1981, American firms had little capital to invest, and thus could not modernize their equipment. The industries that are going to survive in the future are those that have the most efficient computerized operations and that produce the cheapest, most reliable products. The Japanese have this edge and the American machine tool manufacturers are reluctant to change their ideologies of buying only American made products. John Garner and Tom Avery created precision Machine Tool. John Garner is the president of Precision Machine Tool, and is a financial conservative. He prefers to invest in the company using only its profits. Tom Avery is an expert tool design engineer. He is in charge of the manufacturing and management end of the business. Both men are very critical of selling out to the Japanese and want to keep Precision American. One of the main problems plaguing Precision is the aging of its technology and equipment ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Understanding French Stressed Pronouns

Understanding French Stressed Pronouns Stressed pronouns, also known as disjunctive pronouns, are used to emphasize a noun or pronoun that refers to a person. There are nine forms in French. Please see the table at the bottom of the page. French stressed pronouns correspond in some ways to their English counterparts, but are very different in other ways. Note that the English translations sometimes require different sentence structures altogether. Stressed pronouns are used in the following ways in French: I. To emphasize nouns or pronouns (accent tonique)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - Je pense quil a raison.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - Moi, je pense quil a tort.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - Je ne sais pas, moi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - I think hes right.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - I think hes wrong.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - I dont know. II. After cest and ce sont (accent tonique)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cest toi qui à ©tudies lart.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Youre the one whos studying art.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ce sont elles qui aiment Paris.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They love Paris. III. When a sentence has more than one subject or object     Ã‚  Michel et moi jouons au tennis.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Michael and I are playing tennis.     Ã‚  Toi et lui, vous à ªtes trà ¨s gentils.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You and he are very kind.     Ã‚  Je les ai vus, lui et elle.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I saw him and her. IV. To ask and answer questions  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - Qui va la plage  ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - Lui.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - Who is going to the beach?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - He is.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jai faim, et toi?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Im hungry, and you? V. After prepositions  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vas-tu manger sans moi?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Are you going to eat without me?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louis habite chez elle.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louis lives at her house. VI. After que in comparisons  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elle est plus grande que toi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  She is taller than you (are).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Il travaille plus que moi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He works more than I (do). VII. With emphatic words like aussi, non plus, seul, and surtout  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lui seul a travaillà © hier.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He alone worked yesterday.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eux aussi veulent venir.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They want to come too. VIII. With -mà ªme(s) for emphasis     Ã‚  Prà ©pare-t-il le dà ®ner lui-mà ªme?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is he making dinner himself?     Ã‚  Nous le ferons nous-mà ªmes.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well do it ourselves. IX. With the negative adverb ne...que and conjunction ne...ni...ni     Ã‚  Je ne connais que lui ici.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hes the only one I know here.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ni toi ni moi ne le comprenons.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Neither you nor I understand it. X. After the preposition to indicate possession     Ã‚  Ce stylo est moi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This pen is mine.     Ã‚  Quel livre est toi?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Which book is yours? XI. With certain verbs that dont allow a preceding indirect object pronoun     Ã‚  Je pense toi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Im thinking of you.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fais attention eux.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pay attention to them. Note: Soi is used for unspecified persons. Would you like to test your skills with French stressed pronouns? English French me moi you toi him lui her elle oneself soi us nous you vous them (masc) eux them (fem) elles How to Use the French Pronoun Soi Soi  is one of the most often misused French pronouns.  Its the third person indefinite stressed pronoun, which means that it is used only for unspecified persons; i.e., with an  indefinite pronoun  or  impersonal verb.  Soi  is equivalent to one or oneself, but in English, we usually say everyone instead.      Ã‚  On va chez soi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone is going (to his or her respective) home.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chacun pour soi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every man for himself.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Il faut avoir confiance en soi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  One should have confidence in oneself (in him/herself).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tout le monde doit le faire soi-mà ªme.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone has to do it him/herself. Some French students get confused between  soi-mà ªme  and  lui-mà ªme. If you remember that  soi  can only be used for unspecified persons, you should be ok.     Ã‚  Il va le faire lui-mà ªme.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hes going to do it himself.     Ã‚  On va le faire soi-mà ªme.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone is going to do it him/herself.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Financial intermediation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financial intermediation - Essay Example It is noted that the systemic stability contributes to the risk reduction. This is achieved through geographic diversification and this is analysed by the two/three of the cross-province merger and acquisitions. The empirical findings have been derived by applying a probabilistic theoretical model. This has supported the efficiency hypothesis rather than the imminent failure hypothesis. Thus journal contributes value to the readers as it not only shed light on the debate in the literature but also has policy implications for the merger and acquisitions today. These policy implications hold great importance as the economists and policymakers need to have a good look at them and follow them in all the policies that design. Economists and policymakers’ grave concerns about megabank failures and their consequences on financial markets and the economy are reinforced by empirical evidence on the concentration-fragility hypothesis. It is noted that the consolidation and systemic risk are positively related, although other factors also contributed to the increased risk. Moreover, it is stated that banking crises are less likely in more concentrated banking systems among 70 countries over 1980-97. However, this is not a hard and fast rule and there is a probability of concentration- fragility hypothesis which need to be analysed as well. ... New megabanks like the Citibank are also emerging. Thus, there is more concentration of banks thereby increasing the systemic banking risk. The importance of competitiveness is well known throughout the land but the Minister of Finance of the Canadian Government proposed bank mergers in 1998. However, there is a mixed result found after the mergers and acquisitions of the financial institutions have taken place. Moreover, the public policy implications are also very essential to be noted because they influence the allocation of the total amount of money available from the merged banks. This may involve conflicts of interests and the of objectives of the many stakeholders could be at stake. These regulations could be very different from commercial bankers’. They emphasize more on post-merger systemic risk than bankers. This is because of the costly banking crises; for example the financial tsunami of 2007. Thus these policies are given great importance by the economists and pol icymakers. There is a need to closely study the megabank failures, their consequences on financial markets and the economy and they must be supported by empirical evidence on the concentration. The scope of mergers and acquisitions has been manageable. The focus of this paper is on the relationship between banking consolidation and stability by examining the stability. The financial institutions under study are of the Canadian banking system. The time period under study is 1867-1935; from Confederation to the formation of the Bank of Canada. Hypothesis one says that these mergers and acquisitions are driven by market forces. They later become more efficient and stable banking system. The other hypothesis says that mergers and acquisitions have been

Friday, November 1, 2019

Analysis of Piracy and Plagiarism Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of Piracy and Plagiarism - Case Study Example However, one may point out that the need to create pirated movies has been influenced by the high prices or original versions of similar content. This counter-argument may not justify the practice. The price of movie production has increased significantly. For this reason, the consumer should appreciate the art of movie production. From a financial perspective, the cost incurred in the production process can only be compensated if consumers purchase the product at an appropriate price. The desired profit ratio cannot be acquired through the sale of pirated movies. Karaganis is the assumption that the price of pirated movies is almost 60% less of the price of the original DVDs. The rise of pirated movies has influenced the growth of television networks that offer alternative modes of consumer access to movies. For instance, the growth of television networks such as Netflix has been influenced by the need to create cheaper ways that consumers may access movies legally. However, the gro wth of such networks has been cited as a negative impact on the sale of original DVDs. Regardless, the trend is embraced hugely as it increases the level of exposure of movies. Strauss asserts that television networks offer a legal alternative that may substitute piracy to a consumer population seeking cheaper options. Another significant effect of piracy is the increased release of counterfeit movies with low quality. This dents the reputation of movie makers. However, if a consumer acquires a counterfeit movie they may not create a negative perception of the movie maker since they may understand the circumstances of which the movie was accessed. But, production of counterfeit movies of low quality does allow the consumer to capture the real creativity and effort of the movies made.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

SOCIAL, CULTURAL and ECONOMIC CONTEXT OF HEALTH Essay - 1

SOCIAL, CULTURAL and ECONOMIC CONTEXT OF HEALTH - Essay Example , we cannot delink and conceptualise public health and health care separately since both focus on the improvement of the health of the entire population, in a country or a region, although health care focuses on individual care while public health care focuses on a part of the population, or the entire population (Gostin et al., 2011). However, the type of the health care that the nation provides is determined by the quality of care offered and the outcome of care provided by practitioners in the health care sector. In this case, the quality of care is the most important aspect as it determines the health of the entire population. Various research studies identify the importance of the quality of care in determining the outcome of care with the outcome of care provided being the most important aspect in the determination of the effectiveness of a nation’s health care system (Hermann et al., 2006; Parish et al., 2011; Pincus et al., 2007; Shih et al., 2013). To achieve effectiveness in the health care sector with the aim of achieving quality care, it is important to ensure that there is sufficient allocation of resources that are consequently utilised in an approach that was effective. In this case, allocation of resources should not only be done without following their implementation and utilisation in every level and organisation of the health care system in which the resources are required. This implies that the efficiency of the health care sector is determined by various factors with the amount of resources allocated determining the implementation of services in ensuring that the health care sector met the needs of the nation. In line with this, Kluge (2007) identified resources as critical in setting the priority in the health care sector. Stakeholders face a challenge related to the setting of priorities in an environment whereby the resources allocated are not sufficient to implement a health care system that addresses the needs of all stakeholders in the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Cultural Diffusion and Imperialism

Cultural Diffusion and Imperialism World has now become a global village. By global village what we mean is that everything is available to every person through the process of free information flow (Ascher, 2010). Globalization has brought everything closer and that has happened through cultural diffusion. Now to understand what cultural diffusion is, we first have to have a fair idea over what is diffusion. Secondly there is well defined process through which a culture is diffused in other cultures and makes it mark. This culture diffusion affects international business to the core because when we say that globalization have made its presence felt in the global economy, we see that it is there because of culture diffusion in different ways. This has also lead to come sort of cultural imperialism which we shall discuss in length in paragraphs to come. Culture diffusion happens when non material and material culture travels to another culture (Wise, 2008). How this happens is a million dollar question which needs to be answered correctly and to the point. To have a profound knowledge over how it happens we go to the basics of it which is culture hearth. Now culture hearth is a place where civilizations first began and then they spread to different areas. Nowadays culture hearths are considered to be in those countries which are well developed and whose culture gets diffused to other developing countries because they have to be in tandem with each other so to have a good and viable trade. If we talk by considering the present world and international trade, we see that this cultural diffusion has spread many cultural straits wherever they got a chance to get diffused. Sometimes this spread is so rapid that no one can find out its origin, timing and spread. There are two different ways in which a culture is diffused to another culture ; one is acculturation and another is Assimilation (Howes, 1996). Both are the ways in which culture is diffused in another culture. In acculturation what happens is that some cultural traits of strong cultures are being taken up by weak cultures like in ancient times we see that Spain had some cultural traits which are taken from Aztecs. Similarly if we see examples in the modern world we observe that a very common greeting hello is also a cultural trait which is being taken by many cultures as a greeting by default. Why that happened so? Because it has its roots in western world and as West dominated for the last two centuries, all the trade, rules and policies were being written and implemented by Western countries which influenced weak cultures to adopt the greeting and many other things which now we call globalization. On the other hand, another way in which a culture can be diffused is through assimilation. In assimilation what happens is that cultures are intertwined with each other in such a way that it is hard to distinguish between where its origin had been. Lets for example when Arabs came to Indian Subcontinent, the Indians had nothing than a piece of cloth worn up to their knees with an open jacket as their vests but Arabs brought a new culture of a full length suit of cloth covering whole body. Now after centuries the Mongols and the warriors from Afghanistan brought minor changes to the original dress which made people easy to carry, walk and most of all made it best attire which can be used for combat purposes also. End result was that the whole thing got assimilated with each other so quickly that there was little difference left between what people wear in Arabian countries mainly the natives of Arab Emirates and the people wear in subcontinent. It specially pertains to the dressing of men. Other thing which effects diffusion is the cultural barriers, time and distance delay and lastly physical barriers (Rauth, 2004). Cultural barriers includes things which are not acceptable to other culture at any cost for example Mc Donald came up in India with its different burgers mainly in beef but as Indians hold cow as sacred, they do not go for it so Mc Donald have to introduce veggie burgers instead of beef as local cultural barrier never allowed any assimilation or acculturization to take place. In time and distance delay, diffusion is hampered because time and distance which it would take to reach another culture would be more and then would become less futile for example Eskimos who live at poles, their cultures and way of living is different from us and still they are yet to have culture diffusion (Howes, 1996). Time and distance delay is somewhat linked with the physical barriers also which also helps in making things bad for cultural diffusion to take place for example t he terrain which is very tough to pass would obviously make things worse for people to travel hence making it hard to diffuse a culture or similarly a sharp weather change would also create a physical barrier for culture diffusion to take place as it would be difficult to take things from one culture to another as culture traits differ from each other or not even close to each other. That culture is diffused either in expansionary diffusion or relocated diffusion (Said, 1994). We have seen that expansionary diffusion have taken place in most of the places in world where West culture is being adopted by the elite and now it is being transmitted to the lower end of the population. This sort of diffusion is known as hierarchical diffusion in where the spread of a new culture takes place from top to bottom. Example of this is the coffee shops like star bucks, which had no concept in south Asia but they are brought by Westerners who came here for business purposes. They first inculcated the trend in elite and now it is being adopted by every person as it have has transformed many old kiosks for betel leaves and cigarettes into coffee shops. Similarly blackberries; many corporate customers have this gadget in their hands which is attracting other upper middle class people to have it too so to have some satisfaction. Other types include relocation diffusion which happen s when people take their innovations with them to a new place like for example Jews. Jews in Europe were really good in scientific knowledge and due to their astuteness they were being victimized and were sent to concentration camps. When after the world war they relocated themselves in different parts of the world, they went with their knowledge and innovations which brought a lot of prosperity around the globe. Another example of it can be AIDS which spread through relocation diffusion as disease is carried by one person who migrates to another society with having a different culture. Now as diffusion is discussed at length, we now see that whether cultural imperialism can be established through cultural diffusion? Yes to some extent I would agree to it because in international business when there is trade and goods flow from one place to another, it not only takes a new product across the borders but also takes its culture to another place. In other words level of diffusion depends on the factors discussed above and also on a culture being strong as to the culture where it is being diffused as being weak (Hobson, 2010). Like for example the trend of suits around the world, from where it came? It came and assimilated in our culture because it was being followed by a strong culture or in cultural hearth which is American and Europe and from there it diffused to all parts of the world. Mens formal suitings, as we all know, have such an importance that now if a south Korean business tycoon needs to do a deal with his Indian counterpart to open up a microchip factory in Delhi, they would be following their own business rules and formalities but their attire would be formal and would follow the strong cultures dress code which is to have a formal dress suit. Moreover the casual dress in China, a decade ago was not jeans and a tee shirt but now they have taken the affect of American culture as it diffused into their society but why? Because more than 70 percent of Chinas trade is bound for America so Chinese have adopted some practices of American culture which shows us that yes there is diffusion of culture but that does not proves cultural imperialism at any point; people went towards tee shirts and jeans because they were easier to handle, according to the young generation, as compare to traditional safari suits for men and traditional Chinese for women. Apart from this, cultural diffusion does not reflect cultural imperialism for example whole world is following more or less same accounting principles so the rules of debit and credit are same so to imply that it is a product of a particular nation or it is a part of any culture would be a gross mistake. Yes its true that methods of accounting were first brought up by Chinese but significant changes were made throughout.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Slaughterhouse Five Essay -- essays research papers

Slaughterhouse Five Billy Pilgrim is born in 1922 and grows up in Ilium, New York. A funny-looking, weak youth, he does well in high school, then he enrolls in night classes at the Ilium School of Optometry, and is soon drafted into the army. He serves as a chaplain's assistant, is sent into the Battle of the Bulge, and almost gets taken prisoner by the Germans. Just before being captured he first becomes unstuck in time. He sees the entirety of his life in one sweep. Billy is transported with other privates to the beautiful city of Dresden. There the prisoners are made to work for their keep. They are kept in a former slaughterhouse. Billy and his fellow POWs survive in an airtight meat locker. They emerge to find a moonscape of destruction. Several days’ later Russian forces capture the city and the war is over. Billy returns to Ilium and finishes optometry school. He gets engaged to the daughter of the founder of the school. His wealthy father-in-law sets him up in the optometry business. Bill y and his wife raise two children and become wealthy. One day in 1967, as he claims on a radio talk show and in a letter to the editor, Billy is kidnapped by two-foot high aliens whose body shape is reminiscent of an upside down toilet plunger. These are the Tralfamadorians. They take him to Tralfamadore where they mate him with the actress Montana Wildhack and keep both earthlings in a zoo. They also explain to him their perception of time, how all of it exists for them simultaneously in the fourth dimension. When someone dies he is simply dead at a particular time. Somewhere else and at a different time he is alive and well. Tralfamadorians prefer to look at the nice moments. When he is returned to earth, Billy initially says nothing. However, after he suffers a head injury in a plane crash and after his wife dies on her way to see him in the hospital, Billy tells the world what he has learned. He goes on a radio talk show and writes a letter to the newspaper. His daughter is at her wit's end and doesn't know what to do with him. Billy makes a tape recording of his account of his death, which will occur in 1976 after Chicago has been hydrogen bombed by the Chinese. He knows exactly how it will happen: a man he knew in the war will hire someone to shoot him. Billy will experience the violet hum of death, then will skip back to some other point in his life. He's see... ...ughterhouse-Five, it seems that both the narrator and Billy Pilgrim are represented as author. The point of view in this book is the author is looking at the events of his own life; past, present, and future and trying to make some sense out of them the same way that Billy is trying to order the events of his own life. The author uses short, simple sentences that manage to say a lot in a few words. The author also uses imagery. He also puts in his book references to historical events. These references increase the understanding and appreciation of Billy's story by suggesting historical and literary parallels to the personal events in his life. The novel does not have smooth transitions from one event to the next. A normal novel has smooth transition. Vonnegut wrote this book without any smooth transition. This novel is very complicated. The topics that are mention are hard to understand. The book was a bit difficult to follow. Slaughter House-Five's character's needs more depth. More description is necessary. There was too much jumping around in time in Billy’s life. I thought that this book was going to be better than it actually was. I wouldn’t recommend this book to a person wh

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Corporate Philanthropy Essay

Introduction In an increasingly competitive global environment, businesses are challenged with demands for profitability and responsibility. To create value for all stakeholders, corporate leaders meet these demands with integrated strategic philanthropic programs. More and more companies encourage and embrace greater collaboration and cooperation between corporations and communities. I. The competitive advantage of corporate philanthropy In this first part, we will demonstrate that usually businesses that choose to employ corporate giving attitude benefit in many different ways from their actions. * First, these businesses could increase their reputation amongst the general public, and also begin to attract new consumers to their business as well. * Secondly, businesses that choose to help out their communities could increase their employee retention rates significantly as well. Happy employees will increase their productivity levels. * Thirdly, when companies opt to engage in this giving activity their shareholders begin to build a level of confidence in the business. TRANSITION: In addition to customers’ behavior vis-à  -vis different philanthropy programs or CSR in general, it was also been proved that philanthropy inside a company increases the employees’ motivation and thus their commitment and productivity A. Corporate philanthropy boosts employee morale One of the most important components of corporate philanthropy is to provide avenues/means for employees to be personally involved in a company’s commitment to social responsibility. It is widely understood that supporting local causes is a good way for a business to develop a positive image and reinforce its relationships with customers. In the process, it can also boost morale among employees. * According to experts employees who have a favorable impression of their company’s philanthropic program are four times more likely to be truly loyal employees than those who do not, and are five times more likely to remain with their employer. * They concluded that philanthropy is definitely a factor in how employees evaluate their employers. In all, employees whose companies participate in good corporate social responsibility and philanthropy reported feelings of pride in their workplace, a sense of belonging as part of a family, and admiration for the good deeds their compan y accomplished. * Corporate philanthropy programs also present many opportunities for team building that would not normally occur during a typical day in the office. Employees are able to partner together and work in team environments outside of their direct work groups. People from different departments or offices, who typically wouldn’t see each other during a workday, can serve a meal, volunteer in a classroom or help build a home, side-by-side. This promotes a greater sense of camaraderie. Concretely, to encourage employees participation in corporate philanthropy, experts advices businesses to implement some practices: – Involve employees in community outreach decisions: many companies create committees to make decisions about contributions or company volunteer activities; – Start a matching gifts program: this allows your company to add to employees’ donations designated for nonprofit organizations. It can encourage charitable giving while showing appreciation for em ployees. – Encourage volunteerism. Many people want to volunteer, but can’t find time in their lives to do it. Participating in employer-sponsored programs allows employees the opportunity to volunteer.. Some businesses provide paid time off for employees to devote time to a nonprofit, while others structure an annual company-sponsored employee volunteer day or series of ongoing events. B. Corporate philanthropy builds shareholder value According to the Harvard Business case on coporate philanthrophy, Professor Friedman said that business executives who speak of the social responsibilities of corporations are â€Å"preaching pure and unadulterated socialism.† He claimed that corporate executives must have only one objective- to make money as much money as possible-and that spending corporate funds to promote social goals detracts from the bottom line. However, according to William C. Steere, Jr, Chairman of the Board Emeritus Pfizer Inc, corporate philanthropy also enhances shareholder value. Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation headquartered in New York City. It is the world’s largest pharmaceutical company by revenues. Pfizer develops and produces medicines and vaccines.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Discuss The Impacts of Taxation

When a firm faces new investment opportunities (or to keep its functioning) which have positive net present values, financing needs come along. The options range from using cash generated from operations to simply forego the projects. If the company wants to take its projects, when its cash is not enough, it can raise new funds from equity or debt. This combination of equity and debt which a company decides to use is known as its capital structure. This paper is about how a firm ought to establish its debt/equity ratio, focusing in the advantages and disadvantages of taxes’ impact on this ratio. Capital StructureWhen referring to the capital structure of a firm, it is impossible to avoid Modigliani-Miller’s (MM) influential paper â€Å"The Cost of Capital, Corporation Finance and the Theory of Investment† (1958). Later, they published several â€Å"follow-up† papers discussing these topics. MM set the foundations of the modern theory of capital structure. MM first hypothesis was that, under certain assumptions, the firm’s value is invariable despite relative changes in its capital structure, thus â€Å"a firm cannot change the total value of its outstanding securities by changing the proportions of its capital structure. † (Ross, Westerfield and Jaffe, 2001.p. 401).This is known as MM proposition I. In a general way this proposition is saying that a company cannot do something for its stockholders that they cannot do by themselves. The MM second proposition implies that the use of debt for financing increase the expected future earnings, but this increase is coupled with an increase in the risk to equity holders, thus the discount rate used to value these future earnings also increases. As Fabozzi and Patterson state â€Å"the increased expected earnings have on the value of equity is offset by the increased discount rate applied to these riskier earnings. †(2003)Mathematically the propositions can be stated: Pro position I: VU=VL where VU is the value of an unlevered firm and VL is the value of a levered firm. Proposition II: rs = r0 + B/S (r0 – rb) where rS is the cost of equity, r0 is the cost of capital for an all equity firm, rB is the cost of debt and, B / S is the debt-to-equity ratio. But these hypotheses rely on a â€Å"perfect market† assumption. When imperfections are present into a certain market this hypothesis is misleading. Changes in a firm’s capital structure could change the firm value. One of the most important market imperfections is the presence of taxes.Capital Structure and the Presence of Corporate Taxes In the previous sections is stated that the firm value is unrelated to its capital structure, i. e. it does not depend on its debt/equity ratio. But when taxes are incorporated into the analysis this affirmation is not true, â€Å"in the presence of corporate taxes, the firm’s value is positively related to its debt. † (Ross et al. 2 001. ) Thus, the use of debt has an advantage over financing with equity. The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) â€Å"allows interest paid on debt to be deducted by the paying corporation in determining its taxable income† (IRC code 1963 qt.in Fabozzi and Patterson. 2003. P. 598) This benefit is known as Interest Tax Shield, due to the fact that â€Å"interest expense shields income from taxation† (p. 602). This is TaxShield=(TaxRate)(InterestExpense) Now is necessary to value this shield and see how this changes the firm value. Taking account of the expression above it can be said that whatever the taxable income of a company is without debt, the taxable income is now less in an amount equal to the Tax Shield in the presence of debt. This idea is also based in MM ideas.In other words, the firm value is: Firm Value = Unleveraged Firm Value + Tax Shield Value Going deeply, this statement implies that all companies should choose maximum debt, something that can not be seen int o the real world. This is due to the presence of bankruptcy and other distress related costs that reduce the value of a levered firm. As a firm increases its leverage position these costs increase. There is a point when the present value of â€Å"these costs from an additional dollar of debt equals the increase in the present value of the tax shield.† (Ross et al. 2001. p. 432)This is the debt level which maximizes the firm value. Beyond this point the distress associated costs increase faster than the firm value due to additional debt. Therefore, there is a trade off between tax benefits and the financial distress costs. There is an optimal amount of debt for each firm, and this must be its debt objective level. Presence of Personal Taxes In presence of personal income taxes could decrease, or even eliminate, the advantage of corporate taxes associated with debt financing.Despite this, if the yields due to debt and stocks cause taxes at the same rate that the personal taxes, there is still an advantage coming from corporate taxes(Van Horne, 1997). Merton Miller proposed that, in presence of both, personal and corporate taxes, the decisions about capital structure of a firm were irrelevant (Miller, 1977). Despite this, personal taxes have different rates; therefore, with constant risk, individuals who are in the lower rate bracket must prefer debt and those who are at the upper part of the scale must prefer stocks.Fabozzi and Patterson summarize this point as follow: 1. If debt income (interest) and equity income (dividends and capital appreciation) are taxed at the same rate, the interest tax shield increases the value of the firm. 2. If debt income is taxed at rates higher than equity income, some of the tax advantage to debt is offset by a tax disadvantage to debt income. 3. If investors can use the tax laws effectively to reduce to zero their tax on equity income, firms will take on debt up to the point where the tax advantage to debt is just offset by the tax disadvantage to debt income.The bottom line from incorporating personal taxes is that there is a benefit from using debt. (p. 603) Small Literature Survey In this section it will be summarized some opinions and findings about capital structure decisions and taxes. Panteghini in a work about multinationals capital structure found that â€Å"optimal leverage is reached when the marginal benefit of debt financing (which is due to the deductibility of interest expenses) equates its marginal cost (which is related to the expected cost of default).A strategy used is â€Å"Income shifting† which â€Å"raises the tax benefit of debt financing, thereby stimulating debt financing, and delays default. † (2006) Verschueren research about Belgian companies strategies showed that â€Å"The hypothesis that firms for which the tax advantage of debt financing is higher have higher debt tax shielding ratios gets only meager support: more profitable firms have lower debt ta x shielding ratios. † She found â€Å"no indications that avoiding agency conflicts of any type plays a significant role in the determination of debt tax shielding. † (2002, p.22)She states that these results are quite close to international research also. Graham and Tucker found a similar result â€Å"Firms that use tax shelters use less debt on average than do non-shelter firms. † There is also a potential problem which is that â€Å"under-levered firms may have â€Å"off balance sheet† tax deductions that are not easily observable, and which are therefore often ignored in empirical analyses. † (2005 p. 1) Irina Stefanescu arrives to a comparable conclusion â€Å"There is a general consensus that significant tax incentives are associated with corporate borrowing.Nevertheless, many large and profitable companies with a low risk of financial distress have relatively low debt ratios. † (2006) Stewart Myers, explaining Miller’s paper â⠂¬Å"Debt and Taxes†, theorizes about why firms are not â€Å"awash in debt†Ã‚ · An interesting point he states is that Miller’s model â€Å"allow us to explain the dispersion of actual debt policies without having to introduce non-value-maximizing managers. In the other hand he states also that â€Å"Firms have good reasons to avoid having to finance real investment by issuing common stock or other risky securities.They do not want to run the risk of falling into the dilemma of either passing by positive NPV projects or issuing stock at a price they think is too low†. (1980) Conclusion It seems that several researches have been performed in capital structure decisions. Although not all of them arrive to the same conclusion it gives the impression that the tax shields have positive impacts on firms value; and the presence of personal taxes do not eliminate this fact.In the other hand, findings that companies have not larges amounts of debt indicates that t hey might obtain some advantages from other sources, e. g. off balance sheet benefits. After 48 years since Modigliani and Miller’s paper appeared, it can be said that â€Å"however, much remains to be done before the cost of capital can be put away on the shelf among the solved problems. † (Modigliani-Miller 1958)