A Friend in Need Is a Friend in Deed - Short Essay

ENGLISH PROJECT: A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED Meaning Almost always it is the origin of a phrase or saying that requires the most research; the meaning being well understood. This phrase is interesting because there are various interpretations of its meaning. Firstly, is it a friend in need is a friend indeed or a friend in need is a friend in deed? Secondly, is it a friend (when you are) in need or a friend (who is) in need? If the former, then the phrase means: someone who helps you when you are in need is a true friend. If the latter, it is someone who needs your help becomes especially friendly in order to obtain it.†¦show more content†¦Those who stand up for the latter are probably correct, but they will have a hard time changing the mind of the indeed contingent. Its fun to say because it rhymes, but Ive never understood the meaning, a friend in need is a friend indeed. Of course, you know who your friends are when they are there when you really need them. I can say that Tasha is a true friend. She was at the hospital with me on the night that my Daddy died and that meant a lot to me because being alone would not have been any fun. Its not a big deal if she is busy with a canoe trip and cannot make it to a birthday meal. However, coming late to the hospital when we rushed my Daddy there and me feeling very uncertain about what to think or feel and having her there helped, even though at first the doctor said he was going to be okay. We soon learned it wasnt and the doctor said Id need a friend and she did stay. That meant lots. Gracie did not tell me about her having her gastric bypass surgery because it was so close to the time that my Daddy died, so being in a hospital would not have been an ideal situation for me. That was very nice of her. So, why is a friend in need a friend indeed? There are plenty of ways to interpret the phrase, and I am interpreting it one way as I explain what I think, but it is not the way I think of the phrase. However, it can be interpreted that way that a friend (when you are in need) is a friend indeed. There are four ways that theShow MoreRelatedThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Iliad Essay1397 Words   |  6 PagesBoth stories are similar in goals and destinies and how it affect the main characters. Most people believes that destiny or fate is pre-set and it is changed only by decisions we make that may be selfish and vindicated. Hopefully by the end of the essay the readers will get a better understand of stories similarities and differences. In Gilgamesh it s discovered that he was two thirds god and one-third man, and his knowledge is the significant to his fate. 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Are Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society

Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society? Are social networking sites good for our society? Nowadays it seems as though social networks are what make our society. It s the 21st century and the world is modernizing more and more everyday. Technology is becoming more advanced and researchers are debating on whether or not we should which to e-books instead of the good old textbooks. Social networks are the second top news source for Americans, right behind newspapers. It s been proven that news spreads faster through Twitter than print media or television. Social media has become somewhat beneficial in a way that it has opened doors to a world of instant communication. People are able to catch up with long lost friends and family through the internet. It helps save money from travel. Social media has become a much needed source for our society.Social networking sites allows people with access to the world. 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Social networking sites provide us the opportunity to explore the whole world, make friends, and share moments with the rest of the world through the Internet. Everyday more and more people become part of the different social networking sites available now, like Are Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society Nahida Sultana Dr. Rachel C. Henderson ENG 1101 18 November 2015 Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society? We are living in the 21st century and technology began to change very promptly. After the Supercomputers were introduced in the 1960s, scientists and engineers started to develop the networks between those supercomputers, and later they discovered the internet, which is a global communication device where people all around the world can meet and talk about pretty much anything. The development of the internet age has enabled people to inhabit a life at a faster speed. In today’s society, many people across the world are accessing the internet multiple times a day. It makes people’s lives very easily from different side. Many people use the internet on their smartphones and check their email, Facebook, bank account balance, etc. via the internet. However, one of these things, most of the people busy with their social networking sites than the others. Social networks are an essential part of today’s Internet and used by more than a billion people worldwide. A socia l networking website is an online platform that allow people to share ideas and interact with other people, from childhood friends to unknowns. This interaction reveals much information, often including personal information noticeable to anyone who wants to view it. There are a bunch of social networking sites in the world. Most of the people especially teenagers have several accounts in socialShow MoreRelatedAre Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society?3384 Words   |  14 PagesAre Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society? Are social networking sites good for our society? 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Social networking sites provide us the opportunity to explore the whole world, make friends, and share moments with the rest of the world through the Internet. Everyday more and more people become part of the different social networking sites available now, like

Principles of Financial Markets

Question: Discuss about the Principles of Financial Markets. Answer: Introduction Fundamental analysis is conducted in tow approaches namely a top down and a bottom up analysis. The former analyzes industrial factors that influence the economy with respect to a company in a given industry (Marta Brusuelas, 2009). A bottom up analysis, on the other hand, assesses the financial condition of a particular company and its contribution in an industry. The fundamental analysis compares companies in a sector and not those in different sectors (Murphy, 2013). Top Down Analysis The airline industry faces many significant financial risks that affect the vulnerable returns on stock. Often, these risk exposures emanate from the ever changing economic conditions, the unstable and volatile movements in oil prices, and fluctuations in the exchange rates (Berghfer Lucey, 2014). These three risk exposures are the biggest threats to the stock prices. The risks are related to a competition in price, cyclical demand, capital investment, elevated levels of gearing, regulatory impediments arising from landing rights and ownership restrictions, and the fixed labour and equipment restrictions (Yasmin-Yashodha, et al., 2016). Evidently, the management of these exposures will determine how firms in the aviation industry progress. Companies such as Qantas Airway Limited and the Virgin Australia Group have experienced challenges such as high fuel prices, dwindling revenues, and economic uncertainties. These challenges paved way for low cost carriers to enter the market, especially for the economy class returns. The global financial crisis implied a drop in profits by many companies due to the increase in fuel costs, one-off gains, and a slower demand (Jorge Augusto, 2011). Qantas Airways Limited recorded an underlying profit of 1.53 billion dollars whereas Virgin Australia Group realized a figure of 41.0 million dollars. Despite the high prices both carriers still managed to record profits. Exchange Rate Exposure and the Stock Price Virgin Australia and Qantas are exposed to several risks that influence the companies objectives, both short-term and long-term. Some other factors that determine the stock price include the effects of pandemics, over-capacity in the market, competition on fares, and the low entry barrier of getting into the market. Foreign currency exposure is the sensitivity of the firms market value to unanticipated exchange rate movements. The exchange rate movements are solely determined by the foreign exposure of the firm (Laux, Yan, Zhang, 2015). This foreign exposure is derived from the operating revenue, risks due to costs, and the operating cash flow margin. Currency hedging practices and measurements also determine the exposure. Most of the expenses incurred by airplane carriers are handled in terms of major currencies (Chew, 2008). Consequently, a fluctuation of the currency will affect the profitability of the airlines in a number of ways. When the borrowing costs are handled in different currencies, it is expected that some liabilities will change alongside the equity of the company. The influence of tourism demand from overseas will influence the exchange rate risk factor because of the levels of exchange rate and competition the company is likely to face locally (Lee Hooy, 2012). Companies can thus be forced to adjust their revenue from overseas ventures appropriately. The exchange rate exposure is related to a number of variables. The companys revenue is subject to this exposure. Tickets are sold both locally and to international customers so it is difficult to avoid the exposure (Lima Hong, 2014). The foreign activities may also involve exchange of currency from one value to another and this enhances the level of risk. There is also aggressive competition, particularly in the international routes. This translates to the conversion of currency into the local one. As aforementioned revenues are closely linked to the exchange rates, thus the pricing level can reduce the effects of the exchange rates (Lima Hong, 2014). From a competitive perspective, industry-related factors also significantly affect the exposure levels. The currency exposure movement has an ambiguous effect on revenues. A rise or drop in the value of the domestic currency can either increase or decrease the cost of borrowing foreign debt and other costs. Foreign demand for international and domestic flights moves inversely with the value of the home currency. The demand for domestic travel shares an inverse relationship with the home currency and a demand for international travel changes directly. Hence, any depreciation in currency increases the probability of the residents to favor domestic travel rather than international destinations (Treanor, Simkins, Rogers, Carter, 2014). The competition thus prevents the airlines from preventing their revenues from experiencing currency movements. The significance of the exposure as measured by share returns, is dependent on the specific exchange rate, and varies over time. Airlines with foreign routes or various country offices are likely to have additional foreign sales, and airlines with holdings of international assets are more likely to be exposed to exchange rate movements (Yasmin-Yashodha, Hamid, Habibullah, 2016). With all of these effects offsetting and counteracting each other, the final impact of the currency exposure is uncertain. Fuel Price Exposure The fuel price affects the operational costs of the airline. Of an airlines operational costs, jet fuel accounts for approximately 13% (Laux, Yan, Zhang, 2015). This risk has an economic significance to the airplane carriers in the transportation industry. It is also possible to invest very little especially when the fuel price is high despite the existence of investment opportunities. The investment opportunities and the jet fuel costs in the airline industry have a direct correlation even as the higher costs are consistent with a lower flow of cash (Yasmin-Yashodha, Hamid, Habibullah, 2016). While the costs of jet fuel can be hedged, the airlines may desire to expand and hence hedge future purchases of fuel. Hedging increase the value in capital investment. Short-term cash flows are likely to be directly related to changes in fuel prices due to price change inertia (Marta Brusuelas, 2009). Revenue responsiveness may initially be slow due to advance sales, pre-committed advertised package fares, pre-booked seats, and so on. The fuel price exposure is more likely to be specific to a firm and echo various degrees of competitive power and fuel efficiency across the various airlines (Murphy, 2013). The effects of the price are thus more likely to be transferred because of the uniformity in fuel costs. The cash flows of the airlines are inversely proportional to the changes in fuel prices (Rich, Jones, Heitger, Mowen, Hansen, 2012). The profitability of the airline is thus reduced by the evident costs associated with jet fuel prices. Interest Rate Exposure The interest rate determines the loans, operating, and financial leases that are used to finance the acquisition of airplanes. The sector is relatively capital intensive due to the nature of the assets. Equity investment can be difficult to source because of the high earnings volatility. Equity financing is also greatly reduced due to the characteristic lower than average price-earnings ratios (Baker Filbeck, 2015). Borrowing costs are directly related to interest rate changes especially when the companies have variable rate leases and loans. The progression of the business cycle and the economic conditions are also affected by the interest rate (Berghfer Lucey, 2014). Eventually, the effects are felt in customer demand because here the demand is seasonal and cyclical. The exposure also brings financial distress on the airline industry. This distress is due to the forced sale of assets such as the aircraft fleet at heavily discounted prices because distressed airlines are forced to sell aircraft at below market prices, the purchase of new aircraft due to competition or contractual obligations, above industry average debt levels, and a decrease in revenue due to competition (Jorge Augusto, 2011). In the airline industry, an increase in the interest rates can increase the costs of distress as the operating and financial leverage is also high (Lima Hong, 2014). One reason why firms may under-invest is because of the distress costs. That behavior shows how the firm value can decrease as an indirect consequence of financial distress and under-investment costs. Profitability Analysis This analysis demonstrates how profits can be generated from the revenue. The ratios show how the companys investors have played a role in generating revenue for the company (Holtzman, 2013). The company uses this information to assess the managements effectiveness. The following table compares profitability ratios with respect to Qantas Airways Limited and Virgin Australia Limited. 2016 2015 2014 Gross Profit margin (%) Qantas Virgin Australia 1.11 1.29 1.06 1.14 1.03 1.11 Return on Equity (%) Qantas Virgin Australia 4.98 3.32 4.89 3.14 4.67 2.85 Return on Assets (%) Qantas Virgin Australia 0.97 0.76 0.88 0.72 0.72 0.68 Table 1: Comparative profitability analysis for the last 3-year period The gross margin ratio measures the companys ability to convert its inventory into cash when it sells (Jiambalvo, 2010). Therefore, a high value of gross margin is better because the company can fund its operations. The two companies reported values close to 1 (Maher, Stickney, Weil, 2012). The return on assets ratio is used to evaluate how a company can generate profits from its assets.. This ratio compares the earnings of the company to its total assets (Holtzman, 2013). The ratio is derived from the net profit or loss and the total assets. A high return on assets ration values means that the business realizes more profits from its assets. The value thus indicates how the management make use of the companys assets to generate revenue (Jiambalvo, 2010). The return on equity makes a comparison between the net income and the stockholders equity (Warren, Reeve, Duchac, 2014). The ratio is thus a measure of the profits that an investment from the shareholders has the potential to generate. This ratio is derived by finding the quotient between the net income and the average stockholder equity (Rich, Jones, Heitger, Mowen, Hansen, 2012). High values of ROA are preferred because they underline how management utilizes the stakeholders investments to create more income (Warren, et al., 2014). On comparison, Qantas Airways Limited is more likely to generate better returns as compared to Virgin Australia Limited because the former has performed better. Financial Strength Analysis This method analyzes the business capabilities of paying its long-term and short-term debts (Jiambalvo, 2010). The table below compares the financial strengths of Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia Limited. 2016 2015 2014 Debt to Equity Ratio Qantas Virgin Australia 4.13 4.11 4.09 4.01 3.98 3.95 Debt Ratio Qantas Virgin Australia 0.80 0.98 0.80 0.96 0.81 0.95 Return on Equity (%) Qantas Virgin Australia 4.98 3.32 4.89 3.14 4.67 2.85 Table 2: Financial strength analysis for the past 3-year period The debt to equity ratio represents a companys financing in relation to its creditors and investors. When this ratio is high, it implies that much of the business finance comes from the creditors (bank loans) and not from the shareholders (Holtzman, 2013). The debt to equity ratio is determined from the total liabilities and the shareholders equity by finding their quotient (Holtzman, 2013). Lower values of this ratio are preferred since they indicate less risk in investing into the company (Maher, Stickney, Weil, 2012). The debt ratio measures the level of debt or the liabilities of the business with respect to the total assets (Maher, Stickney, Weil, 2012). It is determined by finding the quotient of the total debt incurred and the total assets of the company. The ratio measures of the quantity of debt that is being financed by the assets owned by the company. The total debt refers to both long-term and short-term debt. A comparison of the ROE value between the two companies shows that investment into Qantas Airways is more likely to generate better returns as compared to investing into Virgin Australia because the former has a higher value. Management Efficiency Analysis Management of efficiency analysis determines how efficient a manager is (Jiambalvo, 2010). To perform the analysis the ROE, fixed asset turnover, and total asset turnover were used for this case. The analysis from the two companies is broken down in the table below. 2015 2014 2013 Asset turnover ratio Qantas Virgin Australia 4.68 3.98 3.13 4.07 2.85 4.13 Return on Equity (%) Qantas Virgin Australia 4.98 3.32 4.89 3.14 4.67 2.85 Total Asset Turnover Qantas Virgin Australia 0.96 0.62 0.89 0.61 0.83 0.57 Table 3: Management efficiency analysis A high total asset turnover figure demonstrates how the company can generate sales despite having limited fixed assets. A low ratio, on the other hand, may indicate that the business has many fixed assets or it needs to rejuvenate its sales (Rich, Jones, Heitger, Mowen, Hansen, 2012). The total assets and net sales are used to determine the ratio. The asset turnover evaluates a business efficiency when it utilizes its assets to create revenue. The sales are analyzed with respect to the assets (Warren, et al., 2014). If the companies were to generate more revenue from very few assets, it will indicate their efficiency at managing their assets (Warren, Reeve, Duchac, 2014). Recommendations Not much research has been documented on the financial risk exposures affecting the aviation industry. However, the fundamental analysis carried out with respect to Qantas Airways Limited and Virgin Australia Limited is sufficient to determine the financial performance of the two companies and the state of the aviation sector in the transportation industry. The financial risks under study: the exchange rate exposure, fuel price risk, and the foreign currency all play a crucial role in the value of a companys stock in this particular industry. The financial analysis helped to underline individual financial performance of the companies. Qantas Airways performed better than Virgin Australia as it had higher values in various ratios. While the company recorded a net profit of $1.54 billion, Virgin Australia managed $41 million in profits. References List Baker, K. Filbeck, G., 2015. Investment Risk Management. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Berghfer, B. Lucey, B., 2014. Fuel hedging, operational hedging and risk exposure Evidence from the global airline industry. International Review of Financial Analysis, Volume 34, pp. 124-139. Chew, D. H., 2008. Corporate Risk Management. New York: Columbia University Press. Holtzman, M. P., 2013. Managerial Accounting For Dummies. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Jiambalvo, J., 2010. Managerial Accounting. New York: John Wiley Sons. Jorge, M. J. d. S. Augusto, M. A. G., 2011. Financial risk exposures and risk management: evidence from european nonfinancial firms. RAM. Revista de Administrao Mackenzie, volume 12 issue 5, pp. 65-97. Krause, T. A. Tse, Y., 2016. Risk management and firm value: recent theory and evidence. International Journal of Accounting Information Management, volume 24 no. 1, pp. 56-81. Laux, P. A., Yan, H. Zhang, C., 2015. Cost, risk-taking, and value in the airline industry, Delaware: s.n. Lee, C.-H. Hooy, C.-W., 2012. Determinants of systematic financial risk exposures of airlines in North America, urope and Asia. Journal of Air Transport Management, Volume 24, pp. 31-35. Lima, S. H. Hong, Y., 2014. Fuel hedging and airline operating costs. Journal of Air Transport Management, Volume 36, pp. 33-40. Loudon, G. F., 2004. Financial Risk Exposures in the Airline Industry: Evidence from Australia and New Zealand. Australian Journal of Management, 29(2), pp. 295-316. Maher, M. W., Stickney, C. P. Weil, R. L., 2012. Managerial Accounting: An Introduction to Concepts, Methods and Uses. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Marta, T. Brusuelas, J., 2009. Forex analysis and trading : Effective top-down strategies combining fundamental, position, and technical analyses. New York: Bloomberg Press. Murphy, J. J., 2013. Intermarket analysis : profiting from global market relationships. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Poitras, G., 2013. Commodity Risk Management: Theory and Application. New York, NY: Routledge. Rich, J. et al., 2012. Cornerstones of Financial and Managerial Accounting. Mason, OH: Cengage Brain. Treanor, S. D., Simkins, B. J., Rogers, D. A. Carter, D. A., 2014. Does Operational and Financial Hedging Reduce Exposure? Evidence from the U.S. Airline Industry. The Finanical Review, 49(1), pp. 149-172. Warren, C. S., Reeve, J. M. Duchac, J., 2014. Financial Managerial Accounting. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Yasmin-Yashodha, Hamid, B. A. Habibullah, M. S., 2016. Financial risk exposures of the airlines industry: Evidence from Cathay Pacific Airways and China Airlines. International Journal of Business and Society, 17(2), pp. 221-244.

Students Need To Be Able To Learn How To Become Effective Problem Solv

Students need to be able to learn how to become effective problem solvers. They should be able to identify problems, evaluate those problems and then decipher a way to transfer their learning to those problems in a way that will bring about a solution. If a student is able to perform in a problem solving situation a meaningful learning should then occur because he has constructed an interpretation of how things work using preexisting structured. This is the theory behind Constructivism. By creating a personal interpretation of external ideas and experiances, constructivism allows students the ability to understand how ideas can relate to each other and preexisting knowledge. A teacher must then recognize the importance of the cognative and social approaches for learning and teaching so that she may aid the students' development in constructivist learning. Both approaches are valuable because one will emphasize the role of cognative processes and the other will emphasize culture and social interaction in the role of meaningful learning. One, however, may wonder how to go about enforcing these approaches. One method is through scaffolding, providing a student with sufficient information to be able to complete a task on his own or, to present a gradual decrease in the amount of help availible allowing the student the capacity to work independantly. Situated learning will present the student with a set of learning tasks placed in realistic contexts. This will include the abilities to use knowledge in a functioning learning approach and acquiring inert knowledge based on the learning of isolated facts in limited conditions. Lastly, students should, through the use of multiple perspectives, be able to view problems and ideas. These ideas presented will then be able to shed light on the nature of problem solving. There are three most common types of problems, the first being well-structured problems. Well-structured problems are ones clearly stated with known solution procedures and evaluation standards; an example being a mathamatical process. Another type of problem are those that are ill-structured; they are stated vaguely, have unclear solution procedures, and vague standards of evalalution. The third type, issue problems, are ill-structured problems that will arrouse srtong feelings in the students. The first step in helping students become adaquate problems solvers is assuring they realize that a problem does exist. Once a problem is identifiedm students should be expected to understand the nature of the problem. The next logical step would then be for those students to compile all relevant information to their problem allowing them to formulate and carry out a solution. Lastly, the students would th en be required to evaluate their solutions working out the imperfections, clarifying the results. Problem solving is a very necessary abilty for a student which will, in a way, garuntee his future abilty to transfer knowledge. The student needs a firm base understanding of the problem solving concepts to induce a positive transfer of his later ideas. He should be able to recognize the need for different problem solving techniques and how to relate and separate theories in his knowledge. The teacher should be able to present the starting grounds to enable her students a method of producing the solutions to their problems. Bibliography Snowman, J., & Biehler, R. (2000). Psychology Applied to Teaching (9th edition) Boston, MA: Houghton Miflin Company.

Trip and Foreign Country free essay sample

Why is travelling considered such an enriching experience? 15. What are some of the most interesting roads in the world to travel on? 16. What facts about India do foreigners not believe until they come to India 17. What are some different walk/ don’t walk signals around the world? 18. Where are the world’s greatest coastlines? 19. Top 10 places to visit before you die? 20. Where can I get information about Space Available travel? 21. If you could travel anywhere in the world in 2013, where would it be and why? 22. What’s the best method of getting over jetlag? 23. What are some little known or not so famous but must see place in Hanoi? 24. Why do high and hotels insist on charging for Wifi service or â€Å"resort fees†? 25. What citizenship does a child have if they are born on an international flight? 26. If you had one week to visit France, what would you do? 27. What blend of websites and apps do you use while travelling? 28. We will write a custom essay sample on Trip and Foreign Country or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Tell us about the special food in the USA you like most.? 29. What are different things between cultures in the USA and Vietnam? C. Reference articles: [Nhung]: Today I want to tell you about one of my hobby that is traveling. I have heard much about the beauty of the East as well as the West. In short, the whole world seems to be full of beautiful places. The country that I would like to visit, however, is the United States of America. My knowledge of the USA is only derived from media such as TV, internet, book, †¦ In my imagine, the USA is a beautiful country with many famous landscape such as Hollywood, Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty, †¦ They are interesting places that everyone want to visit. As you know, the USA is a vast country with a mixed population. Many people from different lands have come and settled here. The exchange of ideas among the people of so many racial origins here has contributed greatly to the progress and prosperity of the nation. There are world famous scientists, doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers and politicians whose original homes were in many different lands. This mixture of different races of people with different customs, religions, cultures have created a nation unique in history. I really like learning about new cultures in the world. So, I think the USA is a perfect place for me. Moreover, the USA is famous for modern lifestyles, high technology and sky-scrapers. I only have seen them in films. I also was attracted by the roads, the food and the cinemas there. They maybe said to be the best in the world. Someday, I want to see the things that I have ever heard about the USA actually. Well, as you know, if one travels across the land, one will find different kinds of scenery in different places. Further, as the people here still follow their original customs and traditions, one will also have the feeling that one is passing through many different countries. In general, such a country must be a wonderful land, and it is for this reason that I would like to visit this country some day. Huong Anh]: 1. Do you like travelling? Yes, I do. Travelling is one of my hobbies because I want to broaden my knowledge about the cultures of all countries in the world. Travelling really helps me relax after long time studying at school. One more thing is that I’d like to make many new friends all over the world. 2. Have you been to a foreign country? Yes, actually 2. I’ve been t o Hungary and Russia. When I was very young, about 18 months old, I used to travel to Hungary with my family for 3 years. Then when I was in grade 6, my mother and I came to Russia to visit my father. Hungary and Russia are both beautiful countries. 3. Can you tell me about some places in VN that you have visited Sure, as you know, VN has many famous places such as: Ha Long Bay, Sa Pa, Da Lat, Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An†¦ But the most impressive to me is Nha Trang. Nha Trang has many clean beaches with soft sand and fresh air. If you have come to NT, you will know that we can see the fish in the water so swimming at NT beach is wonderful. Besides that, I’ve visited Ha Long Bay – one of seven wonders in the the world. 4. Who do you usually go with when travelling? I often go with my family. But sometimes I just go with my mother to HL Bay, Do Son beach in Hai Phong†¦ Besides that, I go with my classmates on one-day trip. 5. How often do you or your famile travel in a year? Well, we often travel about once or twice a year on summer vacation. Because my parents have to work everyday and I am busy with the academic at school so we don’t have much time travelling. 6. Tell us about a memory about travelling that you remember most Well, I still remember the trip 2 weeks before I went with my K39 to Ninh Binh. I have to say that It’s an amazing trip. Especially when we went boating, each boat had 5 people. We saw many caves and sang many songs. And my boat was the first to the destiniation. That was really an unforgetable time 7. If you can travel to a place, which country will you choose? Oh there are many places I want to visit. But In my opinion, I will choose Dutch. As you know, Dutch is the world of the flowers and I love flowers. In addtion to this, it is also a peaceful country with friendly people and the windmills. I’ve never seen the windmills in reality so if I have chance to go there, I will see the windmills first. 8. Do you want to get a job relevant to travelling in the future? Actually, my major is international economics but I really want to apply for a job relevant to travelling. Firsly, a foreign country is a very professional environment to work so I can improve my skills in language as well as in communication. One more thing is that the facilities are very modern so that it will be easier for us to work efficiently. 9. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in another country? The answer is yes, as long as I can go with my family. I want to be in Europe because the I ‘d like to see the snow in winter and I love the weather in summer. I also like Europe food and drink. So if I can, I will choose Dutch or Italia 10. Are you planning on going anywhere for your next vacation? Ofcourse, I have never been to Da Nang so I am planning to go there. Da Nang has many beautiful beaches and specialities. Especially, I ‘d like to visit Ba Na Hill . People say that the air is very fresh and the weather is also cool so we ‘ ll fell comfortable and relaxed here 11. What do you often prepare before travelling somewhere? repare but in my opinion Money and Knowledge are the most important. The first one is the money. You have to bring quite a lot of money, especially when going to a foreign country because we need to buy many items such as: clothes, souvenirs, food†¦. The second is your knowledge about your place’s culture. This is very necessary because the culture in our place is different from the culture in others 12. How do you go on short-day travelling or long-day travelling? On short-day travelling, we can choose many transports like: car, coach, train, ship†¦ so it will be more economical. But if we travel for many days ( over 7 ), we can choose airplane. 13. Do you think it is a good idea to travel alone? I think it is a good iead because it makes us more independent when deciding to do something. It also help us have more experiences in comunicating with people or be more confident of ourself. 14. If you have a chance to visit the USA, who do you want to go with? If I have a chance to visit the USA, I want to go with my best friend. I think we are have the same interests and ideas. We will have a plan to have a trip together and it must be a good and memorable time. 15. To plan for your trip to the USA, what should you prepare? I should prepare many things. Firstly, money is the most important. As you know, the USA is very expensive. I will save much money for my trip. Secondly, I should find information about the city or places in the USA that I want to visit. The cultures in the USA are very different from the cultures in Vietnam. Finally, I have to improve my knowledge of English and communication skills. 18. Which places would you like to visit in the USA most? In the USA, I would like to visit Hollywood most. It is a famous place with many beautiful landscapes, famous actresses, actors, director, †¦ If I have an opportunity come to Hollywood, I will meet some famous people who maybe my idols or someone else.

Physics Practical; Comparing and improving two rainfall gauge experiments Essay Example

Physics Practical; Comparing and improving two rainfall gauge experiments Essay Example Physics Practical; Comparing and improving two rainfall gauge experiments Essay Physics Practical; Comparing and improving two rainfall gauge experiments Essay The aim of this experiment is to test and improve an existing rainfall measuring experiment using a potential divider. I have done this by modifying the equipment I use; this has given me a better resolution and more linear results. Apparatus For the first unimproved experiment * 5 volt Dc power supply * Rotary potentiometer * Float * Voltmeter * Beaker * Metal rods * Blue tack * Clamp stand * Ruler For the second experiment; * 5 volt DC power supply * Rotary potentiometer * Clamp stand * Arm with joint * Volt meter * Beaker * Float * Ruler Safety If the water is spilt then it must be mopped up. The beaker might break if it falls on the floor therefore all equipment must be kept away from the edge of the table. The rotary potential divider must be secured in a clamp stand. This must be held tightly so that it will not fall on the table as this would damage both he table and the rotary potential divider. Diagram of Experiment 1 Diagram of Experiment 2 Theory A rotary potentiometer has a primary use in fuel gauges in cars however it is also useful in rain detectors or robot arm sensors. It works because, when a 5 volt current is passed through the two potential divider connections and the rotary arm if fully opened up the full current will pass through. However if the arm closes slightly a different output voltage is given. Therefore to measure an amount of liquid in and area the voltage is measured by a voltmeter. The voltmeter must be set across the rotary potentiometer to gain clear results. Method For the first experiment, the rotary potentiometer was connected to the power supply. After this, I connected a voltmeter to measure the voltage across the rotary potentiometer. The rotary potentiometer is then firmly attached to a clamp and stand so as not to fall out on to the table. Then I fixed a metal rod to a right angle of the potential divider from the moving spindle at the centre of the rotary potentiometer, as this moved the out put voltage changed. From this right-angled rod, another rod was attached at an angle of 90à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ downwards. The rods where joined together by blue tack. This downwards rod was connected to a float, which was a ping-pong ball. Assembled it is the immersed into a beaker where the water was added and the out put voltage is to be measured. For the second experiment, I did the same this made my experiment fair. However, I altered the arm, this enabled the arm to rotate more smoothly also I used a larger container for the experiment. Therefore, the float would not constantly hit the sides. In addition, I used a polystyrene float this floated better than a ping-pong ball. All output voltage will be measured in à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m on the voltmeter. Also not only as I add a set increasing ml of water must I measure the output voltage I must measure how much the water level for each addition of 100ml of water has increased. Once I have this result I can calculate the average resolution for my sensor Problems For the second experiment there where minimal errors, due to the fact the aim of the second experiment was to eliminate errors from the first experiment. For the first experiment, the beaker was the wrong shape for the task. This meant that as the arm was elevated when the water started to fill the beaker the float encountered the sides and therefore giving anomalous results. To stop this from happening in the second experiment I used a larger beaker. This stopped the arm and float from hitting the side. The change in beaker shape would have affected the results for the two experiments; therefore, I used a beaker that gave enough clearance however, it was very similar to the first beaker this meant my results would not be affected by a large amount. I measured this out put voltage difference between the two beakers and compensated for it in the results from my second experiment therefore giving accurate results. Also in the first experiment the rods where joined by using two rods at 90à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ through the rotary potentiometers spindle. Alternatively, though this measured the level of water accurately, it gave no give in the joint between the two arms, this allowed the float to hit the sides and give me anomalous results. To stop this from happening in the second experiment I used an arm that had been professionally made this meant that it gave accurate results because it would be at a constant angle of 70à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, and did not twist or hit the side. The two arms where attached between the 70à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ angle with two plastic disks these where on a pivot to allow the arms freedom to move from left to right of each other however it would not spin in the opposite direction. This spin would give the anomalous results. For the first experiment, the ping-pong ball also caused problems. When water was added to the container the ball did not rise this was because it had holes in the surface and therefore filled with water. To stop this occurring I changed the b all. In the second experiment, I changed the ball to a polystyrene ball, I did this because polystyrene floats better than a PVC ball, and this gave my results for the second experiment an extra degree of accuracy. The second experiment also had fewer problems as it was an improved experiment. At first when I set, the second experiment up the potential divider was faulty therefore; I had to change this for a different rotary potential divider. In addition, my first selected beaker for the second experiment also made the float hit the side and gave me faulty readings this meant I had to change for a slightly larger beaker. Results Results for the first unmodified experiment; voltage output/à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m (+/-0.001V) Rainfall/ml v-out v-out v-out Average output 0 119.5 135.6 124.2 126.4 400 115.2 110.6 120.5 115.4 500 105.6 95.6 103.0 101.4 600 78.0 85.4 83.2 82.2 700 56.2 54.2 51.3 53.9 800 28.1 34.2 31.9 31.3 900 7.9 6.2 9.7 7.9 1000 2.0 0.5 1.1 1.2 Resolution 3mm Results for the second (modified) experiment; voltage output/à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m (+/-0.001V) Rainfall/ml v-out v-out v-out v-out v-out Average output 0 129.4 130.0 132.0 130.8 130.3 130.0 400 117.9 121.7 122.0 120.5 119.6 120.0 500 115.3 110.7 111.9 113.2 114.3 113.4 600 82.5 83.1 81.9 83.1 83.0 82.5 700 60.0 57.5 58.6 59.7 60.7 59.6 800 30.1 29.7 32.1 30.22 27.9 30.8 900 10.5 8.9 9.5 9.6 10.1 9.8 1000 0.9 1.01 0.8 1.03 1.01 1.01 Resolution 2.5mmThese results provide me with the evidence I need to compose graphs and to draw a conclusion. Analysis of my results The second experiment also had fewer errors as it was an improved experiment. At first when I set, the second experiment up the potential divider was faulty therefore; I had to change this for a different rotary potential divider. In addition, my first selected beaker for the second experiment also made the float hit the side and gave me faulty readings this meant I had to change for a slightly larger beaker and recalculate the difference in volt output per measure meant taken. The resolution of the second experiment was around about 3mm this was adequate for measuring rainwater as it normal rains more than 3mm in 1 day. However, I increased the resolution of the rainfall detector by 0.5mm. This shows that these small changes have improved my experiment. The graph for the first experiment is linear, despite this there are some anomalous results for example 900mm, which gave an average volt output, of 0.00079v. This could have been down to a number factor such as parallax error of measuring the water level or taking the reading during a fluctuation of the voltmeter. The results for my second experiment are obviously more accurate when plotted on a graph. This is because on the first graph there are five results that do not fit onto the trend line, however my improved experiments graphical results show that the results are more closely suited to a linear trend line. This is because of the improvements in equipment that was used also more accuracy which means less parallax error. Parallax error is human error of measurement. Evaluation The aim of the experiment was to improve an existing experiment to measure the rainfall by using a rotary potentiometer. The results that I have collected and displayed on the graph show that I have increased the accuracy of the results. The new results form an increased correlation on a trend line. In addition, the resolution of my experiment has increased by 0.5mm of water this is very impressive as I thought at the start of this experiment that the resolution would of remained the same. Also if this was to be made into a really rain measuring gauge it would be easier to keep outside and not have to monitor constantly. This is because of the alterations I have made. Before if the first experiment were left for 24 hours the float would have hit the side if it floated at all, and there would have had to be 3mm of rain for a clear reading to be taken. With the improved experiment, it could now be left outside, because the new arm joint allows the arm movement and to measure at a constant angle however, it will not hit the side of the beaker, only 2.5mm of rain would have to fall for a reading to be take n and the ball is assured to float. If I was to improve the experiment further, I would use a resistance box, and a power supply that gave a constant 5 volts instead of a power supply that gave a fluctuating 5 volts, I would also use a more sensitive voltmeter. A resistance box would not increase the resolution however; it would increase the strength of the signal to the voltmeter and therefore giving a better reading. If I were to use a fixed 5 volt, power supply it would give me a constant 5 volts instead of fluctuating around 5 volts this would also improve my voltmeter readings and linearity of my graph. If I was to use a more sensitive voltmeter I could increase the accuracy of my results by 1 decimal place this although would not improve my results it would make them easier to anomalies and then I would be able to find a more affective way of stopping the anomalous results.

Cause and effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cause and effect - Essay Example The party went on until after midnight and with increasing time, he drank even more. By the time the party was over, he was heavily intoxicated and was not even in the state to drive. But he did not have any other option and he had to drive himself. He was not in a very conscious and alert state and did not realize when he crossed the speed limits. He was stopped by the police and they analyzed his level of alcohol which was way above the normal limits. They not only fined him but he was also taken to the police station where he was jailed. His act of carelessness made him land in this trouble. It was a very difficult situation for my friend. He was not only caught by the law enforcement personnel but his parents also got really worried about his whereabouts. They were very disappointed with his act and he also found himself in a very embarrassing position and could not face them. If he would have been careful and would not have consumed excessive alcohol he could have saved himself from this occurrence.

Reasons to Drill Off Shore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reasons to Drill Off Shore - Essay Example In other words, global economy is inversely proportional to oil prices. When oil price increases, global economy declines and when the oil price decreases global economy achieves growth. American economy also follows the same path as the global economy does. A world without oil fuel is unimaginable at present. Even though we have many other energy sources, none of them are capable of replacing oil. Even though nobody has any doubt about the utility or essentiality of oil in sustaining human life in its present form, some people argues against offshore drilling citing environmental reasons. At the time of crude oil purification and also at the time of operating vehicles, oil liberates so many greenhouse gases like oxides of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, methane etc. Daniel et al (2006) have mentioned that â€Å"between 1976 and 1990, oil companies in Nigeria witnessed a total of 2,796 oil spills. An estimated total quantity of 2,105,393 barrels of oil was spilled on land, coastal and off shore marine environments† (Daniel et al, 2006, p.111). Amidst all such criticisms labeled against offshore drilling, it is a fact that the no other energy sources are capable of substituting oil. In other words, offshore drilling should be continued in its present form until we would be able to find out alternate energy sources to replace oil. â€Å"The United States consumes nearly one-fourth of the world's oil. The big discoveries are happening offshore, says Robert Bryce, managing editor of Energy Tribune† (Jervis et al, 2008). The above statistics and opinion clearly point towards the necessities of offshore drilling. It is difficult for United States to replace oil with another energy source at present because of the huge dependence of America on oil fuels. America is producing only 10% of its total oil needs, which means around 90% of oil required for its domestic usage, is being imported from overseas countries. It is difficult for America like big country to re ly heavily on other countries for energy needs. â€Å"Unfortunately, because of dumb luck, most of the world’s petroleum is controlled by nations that are unfriendly to the United States. Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran were three of the top five producers of petroleum in 2007† (Column: Offshore Drilling Not Hoax, But Necessity To United States, 2009). Arab countries, Russia and China are the major oil producers in the world and America’s relations with these countries are not so good. Under such circumstances, if these countries decide to stop oil supply to America, energy crisis may intensify in America. Under such circumstances, it is necessary for America to increase offshore drilling to find out more oil sources. As Robert Bryce says, the possibility of big discoveries cannot be ruled out in offshore drilling. It should be noted that the entire faces of gulf countries have been changed immensely as result of the discovery of oil sources in those countries. Th e living standards of the people in gulf countries improved a lot as a result of the oil discovery. Such dramatic things can happen in America also and therefore oil drilling or offshore drilling should be continued even though criticisms are there. The following statistics from Louisiana reveals the importance of offshore drilling further. Louisiana has had offshore drilling since 1947. About 172 active rigs dot the Gulf of Mexico waters off the coast, producing about 79% of the oil and 72% of the natural gas that comes from drilling off the nation's

Enrichment Units Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Enrichment Units - Assignment Example student benefit from all the units, it is fundamental to begin by teaching CCSS: MATH.CONTENT.4.OA.B.4, CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.OA.C.5, CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.EE.A.1, and CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.EE.A.2 in that order. CCSS: MATH.CONTENT.4.OA.B.4 is an important enrichment unit to every student. It mainly deals with operations and algebraic thinking and focuses on gain familiarity and multiples. I chose this because it deepens my understanding of factors and multiples of whole numbers. For instance in solving mathematical puzzles. The combination of math learning with movement gives me multiple ways to engage my brain for instance Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences and to cement the learning. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.OA.C.5 5 enables me to generate and analyze patterns. This involves generating a number or shape pattern that follows a given rule. For instance it helped me solve number sequence and series mathematical problems. I also chose CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.EE.A.1 because it helped me to learn how to apply the concepts of integer exponents to give equivalent numerical expressions. This will simplify my work when working out complicated mathematical problems. This rules will also help me know how to handle exponents for instance when multiplying variables with same base, the two exponents are added. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.EE.A.2 is appropriate when it comes to learning root and cube roots. It also shows students that perfect squares and perfect cubes are integers that result from the squaring or cubing of another integer. It is important for students also to understand that they can find the square root of any positive number and zero. Its also crucial that students know the variation between rational and irrational numbers In conclusion, all the Common Core Standards are important in enrichment units. As seen above, students are advised to learn these units to enable them have a better understanding of the other units ahead. However, this website

Service Provisions for the Homeless in Britain

Service Provisions for the Homeless in Britain Social welfare, democracy and government Set out below is an evaluation of how social welfare, democracy, and government relates to the issue of service provision to avert or solve homelessness in Britain. There are, as will be examined, various causes for homelessness, and therefore differing levels of service provision to help the homeless in Britain. The post-war welfare state had supposed to have made homelessness an almost negligible problem, so social welfare, democracy and government carried on operating without thinking the issue was serious, even though services were available when needed. However, homelessness had never gone away and various factors outlined below explain how the issue became more important on the social welfare policy, democratic and governmental agendas, and service provision was in increasing demand. Whilst social welfare policies, democracy, and government may not directly cause homelessness, they can arguably have a great deal of influence over how it is tackled, and the level of services pro vided and who provides those services. Some cases of homelessness are easier to tackle or resolve than other cases, depending on the initial causes of homelessness. Social welfare, democracy, and government are factors that combine or act singularly to affect the levels of and the permanence of the service provisions to prevent homelessness and to those that are already homeless. Social welfare, democracy, and government hold the key to finding homes for the homeless, and providing the service provision to ensure people remain housed. The main foundation of social welfare policies in modern Britain was the welfare state as established during the Labour governments of 1945 to 1951, which was intended to make poverty, social exclusion, and homelessness disappear from British society. The welfare state legally defined which organisations are obliged to provide services, namely government departments, local authorities, and voluntary or non-governmental groups (Jones Lowe, 2002 p. 1). The rationale of the welfare state was inspired by the Beveridge Report and the Labour party’s own ideological outlook, which was to eradicate poverty and social exclusion to make Britain a fairer country. As part of its plans it gave local authorities the powers, and the funds to provide council housing on a greater scale than previously to every body that needed it (Lacy, 2006 p. 8). At the end of the Second World War the main cause of homelessness was actually the number of houses that had been destroyed by bombing during the war (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p.11). The government did its best to solve the housing shortage with a large construction programme of council houses. The provision of council houses was intended to provide people with affordable housing when they could not afford private rents or to buy their own houses, and it was the responsibility of all local authorities to provide council housing using money provided by the government (Moran, 2005 p. 14). The welfare state was intended to reduce poverty through the payment of unemployment benefit, supplementary benefit, rent rebates, and Family Allowance. These benefits were supposed to keep people above the bread line, to provide them with a minimum standard of living, and were primarily benefits or services provided by the Department of Social Security. However, it was hoped that government economic policy would reduce the need for people to claim benefits in the first place, or the need for services to keep them housed. Almost full employment, adequate levels of social security benefits, and the increased availability of council houses were significant factors in preventing homelessness, although service providers were always needed to ensure that people got help when they needed it (Jones Lowe, 2002 p. 189). Rent rebates and government attempts to control private sector rents were intended to keep families on low incomes in their homes. The main responsibility for controlling pri vate sector rents was the government’s whilst rent rebate was administered by local authorities on behalf of the government. The main public perceptions about the provision of services to the homeless until the late 1960s, was that social welfare measures such as social security benefits, rent rebates, and rent controls had seen the problem all but cease to exist. Although service provision by government departments, local authorities, and non-governmental organisations had continued to operate, and even expand (Coxall, Robbins, Leach, 2003 p. 137). However for those people that knew more about the provision of services for the homeless, it was clear that social welfare policies had not been capable of completely resolving the problem. People that understood social welfare and housing policies also knew that homelessness was linked to inadequate housing and unemployment. Unemployment meant that some people fell behind with their rent or mortgage payments, eventually leading to their eviction or the re-possession of their homes. There were and are voluntary organisations such as Shelter, Crisis, and the Citizens Advice Bureaux which provided advice services to prevent people becoming homeless (Coxall, Robbins, Leach, 2003 pp. 28-9). The public perception that homelessness was no longer a meaningful or measurable social and economic problem was changed by the film ‘Cathy come home’ and the launch of a charity dedicated to solving the problem of homelessness and intent on influencing public opinion and government policies, Shelter. Unlike existing charities that helped homeless people such as the Salvation Army, Shelter only existed to tackle the issue of homelessness and it believed that being an active pressure group was the best way to alter or influence public opinion, as well as attempt to change social welfare policies. In other words Shelter wished to offer greater levels of service provision than government departments and local authorities did at that time. In the late 1960s the government had not changed its social welfare policies to have any extra detrimental affects on the problem of homelessness. Instead Shelter was demonstrating that in some individual cases that social welfare policies had proved incapable of preventing homelessness or keeping up with social, economic, and political changes. At this time government departments and local authorities were the predominant service providers for the homeless, or the potentially homeless (Coxall, Robbins, Leach, 2003 p. 381). The 1960s after all were a decade when social, economic, and political changes were starting to become apparent, these changes which had consequences for social welfare policies in general, and that had an impact on the service provision for the homeless. Social changes included it being easier to get divorced, a rise in the number of births outside marriage, a rise in the number of lone parents, increasing crime levels, and the growth of illegal drugs taking. All these social changes would change the ways families lived in Britain; the break down of family relationships has arguably had a greater impact on the problem of homelessness than any changes to social welfare and housing policies. That is although the consequences were unplanned and inadvertent, yet they had to be responded to by the providers of services to homeless people (Jones et al, 2004 p. 294). Shelter and Crisis, amongst others, have argued that social welfare policies are administered in ways that make it harder for government agencies and local authorities to help people that are already homeless, compared to helping people that are already housed. People that are homeless are often only able to claim lower rates of social security benefits, and also find it harder to gain employment or find somewhere permanent to live (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 70). Social welfare policies have been altered, most notably by the Conservative governments between 1979 and 1997 and by the New Labour governments since 1997. In terms of social welfare the Conservatives had wanted to reduce the size of the social security budget, as well as reducing the size of the public sector, the former being a task in which it failed (Eatwell Wright, 2003 p. 287). In fact, under the Conservatives the budget for social security expenditure actually increased due to the economic policies that was pursued l eading to high unemployment, and increased levels of service provision for the homeless. In contrast to the Conservatives, New Labour claimed that it would use social welfare policies to make service provision more responsive to their users actual needs, for example asking the homeless what they wanted from their service providers (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 pp 415-16). There are also ways in which democracy in Britain can be related to the problem of service provision for the homeless and the potentially homeless, and also related to the political, social, and economic factors that influence and affect levels of homelessness. In a liberal democracy such as Britain, the political, social, and economic policies used in relation to service provision such as towards homeless people can be shaped by the relative importance that the electorate, attach to each individual issue. In many respects the service provision for the homeless has not become one of the major electoral issues that can dominate political debates, and that can ultimately determine which political party wins or loses the next general election. Despite not being one of the main political issues, the provision of services for the homeless is certainly an issue that is on the political agenda in Britain, and it is an issue that will undoubtedly stay there. That the provision of services fo r the homeless remains upon the political agenda in Britain has to be attributed to the efforts of pressure groups or charities like Shelter, Crisis, and the Big Issue. Indeed the efforts of these groups have managed to maintain publicity about the problem of homelessness as well as providing some very useful services themselves. These groups believe that their publicity campaigns will not only influence public opinion, their publicity campaigns will hopefully influence social welfare and housing policies to make service provision effectively serve the needs of the homeless. However these organisations are also important service providers for homeless people, giving advice, advocacy services, training, and emergency accommodation. Some members of the electorate do not regard homelessness as being a separate issue from social welfare policy, as far as they are concerned the government should have the appropriate policies to provide services to the homeless. After all that is what peo ple pay their taxes for (Malin, Wilmot, Manthorpe, 2003 p. 51). Pressure groups or charities that publicly campaign for and in support of the homeless view the tackling of prejudices against the people that are homeless as an important part of their objectives of service provision for the homeless. Shelter and the Big Issue act as advocates for those people that are homeless as they are disenfranchised by virtue of not having a home address, and therefore being unable to register their names on to the electoral register. Without the advocacy and media contacts of such pressure groups and charities, the homeless would have very little influence upon democracy, as they cannot vote for or against any political party because of its policies and objectives in relation to the issue of homelessness. Political parties will not necessarily feel the need to adjust their social welfare and housing policies to help certain groups like the homeless, especially if these people are formally and legally unable to participate in the democratic electoral processes at all (Jones et al, 2004 p. 294). However political parties have not been able to ignore the problem of homelessness, even if they have attempted to resolve the issues surrounding homelessness with varying degrees of enthusiasms (Jones, 1999 p. 176). However, although the homeless may be disenfranchised that does not mean that the homeless do not contribute towards liberal democracy in Britain. The work of charities and pressure groups helps the homeless to voice their opinions in public, and those groups actively promote the interests of the homeless. Shelter and the Big Issue hope to sway public opinion, as well as influencing the incumbent government’s social welfare and housing policies to assist the homeless as much as possible. In a liberal democracy like Britain, public opinion can influence government policies as well as governments attempting to shape public opinion in order to gain electoral advantages or support. The way in which democracy operates mean that political parties, pressure groups, and the media compete with each other to shape public opinion. In return the public often regard some issues as being more important than other issues. For instance, the state of the National Health Service, education, law and order, besides the state of the economy are often the most important issues during general election campaigns. The responsibility for service provision for the homeless goes across government departments, and the measures needed have to compete for funding with other policy areas such as health, education, and defence. Political parties naturally adopt the policy stances that fit in with their ideological beliefs, yet maximise their chances of electoral success. Once governments are elected they have to decide who provides public services and the extent of the services that are provided (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 pp. 48-50). In Britain the government has an important part to play in dealing with the problem of homelessness, even if the government has not caused those problems in the first place. For the government to effectively manage and reduce the problem of homelessness it helps for the government to understand the various causes of people losing their homes (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p.70). The majority of causes for people being homeless are social or economic rather than political. The government can prevent some people from becoming homeless by adopting social welfare and housing policies. The majority of causes for people becoming homeless are social or economic, rather than political. The government can prevent some people becoming homeless by adopting social welfare and housing policies, although the government cannot prevent the social circumstances that potentially lead to homelessness. The government is not in a position to prevent the break up of family units that make men and young people pa rticularly vulnerable to becoming homelessness. Men actually are the group most likely to face homelessness in the wake of relationships breaking up. Women have a higher chance of keeping their homes when relationships end. Other s factors that contribute to the problem of homelessness are related to crime, or more specifically those people that serve prison sentences and then have nowhere to live after they have been released. People with drug addictions, alcoholics, and those with mental health problems all have an increased risk of becoming homeless during their lives. These people have been helped by groups like Shelter, Crisis, and the Big Issue that provide services to get their lives back on track (Jones et al, 2004, p. 294). Although governments in Britain may not be able to prevent the circumstances or factors that make people become homeless, governments are in a position to help people find homes to live in. Governments are the key decision makers when it comes down to deciding upon the s w and housing policies that are the main ways of preventing people from losing their homes. Government policies can make it easier, or alternatively make it harder for people to stay in their homes or find new accommodation when it is required. For instance, the Thatcher government’s decision to sell off council houses was very popular with existent council house tenants, one million of whom went on to buy their homes from their local authorities. The selling off of council houses might not have been so detrimental to efforts to keep people housed if the local authorities had been allowed to build replacement houses in the same quantity. Selling off council houses made it harder to find affordable accommodatio n to rent, whilst the local authorities had a declining number of homes to provide housing for those that wanted it (Moran, 2005, p.28). Even if such a high volume of council houses had not been sold off, new homes construction has lagged behind the demand for homes to rent or buy. In turn the shortage of houses to rent or buy continues to make rents and mortgages even higher and less affordable for many people. Both Conservative and New Labour have refused to intervene to lower house prices or rents to allow more people to find a home (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p.291). However New Labour has launched a programme to increase both the actual capacity and the quality of hostels and temporary accommodation with a budget of  £90 million. That programme allows non-governmental organisations to improve the quality of the services that they provide to the homeless (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2005 p. 8). However, it would be wrong to assume that British governments do nothing to prevent the problem of homelessness growing. The government has to decide which services are provided to the homeless. Local authorities or Registered Social Landlords are still responsible for housing many people and New Labour has been expanded the amount of new construction that can undertake (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 70). The main way in which the government helps to prevent the problem of homelessness increasing is through the social security system. Individuals and families in receipt of social security benefit or low income are generally entitled to housing benefit, which means that they have all or at least a high percentage of their rent paid for by the relevant local authority (Jones, 1999, p.176). Local authorities administer the housing benefit system and are then fully refunded by the government via the Department for Work and Pensions. Housing benefits pays out a great deal of money each year t o prevent people being evicted and subsequently homeless, it provides a service for millions of people (Jones, 1999, p. 176). Despite been means tested, housing benefit is still one of the biggest amounts of expenditure on the social security budget (Whitaker’s 2007 p. 450). For instance, in the financial year 2002 –03 the government spent over  £11 billion on housing benefit which, demonstrates the importance attached to preventing homelessness through the services provided by the Department of Work and Pensions in conjunction with local authorities (Department for Work and Pensions, 2003 p.32). Bibliography Coxall B, Robins L Leach R (2003) Contemporary British Politics 4th edition, Palgrave, Basingstoke Department for Work and Pensions, (2003) Departmental Report 2003, The Stationary Office, London Eatwell R Wright A, (2003) Contemporary Political Ideologies 2nd Edition, Continuum, London Fisher J, Denver D, Benyon J, (2003) Central Debates in British Politics, Longman, London Jones B, (1999) issues in British Politics Today, Manchester University Press, Manchester Jones B, Kavanagh D, Moran M, Norton P, (2004) Politics UK, 5th edition, Pearson Longman, London Jones M and Lowe R (2002) From Beveridge to Blair – The first fifty years of Britain’s Welfare State 1948-98, Manchester University Press Manchester and New York Lacey R, (2006) Great Tales from English History, the Battle of the Boyne to DNA, 1689 – 1953, Little Brown, London Malin N, Wilmot S, Manthorpe J, (2003) Key Concepts and Debates in Health and Social Policy, Open University Press Buckingham and Philadelphia Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2005) Sustainable Communities: settled homes; changing lives, Crown Copyright, London Moran M, (2005) Politic and Governance in the UK, Palgrave, Basingstoke Seldon A Kavanagh D, (2005) The Blair Effect 2001 – 5, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Whitaker’s, (2007) Whitaker’s Almanack 2007 – today’s world in one volume, A C Black, London

Use of Metaphors in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Hurston Essay

Zora Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God follows protagonist Janie Mae Crawford’s journey into womanhood and her ultimate quest for self-discovery. Having to abruptly transition from childhood to adulthood at the age of sixteen, the story demonstrates Janie’s eternal struggle to find her own voice and realize her dreams through three marriages and a lifetime of hardships that come about from being a black woman in America in the early 20th century. Throughout the novel, Hurston uses powerful metaphors helping to â€Å"unify† (as Henry Louis Gates Jr. puts it) the novel’s themes and narrative; thus providing a greater understanding of Janie’s quest for selfhood. There are three significant metaphors in the novel that achieve this unity: the pear tree metaphor, metaphors representing the inside and outside world, and finally the figure of the mule. I. The Pear Tree The pear tree metaphor is one of the most prevalent and recurring metaphors throughout the novel. It is one that represents Janie’s sexual awakening, her relationships, her dreams, and her journey to womanhood. Gates argues that this repetition of the tree metaphor â€Å"is fundamental to the process of narration, and Hurston repeats the figure of the tree both to expound her theme of becoming and to render the action of the plot and simultaneous and as unified as possible† (78). The tree first appears when Janie is preparing to tell her story to Phoeby: â€Å"Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches† (8), seemingly setting out what Janie’s story will entail and as Henry Louis Gates Jr. asserts in Zora Neale Hurston and the Speakerly Text, this introduction of the metaphor â€Å"re... ... Cited Dilbeck, Keiko. â€Å"Symbolic Representation of Identity in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God.† The Explicator. 66.2 (2008): 102-104. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. Gates, Henry Louis. â€Å"Zora Neale Hurston and the Speakerly Text.† Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Casebook. Ed. Cheryl. A. Wall. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. (59-116). Print. Haurykiewicz, Julie. â€Å"From Mules to Muliebrity: Speech and Silence in ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’.† The Southern Literary Journal. 29.2 (1997): 45-60. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. Hurston, Zora N. Their Eyes Were Watching God: [a Novel]. New York: Perennial Classics, 1999. Print. Johnson, Barabara. â€Å"Metaphor, Metonymy, and Voice in Their Eyes Were Watching God.† Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Casebook. Ed. Cheryl. A. Wall. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Technical Project Paper: Information Systems Security

You are the Information Security Officer for a small pharmacy that has recently been opened in the local shopping mall. The daily operation of a pharmacy is a unique business that requires a combination of both physical and logical access controls to protect medication and funds maintained located on the premises and personally identifiable information and protected health information of your customers. Your supervisor has tasked you with identifying inherent risks associated with this pharmacy and establishing physical and logical access control methods that will mitigate the risks identified.Firewall (1) Windows 2008 Active Directory Domain Controllers (DC) (1) File Server (1) Desktop computers (4) Dedicated T1 Connection (1) Write a ten to fifteen (10-15) page paper in which you: Identify and analyze any potential physical vulnerabilities and threats that require consideration. Identify and analyze any potential logical vulnerabilities and threats that require consideration. Illus trate in writing the potential impact of all identified physical vulnerabilities and threats to the network and the pharmacy. Identify all potential vulnerabilities that may exist in the documented network.Illustrate in writing the potential impact of all identified logical vulnerabilities to the network and the pharmacy. For each physical vulnerability and threat identified, choose a strategy for dealing with the risk (i. e. , risk mitigation, risk assignment, risk acceptance, or risk avoidance). For each logical vulnerability and threat identified, choose a strategy for dealing with the risk (i. e. , risk mitigation, risk assignment, risk acceptance, or risk avoidance).For each physical vulnerability and threat identified, develop controls (i. e. administrative, preventative, detective, and corrective) that will be used to mitigate each risk. For each logical vulnerability and threat identified, develop controls (i. e. , administrative, preventative, detective, and corrective) tha t will be used to mitigate each risk. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: Explain the concepts of information systems security as applied to an IT infrastructure. Describe how malicious attacks, threats, and vulnerabilities impact an IT infrastructure. Explain the means attackers use to compromise systems and networks, and defenses used by organizations.Explain the role of access controls in implementing a security policy. Exp lain how businesses apply cryptography in maintaining information security. Analyze the importance of network principles and architecture to security operations. Use technology and information resources to research issues in information systems security. Write clearly and concisely about network security topics using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions. Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Pixar- Culture and Organisations Essays

Pixar- Culture and Organisations Essays Pixar- Culture and Organisations Paper Pixar- Culture and Organisations Paper Culture and Organisations Pixar case study HRO372 1. Background Pixar Animation Studios was founded in 1979, initially specializing in producing state of the art computer hardware (Carlson, 2003). In 1990, due to poor product sales the company diversified from its core business and began producing computer animated commercials for outside companies. Success came for Pixar after the production of its first computer animated film ‘Toy story’ in 1995 (Hutton and Baute, 2007). Since then, Pixar has made many innovative animated feature films, with well known ones including A Bugs Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. , Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille and WALL-E, six of which are in the top grossing animated films of all time (Pixar, 2010). The company has won many Academy awards for Best Animated Feature film, and puts its success largely down to the â€Å"rare talent† of its employees (Prokesch, 2008). Pixar’s operates a strong organisational culture, which has seen it become a benchmark for other companies in the film making industry. The company’s key objective is â€Å"to combine proprietary technology and world-class creative talent to develop computer-animated feature films with memorable characters and heart-warming stories that appeal to audiences of all ages (Pixar, 2009). † In 2006, Pixar entered a 7. 6 billion dollar agreement to work with the Walt Disney Company. The Pixar Company is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Disney (La Franco, 2006). Although the merger has been a success long term, it has not been without its problems. Pixar’s unique ‘hands off’ management culture has often conflicted with Disney’s traditional bureaucratic leadership style. The animation industry is a highly competitive environment, with Pixar’s biggest competition being, DreamWorks Animation and Blue Sky Studios. In 2008, the global animation market was estimated to be worth 300 billion US dollars per year (Skillset, 2009). In order to remain competitive, Pixar need to retain a highly skilled workforce and not lose their strong organisational culture, which is the foundation of their creative power and innovation. 2. Frameworks for analysis . 1 Schein’s framework Many theorists have given their definition of organizational culture. Schein (1997, p. 6), defines it as the â€Å"basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of an organization, that operate unconsciously and define in a basic taken-for-granted fashion an organization’s view of itself and its environment. â₠¬  Schein highlights the importance of understanding culture within an organization stating that â€Å"organizational learning, development and planned change cannot be understood without considering culture as the primary source of resistance to change. Schein’s framework (see appendix a) argues that an organizations culture is made up of three levels, consisting of artifacts, espoused beliefs and values and underlying assumptions. This framework will be used to analyze the human resource management within Pixar to see how it impacts on the company’s organizational culture. In his book â€Å"The corporate culture survival guide,† Schein reveals that there is clear link between corporate culture and Human Resource Management. He states that corporate culture isn’t always what it seems. There are ‘hidden depths’ that managers fail to acknowledge in times of organization failure. Managers need to grasp the true meaning of the company in which Schein states can be â€Å"learned, shared, tacit assumptions on which people base their daily behaviour. Pixar’s HRM is one that is designed to increase employee satisfaction. Catmull (2008), states that the belief at Pixar is that â€Å"people are greater than ideas. † The company’s organizational structure, strategy, communication levels, team work environment, values and norms are central to its unique â€Å"hands off† management culture, which has seen it become a benchmark in the film making industry. 2. 2 Artifacts Physical organizational structures and processes are at the basic level of defining an organizations culture. Schein states that â€Å"these artifacts are those aspects, at the surface, that can be easily discerned, yet are hard to understand. † At Pixar these artifacts are as follows: 1. Pixar University The key to Pixar’s success is its talented employees which lie at the heart of the organisation. The company promotes a learning culture and all employees are encouraged to devote at least four hours a week to their education. In house courses are provided through the company’s own established university- Pixar University (PU). Pixar University is responsible for training and cross training people, helping them progress in their careers (Catmull, 2008). Educational classes include screenplay writing, drawing and sculpting, however there are optional classes such as Pilates and yoga that encourage people from all disciplines to interact and value one another. Through expanding knowledge in and outside of their areas, employees become more resilient to change. Redman and Wilkinson (2006), support this view stating that through training and development, organizations are readily able to adapt to changes in the business environment. 2. Building structure The Pixar building is designed for a functional purpose- to maximize interaction between all Pixar employees. Schein suggests that if you want to understand organizational culture have a look at their work place environment. The building typically represents a â€Å"den† culture (Duffy, 1997-) and is designed to allow for high interaction and low autonomy (see appendix B). The layout consists of a large atrium at its centre and includes a cafeteria, meeting rooms, bathrooms, and mailboxes. This systematically ensures that people gather there repeatedly throughout the day, providing â€Å"valuable encounters† (Catmull, 2008). . Recruitment All new hires attend an ‘orientation session’ where Pixar’s president Ed Catmull, gives a presentation on the mistakes the company have made and the lessons that were learned. The process is intended to ‘break down the barriers’ and change the assumption that successful people are not always right. 4. C ommunication structure There are no channels at Pixar. Members of any department are freely allowed to approach anyone. The decision making hierarchy and communication structure are seen to be separate from one another. Nobody needs to ask permission to speak to another member on how to solve a problem. Pixar offer a â€Å"safe environment† on freedom of speech with all employees being encouraged to email notes to leaders giving their opinions on what they liked and disliked about their work and why. Barret (1997), states that transparent and open communication can positively influence innovation and creative processes in an organization. Ways in which Pixar manage this communication is through the following processes: (a) Pixar’s â€Å"Creative Brain Trust† Teams are typically made up of a director, a writer, some artists, and some storyboard people. All team members are encouraged to share their ideas through a process called â€Å"the brain trust. † This occurs when the producer or director need advice and so call together all members of the group to discuss the current state of work. All employees are actively involved in a â€Å"lively 2 hour session† on how to better their work. All Pixar employees are seen as valuable assets to the organization, and therefore all ideas are valued. (b) Daily Review process The company encourages daily review processes called â€Å"dailies,† in which all teams come together and present their work in progress to one another. All employees are encouraged to give each other feedback on each team’s current state of work. Everyone shares their opinions and make suggestions for improvements. The director ultimately makes the final decision, however the teams get to put forward their ideas. â€Å"Dailies† is a technique that was originally used by Disney. (c) â€Å"Postmortems† After every film is completed, reflections or so called â€Å"postmortems† are encouraged as a way of focusing on the positives and the negatives. The idea is for employees to analyze what went right and what went wrong and use these boundaries as a benchmark for later productions. Through using data, the organization is able to analyze each process, keeping track of the rates at which things happen, how often things are amended, and the current state of a piece of work when it gets sent to another department etc. The data helps to â€Å"stimulate discussion† and challenge any assumptions that may arise. 2. 3 Espoused Values Schein states that â€Å"beneath these structures there are espoused values, which are conscious strategies, goals and philosophies. † It is these underlying beliefs, values and assumptions that dictate the way people act. Tesluk et al (1997), believes that shared norms, beliefs and values help individuals to assume whether innovative and creative behaviour determine the way in which the organisation operates. Pixar’s corporate mission is â€Å"to combine proprietary technology and world-class creative talent to develop computer-animated feature films with memorable characters and heart-warming stories that appeal to audiences of all ages† (Pixar, 2009). This corporate mission is managed through the following strategies, goals and philosophies: 1. Recruitment of those with â€Å"rare talent† The hiring process should communicate the organizations shared purpose. The belief at Pixar is to ensure that all recruits don’t fall into what Catmull (2008) calls the â€Å"awe-of-the-institution† syndrome. Management transmit the values of the company through the process of the â€Å"orientation session. † This resembles a storytelling of the company and its culture. The session highlights the belief that all employees are seen as valuable assets to the organization, and that successful people aren’t always right. Harrison (2005) agrees that in order to foster creativity, it is vital to recruit and retain talented employees. Management at Pixar believe that through the â€Å"regular injection of outsiders† (Catmull, 2008), the company will be able to embrace change. Mathis and Jackson (2008) agree that a core competency of any business is to be able to attract and retain employees with unique, professional and technical capabilities. 2. Invest in people Pixar’s employees are seen as valuable assets to the organization, therefore the value of the company is to invest in people. This is achieved through ongoing training and development. Pixar University creates this learning environment. Randy Nelson, dean of Pixar University describes its purpose as: Weve made the leap from an idea-centered business to a people-centered business. Instead of developing ideas, we develop people. Instead of investing in ideas, we invest in people. Were trying to create a culture of learning, filled with lifelong learners. Its no trick for talented people to be interesting, but its a gift to be interested. We want an organization filled with interested people† (Baker, 2008). Pixar believe that through training and developing employees, it will help them progress in their careers. Catmull (2008) states â€Å"Pixar University helps to reinforce the mind-set that we’re all learning and it’s fun to learn together. † All employees learn from their mistakes through the process of â€Å"postmortems. † The idea is not to beat yourself up about what went wrong but to use the experience as a learning opportunity. One way that Pixar overcome this is by getting employees to list the things that went right against the things that went wrong. Conner and Clawson (2004), state that learning should be linked either directly or indirectly to a business goal. 3. Obtain Creative leadership Syrett and Lammiman (1997) believe that the most successful companies are capable of integrating innovation and creativity into their culture through the management process. Pixar’s philosophy is â€Å"You get great creative people, you bet big on them, you give them enormous leeway and support, and you provide them with an environment in which they can get honest feedback from everyone† (Catmull ,2008, p. 68). The management at Pixar operate a â€Å"task based culture† in which Mullins (2007), notes that the organization seeks to bring together the right resources and the right people to utilize the unified power of the group. At Pixar, this task based culture is evident through the process of the â€Å"creative brain trust† in which each team is given creative ownership over all tasks. Catmull (2008) notes â€Å"Clear values, constant communication, routine postmortems, and the regular injection of outsiders who will challenge the status quo aren’t enough- strong leadership is essential to make sure people don’t pay lip service to the values, tune out the communications, game the processes, and automatically discount newcomers’ observations and suggestions. Judge et al (2007), believes that this philosophy is one that increases employee creativity, because top management set strategic goals but allow employees considerable freedom within the context of these goals. 4. Create Trusting Relationships Pixar’s goal is to create lasting relationships. Catmull (2008) states â€Å"we believe that lasting relationships matter. † Much of the production crew at Pixar have w orked with each other for many years. Trust and respect for one another is vital in order for people to work effectively together. The role of management at Pixar is to create an environment that fosters these relationships. Gilbert, (2007) notes, â€Å"Pixar trusts the teams they build to do their jobs and gives them the freedom to do them well. Executives don’t go to story meetings, they recognize that is a job they’ve hired artists for and they trust the artists to do it. There is little micromanagement. † Trust is established through the ongoing process of Pixar’s â€Å"creative brain trust†, daily reviews and â€Å"postmortems†, were employees are able to freely express their ideas and opinions and everyone is actively involved in the discussion process. Barnard (1938) believed that the commitment and contribution of all employees to achieve a common purpose were necessary for the existence of a co-operative system. The Pixar building is typical of a nodal design, which according to Myerson and Ross (2004) is one that is designed to encourage knowledge and learning. The belief is that people will mix in the relaxed atmosphere during the course of the day and discuss their ideas, increasing creative thinking and promoting innovative ideas. Kouzes and Posner (2000) believe that trustworthiness is the foundation of leadership. . Freedom to communicate Pixar’s operational principles (see appendix C) state that every employee should be able to freely and safely communicate their ideas to anyone. Hooper and potter (1999) found that an open communication culture is a key attribute for effective leadership within an organization. Pixar’s open communication structure resembles that of a â€Å"den culture† and allows for h igh interaction and low autonomy. This enables flexibility and co-operative teamwork. Catmull (2008) notes that employees â€Å"really do feel that it’s all for one and one for all. Communication is effectively established through Pixar’s â€Å"creative brain trust,† in which all employees help the director to solve any problems that he/she may have. The strategy enables employees to express any organisational concerns that may arise. 2. 4 Underlying Assumptions Schein defines this bottom level as â€Å"the core or essence of culture. † These assumptions and values are difficult to understand because they exist beneath the surface, operating at an unconscious level. In order for management to understand why things happen the way they do, is to look at the deeper dimensions of human existence. It is through this that they can truly identify with truth and reality. The assumptions at Pixar are as follows: 1. People are good The assumption that people are good leads to the belief that ongoing training and development should be provided. This belief is established through the creation of Pixar University; in which Pixar invest in their employees through providing them with classes to broaden their academic and interpersonal skills. Rodriguez (2005) notes that a successful business is one that invests in its employees. Trust in employees is another belief put forward by management that results in the process of an open communication system and the belief that employees should have creative ownership over all tasks. 2. Company’s should fight the â€Å"success syndrome† Pixar has had many triumphs of success, but according to Catmull (2008) it will continue to improve itself until the end. This assumption is evident through the belief of providing a learning culture for its employees and is evident with Pixar University and through the processes of post-mortems, daily reviews and the recruitment of new hires. Prokesch (2008) notes that â€Å"some of the most exceptional unsung heroes in business are the managers who resist taking authority and the limelight and build a solid stage where others can be stars. † 3. Taking risks is good for business. Pixar operate through the assumption that managing creative talent and taking risks is responsible for their success. According to Catmull (2008) the role of management is not to prevent risk but to build the capability to recover when failures occur. This is evident through the belief of creating trusting relationships and being a creative leader. In the animation industry, companies can’t afford to play it safe. It is up to the management to have trust in the new ideas put forward by employees. Pixar’s creative brain trust offers this safe environment were all employees’ ideas are valued. Catmull (2008) adds â€Å"we believe the creative vision propelling each movie comes from one or two people and not from either corporate executives or a development department. † Koontz and Weihrich (2007) agree that management should take risks for the long term survival of a business. 3. Changes and Improvements It is naive to assume that by giving employees great leeway they will become more creative. While creative leadership may work for Pixar, it may not be the case for other company’s. Although the Disney Pixar merger has proved to be a success short term (with the creation of Award Winning movies such as Ratatouille, WALL-E, and their latest film UP), they could face problems in the long term. The Disney Pixar merger could be seen as a future weakness for the company as Disney’s bureaucratic management culture is quite the opposite to that of Pixar. Previous studies show that there is a high failure rate for mergers. Millier (2008) found that 85% of merger failures are related to the mismanagement of cultural issues. Lundberg (2001) goes on to say that a high percentage of these are the result of failure to integrate management teams. In order to achieve success long term Pixar and Disney could adopt a Transformational Leadership style (see appendix C). According to Crossan and Vera (2004), â€Å"this type of leadership is necessary for creating the organizational environment and culture needed for growth, and for encouraging the development of creative thinking and problem solving. This will help managers of both companies to stay focused on the company’s tasks and goals and help to set up plans of action. Leadership will help them to stay focussed on the individual needs of employees, creating a shared vision and aiding the change process. Through transformational leadership Pixar will effectively break down resistance to change (Prussakov, 2010). 4. Conclusion Human Resource Management plays a big part in developing an organizations culture. Pixar’s HRM culture has helped them to foster an environment in which creativity and innovation prospers. Their creative leadership combined with the rare talent of employees and trusting relationships have become a cultural benchmark for other companies in the animation industry. However, studies have shown that what works for one company may not work for another. Companies need to find out what culture works best for them and which produces the greatest output for them in order to achieve success. References Baker, R. J. (2008) Mind over Matter: Why Intellectual Capital is the Chief Source of Wealth. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Barret, R. 1997) ‘Liberating the corporate soul’, HR Focus, 74(4), pp. 15-16. Bernard, C. (1938) The Functions of the Executive. Oxford University Press. Carlson, W. E. (2003) Pixar Animation Studios. Available at: http://design. osu. edu/carlson/history/tree/pixar. html (