Ap Government Chapter 15 Study Guide

1. Why was the bill of rights added to the constitution? a. The framers thought a bill of rights was not necessary because the constitution spelled out the extent of the feds power. Blah blah blah (now at the top of page 487) In 1791 the states ratified 10 amendments and the nation had a bill of rights. The BOR imposed limits on the national gov but not on state gov. b. So†¦ all in all I’m really not sure what the exact answer is. Sorry bro 2. Difference between civil liberties and civil rights c. Civil liberties (sometimes referred to as â€Å"negative rights†) are freedoms that are guaranteed to an individual.These are restraints on the gov. Civil liberties declare what the government cannot do. d. Civil rights (â€Å"positive rights†) are powers and privileges that are guaranteed to the individual and protected against arbitrary removal at the hands of the gov or individuals. Like the right to vote or free expression and stuff. 3. The First Amendment guar antees freedom of religion in two clauses: e. The establishment clause- this prohibits laws establishing religion. f. Free exercise clause- which prevents the government from interfering with the exercise of religion. g.Together, these ensure that the government can neither promote nor inhibit religious beliefs or practices. 4. Know where phrase â€Å"Wall of separation between church and state† appears and comes from h. In 1879, the Supreme Court contended, quoting Thomas Jefferson, that the establishment clause erected â€Å"a wall of separation between church and State. † 5. Lemon v. Kurtzman bottom of 490-491: in 1971, the court struck down a state program that would have helped pay the salaries of teachers hired by parochial (parochial means of or relating to a church or parish) schools to give instruction in secular subjects. . The justices proposed a 3 prong test for determining the constitutionality of gov. programs and laws under the establishment clause: i. T he must have a secular purpose ii. Their primary effect must not be to advance or inhibit religion iii. They must not entangle the government excessively with religion. j. The program in Lemon v Kurtzman did not satisfy the last prong of the test. The government would have had to constantly monitory the program which would have cause and excessive entanglement with religion. 6.Engel v Vitale (bottom on 493) in 1962 the court struck down the daily reading of a 22 word nondenominational prayer in New York’s public schools. Justices stated that official state approval of prayer was an unconstitutional attempt on the part of the state to establish a religion. This decision drew a storm of protest that has yet to subside. k. In class I wrote down that he told us we needed to know the difference between freedom of beliefs and freedom of practice but I really don’t see how that has anything to do with this court case.. like whateverrrr coach sybert. l.He also said to note the â€Å"Certain things you can’t do and hide behind religion. The one we talked about in class was the guy with the snakes† So I’m clueless yet again. 7. Strict scrutiny- A neutral law that burdens the free exercise of religion is subject to strict scrutiny. This means that the law may be upheld only if the government can demonstrate that: m. The law is justified by a â€Å"compelling governmental interest† n. The law is narrowly tailored to achieve a legitimate goal o. The law in question is the least restrictive means for achieving that interest p.That was on page 496 and you may need to read the paragraph to understand the definition in context 8. Scheneck v U. S. (pg 498)- Charles Scheneck and his fellow defendents were convicted for attempting to disrupt WWI military recruitment by distributing leaflets claiming that conscription (conscription is enlistment for state service, typically the military) was unconstitutional. The gov believed that this beh avior threatened public order. q. There’s supposed to be a famous quote we get out of this case but the quote is a whole big paragraph. Here is an excerpt from the quote: iv. The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such nature to create a clear and present danger that will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent† v. That’s known as the clear and present danger test. Duh. r. Because the actions of the defendants were deemed to create a clear and present danger to the US at that time, the Supreme court upheld their convictions. 9. Tinker v Des Moine Independent County School District (pg 500)- involved 3 public school students who wore a black armbands to protest the Vietnam War.Principles in their school district had prohibited the wearing of armbands on the ground that such conduct would provoke a disturbance; the district suspended the students but the Supreme Court overturned the suspensions. s. Justices declared for the majority that the principals had failed to show that the forbidden conduct would substansially interfere with appropriate school discipline. t. â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦fear or apprehension of disturbance is not enough to overcome the right to freedom of expression. † 10.Chaplinsky v New Hampshire (500)- In 1942 Walter Chaplinksy, a Jehovah’s Witness, convicted under a state statute for calling a city marshal a â€Å"God-damned racketeer† and â€Å"a damned fascist† in a public place, appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court upheld Chaplinksy’s conviction on the theory that fighting words do not convey ideas and thus are not subject to first amendment protection. u. Fighting words- words that inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace. v. To dumb it down- he was found guilty because the things he said were not protected by the first amendment. 1. Reno v ACLU (501)- the supreme court upheld the lower court’s ruling in June 1997 by unamimously deciding a broad affirmation of free speech rights in cyberspace, arguing that the Internet was more analogous (analogous means comparable) to print media than to television, and thus even indecent material on the internet was entitled to First Amendment protection. 12. New York Times v Sullivan (502)- First off you need to know that libel is the written defamation of character. A person who believes their name and character have been harmed can sue.In this case, the supreme court declared that freedom of the press takes precedence—at least when the defamed individual is a public official. w. The court agreed that the first amendment protects the publication of all statements about the conduct of public officials, except statements made with actual malice. x. Actual malice- with knowledge that they are false or in reckless disregard for their truth or falsity. y. 3 years later, the court extended this pr otection to apply to all public figures, not just government officials. 13. New York Times v United States pg 504- z.Prior restraint case dealing with the pentagon papers {. Supreme court doesn’t believe in prior restraint although you can be punished after the fact. And in order for the supreme court to prevent publication they have to have a really good reason- have to prove immediate, inevitable, and irreparable harm following the publication of the documents. |. First amendment offers protection against government censorship 14. Case in Louisville, Kentucky- a reporter who had researched and written an article about drug related activities was called on by a grand jury to identify people he had seen in possession of the drugs.The reporter refused to testify, saying that freedom of the press shielded him from this inquiry. }. In a closely divided decision, the supreme court rejected his position stating that no exception is permissible to the rule that all citizens have a duty to give their government whatever testimony they are capable of giving. ~. He had to give up the information and some of his freedom to maintain order 15. Bong hits for Jesus. Pg 505- supreme court upheld the suspension of the boy who held up the sign at an outside school event. School officials may prohibit speech if it could be interpreted as promoting an illegal drug use. 6. The 2nd amendment states â€Å"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. . If you are a gun control advocate- you focus on the first part and your argument is that everyday citizens are not part of a militia. . If you are NOT a gun control advocate- you focus on the second part that your right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. 17. D. C. vs Heller- (federal level)- was a challenge to the strictest gun control statute in the country. It barred private possession of handguns and required tri gger locks and stuff.The court ruled in a 5-4 decision that it is a constitutional right to keep a loaded handgun at home for self defense. 18. McDonald v Chicago– (state level)- this case had the same ruling as the first one except this one was on a state level. 19. Bill of attainder- a law that pronounces an individual guilty of a crime without a trial. 20. Most freedoms protected in the BOR today function as limitations on the states. The changes have been achieved through the supreme court’s interpretation of the due process clause of the 14th amendment: .Due process clause-â€Å"nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without the due process of law. † This clause has 2 central meanings: vi. It requires the government to adhere to appropriate procedures. vii. It forbids unreasonable government action. . Under this clause you have a trial by jury available to you, if you can’t afford a lawyer they’ll provide you wit h one, etc. Not all states have the same number of jurors. Supreme court says minimum of 6. 21. Gideon vs Wainwright- pg 511 case made due process applicable to the states. The state must provide you with a lawyer if you cannot afford one. 2. Miranda Warnings-protects against self incrimination. comes from Miranda v Arizona 23. Exclusionary rule- Something discovered as the result of an illegal search cannot be used in trial. Mapp vs us on 512 24. The exception is the good faith clause- U. S. vs Leon. Pg 513? 25. Griswald v Conneticut- 517 personal autonomy. Could the state outlaw birth control. Zone of privacy that exists because of the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th amendment. . Birth control is a personal choice. 26. Rowe vs. Wade- extension of Gridwald. You should have choice on child bearing. Blah blah blah. Struck down abortion laws.Due process clause 2 FREE RESPONSE. ANSWER BOTH 1. First amendment and the freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is not absolute. Explain (or give 2 exampl es of) 2 limits on speech and the related cases a. Fighting words- Chaplinsky b. Idk 2. Similar concept. Rules against illegal search and seizure and self incrimination protect your right to a due process. c. One rule regarding illegal search and seizure, and the case. Explain how that protects your due process d. One rule regarding self incrimination and the related case and explain how that protects your right to due process of law.

The Different Forms and Styles of Essay Writing

eEssay An  essay  is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal  point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including:  literary criticism, political  manifestos, learned  arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition of an essay is vague, overlapping with those of an  article  and a  short story. Almost all modern essays are written in  prose, but works in  verse  have been dubbed essays (e. g. Alexander Pope's  An Essay on Criticism  and  An Essay on Man).While brevity usually defines an essay, voluminous works like  John Locke's  An Essay Concerning Human Understanding  and  Thomas Malthus's  An Essay on the Principle of Population  are counterexamples. ————————————————- Forms and styles This section describes the different forms and st yles of essay writing. These forms and styles are used by a range of authors, including university students and professional essayists. Cause and effect The defining features of a â€Å"cause and effect† essay are causal chains that connect from a cause to an effect, careful language, and chronological or emphatic order.A writer using this rhetorical method must consider the subject, determine the purpose, consider the audience, think critically about different causes or consequences, consider a thesis statement, arrange the parts, consider the language, and decide on a conclusion. Classification and division Classification is the categorization of objects into a larger whole while division is the breaking of a larger whole into smaller parts Compare and contrast Compare and contrast essays are characterized by a basis for comparison, points of comparison, and analogies.It is grouped by object (chunking) or by point (sequential). Comparison highlights the similarities between two or more similar objects while contrasting highlights the differences between two or more objects. When writing a compare/contrast essay, writers need to determine their purpose, consider their audience, consider the basis and points of comparison, consider their thesis statement, arrange and develop the comparison, and reach a conclusion. Compare and contrast is arranged emphatically. DescriptiveDescriptive  writing is characterized by  sensory  details, which appeal to the physical senses, and details that appeal to a reader's emotional, physical, or intellectual sensibilities. Determining the purpose, considering the audience, creating a dominant impression, using descriptive language, and organizing the description are the rhetorical choices to be considered when using a description. A description is usually arranged spatially but can also be  chronological  or emphatic. The focus of a description is the scene.Description uses tools such as  denotative  languag e,  connotative  language,  figurative language,  metaphor, and  simile  to arrive at a dominant impression. [9]  One university essay guide states that â€Å"descriptive writing says what happened or what another author has discussed; it provides an account of the topic†. Lyric essays  are an important form of descriptive essays. Dialectic In the  dialectic  form of essay, which is commonly used in  Philosophy, the writer makes a thesis and argument, then objects to their own argument (with a counterargument), but then counters the counterargument with a final and novel argument.This form benefits from being more open-minded while countering a possible flaw that some may present. Exemplification An exemplification essay is characterized by a generalization and relevant, representative, and believable examples including  anecdotes. Writers need to consider their subject, determine their purpose, consider their audience, decide on specific examples, and arrange all the parts together when writing an exemplification essay. [ Familiar A familiar essay is one in which the essayist speaks as if to a single reader.He speaks about both himself and a particular subject. Anne Fadimannotes that â€Å"the genre's heyday was the early nineteenth century,† and that its greatest exponent was  Charles Lamb. [13]  She also suggests that while critical essays have more brain than heart, and personal essays have more heart than brain, familiar essays have equal measures of both History (thesis) A history essay, sometimes referred to as a thesis essay, will describe an argument or claim about one or more historical events and will support that claim with evidence, arguments and references.The text makes it clear to the reader why the argument or claim is as such. [15] Narrative A  narrative  uses tools such as  flashbacks,  flash-forwards, and  transitions  that often build to a climax. The focus of a narrative is the  plot . When creating a narrative, authors must determine their purpose, consider their audience, establish their point of view, use dialogue, and organize the narrative. A narrative is usually arranged chronologically. Critical A  critical  essay is an  argumentative  piece of writing, aimed at presenting objective  analysis  of the subject matter, narrowed down to a single topic.The main idea of all the criticism is to provide an opinion either of positive or negative implication. As such, a critical essay requires research and analysis, strong internal logic and sharp structure. Each  argument  should be supported with sufficient evidence, relevant to the point. Other logical structures The logical progression and organizational structure of an essay can take many forms. Understanding how the movement of thought is managed through an essay has a profound impact on its overall cogency and ability to impress.A number of alternative logical structures for essays have been visualized as diagrams, making them easy to implement or adapt in the construction of an argument. I just don’t know how these people live their lives pointing out the imperfections of other people? To think that those good people have nothing against them, and still they make issues about them. Isn’t it very immature of you to talk about other people everyday? Don’t you like get tired of being mean? Yeah, some people have rough edges, but is it right to blurt them out to everybody?To like tell everybody that this guy or this girl have these weird allergy and stuff, do you feel good about yourselves spreading those to everybody? â€Å"But I’m just saying the truth†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ B*tch please,  being honest is different from being a rude. If you have nothing good to say about others, then shut it. They don’t live their lives for you. They don’t live to impress you, and to be perfect just to hear your applauses. Whores, better stop whor in’ about other people ‘cause mature people wouldn’t stoop down to your level. You’re just proving how uneducated you are in terms of morals.

A Virtual Battlefield

Cyber warfare is an oncoming threat that will result in devastation. Cyber weapons can seriously hurt a country, and cause chaos that will match Pearl Harbor. Picture this- the click of a mouse could disable air traffic control screens, explode fuel refineries, steal valuable information, derail trains, and fry power grids. All capabilities of a cyberattack. And the bad news is the United States is not as prepared as it should be (for this new kind of warfare), and it’s happening right now. I can’t believe that the United States’ cybersecurity isn’t faring that well. We have known of the threat for a long time, yet defensive measures haven’t been taken. We seriously need to end this threat-our whole nation is at risk. Of course, CYBERCOM is a good start, but there really should be more members, which would result in a larger task force, and a stronger cyber defense. Not all cyberweapons are on a nation crippling scale, however. There have been some attacks on Google and Western Energy Companies, and investigators believe China was the aggressor, and Google declared Cyber War on China. Don’t believe that Google, of all companies, got cyberattacked? Check out http://gpsanalysis.com/?p=41 But, of course, some nation-scale warfare has happened, to the United States, too! In April of 2009, cyber spies infiltrated the Pentagon’s Joint Strike Fighter Project, an approximate three-billion dollar project, and were able to escape with huge amounts of data that was related to the aircraft’s design. Again, officials point to China. Ok†¦maybe Google, but the Pentagon got cyberattacked? Check again! http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-amp-space/article/2009-04/hackers-breach-joint-strike-fighter-program Although China seems to be the most active offensive cyber attacker, America isn’t just a passive victim. In 2010 Israel and the United States hatched the Stuxnet virus, which targeted Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities and basically destroyed thousands of centrifuges that were used to purify Uranium. Another cyberweapon hatched by the United States was the Flame virus. This virus seeped through the computers of Iran’s high-ranking officials, and collect information. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/c/computer_malware/stuxnet/index.html Iran has been receiving some heat from the United States and Israel ever since they began their nuclear weapons program. Yet Iran has been on the offensive side too. A cyberattack shut down RasGas, a producer of liquid natural gas in Qatar, and destroyed valuable computer data at Saudi Aramco- the world’s most valuable company. US intelligence confirmed that the aggressor was Iran. Many more cyberattacks have happened around the world though. I’m not going to sit here typing every single cyberattack. Hopefully you get my main point- Cyber warfare is happening RIGHT NOW. Although cyber warfare can really only frustrate and confuse temporarily, a nation can not win a war if the other side has it. That is why not only offensive measures, but defensive measures, are important. Blocking a cyberweapon from destroying data could cost you the outcome of a war, and bring victory to your side. But cyber defense is hard. Now, the enemy is in virtual space and an attack could come from anywhere. How could we possible set a good defense for that? The United States is scrambling to get good new Cyber Warfare tasks. U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) is America’s Cyber offensive and Cyber defensive military command. CYBERCOM has many tasks that can detect and patch security holes as well as creating new network systems for the military’s computer systems. CYBERCOM engages in offensive warfare and work on cyber weapons that can be combined with Special Operations Missions, or airstrikes. This is the first step to the protection of our great nation, and will prevail over our enemies when it gets the support it needs. New warfare means new tactics. I think that education is really the best way to go with this oncoming threat. Educate the citizens through websites and other essays like this one, and they will respond. Some will understand computer code, some won’t. But that can change through education. Another advantage is that physical strength is no longer a requirement- and we can face this cyber security threat head-on, to protect our nation and its citizens. Again, cyber warfare is happening right now, and is a serious threat. We need to prepare for this new weapon, and prevent our nation from another Pearl Harbor.

Education In California Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Education In California - Essay Example The local districts generate their revenue from local property tax while the state receives funds from the general fund. The money generated through local property tax which constitutes a larger percentage of public education funds depends upon two factors which include the tax rate of the school districts and the accessed value of the taxable property in the district (http://guidetogov.org/ca/state/overview/school.html). The average daily attendance (ADA) mechanism is used to distribute these public funds to public schools. The allocation of state funds to school districts is based on a revenue limit system. The district revenue limit is the level of funding per average daily attendance to which the district is entitled. Districts of similar sizes and type have approximately the same revenue limit throughout the state. In case a school district is not able to raise significant revenue from the property tax to meet revenue limit, the state comes in to top up the deficit. (Roy Walter 51).Constitutionally, each district is entitled to receive a basic aid of $ 120 per ADA or $2400: whichever is greater. The aid can also be used by the state to make up for the difference created in the school budget by the low amount of property tax. In addition to these unrestricted funds, school revenue funds which are unrestricted for special purposes. For example, funds used to carry out school improvement programs. These constitute one - quarter of a school district funding. The funding for any California school district is primarily decided by the state through revenue limits. (Douglas and Aubrey 72) Federal assistance to K - 12 schools is provided mostly in the form of the categorical grant of aid for special programs. The federal government reaches out to federal employees by providing general aid to those districts. A good percentage of the California State Lottery's total sales are allocated proportionately to all levels of public education decide on how to spend this money. The aid can be used for any instructional purpose apart from research or purchase of instructional facilities. The biggest problem faced is lack of adequate funds and lack of financial accountability in the school system. Most of the money is being misused by those in authority. It has been the weakness of the state government to monitor how money is being spent in public schools. This, therefore, calls for proper supervision of the way money is used in public schools. This is also the responsibility of state government who should monitor the school district fiscal performance. The government policies cal l for lengthy and complex procedures to be undertaken by district schools in carrying out and financing school projects, this can be eliminated by giving district schools the mandate and free hand in implementing their various educational projects and avoiding bureaucracy. For instance, the government proposal on funding public schools is restricting and limiting the flow of funds to public schools. The system put in place for collecting, analyzing and disseminating information for use by public schools is complicated hence hindering information flow. Public schools face a number of financial problems.

Alzheimer Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alzheimer - Article Example Currently there is no cure to the condition implying that its prevention is the only surest way of eliminating any danger associated with AD. The disease remained unidentified for so long despite its existence in early societies. It required comprehensive human psychology and consistent psychological evaluation to determine the behavior pattern of individuals. Even after its discovery in 11906, inadequate research on the topic has impaired the studies that would help determine effective cure. As a form of dementia, one would expect some of the dementia treatment procedures to help mitigate its spread (Mace and Peter 21). However, the condition that by 2006 had more than twenty six million infections exhibits different traits and effects on its victims thus complicating its diagnosis. The diagnosis of AD is an investigation of the patient’s genetic history a complicated process that entails the assessment of the patient’s relatives. The process investigates the presence of the presence of distinguishing neurological and neuropsychological features and the absence of alternate conditions. The process is theref ore hectic and complicated involving unconventional medical imaging using computed tomography (Soukup 11). The absence of such expensive equipment thus contributes to the spread of the condition that continues unmonitored in most regions throughout the world especially in the underdeveloped economies. Additionally, the condition requires extensive studies and research on the patients involving a detailed investigation of patient histories a feature that often weaken the effectiveness of the diagnosis, as some relations may not avail themselves for the investigations (Callone 11). Presently, AD has no treatment a feature that compels the use of certain methods of treating such similar conditions as stress and depression mitigating the effects of the condition. Just as explained earlier, prevention thus becomes the

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Business law - Essay Example The company has grossly violated the contractual terms of the agreement they signed with Mark (Walsh, 2006, pg. 544). The grounds for Mark’s dismissal are that he refused to accept orders from his boss. It is noteworthy that the two have a long history of misunderstanding and criticism of each other’s leadership and professionalism. Whereas Mark accuses his boss for poor leadership and undue targeting with more work, Rebecca thinks that Mark is unprofessional in his attitude towards work (Walsh, 2006, pg. 544). Much as the company felt that they should dismiss Mark, they needed to follow due procedure provided for in the law and anchored in their contractual agreement. The claim that Mark shall use to win the case are many. First, Mark will need to prove that for the 12 years he worked for the company, he has never had a disciplinary issue and the misunderstanding between him and his boss are just based on dissenting opinion on how they perceive situations (Walsh, 2006, pg. 544). This is a valid reasoning because at every workplace, employees must not satisfy the perception of their bosses. Furthermore, the differences between Mark and his boss can better be resolved through conflict resolution mechanisms within the company, which were not even activated before his dismissal (Walsh, 2006, pg. 544). ... Therefore, when the company desires that Mark should work overtime, they should discuss and agreed how compensation for overtime work shall be done (Walsh 2006, pg. 212). The approach Rebecca gave Mark that he should remain behind and work overtime should have been done in a better way. There was supposed to be an agreement signed to dictate how any work that Mark does overtime shall be compensated. Furthermore, there is nowhere in the contract where Mark was to work overtime (Walsh, 2006, pg. 108). Whereas it was better for Mark to show respect for his boss, this was not going to be possible through forcing him to work overtime disregarding plans that he might have had for the evening. Thirdly, Mark shall argue against the procedure the company followed to dismiss him. Mark will show that the company violated his employment and contractual rights. The company is entitled to give Mark 12 weeks’ notice before they dismiss him according to their contractual agreement. Therefore, the company violated this agreement thus leading to wrongful dismissal (Korn and Sethi, 2011, pg. 8). While arguing this case, the mark shall need to prove that the wrongful dismissal has caused him several challenges. The dismissal has caused him to lose his source of income immediately putting him into dire financial problems. Furthermore, he has the rights to seek legal redress on this matter. Mark will need to prove that through the legal process he should be allowed to access the remedies he has. The remedies he has for a wrongful dismissal include reinstatement and compensation (Korn and Sethi, 2011, pg. 8). Therefore, this is a strong case against the company because disciplinary procedures do not form part of Mark’s contractual agreement with the company.

Information Systems Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Information Systems Plan - Essay Example The Information management system of Fitness center automates the above functionalities and allows the users to choose their daily schedules and exercises, with pre-calculated measures and to - do lists. The Sophisticated system offers alerts on regular tests and cholesterol levels giving clarity on health progress. The users can also enter complete laboratory test results, inoculations and medications, which can be kept as their personal digital health record. The combination of weight readings, meals, exercise, supplement or medication, test results, personal notes and detailed one-step charts and graphs for grams of nutrients, calories consumed and burned, exercises, any measurement or test, medications or supplements taken and more. The IS can also be configured with more user-friendly features like alerts on upcoming tests, doctor appointments, tutor schedulers, due dates for payments and balances in accounts. Such type of IS offers integrated member information on a common plat form through a real time integration of data resources. The potential areas for ... Purpose: The purpose of the Fitness Center Management module is to address the needs of health and fitness management institutes in tracking their visitors, fitness center members' information, payment, and equipment inventory and maintenance. Systems development Systems development is the activity of creating new systems or modifying existing ones. It refers to all aspects of the process from identifying problems to be solved or opportunities to be exploited to the implementation and refinement of the chosen solution. The information system to be established in an organization is considered as Project Management in development terms. The system development project is responsible for determining the objectives of the information system and delivering a system that meets these objectives. Many system development teams use a project manager to head the systems development effort and the project management approach to help coordinate the systems development process. A project is a planned collection of activities that achieves a goal, such as promoting the activities of fitness plant or developing a new decision support system. Besides completing the project on time and within the specified budget, the project manager is usually responsible for controlling a project's quality, training personnel, easing communications, managing risks, and acquiring any necessary equipment, including office supplies and sophisticated computer systems. The roles involved in IS of a Fitness center: Setting priorities and selecting projects typically requires the involvement and approval of senior management. When objectives are set, planners consider the resources necessary to complete the projects, including employees (systems analysts, programmers, and

Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Presentation - Essay Example This, as a result, set path for new ideas about seeking to learn a more universally acceptable language, and my passion for learning English was born. It is widely known that English is the most spoken language in the world today, with a large number of countries worldwide using it as their official language. It is also one of the most used media of communication especially in books, music and films to date. These are some of the notable reasons that made it very easy for me to settle with English as my choice of language that I had to learn. The journey to learn English, just like any other new thing, was not easy. For one, this was a time-consuming and equally challenging task especially considering the vast differences in the structure and elements between my native Arabic language and those in English. The virtual lack of a clear correlation between the two meant that I had to place more effort so that I could excel in understanding the new language. I am glad that today I can stand and address people in English, which could only sound like a fantasy to me sometimes back. Today, I want particularly to revisit one of the most interesting and indeed important part of my English learning journey; my first English presentation in school. As a brief description of my background, I joined an English language learning school in the USA where I believed would provide the best environment for learning the language. It is said that if one is to learn a language quickly, then surrounding yourself with the language is the single most efficient method of learning i.e. spending time with people speaking the language, listening to music and watching movies written in the language among others. USA perfectly provided all of these characteristics. The course outline in the language class consisted of presentations sessions where students were put to task in an attempt to

Make a Wish Foundation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Make a Wish Foundation - Research Paper Example The organization tries to fulfill the wishes of sick children aged between 2 and 18. It is a recognized global name. The organization always tries to make a child’s family and friend happy through several initiatives. Vision, Mission and Purpose of the Organization The mission of the organization is to grant the wishes of children who are suffering from several life threatening diseases to enrich the human experience with joy, hope and strength. The organization follows some steps in their operations. According o the vision statement, Make a Wish Foundation is dedicated to making the wish come true of every eligible child (McLaughlin 22). The organizational values of Make a Wish Foundation strictly adhere to excellence, child focus, community, integrity and inspiration. Purpose of the organization is to fulfill the wishes of every affected child and make their family happy. Key Concepts Make a Wish Foundation highly depends upon its volunteers and governing board of directors. First of all the organization motivates each and every volunteers of the organizations. The organization demands hard working and skilled volunteers in order to accomplish their each and every task. Make a Wish Foundation always gives value to its volunteers. ... The organization gives various key responsibilities to its volunteers in order to successfully accomplish a common task or a program (Kay 78). Make a Wish Foundation has developed several guidelines for the volunteers to justify their organizational mission and value. According to the organizational policy and guideline, the volunteers have to maintain strict confidentiality policy. Before becoming the part of a team, each and every volunteer needs to sign the agreement contract. According to this agreement, a particular wish of children should not be disclosed in any kind of circumstances. It is the responsibility of the entire organization to protect the privacy of the children. In addition to these, every volunteer should effectively learn au the mission statement of the organization Make a Wish Foundation is a non-religious organization. Therefore, the organization developed a guideline that the personal beliefs and motives should not be discussed during the time of wish business . The organization strictly opposes the concept of franchising projects. It can be accepted through the prior approval from a staff member of Make a Wish Foundation. The organization follows particular branding guidelines. Therefore, the organization strictly refuses the reproduction of Make a Wish Foundation logo. In addition to this, the firm does not allow any other individual without the prior permission of entire foundation. Governing board of directors are another key members of this foundation. Their honest and valuable efforts towards good cause helped the organization to make several families happy. The governing body of directors always motivates the volunteers of the organization to work hard in order to accomplish the tasks within

Critically evaluate the extent to which intangible resources can be Essay

Critically evaluate the extent to which intangible resources can be used to legitimise management authority in organisations - Essay Example Thus, they are the assets, which the company must recognize as its significant components, which are rather better determinants of the company’s performance than the actual money it generates (Cameron, pp. 88-92, 2004). Most authors and intellectuals, today, focus on the need of knowledge workers in the modern industry to keep the ship sailing. They are of the opinion than in this uncertain world, where downsizing and losses in one company, may also affect the situation in another company, located way far from the host (TSG, p.1, 2009). On the other hand, increase in demand of a product or a service in one country, may also lead to increase in demand of the same product in some other culturally distinct country. Economic insecurity may often liquidate tangible resources with no prior notice and the global dilemma of interrelated companies, put greater expectations on the managers to control and organize the information from around the world on their fingertips. In these difficult times, human resource, as the intangible resource of the company, is the most effective tool to cope up with changing situations (Andriessen, p.1 2004). Today’s era is information era and all the stake of the companies requires handling and managing information critically. This information may include knowledge about the product or service cost, employees’ needs and concerns, competitors in the market, company’s capital at hand etc. Managing company information carefully means that internal members of the organization take good care of the power entrusted upon them and channelized the information attained properly down the hierarchy. According to management research, much of the company’s progress depends on the top managements efforts to align the company’s resources. With regard to intangible resources, strategic competitiveness is much dependent on the way lower staff, age, workload, education standard, job performance, and empowerment

Male Serial Killer Essay Example for Free

Male Serial Killer Essay Serial killing definition has posed some difficult fundamental complications because it encompasses varied forms and it results from many different mental states. Serial murder is defined as the â€Å"unlawful† repetitive killing of many victims over a long period of time by an individual or, (rarely) by a group of individuals. The relationship between the offender and the victim is that of slight acquaintance or of a stranger typology. It also involves the motivation and motive to kill but apparent motives usually are shrouded and not really lacking as has been misconceived in some instances. It is very rare to find these kinds of killers doing it for money. It is mainly for sexual satisfaction, dominance to achieve their ‘world’, and for pure thrill (Koscis, 2007, p. 16). There has been much research is aimed at asserting the most concise psychological profile of serial murderers. Many theories have been brought about but from the varied declarations of different serial murderers, much effort is needed to come up with a consensus as to what is the driving force behind serial murder. Early murderers like Gilles Blithely for example, declared that he tortured his victims entirely for his personal pleasure, physical delight, and that he didn’t do it for any other end or intention. On his part, he was quite bold in getting his victims in the sense that he would even send his servants to haul his victims to his castle as though it was his right to harvest the peasant population as he wished. Gilles was a renowned military hero and a monstrous aristocrat. He gave a precociously modern excuse to his behavior- he directed the blame on his parents, who though they didn’t abuse him physically, their amoral attitudes made him a hapless victim to the crime (Odell, 2006, p. 22). Apsche has postulated a more specific serial killer profile white states that most serial killers are white males who are usually in their twenties or thirties. They often target strangers around their homes and/or their places of work. According to Eric Hickey, the criminologist who has collected an extensive serial murder demography database, states that males comprise 88% of the serial murderers, Caucasians 85% and that the average age of the first victim claim is approximately 28. 5 years. 62% of the killers exclusively target strangers while another 22% will kill at least one stranger. Furthermore, Apsche indicates that 71% of all the killers will carry out their operations within a specific area/location and will not frequently travel widely to find their victims (Godwin, Rosen, 2005, p. 13). The F. B. I has also come up with a definition of serial killers. The opinion given is that one needs to have committed at least three different murders spaced by a period of time that can be some few days or even several years. This murder spacing duration is what has been referred to as the ‘cooling off’ period. However, the fact that every serial killer applies a trade mark method of killing the victim should also be put into consideration for an individual to qualify as a serial killer. Wayne Gacy for example would always gaggle his victims using their own underpants to make sure they died of their own vomit. The past of every serial killer is very important in order to discover what makes them function as they do. Substantial evidence from varied and many cases prove that almost all serial killers had dysfunctional backgrounds in one way or another. This could have involved: alcoholism and drugs along with their related problems, physical or sexual abuse among others. There are other more universal traits even though they are usually varied in magnitude. Some of these are bipolar mode disorders, disorganized, or disoriented thinking, personal failure feelings resented to the society and social structures, poor socialization, sexual frustrations, and over possessive parents. Others may also be as a result of wild imaginations which that sometimes drag the serial killer to a fantasy mental world. The major and most frequent among the childhood behavioral development characteristics are isolation, very compulsive masturbation, and day dreaming (Godwin, 2008, p. 35). General fantasy is usually brought about by a day dreaming imagination which is over productive. This makes the serial killer attempt to live in this world as a protection from the real world isolation that he has encountered. If children are left alone for long periods with little or no attention at all being given to them, they tend to convert their minds into objects that will serve as the only company. The day dreaming factor then comes in handy especially when they develop inadequacy feelings due to the isolation they have experienced. Additionally, the feelings are often masked a myriad of apparent successes although they are more deep seated than the artificial expressions of neurotic goodness. These early childhood life attachments are referred to as â€Å"bonding†. They are the ones which are attributed to how the affected individual will react to others in later life. Proper interaction with others in society therefore is not learned by the child who sees others as mirror images that reflect their isolators (Godwin, 2008, p. 39). There is much recent research which has been done concerning the antisocial personality disorder’s (ASPD) etiology and which has primarily been focused on environmental risk factors identification. Many other recent studies have considered biological and genetic influences as they interact with the environment. It has however, been proved a little bit difficult to distinguish between the factors as either environmental or biological mainly because it is not possible to eliminate their interaction. Nevertheless, there have been admirable advances in these studies particularly in the identification of the environmental and biological ASPD indicators. Moreover, there is much limitation in distinguishing between psychopathy from ASPD and research will usually find consistent and similar risk factors that are common in both psychopathy and ASPD. On the same note, examination of the personality, behavioral and historical characteristics’ heterogeneity has greatly failed as they have been represented by serial killer populations. Identification of risk factors that could lead to violent and antisocial behavior is necessary and of paramount importance as it help in predicting individuals who are highly susceptible to committing these violent and antisocial crimes. This is particularly important in that it would aid the creation of effective treatment and intervention programs for these persons, even though violent offenders’ treatment programs often do not yield the desired results. In profiling the serial killers, mothers continually get a lion’s share of the blame as concerns the causes of serial killing. In studying early childhood behaviors of serial killers, it is found that they had usually been described as â€Å"a little off child† by their parents or were abandoned, or worse still were compelled to loneliness due to a myriad of reasons. As children, fledgling serial killers had common characteristics such as; they would often wet their beds, set fires, and torture animals. These are red flag characteristics or behaviors which are referred to as the triad of symptoms. Additionally, there are other historical factors of serial killers which include; trauma, head injury, abuse, antisocial behavior, insecure attachments, low or minimal arousal degrees, and abandonment or loss of a caretaker or a parent (Kamir, 2001, p. 51). Prime examples of these serial killers are Ed Gein, Gary Ridgeway, and john Wayne Gacy all of whom had been verbally and physically abused by parents. They also had endured forms of trauma and head injuries. In his early childhood, Ted Bundy thought that his mother was his older sister as he grew up and that his parents were his real parents. Jeffrey Dahma’s mother was mentally ill and ingested a lot of drugs while carrying Jeffrey’s pregnancy. Many other differentiated cases are recorded. In many serial killers’ history, the most disturbing, and common factor is their unnatural and unusual relationships they had with their mothers. These often include sadistic and sexual elements which could be inappropriate or exposure as children to their mothers’ sexuality and sexual activities. Others were significantly dressed as girls or were subjected by their mothers to sadistic sexual behaviors. These factors later made them develop some maternal uncanny characteristics such that some killed women and regarded them as â€Å"sluts and wholes†, from the impact of their mothers relationships. It is also very crucial to study the victimology or the overall victim’s history in making psychological profiles of serial killers. This is from the perspective that when the reasons for a person becoming the victim of serial killing are identified, then it follows that the motive behind the killing will be unearthed. The victim’s risk, personality, history, and physical characteristics all form a fundamental basis for homicide investigations as well as crime scene evaluation. Cumulative research has shown that victims will mostly consist of vulnerable persons such as adolescents, children, females, the elderly, runaways, and prostitutes. Victimology can thus assist in linking separate violent crimes that were committed by a single offender and therefore become one among the most important solving and classification tools of violent crimes (Kamir, 2001, p. 58). Victimology has particularly served a valuable tool in an attempt to identify and capture serial killers because the victim is usually a stranger to the crime perpetrator. For example, Gary’s victims were mostly prostitutes, and John Wayne Gacy’s victims were mainly adolescent boys whom he lured to his home with the promise that he would pay them. Ted Bundy on his part would fake injury to attract college-aged, kind-hearted women to his car, and almost all of them had long hair. Jeffrey Dahmer would promise to pay his victims if they allowed him to photograph them. It is however, difficult to apply victimology, both in identifying the serial killer or the next possible victim, particularly when victim characteristics considerably vary. This is the reason why investigators will rely on other crime aspects at the scene of crime in their attempt to profile and apprehend the serial killers. Modus Operandi (MO) refers to the actions that the offender undertook while perpetrating the crime. It must be a learned behavior which is developed over time from use and past success. This will continually evolve as it keeps on being modified depending on previous experiences with victims. For example, Wayne and Dahmer were previously arrested after being convicted for teenage boys’ assault and served sometime in prison. From then onwards, they made sure that they always killed their victims to eliminate any possible witnesses in future. Another example of how modus operandi evolves for serial killers was during the time serial killer Dennis Rader encountered victim Kathryn and her brother Kevin after waiting for her in her house without expecting her to have company. He hadn’t carried his â€Å"tool kit† with him and this cost him some embarrassment which he swore to have let happen again. He promised himself he would never again leave it behind as he went on his ‘hunting’ sprees (Odell, 2006, p. 26). Another aspect that is used in profiling serial killers is the signature factor which is also called the calling card. This is the unique, ritual, or personal expression that is demonstrated by the offender during crime commission. This is always based on the fantasies of the offender and an offender’s personality will always be left behind every time a signature is left. It is different from modus operandi since it represents a conduct that is far much beyond the necessary criminal commission behaviors. By leaving a signature, the serial killer aspires to gain satisfaction from the crime he has committed as driven by his fantasies. Another difference between modus operandi and the signature or the calling card is that the signature is a constant aspect but the MO may keep on evolving. It is possible, however, that a signature aspect may increase in intensity. Gary numerously revisited his victims’ bodies after dumping them to increasingly reengage in necrophilia sexual activities with them and hence reliving his crimes. Dennis Rader on his part would perennially taunt the police by writing them sexually explicit letters that described his crimes as well as where the bodies of his most recent victims could be found. These letters were all signed BTK as an authenticating certificate of his crimes. Along with the signature aspect, MO, and victimology, the organized/disorganized serial killers’ classification is an extremely important tool in serial killers profiling. The hypothesis is that organized serial killers will commit the crime after they have been subjected to stressful and precipitating events. They are also expected to be persons of average intelligence and who are usually socially competent. In most instances, these serial killers plan their offenses and apply restraints on their victims. Furthermore, they take from their victims some souvenirs or trophies which are mainly little extrinsic value items which they use to for later fantasy stimulation. They precisely go to the crime scene with a weapon which is intended to be used in committing the crime and which they carry with them after crime commission (Koscis, 2007, p. 40). Disorganized serial killers on the other hand are those who are hypothesized as opportunistic killers. They minimally restrain their victims and they may leave such things as semen, blood, murder weapon, blood and other items on the scene of crime. They will also openly display their victim’s bodies and their intelligence is always below average. They are also thought as socially incompetent persons. There is also a third category which is called mixed offender typology and which consists of both the disorganized and organized characteristics. This happens during situations where more than one offender is involved or when there is involvement of alcoholism and drugs. A crime may also be referred as mixed if the offender inexperienced or very young as well as if the crime had been planned but in the process of committing it some unexpected occurrences interfered (Godwin, Rosen, 2005, p. 20). Serial profiling however, encounters many similarities as well as differences and it therefore calls for concerted efforts to be able to pin the offender. This is more so because most of the evidence provided usually relies on the serial killers confessions which may disoriented or far fetched than is the real truth. Furthermore, it is paramount to address the issue of the exact relationship between psychopathy and serial murderers for more scientific conclusions to be deducted. Reference Godwin Grove (2008) Hunting Serial Predators: A Multivariate Classification Approach to Profiling Violent Behavior. London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, pp. 35, 39 Godwin Grover Rosen Fred (2005) Tracker: Hunting Down Serial Killers. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press, pp. 13, 20 Kamir Orit (2001) Every Breath You Take: Stalking Narratives and the Law. Michigan: University of Michigan Press, pp. 51, 58 Koscis Richard (2007). Serial Murder and the Psychology of Violent Crimes: An International Perspective. New York: Humana Press, pp. 16, 40 Odell Robin (2006) Ripperology: A Study of the World’s First Serial Killer and a Literary Phenomenon. New York: Kent State University, pp. 22, 26

Action Research in the Classroom Essay Example for Free

Action Research in the Classroom Essay The classroom is a very interesting place to start. As a teacher, there are a lot of privileges for me since the students look up to me as an authority figure. Admittedly, there are times that dealing with students can become very stressful, especially in moments that students are very difficult to direct and control. When kids become naughty and the teacher does not have the sensitivity and the patience to deal with them, it might simply become a nightmare. Even if the teacher has a natural penchant for loving and teaching kids, it can still be a bit of challenge to teach them. Â  The teacher has a very important role in the intellectual and social development of the kids in the school. If they do not appreciate education, it is the duty of the teacher to inculcate in them the importance of education for themselves and for their future. This cannot be done, however, by shoving these ideas down their throats. Rather, what is needed is a careful observation of their ways, the things they enjoy as well as the different modes of learning that they have, the activities they enjoy inside and outside the school. By undertaking an action research and carefully observing the students, the teacher will be able to understand the students more and use this understanding in making the classroom more effective in terms of educating the students and preparing them for the future ahead of them. Some of the areas of observation would be the study habits of the students, their social standing in the community and how this impacts their studies, the social activities they enjoy inside and outside the school, the role of their parents, their learning styles, and the different media that they are exposed to. The observations presented in this action research may be a bit crude, yet they may be expanded upon as time passes by and a better understanding of the students will be arrived at. Study Habits Action research demands keen observation skills regarding the different areas identified by the researcher (Avison, Lau, Myers Nielsen, 1999). In observing the study habits of the students, what I have looked for is the way that they regard the library, the media that they enjoy well and the different kinds of media that they are exposed to. In going through these observations, I looked at the rate of submission of homework by the students; I also went to the library and conducted random observations if my students were there. In terms of preparation of homework, a number of students were not very keen in completing their homework. A handful of them heeded my requests for them to study and complete some homework. Both honor students and some silent kids showed aptitude in completing homework. Those who did not complete homework tended to be those who are very playful and did not show great concern for their studies. My trips to the library were not very fruitful. The number of students who frequently visit the library does not even exceed the number of my fingers in one hand. Only when I gave an assignment that expressly required them to go to the library did they go there and looked for the information I requested them to look up. Perhaps this may be explained by the proliferation and the widespread use of the Internet among my students. Most information can be found in the Internet, so they may choose not to go to the physical library anymore and simply type some words and click on some links. The challenge is therefore to make students realize the value of the library. Economic and Social Standing My students are predominantly white although there are Asians, Hispanics and Blacks interspersed. Most of them were either in lower middle class and those who are found in the middle of the middle class segment of the society. As such, most of the kids did not enjoy great amenities and economic riches. Those who belong to the upper middle class tend to have parents who exert greater influence on other teachers and on the school in general. Because of their social standings, more than half of my students had to keep part-time jobs to pay for their bills and meet some of their needs. This also poses another challenge for the teacher. Even if they did not absent themselves from school frequently, because of their work, there were times that their study habits were affected. Instead of spending their time in reading their lessons, they have to work and earn money. This may also explain why a lot of them were not able to do their homework. Once when I was in the mall, I encountered a student of mine working there and had a conversation with her. After that, I decided to also look at the work of my students and look at the nature of their work and how the nature of their jobs affects their studies. Truly, economic situations affect the well-being of the students. But since they have no choice, then the teacher would have to do his best to take into account these realities in the way that they are being taught. Activities Outside the School Students who belong to higher economic status tend to enjoy more time outside the school. They hang out at some cafes or snack bars where they can chat about school. I also asked several of them regarding the activities that they do and these kids also tend to sleepover at each other’s homes. Students who belong to lower income families, however, tend to limit their outside school activities so that they can earn some money for personal and for family use. They still hang out with some of their friends; however, this is less frequent than the students from higher income families. Another activity that occupies the leisure time of students is their use of game consoles such as Playstation and Xbox. Through these bonding moments, they develop their relationships with their friends. This is also their way of relaxation. Connecting to the Internet and connecting socially to friends. Video games is also a past time that some students told me they do during their leisure time. The Role of Parents I was not able to observe directly the role of the parents in the education of the students. From my conversations with students, however, those who belong to middle class and higher income families usually have their parents reminding them to study well and do their best. This in turn encourages the students to study better. In some cases, parents promise rewards for their children if they perform up to a certain level. Those from lower income families, however, do not have very encouraging parents. Rather, they are expected to help out in paying some of the bills in the house. This arrangement, however, does not seem to dampen the desire of some students to study well. There are those, however, who tend to get discouraged with this and focus more on their jobs than on their studies. Implications for the Teacher The teacher has a very important role in the development of the students; especially so, because he gets to stay with the kids longer than their parents. Observing students and trying to know them more deeply will help the teacher in dealing with the students. With the sheer number of students, however, it is difficult to observe each and every student. Nonetheless, the teacher is called upon to establish meaningful relationship with students because then, the process of teaching becomes more enjoyable. The teacher has to vary his teaching style depending on the students and their backgrounds. Their study habits has to be understood well so that the teacher will know how to approach them and present the lessons in such a way that the students will understand. Not only that, when their learning style corresponds with the teaching style of the teacher, then they will not only learn but they will also come to love the way that the teacher teaches. Conclusion Action research enables the teacher to become a part of the world of the students instead of simply a detached outside force in the classroom. When this is undertaken, it opens up important insights, which can help the teacher improve his teaching strategies and style. The teacher’s role in the life of the students is very important. As such, it should not be taken lightly. By becoming immersed in the life and the studies of the students, the teacher becomes a friend and a mentor to his students. Reference Avison, D., Lau, F., Myers, M. Nielsen, P. A. (1999). Action Research. Communication of the

Do Mergers and Acquisitions Fulfil Desired Objective?

Do Mergers and Acquisitions Fulfil Desired Objective? Do Mergers And Acquisitions Fulfil Their Desired Objective? And How People Are Affected By the Result of These Mergers? Dissertation Table of Contents CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND Restructuring of a firm has become a major area in the financial and economic environment all over the world. A company may grow internally, or externally. The aim of the management is to maximize the profit. Most firms grow through internally which take place when firm’s existing divisions grow through normal capital budgeting activities.(S.Vanitha 2007) The industrial restructuring has raised important issues both for the business and for public moreover merger and acquisitions may be critical to the strong expansion of business firms as they evolve through successive stages of growth and development and most important for new product markets by a firm may require M and As at some stages in the firm’s development . The successful competition in international markets may depend on capabilities obtained in a timely and competent fashion through M As. (M Selvam 2007) Merger and acquisitions continues to experience dramatic growth. Record breaking mega mergers have become popular in the world. In the last ten years and onwards some of the largest mergers and acquisitions took place in Europe. This was underscore by the fact that the largest deal of all time was a hostile acquisition of a German company by a British firm.(Beena P.L 2000) Since the start of twenty first century the nature of merger and acquisition even more common in the economical growth. It becomes even more global especially in Asia, Latin and South America. Over the past quarter of the century we have noticed that merger waves have become longer and more frequent in between shrunken as well when these trends combined with the fact that MA has rapidly spread across the modern world, we see that the field is increasingly becoming as ever more important part of the worlds of corporate finance and corporate strategy. (Canagavally , R.2000) Merger and acquisitions are plays very important part in corporate strategy. They are the interesting and controversial tools if the firm do not want to grow internally by capital investment and it can affect the shareholders wealth of both the firms (Legare.1998). The management of the target companies is worried about their jobs that can be affected; the cost reduction strategies consists of reduction in labour force (Gould, 1998) the strategies at both local and national levels are important and concerned at transactions in their industries. e.g (defence utilities etc.) Customers and suppliers are interested , as they want to know who they will be dealing with in the future (Buono. 2003). All the big deals are therefore reported in the media, receive a large coverage, and get the attention of the public as well. People are very important part of any organization but due to the increasing numbers of mergers between the companies they are largely affected and most of them get caught up in a merger or acquisition-by chance, Many of the people after working four –to five years period are losing their jobs and facing severe reductions in status and responsibility and, in general, being confronted with major questions about their careers, As a result , at times we are unsure whether our own feelings about what is happening to these individuals are biasing our interpretation of what is going on. In this project the writer going to research on mergers between the professional services firms. According to Steven et al (2000) mergers and acquisitions decisions that are undertaken based on financial analysis, influence and legal positions , However , it has been proved by a number of researchers that factors like informal power, low productivity , poor quality , reduced commitment , hidden costs and voluntary turnover prevent the combined banks from reaching expected performance levels (Legare 1998). This is the reason that many companies face difficulties then they pass through their post-integration processes (Buono 2003) According to Catwright Cary (1995) that mergers and acquisitions should be seen like marriages where both parties will is very important for the success of new entity. At the time two different companies decide to come together as a result of MA activity, then the levels of instability in the macro and micro environment of both companies is challenged. So it is therefore been recommended that companies should chose the most appropriate merger and acquisition process and strategy. However Buono (2003) has suggest that each possibility has its own strengths and weaknesses and therefore context of MS and its main objectives play important role. Cartwright and Cooper has pointed out that MA depends upon combination of related functions like integration of people, systems, practices and culture. The critical review of the literature has recommended that most of research has been focused at studying single characteristics of MA in isolation. Moreover the dynamics of MA variables that impact on success and failures ratio has not been undertaken in the literature and there is a gap for research. This study will be focus to explore the major drivers and variables and their effect on the success of merger and acquisitions across industries from a corporate strategic perspective. 1.2 Rationale behind Research: Mergers and acquisitions is one of the common strategies in today’s business world. Gould (1998) has conducted a survey involving 12000 managers from different countries and according to the result of his survey more then 1000 companies were involved in acquisitions or a merger in two years between 1995 and 1997.moreover merger and acquisitions has become the leading strategic options. However, the performance of the combined companies has been lower than expected. According to Buono (2003) the basic drivers of MA only involved in financial, operational and strategic aims and objectives. So therefore my main area of focus of this research is to explore the major drivers and variables and their effect on the success of merger and acquisitions across industries from a corporate strategic perspective. 1.3 Aims and Objectives: The basic aim of this project is to understand whether mergers and acquisitions always fulfil desired objective. The aims specific areas are as follows. To explore the major variables that impact on the success of merger and acquisition different industries from a corporate strategic perspective To explore the corporate strategy in achieving desired results from MA activities To evaluate the impact of the mergers on an employees and examining the programmes for dealing with separation anxiety for employees. 1.4 Dissertation Structure: The official Structure of the dissertations is being applied which is provided by the university and analysis has been done which suit the theme and the objectives of the research. The structure of this report is summarized as follows: Chapter 1 Introduction of the research topic and lays the basis for the rationale of selection of the theme under scrutiny. It introduces the effect of MA on business and effects that they expected. The chapter also summarizes the rationale for selection of topic and states the aim and objectives of this research. Chapter 2 Consists of review of the literature that has been produced in the domain of mergers and acquisitions and their desired effects for companies. It has highlighted some of the highly respected literature in the field of aims and objectives of this research. Chapter 3 Provide the methodology and strategy adopted by the researcher to undertake this research. It points out the strength and weaknesses of using different data collection mechanisms and has shown how they fit in the larger context of aims and objectives of this research. Chapter 4 very important chapter consists of analysis and findings regarding the importance of strategic alignment within a merger or an acquisition activity with the help of a range of case studies. The chapter developed recommendations for companies under the light of macro indicators, theories and qualitative data gathered through this research. Chapter 5 provides a comprehensive conclusion from this research and gives a list of recommendations for companies that can be drawn from this focused research. Chapter 2: Literature Review In this chapter an attempt has been made to briefly review the research already undertaken and methodology employed moreover the study has been produced in the domain of aims and objective of the project and it has been divided into number of different sections so that reader understand with ease. 2.1 Overview: Concept of Merger and Acquisition: Over the last few years different companies have engaged in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions to match the macroeconomic trends operating on a worldwide scale in the market place. Up till now the ultimate success of a company’s global strategy may depend on how well it manages the dangerous human resource â€Å"fit† issue associated with strategic customer cantered decisions and strategies. The literature presents the understanding and resolving interpersonal management issues that result from organization, team, and individual misalignments. An actual merger and acquisition integration project is used to discuss the application of this approach (Thomas L. Legare in his paper â€Å"Understanding and Managing Human Resource Integration Issue†) M A defined by Arnold (2002) as â€Å"combination of two firms of roughly equal size on roughly equal terms and in which the shareholders remain as joint owners† M A activities in late 20th century: In 1960’s Mergers and acquisitions first became an important topic within the organization management meetings. It is usual to consider merger and acquisition in terms of the extent to which the activities of the acquired organization are related to those of the acquirer. The most common classification proposes four main types (Walter 1985; Hovers, 1973; Kitching ,1967). These being: 1- Vertical The process in which two organizations combined within the same industry. 2- Horizontal The process in which two similar organizations combined within the same industry 3- Conglomerate In this process acquired organization is in completely different field of business activity 4 Concentric In this process the acquired organization is in a different but related field in to which the acquiring company merge its business. According to Schweiger and Ivancevice, 1987 mergers and acquisitions can be considered to differ in terms of Motive and transactional type The envisaged degree of integration Common objectives behind M Activity According to Napier (1989), in a review of the literature, draws the distinction between financial or value maximizing motives, and managerial or non value maximizing motives. Mergers known as financial or value maximizing motives when the main objective is to increase the profit and decrease the risk involved in business moreover non value maximizing motives relate to merges which occur primarily for other strategic reasons ( Halpern, 1983). Moreover according to handy (1993) creation of shareholder’s value is the underlying aim behind any MA activity. However , there is a range of strategies involve to improve financial performances and consequently increase shareholder’s value. According to Marks, (1988b). There is lots of risk involved in activity like Mergers and acquisitions involving the collective annual investment of billions of pounds and affecting the working lives of millions of employees. It has been recommended in future that 50 to 80 percent of all mergers are considered to be financially unsuccessful (Marks 1988b), most probably in financial return, represent ‘at best an each way bet’ (Lorenz, 1986) The popularity of Merger and acquisitions is still strong despite of the fact that it has been frequently fail to achieve the financial growth (Hovers 1973 Farrent 1970; Jemison and Sitkin, 1986). Indeed there is lots of evidence that Britain and the USA are currently experiencing an unprecedented wave of merger activity (Morgan, 1988; Hughes, 1989). In the last 10 years , there have been over 23000 registered acquisitions in the USA , and before the end of this decade one in four of the Us workforce will have been affected by merger activity ( Fulmer, 1986) with the approach of 1992 , a similar trend is predicted for Europe. The Merger and acquisition is facilitated by number of factors. Market Conditions Market conditions are changing day by day and in this environment there is a need to consolidate or capture new market so strategic mergers and acquisitions become more attractive and expedient alternative response to the setting up new outlets, and at the same time provide a tool to finish the competition ( Meeks , 1977) Increasing Availability of Capital Mergers and acquisitions activities has been increased because the organization and financial institution may need of capital from outside countries because of low interest rate. More companies for sale. There are lots of companies come in to the market because of number of reasons like successful entrepreneurs of the post war years reach retirement age , because of families issues and there is not natural successor within the family. The Easing of Regulations. According to McManus Hergert, 1988. Gartrell Yantek suggested that acquisition activity is related to political climate in that right of centre administration stimulate activity. The Need to share Risk Mergers and acquisitions is very important if u need to share risk like new product development often results in the formation of joint ventures , mergers and other types of strategic alliance. The existence of complex Indivisible Problems All of these can be considered to be logical economic and marketing factors, which make possible the decisions to acquire, These conditions , particularly the need to share risk and problems solving, have also contributing to the increasing trend towards the formation of joint ventures and Mergers (Harrigan, 1988) (vii) Unrecognized Psychological Motives According to Levinson (1970) suggests one such motive to be fear of risk McManus and Hergest (1988) suggest that the decisions happens when ‘CEO is bored and wants to find a new game to play’ or to create some excitement amongst senior managers (Hunt, 1988) 2.2 Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions Merger and Acquisitions have the prime aim to maximise the firm’s profit and shareholders wealth like any other strategic growth option, but there has been a risk of failure so the debate in the literature among theorists and practitioners as to the real strength of the strategy in creating shareholder’s value worth the risk of failure. The review literature that surrounds different prospects like shareholders, acquirer , targets has been studied on short , medium and long term value creation through the MA activity . The following different categories of studies can be highlighted. Affect of MA Activities on People The Human Side of Mergers and Acquisitions is about to impact that mergers and acquisitions have on people in the workplace: the psychological difficulties that people experience, the culture clashes that can emerge in organizations that can emerge in organizations during the post –merger integration period, and the ways in which these problems can manifest themselves –such as communication breakdowns a â€Å"We-they† mentality between the component organizations in a merger, lowered commitment , drops in productivity , organizational power struggles and office politicking , and loss of key organizational members. We adopt primarily and organization development (OD) perspective on mergers and acquisitions: given the myriad problems (Thomas L Legare) The Existing evidence on the effects of mergers and acquisitions on efficiency or value comes from two basic types of large sample studies: event studies and performance studies Event studies consider the returns to the shareholders of targets and acquirers in the days before and after an acquisition announcement .These studies consistently find that the combined returns to acquirer and target stockholders are unequivocally positive .These positive returns imply that the market anticipates that acquisitions on average will create value. These studies and reactions do not, however, provide insight into the sources of the value changes in mergers or whether the expectations of value changes are ultimately realized. Furthermore, the combined returns cover a broad range of responses from very positive to very negative. Cross sectional analyses of event period returns provide some evidence that the broad range of combined announcement period returns reflects the market’s ability to forecast an acquisitions success. For example both Mitchell and Lehn (1990) and Kaplan and weisbach (1992) find the there is a relation between (1) acquirer and combined returns and (2) the ultimate outcome of the acquisition. Other studies examine a number of different determinants of the cross-sectional variation in returns associated with acquisitions. (see e.g Lang , Stulz, and Walkling 1991 . Maloney , McCormick , and Mitchell 1993; morock, Shliefer , and Vishny 1990)These Cross-Sectional analyses of event –period returns provide some understanding of the nature of the market reaction to acquisition announcements.They do not , however , examine whether the anticipated value creation or improved productivity materializes, Nor do they have a great deal to say about the organizational mechanisms and manage ment practices that drive acquisition success or failure. Studies of post merger performance attempt to measure the longer-term implications of mergers and acquisitions using both accounting and stock return data. Studies of accounting data fail to find consistent evidence of improved performance or productivity gains. (see e.g, Healy , Palepu, and Ruback 1992 and Ravenscraft and Scherer 1987) similarly , studies that focus on acquirers long term stock performance find mixed results abnormally negative stock returns after the acquisition ( agraqwal , Jaffe, and Mandelker 1992), no abnormal returns (franks , Harris , and Titman 1991) and negative abnormal returns only for stock mergers (Mitchell and Stafford 1996) Like the announcement period event studies, longer term performance and event studies document substantial cross sectional variation in performance , but do not study the sources of value changes in mergers and acquisitions. In sum , there are a number of questions that the existing economics and finance literature on mergers and acquisitions leaves unanswered , Existing work provides mixed results on the average impact of mergers and acquisitions More importantly , existing work offers little insight into the determinants of an acquisitions success or failures. Research on the basis of Capital Market Capital market is one of the research category used as central information point. According to Healey (1992), the stock market data reflects the effects of MA as it reflects future profits and dividends expected by the post integration entity moreover these researchers believe that the result has been found swayed by the researcher’s personal orientation an hypothesis. It is been analyse that majority among studies that have been covered lower then desired effects created through analyses based on capital market data. Event Study Methodology According to data et al (1992) have indicated that these studies are based on the hypothesis that markets across the industrialized world are highly well-organized and therefore soon after the MAn announcement moreover it depends on the future financial benefits or losses. The result of such studies have highlighted the majority of MA activities do create affects that can range from significant to normal (Sudarsanam 2003) but the people working along with the field and many other critics have argued that the methodology is only affective for small projects to obtain the desired affects and does not represent long term desired affects in the medium to long term. Short Run Objectives: A large number of organizations plan for financial gains within a short period of time when the merger date is finalized they are looking to achieve this objective, 30% and 10% abnormal returns have been found for the target shareholders Sudarsanam et al (1996) Long Run Objectives According to Agarwar (1992) the organizations long term desired affect through MA activity that has gained an increasing interests among researchers after the data is available for the last wave of MA in the 1990’s. There has been a mixture of results as- 10% abnormal returns over 5 years MA periods; Fama French (1993) showed positive 9% abnormal returns for the acquired and negative -4% abnormal returns for the acquirer; and sudarsanam Mahate 2003 showed a range of negative -18% to positive+1% abnormal returns in MA situation. Although it has been found out that many of these studies have used different models, benchmarks and organizational data, but there is a general consensus that MA abnormal desired affects in the long term. Operational Planning Research: The best way to analyse the affect of MA activity is to study the operational performance of the firms involved. The operational data consists of accounting data like cash flow and profit and loss statement are used by such studies (Healey 1992) Herman and Lowenstein (1988) used these technique on data gathered during 1975 to 1983 and found that no significant improvements in the performance of post MA entities. Healey et al (1992) found a meagre 3% operational performance among companies analyzed. However the same data was later analyzed under improved methods and found no operational performance. The results show large number of failures in creating substantial desired affects through operational analysis. Recent Merger and Acquisitions trends In the above table shows the recent trends in the field, let us being with our full dissertation of the subject of MA. This will be begin with a discussion of the basic terminology used in the field. 2.3 MAJOR STRATEGIC ISSUES: According to Cartwright and Cooper (1995) in order to get the desired objective during the MA activity the internal environment of firms should be synchronized. It can therefore recommend that integration of people, their systems, procedures, practice and organizational culture is extremely important in order to get the desired objective. Mr David (2007) suggest that the internal aspects of firms that are going to merge can be divided into two core competencies that can help to minimize the factors involved the failure of MA strategies. These core competencies lie in the field of corporate strategy which usually lack coordination during MA activities. The main limiting aspects of MA in terms of strategic importance that can play a vital role by using their core competencies have been highlighted as follows Organizational culture The cultural differences is the single largest cause of lack of proposed performance, achieving the desired target and objective and time consuming issues in the running of successful business ( Bijilsma frankema , 2001) according to him culture plays a important part in employees motivation in the development to new business he says that cultural clash is the most dangerous factors when two companies decide to combine moreover the things like styles , values and missions is the part of factor influencing the MA. According to (Covin et al, 1997) the employees required five to seven years after the merger to feel truly incorporated. Due to the multitude of these changes many problems arises like loss of job, also financial debt and fears of jobless.(Mirvis and Marks 1992) moreover he says that after merger the new team is also distressing and anxiety for the people other fear include the loss of effective and close team members, as well as the uncertainty about the new team members and supervisors to be inherited the employees when forced to deal with new team members and managers they may develop fears of taking risks and raising sensitive subject. This may adopt us verses them thinking, where trust for the new team members will be minimal (Mirvis and Marks, 1992).Management facing this kind of behaviour may have to pay the high price of loss of coordination and initiative among the employees of the new business combination. Moreover the issues and disagreement will be more difficult to resolve, so the time after the merger is the most difficult time for the management and new team members to move forward as a whole. Appelbaum etal, (2000) Stress According to (Datta et al , 1992) the process of merger and acquisitions consists of biggest change at the individual and organizational level in the history of organizations because of this the process is stressful. When one culture combines with another the employees feel as through they have lost control over important aspects of their loves, and in an attempt to regain control, they often withdraw. So it creates stress within individual , i.e reduced performance and job satisfaction . ( Berger and Ofec 1996) According to Schweiger Denisi (1991) the employees after the MA go through a time of increased anxiety uncertainty and stress. They are concerned about their new position it will create more stress in them so communication plays the vital role during the merger so that employees know what is going on and how they might be affected during and after the post integration period. Thus it can be suggested that while negotiations have been compared to flirting before marriages , and the closing of the deals to forming a new family , employees reaction can be associated with â€Å"bereavement† (Katinka , 2004) Organizational change and resistance Changes after merger announcement like stress, symptoms, work related factors, health status, and lifestyle. Personal characteristics were composed of age, sex, height, weight, and marital status in both surveys. Moreover stress related symptoms like anxiety, impatience and depression were dichotomized by either having a complaint or not so following a MA , a complex set of organizational , managerial and personal changes or inevitable. Jensen Rubock (1983) claim that in order to cope with the changes and resist with the changes there is a way to select a strategy and a set of specific approaches for implementing an organizational change effort. It is very important for managers to implement changes successfully in order to cope with the changes. The researchers have introduced six different strategies in order resist the changes after the merger and four major reasons why peoples resist changes. Image, Identity and confidence According to (Ravenscraft and Scherer 1988) image , identity and confidence of the human resource may reduced after the combination process it has been send that most of the employees will feel uncertain and will need some relaxation environment . It can be recommended that the peoples effected by this process can prove dangerous for the management they can change the ownership moreover the employees who are affected by the process tend to protect their identity and confidence through tolerance and humble and hence they try to maintain their status and confidence with experience that they are the part of new entity, if the cultural factor is not adequately taken into account at this stage of the merger , there will be so less time to contain it after the merger. Weston et al (2001) discuss the fear and stress associated with a merger. Schwert (1996) argue that when the objectives after the merger are not met , the managing teams of both companies are the employees of the acquired company enter a â€Å"cycle of escalating and distrust†. In other words, managers of the acquiring company press for increased control, while employees of the acquired company resist and demand their autonomy. Others view mergers and acquisitions as power games , which create some excitement fro bored CEOs. Communication Tompkins (1984) defined organizational communication as â€Å"the study of sending and receiving messages that create and maintain a system of deliberately corresponding activities or forces of two or more persons† Organizational communication is the exchange of messages through collective creation maintenance and transformation of organizational meaning. Members develop commonly understood patterns of expectations of organizational action through communication. Moreover communication with the employees is a very important factor throughout the entire MA process and creates a positive effect on employees through the trying time. According to John et al (1999) that communication plays a vital role in the combination of different and various cultures. The cultures can be at conflicting ends and therefore should be understood by the top management during integration period moreover according to Richard et al (1999) the human resource department should plan for the change in organization and they should know before this process that what going to happen with the company when two cultures combine as the result of merger. So in the process of merger only decision is not enough but the proper communication of these decisions among the company is very important moreover management works horizontally and vertically through leadership, control and organization.(Sudarsanam and Mahate, 2003) FLOW OF CASH Despite of the fact that many people loss their job in the process but the same time high rate of voluntary turnover linked with the process moreover it includes substantial outflow of talent and expertise. According to Ravenscraft and scherer, 1988) report executive turnover rates as high as 75% in the first three years of post acquisition period. Unplanned personnel losses are not necessarily confined to the more senior levels of the organization. Typically, acquired or merged organizations experience on overall rate of staff turnover of at lest 30% in the first two years post merger period (Cartwright and Cooper 1995) 2.4 Success and Failures A large number of mergers and acquisitions are unsuccessful .Over the last fifteen years, 23% of all merged firms worldwide reported lower profits than comparable non-merged firms (Gugler et al.(13)) Daimler Chrysler, the effect of the largest industrial merger ever, for example , has only posted low or negative profits since its birth in 1998-including the biggest loss in German business history in 2001. The disappointing results of mergers have been puzzling commentators and academics alike. In the management literature, poor merger performance has often been connected to unsuccessful addition of different corporate cultures. Cultural differences, however, are not enough to explain failures. First, firms seem to be aware of organisational difficulties when taking merger decisions. DaimlerChrysler, for example, anticipated post –merger Challenges. Second, mergers between partners with closer corporate cultures sometimes perform worse ( Morosini et

A Critical Analysis of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

A Critical Analysis of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman 'The Yellow Wallpaper' written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a riveting story of a dejected woman locked away as if she were insane. Her passion is to write and by doing so we are able to follow her on a journey in which she is victimized by those closest to her. The significance of the story is tremendous as it delves into the underlying issues of 'a woman's place' and feminism in the 19th century. The story not only gave an insight into the public perception of mental illness but it later caused a famous psychiatrist, Silas Weir Mitchell to alter his treatment of neurasthema. As the story begins, the woman-whose name we never learn-tells of her depression and how it is dismissed by her husband and brother who are both medical practitioners. "You see, he does not believe I am sick! And what can one do?" We are able to see that the narrator has maintained the traditional patriarchal feelings, as many women and men did in 19th century, where women are discouraged from venturing out of their 'given sphere', due to the political makeup of the era. It becomes apparent that her mind was alluding to this point by the way she speaks about her husband, "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that." The structure of this sentence highlights the male laughing and the woman acquiescing, showed by the short sentence and the full stop - silencing any of her thoughts and opinions. An example of the dominant submissive relationship between them. He treats her as if she was a child and he was the controlling, domineering, yet loving parent. "What is it, little girl?' h... ...d self-analysis, and was symptomatic of the degeneration rife in society. This illustrates the protagonists warped head state as although yellow is associated with negativity, she craves it. This is portrayed when the protagonist claims that everything outside is 'green instead of yellow'. Her mind is so twisted that she feels everything outside of her 'sphere' is evil. The ending of the story is open to a variety of different interpretations. She feels victorious for escaping from her husbands grasp however in reality she is now trapped within herself. We feel that she may commit suicide due to her frustration, however the situation was reversed, and I was given the impression that she may have tried to murder her husband, in an attempt to free herself. However what ultimately happens we are never able to learn.