Homework on Engineering Ethics Essay

There are several situations in which a code of ethics becomes an important development tool for engineers in resolving moral dilemmas they encounter in the course of their profession. Engineering as a profession. A code of ethics becomes necessary due to the nature and purpose of engineering as a profession. Different professionals have different concepts of responsibility attached to the nature of their work. By job definition, â€Å"an engineer is a knowledge expert specially trained to design, test, and assess the performance characteristics of technologies within his or her realm of expertise† (Pinkus 33). Hence, an engineer needs not only to be competent in designing technology but must be able to perform sound risk assessment and be adept at identifying the failure characteristics of a given technology. This is because the character of engineering as a profession places public safety above all other goals (Harris, Pritchard, and Rabins 38). Hence, the code of ethics is an important tool for engineers to be reminded that the nature of their profession may compel them to go the extra mile to ensure public safety and welfare. Conflict in professionalism and bureaucracy. A code of ethics is also important when engineers face conflict with regard to professionalism.   An ethical code will greatly help in resolving dilemmas that engineers may encounter such as whether or not an engineer should prioritize the welfare of the client first than the general public when a certain technology or structure becomes a threat to public safety. Engineers may find themselves in situations when clients do not strictly follow his directions and recommendations and cut costs or improvise that may compromise quality. Such was the case of the Space Shuttle Columbia which was found to be built with low-cost materials because of the lack of federal funding. Schedule issues need to be resolved by the engineer as well and he must evaluate and make decisions on whether the launch of a given technology will have a negative impact on public safety and welfare (Pinkus 16). Corporate responsibility. Another reason why code of ethic becomes a significant development tool for engineers is the demand for decisions regarding corporate responsibility. As technology requires the extraction and utilization of greater quantities of natural resources, corporations now face the responsibility of ensuring that their operations conform strictly to environmental laws (Harris, Pritchard, and Rabins 34). Works Cited Harris, Charles E., Pritchard, Michael S., and Rabins, Michael J. Engineering Ethics: concepts and cases. New York: Cengage Learning, 2005. Pinkus, Rosa Lynn B. Engineering ethics: balancing cost, schedule, and risk – lessons learned from the space shuttle. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Coso Risk Management Plan

COSO Risk Management Plan LAW/531 BUSINESS LAW March 18, 2013 Nicole Harrison COSO Learning Activity Beasley, Hancock and Branson (2009) have mentioned that â€Å"Many senior executives and their organization’s board of directors are working to strengthen risk oversight so that they are better informed about emerging risk exposures, particularly those impacting strategy† (p. 01). This statement clarifies that companies are looking for better ways to manage risk and they are using techniques to help achieving this goal.The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) is an organization leading the way on providing frameworks and guidance on enterprise risk management, internal control and fraud deterrence designed to improve organizational performance and governance and to reduce the extent of fraud (COSO, 2013). It is a joint initiative of five private sector organizations including the American Accounting Association, the American Institute o f CPAs, the Financial Executives International, the Association of Accountants and Financial Professionals in Business and the Institute of Internal Auditors.This paper has the objective of identify recommendations about how it would be useful for an organization to adopt COSO as the structure for its own corporate compliance plan. According to Steinberg (2011) â€Å"In recent years, to complement the use of key performance indicators, which focus primarily on past performance, more organizations have adopted forward-looking key risk indicators to further enhance risk management effectiveness† (p. 01). Corporations monitor their performance based on indicators (KPIs) that provide a trend from a time in the past to date.This performance trend can be compared to others, such as competitors and general industry performance to assume how the business is moving ahead. But that is not enough. Risk-management specialists and organizations like COSO suggest that corporations start lo oking at Key Risk Indicators (KRIs). Those indicators are looking to the future of the business and its industry and enable management to deal with risk events more quickly (Steinberg, 2011). The KRIs can be part of the strategic plan of a corporation and help to create a more precise SWOT analysis by using real ratios instead of mere market assumptions.Beasley, Hancock and Branson (2009) say that â€Å"Risk management and strategy-setting activities are often viewed as separate and distinct, with risk management sometimes stigmatized as being a non-value adding, compliance, or regulatory function with no visible or clearly articulated connection to the organization’s strategy† (p 13). Corporations should review this outdated concept and start using the power of risk management as an essential element of their strategy.COSO presents their own definition of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and summarizes important elements to a successful implementation. The organizatio n defines ERM on Beasley, Hancock and Branson’s article (2009) as â€Å"A process, effected by the entity’s board of directors, management, and other personnel, applied in strategy setting and across the enterprise, designed to identify potential events that may affect the entity, and manage risk to be within the risk appetite, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives† (p. 4). COSO is great source of knowledge and experience for all sizes of companies. A financial crisis, a simple change in the market, the complexity of business transactions, advances in technology, globalization, and the speed of product cycles can be fatal for any business and, in order to avoid that, managers, executives, and boards should strength risk management in their organizations. ReferencesCOSO Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commision (2013). About Us. Retrieved from http://www. coso. org/ Beasley, Mark S. , Hancock, Bonnie V. , an d Branson, Bruce C. (2009). Strengthening Enterprise Risk Management for Strategic Advantage. Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commision (COSO). Steinberg, Richard M. (2011). Using the New COSO Risk-Management Guidance. ERM & Internal Controls. Haymarket Media, Inc.

History of olympic games Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

History of olympic games - Term Paper Example stivals, and by universal agreement, the best.†(12) What athletic prowess has to do with nakedness is not clear from the scientific perspective, and it is mostly an issue of faith. The system in vogue then was, the Spartan messages were particularly carried by naked runners and they ran between the city-states. Travel light was one of the purposes of their nakedness and also to prove that they did not carry anything unlawful except the message. Thus they were able to run one hundred miles in one day, ensuring the speedy delivery of the messages. Training athletes began with gymnastic exercises a month before the Olympics were to commence. Total nakedness was considered as homage to the gods and gratitude for the male form. It was sort of a security check that women camouflaged as males did not participate in the games. The procedure at the starting point of the race differed much as compared to the present practice in vogue. Twenty contenders stood erect with their arms extended in front of them. The race would be re-run, if the first resulted in a tie. Peace was the watchword during the ancient Olympic Games. It was known as â€Å"ekecheiria†, meaning â€Å"holding of hands.† Safety of the competitors and spectators was assured and all wars, mutual threats and capital punishment stood suspended during the course of games. The ancient Olympic Games were linked to warfare as per the specially adopted procedure. The participants would run 800 yards in full body armor. Thus it was a competition of strength clubbed with speed. That was also to remind all concerned about the physical demands of warfare. In the 3nd century AD, virgins were allowed entry to the Olympic Games as spectators. But for the married women traced watching the game, it was inviting death. They would be thrown off the cliff at Mount Trypeum. Punishment for cheating was almost instant. Judges carried a switch to beat the frauds they were able to catch. Those who indulged in malpractices were

Drug Dose and Its Concentration at Receptors Essay - 1

Drug Dose and Its Concentration at Receptors - Essay Example These factors are discussed in more detail below, based on the description of Goodman, et al. (2011, ch. 2). The characteristics of the drug molecule itself that affect the drug’s concentration at the receptor site include its molecular size, degree of ionization, lipid solubility, and its affinity for serum and tissue proteins. The plasma membrane (of skin or intestinal cells, for example) is a common barrier to drug distribution; drugs that are not lipid soluble will not be able to permeate the membrane and not reach the target site. A drug of small molecular size will travel more easily through the membranes than a larger molecule, reaching the target in higher concentrations. Ionized molecules, and those that bind to proteins, also have difficulties in passing through the membrane. If the drug has a tendency to ionize at the pH of the intestinal lumen or the blood, the ionized form will have difficulty passing through lipid plasma membranes. If the drug interacts with tran sporter proteins on the cell membrane, its uptake into the cell may be increased or decreased, depending on the direction in which the transporter moves the drug. For example, the P-glycoprotein in enterocytes limits the oral absorption of some cancer chemotherapeutic agents by exporting them back into the lumen of the GI tract. Similarly, it has been found that multidrug transporters such as P-glycoprotein (PGP) and members of the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) family are over-expressed in capillary endothelial cells in epileptogenic brain tissue, and, by transporting anti-epileptic drugs out, these proteins may be responsible for the pharmacoresistance of the epileptic brain to anti-epileptic drugs (LÃ ¶scher and Potschka, 2002).

Review of the US Autism Websites Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review of the US Autism Websites - Research Paper Example â€Å"The Autism Society of America is the nation’s premier autism resource† (Rudy, 2007). This organization is a chapter and member-based organization, which provides us with an opportunity to join it and help people deal with the problem of Autism. The website provides us with an unbiased introduction and explanation of autism. It also includes useful information regarding diagnosis, causes, and treatment of autism. Autism is a genetic problem. â€Å"Autism is influenced by complex, yet strong genetic factors† (Cook, 1998). Some knowledge, which I gained from this website, is that it appears in the first 3 years of a child’s life. It also made me aware of some signs of autism, which included, delay in speaking, lack of peer relationships, and repetitive use of language. It also made me know that almost 1.5 Americans have the problem of autism and only 50 to 55 percent of autistic children become able to finish high school level studies. The third website, which I reviewed, was firstsigns.org. This website is dedicated to creating awareness and educating parents about autistic disorders. It not only creates awareness about the diagnosis and treatment of autism but also makes parents aware of the use of different types of screening tools. Autism appears in the first three years of a child’s life. â€Å"The average age of diagnosis is still around 6 years† (Howlin & Moorf, 1997). I found this website very useful because it provided me with a good amount of knowledge regarding screening tools. I became aware of how to use screening tools. It also made me know that the best screening tools are those, which are accurate, flexible, and affordable. The fourth website, which I reviewed, was autismresearchnetwork.org. â€Å"The National Institutes of Health Autism Resource Network is a terrific resource for medical information and links to the latest research and findings† (Rudy, 2007). This website is based on the current research related to the problem of autism. As all other websites, this website also provided me with a good amount of knowledge regarding causes, symptoms, and treatment of autism.

A Critical Analysis of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Essay

A Critical Analysis of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) - Essay Example There are seven main parts that are covered at this stage. They include the social and emotional development. This allows the children to recognize who they are as well as respecting other people in the society. At the same time, the children learn how to perform certain activities such as dressing. Communication and problem solving are other important areas of learning at this stage (Silberfeld 2009, p.67). The children begin developing the confidence needed when communicating. At the same time, they learn how to solve problem through games and listening and answering questions from stories. The curriculum also ensures that children understand the world they live in and development physically and creatively. They understand the world around them through use of different materials and tools to create their surroundings. The EYFS is used as a platform that prepares children for what they will become in future (Beckley 2009, p.98). The knowledge and the kind of preparation at this stag e dictate how the children will respond to learning in future. The environment in which the children are raised is imperative. It determines whether such children become intelligent or not. While certain settings foster intelligence, others do not (Carr 2005, p.65). it is imperative for teachers to know that children at this stage learn more from observation and what they hear. The children believe the information passed to them. They are not able to criticise like their counterparts in late childhood (Callaway 2005, p.67). For that reason, accurate information is vital at this state. This includes the information on chats, which the pupils are expected to read. It is difficult to undo what the children have already recorded in their mind. The curriculum is the most important tool in ensuring that the children acquire the best learning while still in their early stages (Glazzard et al. 2010, p.98). However, one of the most striking feature is the fact that play becomes an integral p art of learning (Edwards 2001, p.38). Children understand better, when concepts are addressed through play. It has been effective in ensuring that children develop both physically, cognitively and socially (Glenda 2003, p.98). Through play for instance, most children are able to discover their potential. This is especially when such children are involved in activities that involve role-play. It is therefore imperative that the curriculum involve all kinds of play to ensure that the children concentrate and get the best out of learning (Goffin 2011, p.78). The following discussion will focus on the role of curriculum in promoting learn as well as how play promotes learning. The environment where the children are exposed is supposed to be safe and free from any materials that would cause any harm. It is the responsibility of the school management to ensure that the structures are well constructed and are safe to be used by the children (. The classroom for instance should have enough space where the children are allowed to play and interact. With the current need for inclusion, I it is also vital that the designs of such classes make it possible for children with disabilities to learn. They ought to be made part of the class and benefit just like any other child. In addition to that, the current classes may have children from different cultural backgrounds. The teacher has a responsibility of ensuring that such students benefit from this kind of setting. To help understand the above themes, I visited a primary school in New Ham East London. It was a class that had the children at the age of between 3 and 4. The class had a total of 25 pupils with one main teacher. The class has children from dif

Women in Culture in the 1930's-1940's VS Women in Culture Today Research Paper

Women in Culture in the 1930's-1940's VS Women in Culture Today - Research Paper Example The debates have hit the floor for some time regarding women in the past and women today. Moreover, social roles of women and girls are quite different from that of men. Workforce in early times was highly gender based which is somewhat contrary to today’s women. Today, women have much freedom and almost acquiring equal rights as men unlike in the early 1930’s. Women artist has been one of the outstanding and distinguishing activities between 1930’s – 1940’s and today. Female artists play central part in art industry, for instance textile arts and craft. In 1930’s, women artists encountered numerous challenges related to their success in art industry and these were gender based biases in the mainstream of fine art (Rosaldo, Lamphere & Bamberger, 1974). They faced challenges in training, travelling and trading of their work as well as recognition of their status in art industry. However late in 1940’s, feminist arts fought for their rig hts for them to be guaranteed the right to education and training in fine art. This impacted positively on women as they were allowed to train and acquire skills in fine industry. In the days of Great Depression (1930’s), a number of women made their own clothing. The time was so terrible that unemployment rate was very high. It was then that the fashion design made a step toward simpler lines reflecting the simpler lives of the people. Magazines displayed different kinds of clothing which customary middle women applauded (Loy, (2001). The fashions in the 1930’s were so appealing, attractive, feminine and absolutely gorgeous unlike today. The fashion took a stunning turn reflecting the austerity of the appalling economy. In the 1940’s, limited color highly characterized pictures and magazines unlike today as ink was expensive then (Rosaldo, Lamphere & Bamberger, 1974). Fashions illustrated in magazines revealed the clothing in sketch form instead of photographs. The gray outfit was a typical fashion design of 1932. Women empowerment and role assignment has taken a new picture today. This is mainly noted in factories and industries. For instance, Rosie the Riveter from the USA is highly recognized as a cultural icon. She represents the American women who worked in industries during the Second World War (Rosaldo, Lamphere & Bamberger, 1974). They took new jobs of men who were in the field of military. Rosie worked tirelessly to help the Americans who were taking part in war. During this time, women took over the male dominated trades though at the same they were required to return to their daily housework as soon as men in war came back home. Women were chiefly given the roles of housewives. They were asked to perform hard tasks which for them were hard to do. They opted to return to their traditional work basically to avoid such jobs and low payments (Loy, 2001). Rosie the Riveter finally died when her kidney failed to work after a plane ac cident. She had influenced American women to work in industries. It was evident that women proved it right that they could do and manage well the work that was mainly done by men. In 1942, the proportion of jobs acceptable to women increased tremendously. However, the payment terms of women were not favorable. Rosie had encouraged women to enter into workforce in large numbers, though women were discharged after the war to return to servicemen (Rosaldo, Lamphere & Bamberger, 1974). During the Second World War, women worked hard to take their positions. However after the wartime, they resumed domestic vocations and service work. Between 1930’

Risk Study Report (occupational health and safety) Essay

Risk Study Report (occupational health and safety) - Essay Example eport focuses on this important subject matter, which is covering the riskiness of Hot Air Balloon Flight and presenting measures in order to minimize the riskiness. During vacations, people like to enjoy almost every other available activity, Hot Air Balloon Flight has also become a point of consideration for many travelers and tourist. It can be more popular only when it gets more and more safer. The chances of error and number of accidents must be as low as possible in order to rank oneself as a reputable Hot Air Balloon Company. This report has been divided into four major parts, each of which covers individual aspects of Hot Air Balloon Flights. Nowadays, there are many sports and activities which are becoming center of attraction of adventurers and travelers. Some of the most common activities include surfing, skydiving, paragliding, traveling in Hot Air Balloon etc. All of these activities have some risks associated with them. Legal jurisdictions have made it compulsory to assess the risk. There are various strategies which need to be implemented in order to avoid any uncertainty or unpleasant situation. Number of events of Hot Air Balloon take place every where all year round. The activity of Hot Air Balloon which will be discussed in this paper primarily is â€Å"Dubai Hot Air Balloon Flight†. Further information for this events is being mentioned in the subsequent section of this paper. Hot Air Balloon is one of the most popular adventure activity. Modern balloon technology and training systems assure that it is unlikely for people to get wounded in a Hot Air Balloon accident. Despite of that, since Hot Air Ballooning is an adventure activity and all types of adventure activity do carry some level of risk. Dubai Hot Air Balloon Flight is an event which takes place in Dubai all year long. People from all over the world come to Dubai to enjoy the glitz and glamour of this city. Along with this, they also prefer to enjoy the Hot Air Balloon early morning

I have a school project where i have to speak its like a presentation Assignment

I have a school project where i have to speak its like a presentation. I am assigned senior judge - Assignment Example A contract case law that better explains this argument is the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority vs. Impregilo spA. In the case, the World Bank financed the construction of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, and this included the construction of the Katse dam in 1991. My Lords, in 1998, a dispute arose between the clients, the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, and the contractor. This is because of other unexpected labor costs brought by the Highland Water Venture (Hood, 31). In October 2001, the issue was brought before an arbitration tribunal. In 2002, the tribunal ruled in favor of Highland Water Venture and gave an award of more than 6 million pounds. However, the Lesotho Highlands water project challenged the decision of the tribunal in an English court, under the arbitration act, section 67 and 68. They argued that the arbitrators exceeded their authority in respect to the amount awarded, and the currency in which the award was made. The appeal was allowed in a court, and in November 2002, the commercial court ruled that the tribunal violated section 68 of the arbitration act. My Lords, part 3 (a), and (d) of the 1996 section 69 of the arbitration act allows this court of appeal to settle this dispute. Part 3 (a) denotes that an individual can seek the intervention of the court of appeal if the nature of conflict, and the resolution of the same conflict be a lower court will affect the rights of all parties concerned. In this dispute between the University of East England, and Ms. Edwards, the issue under challenge is whether the University is liable in case of negligence by its staff which results to loss or damage of the student’s property. On this note, this case needs to examine on whether the contract signed by Ms. Edwards breaks the Unfair Contract Act of 1977. b) Students residing in the University

John Locke Essay Essay Example for Free

John Locke Essay Essay John Locke, a philosopher of the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment, greatly influenced the American revolution and the French revolution. His beliefs were the social contract, natural rights, and the right of revolution. One of John Lockes beliefs was the social contract. A social contract can be either a written or unwritten agreement between a government and its people. Social contracts usually contain a basic set of laws and agreements explaining how the country should be run. Examples of a Social contract are the US constitution and the Declaration of the Rights of Man. John Locke was a huge influence for both of these documents. Locke also believed that every person has natural rights. A natural right is a basic right that every citizen should be born with. Locke said that everyones natural rights were the right to â€Å"life, liberty, and property. † These natural rights have been quoted and used many times in history. Thomas Jefferson was influenced by this while writing the Declaration of Independence, saying that all men are created equal and that they have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Lastly and most importantly, Locke believed in the right of revolution. The right of revolution is the belief that if that a government does not meet the basic needs and wishes of its people, then the people have the right to revolt and overthrow that government. Examples of this are the American and French revolutions. The Americans revolted against England because they failed to grant them the basic rights stated in their social contract, saying no taxation without representation. The French revolted against their government because King Louis caused the countries economy to be almost non existent and most of the country had nothing to eat. Both these revolutions led to the rise of democratic nations. John Locke is one of the most influential people in history. His beliefs has influenced the formation of many countries, including our own. His ideas have be restated and reused throughout history, and still influence people today.

Effects of Corporate Scandal on Governance in the UK

Effects of Corporate Scandal on Governance in the UK 1.1 Introduction The aim of this thesis is to examine the evolution of Corporate Governance in the United Kingdom and the affects which corporate scandals had on it. This aim is achieved through the following objectives: The development of Corporate Governance in the United Kingdom. The affect of corporate scandals on stakeholders. Corporate scandals and Corporate Governance. Corporate Governance has been a source of discussion among investors and entrepreneur and it has gone through many changes in recent years. It is defined as the structures and processes for the direction and control of companies (World Bank, 2005). The importance of Corporate Governance came into enlightenment after the collapse of high profile organisation such as Robert Maxwell (Parkinson Kelly, 1999). These corporate failings lead to UK Corporate governance being improved (Iskander Chamlou, 2000). The Dramatise change in Corporate Governance affected many big organisations with a number of challenges. But the key aspect of Corporate Governance is Risk-taking is fundamental to business activity (Spira Page, 2003), which means risk taken by the organisation must be controlled properly and from here Risk Management comes in. To select Corporate Governance as a dissertation topic large amount of research activities with many sources of literature is being used. One of the major problem realised with this topic was, there was ample amount of literature available and that to is very difficult to select the most appropriate one. But problem was solved by concentrating on academic literature, which is mentioned in brief in this dissertation. The structure of this dissertation is as follows, chapter one will focus on literature review, which will provide some basis knowledge for this dissertation. The main aim of the literature review is to highlight the various factors associated with the evolution of Corporate Governance. This section will also include Corporate Governance in the USA which will only give some idea how the legislation is different in two countries. Secondly we will discuss some scandals (Arthur Andersen and Robert Maxwell). The purpose of choosing these two case is to show by which Corporate Governance reached the stage of maturity. Robert Maxwell scandal which occurred in the UK and Arthur Andersen scandal occurred in the United States, which will be the second chapter of this dissertation which actually gave the birth to Corporate Governance. And the last part of the dissertation which is third and final chapter will describe some limitation and conclusion. Chapter 1 Literature Review The aim of this section is to provide an overview in order to analyse different aspect of Corporate Governance and scandals which are linked with the aim and objective of this dissertation. This part of the dissertation will describe about, what Corporate Governance actually is, discussing definitions. Further it will present back ground, development of Corporate Governance in UK, need for Corporate Governance and Corporate Scandals. What is Corporate Governance? Corporate governance is a field in economics that investigates how to secure/motivate efficient management of corporations by the use of incentive mechanisms, such as contracts, organizational designs and legislation. This is often limited to the question of improving financial performance, for example, how the corporate owners can secure/motivate that the corporate managers will deliver a competitive rate of return, www.encycogov.com, Mathiesen [2002]. Corporate governance deals with the ways in which suppliers of finance to corporations assure themselves of getting a return on their investment, The Journal of Finance, Shleifer and Vishny [1997, page 737]. Some commentators take too narrow a view, and say it (corporate governance) is the fancy term for the way in which directors and auditors handle their responsibilities towards shareholders. Others use the expression as if it were synonymous with shareholder democracy. Corporate governance is a topic recently conceived, as yet ill-defined, and consequently blurred at the edge. Corporate governance as a subject, as an objective, or as a regime to be followed for the good of shareholders, employees, customers, bankers and indeed for the reputation and standing of our nation and its economy Maw et al. [1994, page 1]. Corporate Governance is the structures and the process for the direction and control of companies (World Bank, 2005). This definition only explain the involvement of Corporate Governance, however it fails to explain in depth about Corporate Governance. The other definition says the system by which companies are directed and controlled (Cadbury, 1992, Coyle, p4). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 1998) explain Corporate Governance in more details it says A set of relationships between a companys board, its shareholders and other stakeholders. It also provides the structure through which the objectives of the company are set, and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance are determined (United Nations, 2003, p1). If we look at the definition provided by the OECD (1998) we can say Corporate Governance involve number of parties such as stake holder, share holder and board, and the goal of an organisation can be achieved by using Corporate Governance. And lastly we can say Corporate Governance measures the performance of the company. Background Many large organisations in UK suffered because of the Corporate Governance and this was the main reason for the number of changes in it throughout the years. One of the secondary reasons for this change was the economy and society as well. In this section we will focus on this area, the change occurred in this area and the impact of these changes on corporate world. Dubbed the Enron of England, the South Sea Bubble was one of historys worst financial bubbles (Stock Market Crash! 2006). This was started in 1711, when a war felt Britain in arrears by 10 million pounds. And this debt was financed by the South Sea Company at 6% interest. A part from the interest, Britain also gave the right to trade exclusively in the South Seas. The failure of the South Sea bubble was the expectation of the directors lying about the profits, as the South Sea Company issued stock to finance its operation. Interested Investors quickly realised that company is having monopoly in the market, so the share price increased drastically from the scratch. Speculation became rampant as the share price kept skyrocketing (Stock Market Crash! 2006). And after certain period the management realized that the company share was overvalued. Well we can say that this point in time this happened because there was none of the guidance documents which are available today. Cadbury Committee told this initiative and they produce the first guidance document in the UK, which was chaired by Adrian Cadbury (Cadbury, Report, 1992). The Cadbury Committee Report included a number of financial aspects of corporate governance i.e. the role of the board, auditing and reporting of financial information to shareholders (Cadbury Report, 1992). Cadbury Committee Report was structured in such a manner that the organisations can easily follow it. Here are some outlines of Cadbury Committee Report, Section 4 deals with the structure of board, and there should be executive directors and independent non-executive directors. Section 4.11 explains the purpose of having non-executive directors. The responsibilities of directors which are mentioned in section 4.28. Internal control is discussed in section 4.31 of the Cadbury Report (1992) which provided guidance on keeping records of accounts and reducing the chance of fraud (Cadbury, 1992). Section 4.33 which explain about Audit committee and there relationship with the board members and the appointment of external auditors. However Cadbury Committee report fails to unveil directors remuneration, which leads to the introduction of the Greenbury Report. The chartered Institute of Management Accountants (1999) explains the purposes of having Greenbury Report, to encourage more transparency with the organisation. It provides guidance on directors salaries, bonuses, and also accountability (Chambers 2002). Section A of the Greenbury Report discusses about the directors remuneration and directors remuneration should be decided by a remuneration committee. This committee should include non-executive directors who will decide upon the remuneration of the directors (Greenbury, 1995, section A1). The remuneration committee should provide report to shareholders which are discuss in Section B of the Greenbury Report disclosure and approval provisions (Greenbury, 1995, section B). Section C of the Greenbury Report discuss the performance of the company with there directors. The performance- related component of remuneration should be plan to align the interest of Directors and shareholders and to give directors enthusiastic incentives to execute at the highest levels (Greenbury, 1995, section C). Section D of the Greenbury Report discusses service contracts and compensation (Greenbury Report, 1995, Section D). This part focus on, how much compensation a director is entitled in the event of lea ving the company before his/ her contract expires. This means that shareholders know accurately how much it would cost them if they are firing any one of there director or directors. Hampel and the Broadening of Control Hampels Committee on Corporate Governance (1998) resulted in both a step fore and a step back from the earlier Cadbury report. Hampel elaborated the concept of internal control business risk assessment and response, financial management, compliance with laws and regulations and the safeguarding of assets, including the minimising of fraud (Hampel, 1998, pp. 53-54). The authors clearly stated that They are not concerned only with the financial aspects of governance (Hampel, 1998, p.53). Hampel took a broad view of internal control, stating that it is the responsibility of directors to establish a robust system of risk management, to recognize and appraise potential risks in every aspect of the business operation. The control concept of Hampels was welcome by many organisations, which also include the Association of British Insurers (ABI) which recognise it a realistic approach that motivated companies to deal with their compliance with the new corporate governance requirements (Fagan, 1999). Neil Cowan, Vice President of the European Confederation of Institutes of Internal Auditing, say that Hampels view of risk management represented a welcome restatement of that part of a Boards prime responsibility for devising a strategy that will ensure the companys continued existence (Cowan, 1997). The Turnbull Report A committee chaired by Nigel Turnbull produce a new report titled, Internal Control: Guidelines for Directors on the Combined Code, under the support of Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW, 1999), it was published less than two years after the Hampel Committee on Corporate Governance was published. The document issued by Turnbull committee filled may gaps left by Cadbury and Hampel. The report was drafting by the recommendations of the Combined Code and the underlying Hampel recommendations that directors review all controls. The main aim of the report as agreed by large organisation including ICAEW and the London Stock Exchange was to provide guidance to the listed companies and to implement the requirements in the Code relating to internal control. But the main purpose of the report was giving the relaxation to companies to explain their governance policies, the guidance obliged the board to report on the effectiveness of the companys system of internal c ontrol. This centre on internal control is attached to the idea of a dynamic company, which requires non-stop monitoring and auditing. The Report states that: A companys objectives, its internal organisation and the environment in which it operates are frequently developing and, consequence, the risks it faces are frequently altering. So there should a sound internal control system which depends on a regular assessment of the nature and extent of the risks to which the company is exposed. As profits are, in part, the prizes for successful risk-taking in business. Internal Control purpose is to help manager and control risk appropriately rather than to eliminate it. (ICAEW, 1999, p.5, para.13). Turnbull Committee involve two steps to interpret, firstly to identify the risk and how the risk is managed and evaluated. Secondly, assess the effectiveness of the internal control system, it procedure and effectiveness. Some other report which focuses on Corporate Governance in UK are Rutteman Report 1994 on Internal Control and Financial Reporting, Myners Report 2001 on Relationship between institutional investors and companies, Tyson Report 2003 on Recruitment and development of non executive directors (Chartered Institute of accountants for England and Wales, 2006). Why use Corporate Governance? The argument that the company should be subject to legal regulation at least some of their actions tends to be couched in term of Market failure. Companies are recognized to have characteristics, particularly the scale and scope of their operations, which make the market governance of their actions imperfect. The purpose of the regulation is to iron out those imperfections and to restore market governance. Now in some cases this may mean very extensive legal regulation indeed, and in exceptional cases, particularly in respect of the so-called natural monopolies, an acceptance that market governance must be abandoned in favour of economy governance. This is a topic, which is growing in importance following a number of high profile failures. In UK stock market as per Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance,1992 all listed companies need to publicly state whether or not they comply with Corporate Governance. If the Investors they are not fulfilling this requirement, they may full loss as this is an incentive for the listed companies to use Corporate Governance otherwise investors may choose to invest elsewhere. According to James Madison (Bavly, 1999) No man is allowed to be judge in his own case, because his interest would certainly bias his judgement and, not improbably corrupt his integrity described by James Madison (Bavly, 1999). Because of the Corporate Governance, companies are run in a fair and efficient manner to maximise the wealth of the organisation rather than maximise the profit and that no one person should have too much control. The Institute of Chartered Accounts for England and Wales (ICAEW, 2002) discuss the importance of Corporate Governance in more details, ICAEW (2002) explain that because of the corporate scandals, Corporate Governance came into motion or it can also be said corporate scandals is the main driver for Corporate Governance as it highlights what can actually happen and also the devastating affects. The ICAEW (2002) also indicated that because of the awareness and the increased knowledge of shareholders have lead to companies to improve there presentation in the market and also to improve the way in which they operate in order to attract investment. Shareholder influence affect the structure of an organisation (Investments) so they having a positive impact on Corporate Governance as it is a key driver for the implementation of Corporate Governance to many companies. Iskander and Chamlou (2000) explain that, to increase the market value and the market share good corporate Governance is essential. This is a key subject to consider because if the management is not performing efficiently and effectively, then money is going to be spent on agency problems, which arise. However with good Corporate Governance the board is working more consistently. Coyle (2003/2004) explains that there is also a difference of interest between directors of a company and its shareholders. The directors need to earn more benefits and high remuneration whereas the shareholders want the company to be earn more profit or to maximise the profit of an organisation so that they can cover there cost of capital. Corporate Governance allows shareholders and Directors to set criteria to come to an friendly agreement. This allows to set out exact guidelines to each other thus reducing conflict. (PriceWaterHouseCooper, 2004) The above figure is taken from a survey conducted by PriceWaterHouseCooper in year 2004, undertaking 134 executives. The executive were ask, what was the main reason for the failure of Corporate Governance. 37% of the executives replied because of the compliance failures and 26% replied because of the poor management and also because of the poor leadership. The conduct of senior executives was also a major risk according to 15% of directors. The figure clearly shows that Corporate Governance strongly focuses on activities such as leadership of executives. Corporate Governance in the USA Corporate Governance in the United States of America (USA) is different in some way from United Kingdom, however there are some similarities. In America the first Corporate Governance documents, was Treadway Report (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, CIMA, 1999). It emphasis on auditing, which it stressed must be separate from directors (CIMA, 1999). There are many forces that have led to the development of corporate governance in the U.S. as it appears now. The problem of the corporate governance in U.S is that there is not a set of laws or regulation to decide how organization matters are to be addressed. There are two side-by-side laws first is Federal law and Second is state laws, and traditionally corporate governance is a matter of state, so it is determine by the sate laws. This recommendation of corporate governance was aimed at reviewing the performance and profitability of companies through an independent organization in order for shareholders to have a true pic ture of how the company is performing. The Committee of Sponsoring Organisations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) then produced a further document on Corporate Governance which was based on Internal Control (CIMA, 1999). This was designed to discuss how a company should be run and appropriate controls, which would ensure this. After the corporate scandal of Enron, the Sarbanes-Oxley statute is really a federalization of corporate law. Sovereign of written statutes and regulations, the U.S. is a common law system so a great deal of the law on corporate governance comes through judicial decisions. The United States of America introduced corporate governance legislation in 2002, the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX). High profile corporate collapses due to a number of circumstances including financial reporting irregularities leading to a lack of investor confidence and public trust. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) which is the regulating body of the Financial Services sector in the UK did a number of things in reaction to the Enron scandal (Rouston, 2003). Rouston explains that the FSA conducted a review of listing rules and looking further into the matter of accountancy and auditing (Rouston, K, 2003). However in the USA the response to the growing number of Corporate Scandals and most recently the Enron scandal the USA was different than the UK. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was introduced in 2001 as a direct response to a number of corporate failures (Matyjewicz and Blackburn, 2003). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) was useful as it meant that Corporate Governance would have to be taken seriously and that there would be company on the stock exchange who did not comply with SOX (2002). Although the UK does not have legislation many companies do use corporate governance, the Combined Code, in order to attract investors (Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance, 1992). The three reasons for the development of Corporate Governance in USA:- (The Continuing Evolution of Corporate Governance in the United States- Thomas A. COLE Chairman, Executive Committee, Sidley Austin Brown Wood LLP) Capitalistic view has clearly prevailed with specific regulations imposed relating to the treatment of employees and such. The second factor in the development of U.S. corporate governance is that there are very widely held corporations. Another factor that has shaped corporate governance is the rise of the institutional investor. Paying for Good Governance One of the survey done by Mckinsey Company in 2000 all the investors are willing to pay more for a company with good board governance. Nearly 83% in latin America, 81% in US and 89% in Asia they consider that there should be proper control upon the working of the organisation. Source: Mckinsey company, Investor opinion (2000) Corporate Governance: A Mandate for Risk Management? Risk Management is described as identifying and managing a firms exposure to financial risk. Corporate Governance as describe above is a set of rules, procedure and structures by which investors, who invest in an organisation assure themselves that they are getting pre-determined return and they also ensure themselves that there investment is used and invested in efficient portfolio and the managers are not misusing there investment. It is at the top of the international development agenda as emphasised by James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank: The governance of companies is more important for world economic growth than the government of countries. This section will focus the connection between risk management and Corporate Governance. Corporate Governance and Risk Management are strongly linked and the two are used in conjunction with one another to help companies in the running of a smooth and well-organized business. One of the main reasons for the implementation of Corporate Governance is to stop Corporate Failings and Turnbull highlights that that drive the business forward, some risks should be taken (Chartered Institute Internal Auditors for UK and Ireland). And is said to calculate risks the use of risk management is essential because even the smallest risk can create big problem for companies. CIMA (1999) explain number of factors which link Corporate Governance with Risk Management, good corporate Governance reduces risks. The purpose of the risk management is to eliminate risk. Risk Management as described by Coyle (2003/04) identifying, assessing and controlling the risks facing a business, and with incorporating risk issues into decision making processes (Coyle, B, P2). And if we compare the definition provided by the (Cadbury, 1992, Coyle, p4) The system by which companies are directed and controlled both the definitions aim to protect the organisation and their investor (equity or debt) and also ensure the smooth running if the organisation. There have been many changes in issues Corporate Governance and Risk Management from the Cadbury Report of the early 1990s to the more recent Turnbull Report of 1999. Well it is now clear to all the boards of directors there responsibility to ensure that all possible threats to an organisation have been systematically identified, carefully evaluated and effectively controlled. Corporate Scandals The Corporate Scandals were occurring on a frequent basis in the 1980s 1990s (The international Corporate Governance Review 2003). This was considered as a worrying condition for investors and companies. Short et al (1998) suggested that corporate scandals can occur for a number of reasons one of the reason given by them was creative accounting, which can explain as not doing the accounts properly and hiding the problems or risk through which the company is exposed. And the investors believe that company is performing and working in a good condition and there investment is safe. They also explained that dishonest of directors also played a vital part in corporate scandals, this can be in many ways such as hiding the fact and telling shareholder that the company is doing well. Nathanson (2002) explain corporate scandals often have elements of political blame. Nathanson explain this by taking the example of Heaths Government in 1972 as they made a drive for growth. Which mean high share prices which affected the economy which was growing at round 5%. And some companies such as Slater Walker went bankrupt (Nathanson 2002). One of the interesting question to analyse is How do (the suppliers of finance) make sure that managers do not steal the capital they supply or invest it in bad projects (Licht, 2003). To protect Investors is the overall main purpose of Corporate Governance and this statement shows the overall purpose for the Corporate Governance. The scandals not only affected the shareholders of the organisation but it also harm the staff, usually financially. So the whole organisation was effected by the Corporate Scandals. One of the article printed in Financial Times in year 2002, which explain the former employees pension which was previously worth $450, 000 is now worth $12,000, this is because of the collapse of the company, and financial time total blame corporate governance (Financial Times, 2002). This shows how the collapse of a massive company such as Enron can have on one individual employee. However we should also understand that shareholder are not only one who are affected by this disaster but it also affected such as the financial services market, a decline in confidence in the market, and the government as it is poor publicity. (Market and opinion research International, 2003) The figure 3.2 highlights that confidence in UK organizations is in-fact fairly high when comparing the above data it is clear that in-fact confidence is rather high with 47% disagreeing that an Enron could occur and 35% strongly disagreeing. But the fact is that only 4% of the directors who were interviewed believe that it was likely or highly likely. To conclude this, now the directors are confident after the effective corporate governance that there wont be another Enron Scandal occurs in the UK. Maier (2005) suggested of the failure of the corporate governance is corporate scandal. And because of these corporate scandals investor loose there confidence over the market (Maier 2005). Because of these corporate scandal government introduce the Cadbury Report (1992) to increase the confidence of the investor (Cadbury Report 1992). The USA also acted in a similar way to the Enron scandal by introducing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002). It appears that corporate scandals have many bad affects but they are a key driver for Corporate Governance. Can directors be trusted to tell the truth? Agree: 17% Disagree: 65% Are directors paid too much? Agree: 75% Disagree: 11% Can firms pension promises be trusted? Agree: 34% Disagree: 43% Can accountants be trusted to check results? Agree: 37% Disagree: 39% (BBC Business, 2002) The above figure was taken from BBC business survey which was conducted in 2002 by surveying 2000 members of the UK public. The survey was conducted soon after the corporate scandals which were because of the failure of the Corporate Governance. When analysing the figure the general public of UK totally lost confidence from the companies and only 17% of the citizen respondents that they trust Directors. So we can conclude by saying that corporate governance is a prime factor or this also be explain as a key element which not only enhance investors confidence but it also promote competitiveness and ultimately the whole economy benefits. The governance of companies is more important for world economic growth than the government of countries (James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank). Cultural, political and economic norms affect the way in which a society approaches corporate governance and its affects on board leadership, management mistake and accountability. The challenge in front of the policy maker is to reach a balance of legislative and regulatory reform, taking into consideration the best practice to promote enterprise, enhance competitiveness and stimulate investment. Conclusion There are clearly many factors which act to provide incentive for institutions not to involve themselves in Corporate Governance issues. Whilst the level of monitoring by institutions is greater than that commenly supposed, such monitoring tends to be carried out in private, and, as Black and Coffee (1994) note, for most British institutions, activism is crisis driven. Furthermore, it is unlikely that behind the scenes monitoring is satisfactory, particularly from the point of view of the public, as it enhances the belief that institutions and company management are all simply part of the same old boy network, a belief illustrated by the debate concerning the high level of directors remuneration. The increase in number of informations and guidance has increased the knowledge of the companies and has also made the corporate practices more sophisticated. If we go through Cadbury committee report there was lack of internal control however Turnbull report lifted the veil and this report emphasized on internal control as part from other controls. Other countries such as the USA are different from Great Britain, the USA introduce Corporate Governance Legislation called the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Although the United Kingdom do not have Corporate Governance legislation as such companies feel obliged to follow guidance if wish to attract investment (ICAEW, 2005). Corporate Governance is very much important for these days for the companies who work either in public sector or private sector as it has been highlighted in previous high profile corporate scandals, such as Enron, that lacking of Corporate Governance companies are exposed to being involved in a Corporate Scandal (ICAEW, 2005). Corporate Governance is now becoming a culture of companies in Britain and it is more often used than ever before. Large corporate scandals in the USA, such as Enron, have an affected other countries which also include the UK. Corporate Governance is closely linked to Risk Management; so it is essential to go through the key component in the risk management regime. Chapter 2 Case Studies In order to see the poor performance of Corporate Governance and lack of Corporate Governance legislation it is useful to use the case study approach. It was very important for the dissertation as it highlights the real life example of the poor performance of Corporate Governance. A case study can be defined as a research study which focuses on understanding the dynamics present within a single setting (Eisenhardt 1989, p65). This technique (Case Study) was introduced in 1934 as per the Oxford English Dictionary (2006). According to Stake (1993) the purpose of using two case studies was to see how the failure of corporate governance and there affect on the companies in different ways. One of the key objectives of including these cases is to see the affect of corporate scandals and how they can happen and this aim can be assisted by the case study technique. There are a many limitations however; the company scandals are in different sectors of the economy. The approach of case study is having number of advantage and number of disadvantages as well. By using case studies, comparisons can be drawn, comparing one corporate scandal with the other company scandal (Jankowicz, 2005). It must be noted that when comparing the different corporate scandal they are often very different but the

Essay on Dr. Eckleburg of The Great Gatsby -- Great Gatsby Essays

Dr. Eckleburg   of The Great Gatsby      Ã‚   Throughout the course of events in The Great Gatsby, the watchful eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg stare into the depths of each character, while the Doctor serves as a god of conscience from his middle ground between two worlds. As the creations of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the characters whose stories unwind before us live twisted webs of lives in which there is a distorted view of a greater force outside their worlds. Dr. Eckleburg merely watches over the "grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it" at the spot where "when the drawbridge is up to let barges through, the passengers on waiting trains can stare at the dismal scene for as long as half an hour" (27-8). This is where Dr. Eckleburg reigns; this is the site of a final...

Comparing Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith to Tim Burton :: Compare Contrast Comparison

Comparing Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith to Tim Burton Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's Baloney (HENRY P.) and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas illustrations encourage us to see the world through a distorted lens. I would like to compare how similar but yet how different the two illustrators are in the way they show their work in a distorted view. Scieszka and Smith have made Henry P. a different kind of sci-fi adventure of a boy explaining to his teacher why he was late to school. Smith has detailed the illustrations as they follow what the text says with a distorted twist. For example, when Henry was explaining that he ended up on the planet astrosus with astro guys, Smith illustrated an astro guy with pointy eyebrows, a sharp nose, and a red spiky tongue flicking out to catch Henry in his red space suit. The astro guy is not what we expect from an alien like creature, he had an odd shaped, distinctive head that would make heads turn twice. The effect of Smith's illustrations here make us look at the world critically. Henry's red space suit makes you get a feel for his personality and makes you wonder why his story is interesting. Scieszka shows another distorted way of Henry's world of imagination, when Henry says, "I was only three seconds away from zerplatzen all over the speelplaats" (Scieszka). Smith creates this by showing the backside of Henry (focal point) falling through the red space, past the white shadowy moon. One of his silver gloves flying alone through the air by the odd, jagged, red rocks. Smith varies the in your face colors surrounding Henry to make him look like he is actually falling through space. The streaks pointing toward the center (Henry) creates a striking image by the brightness of the tones. Henry said, "I suddenly remembered...that falling bodies obey the law of gravity. And I haven't learned the law of gravity yet. So I stopped and came to szkola" (Scieszka). Smith does not let him stall in space, he has him floating in the red sky among the orange-whitish clouds with sparkles in his eyes. The green of Henry's body and clothes contrasts with the red/orange and makes him the focus of the page. The illustrations do not pay attention to gravity by being off balance. Smith has made this story colorful and exciting through his illustrations.

Essay --

The sun was beaming on a hot afternoon in July of 2017. We were almost to the finish line. It was hard to believe we had started the race about 10 hours earlier. by pedaling until our legs felt like they were about to fall off, by drinking water like we had been in the desert for weeks, and by believing that we could make it to the end, Alex and I made it, to my Ithaca, Portland Oregon. My odyssey was a tough one, not only the 200 mile race, but also the decisions we had to make on our way up the the race. My family and I had just spent the week in Portland, and we were headed home. When out of nowhere I saw a big group of cyclers going down the opposite side of the freeway, â€Å"What are they doing?† I asked my older brother. â€Å"Is that Seattle to Portland?† he asked my dad, and my dad said â€Å"yes†. I found the very interesting so I just had to tell my best friend Alex, who is equal to Hermes from the odyssey, his encouragement being my molu flower. He said he had heard about it before, after talking about this for countless minutes, but we set a goal to participate in the race before we went off to college in 2017. After a few days we realized that we wouldn’t stand a chance at finishing that race without practicing. We decided starting in the spring of seventh grade, every time one of us would go to the others house, we would bike there. Eventually we noticed that even that wouldn’t cut it. We assured ourselves that every week we would bike somewhere, and then the next week we would bike a little further, and further. Until we thought we had reached our preferred distance. We started off by biking to 7/eleven which is about one or two miles away, we struggled at first, but after biking there a few times we got the hang of it. B... ...ints knowing that we had the resources to make it for a while without a major break. we passed an abundance of the other bikers, but After mille 100 I was getting really exhausted, and every chance I got I would try to convince Alex to take a break, but I knew that if we took too many I would lose faith of getting to the finish line in Portland my Ithaca, which was only 100 miles away, but a simple thing could stop me from getting there. Alex and I were only about a minute away from the finish line, we heard the cheering of the people waiting at the finish line, then it happened, both of us crossed the finish line, beating the other contestants like Odysseus beat the Suitors. We had completed our journey, where we drank all our water, where we battled the thought of giving up, and where we witnessed amazing scenery, and we had just made it to Portland, my Ithaca.

Evaluate the Assessments You Have Carried Out, Stating Whether You Believe They Were Fair, Valid and Reliable

Evaluate the assessments you have carried out, stating whether you believe they were fair, valid and reliable. During the Skype assessments I carried out on 2 learners, who are studying the nvq level 2 in customer services. My job was to observe the 2 learners and assess their ability, and then match against the criteria set for the units which I was observing them for. For both of my learners there are a number of assessment methods I have tried, in order to understand their learning ability. From doing these assessments I have understood where my weaknesses, strengths are, along with the learners. Personal Statement I started off by asking them to write in their own words, how do you maintain a positive and customer friendly attitude, and how you communicate effectively with customers? By them completing these personal statements, it gives me an understanding that they know what their job role is. As these two points which they have written about in their words, are the two units. Basically what I have asked them to do is sum up in their own words what they have understood from the units. I believe that by assessing learners through this method, it is a fair, valid, and reliable. This is because I know the learners, and the information which they have written about is valid because it is in their own words, from their own understanding. However there may also by the disadvantage of doing a personal statement. This is because I believe that there may be a possibility that a personal statement could be written by someone else, as there is no validity and proof of this being created by the learner him/herself. However I have followed these personal statements with questions which brought me to the conclusion, that my learner’s personal statement is valid, fair and reliable. Observation I also used the observation method to assess my learners. I asked my learners to carry out tasks which they have to do, in conjunction with their daily work routine. I observed my learners as they made calls externally and internally, which showed me how good their communications skills are. They called customers and discussed issues which they were having, whilst I was observing their quality of assistance. I believe that this method is fair, valid and reliable, because I can see, hear and also take notes whilst they are carrying out the tasks. From my experience I think that this method of assessment is very good as it gives the assessor a wider choice of observing. But at the same time I would say that it also is not so good, as the results may not be correct. Sometimes the learners may not respond accurately, as they may feel embarrassed, they may not feel too well, and there are other various reasons. Oral questions At the end of the assessment, and also during the assessment, I stopped my learners and asked various questions. Sometimes I asked questions relating to what they were speaking of, for example, one of my learners was talking about CRM, and I had no idea regarding this. So I asked her to explain about it. In a similar way I asked them questions relating to the course. I think the assessments are fair, valid and reliable as they are put on the spot, and answering these questions shows their understanding and capability of the course. Written Questions/Case Study As part of the assessment, I sent a couple of questions which they had to answer in a time limit of 20 minutes. These questions were to determine their skills around the course and their practicality of work. I selected these questions from the criteria of the units which I was assessing them on. These questions are knowledge based, which means that they had to answer in detail, explaining their views and choices. In a same way I set a case study for the learners, where I gave them a scenario, and at the end asked them questions regarding the scenario. Whatever the answers were, the learners had to explain why they chose this answers. I believe this method of assessment is fair, valid and reliable, this is because the learners must write answers from their own understanding of the unit. But along with this, many times learners get the feeling to cheat. However I have carried out some questions which made me believe that the answers were valid. Discuss whether the assessments went well and what would you do differently next time I believe that the overall assessment itself went well, as I came to conclusion after carrying out each method of assessment. I asked my learners to do a personal statement, writing in their own words relating to the unit. Although this is a good way to get an understand of the learners ability, I strongly feel that rather, I should ask them the question, and they answer me, which I could then write down. I believe both observations are really good method of assessing the learner, as i just watched and noted what they were doing, and didn’t need to interfere with their task. But I believe that a Skype method may not be so well, as I felt the learner may not have been so comfortable with this. This is because I could see her, where as she could not see what I was doing. This then becomes a barrier to both sides communicating effectively. So I think that next time when an assessment takes place, both sides should be able to see what both sides are doing. I don’t think my oral questions were so good, I believe they were straight forward and easy to answer. This is because I had less time to prepare the actual assessment itself. And I believe that if I had more time then I could have constructed these questions more complex, which then could be more challenging for the learners. I think that next time I plan for these methods of assessments, I should create a good series of questions, which could give me a better understanding of the learner’s knowledge. As for the written question and the case study, although I believe they are strong methods of assessment, as they allow the assessor to evaluate the learner’s knowledge. I also think that sometimes learners may take advantage of being distant and cheat. I believe that these methods of assessments should be carried out whilst the assessor is watching via Skype. Identify any learning points for your own development. From the feedback received from my tutor, I believe there are two main points which need to be developed before the next assessment, as they relate directly to assessments. The first learning and development point that I need to work towards is the grammar and spelling of my work. I need to make sure that all my work is proof read before sending of for marking. Although this has been my weakness, and I have been advised to always keep this in mind. I believe that this happens due to me rushing through everything. So I believe that if take everything one step at a time, it could reduce the grammatical errors. I could also reduce this by always proofreading work, which would highlight the errors. On a development note which has come to me newly, is the selection of words. I have been told by my tutor that the feedback you gave included the term ‘sweet’ to describe the communication of one of the candidates. My tutor advised me that I must be on the safe side and avoid these terms, as they are deemed offensive. I believe that this is true and I could work towards improving this, where next time I should think of the words I select before giving feedback. Explain how you will continue your professional development to ensure current expertise and competence in your own vocational area as well as assessing. I will use my CPD plan in order to ensure that my current expertise and new experiences are brought to real practice. Every time my tutor, or my colleagues who monitors my every lesson gives me feedback on what I can improve, I put that in my personal development plan. I then try and implement those, and once I have achieved this I tick on the plan. For example, I have been informed more than twice by my colleagues to always go back to lesson objective whilst teaching. I also have been informed by my tutor about my grammar and proof reading my work. So I have created a note on my plan, and now that I have put this action into practice I have ticked off this note. Now until I bring proofreading fully into practice, i will not tick this off. I will be using my CPD plan to note any improvements which I need to make, and then as an outcome assess if that objective has been met. I will continue to practice until this objective has been met, and once it has I will tick this objective off. By following this CPD plan, it will enhance me in my expertise and advance my skills.

Case Study Report – Motorola

This case is about implementation of a new â€Å"shared vision† concept within The Analog Division of Motorola Company. In 1993 Analog division was a major manufacturer of analog products in the world and had its divisions in many different countries. In other words the division had strong global presence. In order to create more efficient global company, Alison and John have decided to develop new shared vision within The Analog Division where managers would be involved directly and indirectly in the decision making process. Before the new vision development, Analog Division and its managers was very limited in decision making. Because they had such a strong global presence their vision didn’t work. The problem was that they were not open to new global ideas or possible obstacles where managers around the world would make decisions together. Visioning process of Motorola’s Analog Division had number of cultural challenges. One of the challenges was the difference in the way different cultures perceived concept of â€Å"shared vision†. One of the key words in the vision statement was â€Å"family† and â€Å"union†. For instance, people in China take the word â€Å"family† literally and in their own setting this word is not appropriately applicable to vision statement. Another challenge was getting managers to think globally and get accustomed to the concept of shared vision. Many of the managers from different countries had their own cultural ways of doing things and to open ones ideas to others was hard to achieve. Alison and John had hard time communicating to managers that this idea is not imposed on them. The major barrier in the vision implementation was the language. Sometimes, the same words in one language have very different meaning in another. The following quote is good example of the language and communication style perception: â€Å"Good communication American style is to say what you mean precisely, in as straightforward a manner as possible. Be direct, get to the point, and say what the bottom line is. For other cultures, this style is rude, abrasive and self-centered†. (http://www. frugalmarketing. com/dtb/xcultcomm. html) Therefore, Alison and John were trying to be careful about this issue. They had vision statement written in five different languages. The important thing was that the vision statement was not just literally translated but rather adjusted to its own culture so people of that division have clear understanding of the vision. First cultural misstep that Alison and John made was their lack of research prior to the task. They have conducted research reg arding managers and the ways they communicate decisions overseas. They also gained insight of the success of each division but what they failed to consider some of the psychological cultural differences. They overlooked possibility of different reactions among the managers based on their background. For instance, some managers were afraid to lose their jobs where in fact that was not the case. We can see that from this quote† Every culture possesses a unique mixture of attitudes, values, and social expectations. I think that Seven Tasks process definitely added significant value to the final results. The way the tasks were broken down helped both, managers and Alison to have a better grasp of the vision statement process. It was easier to account for details and to adjust to reactions by going through steps. Phase four will definitely be challenging one. Working in a group is one thing but agreeing on the process could be challenging especially where different cultures are agreeing on one thing. Another additional challenge is taking the vision to the future and building upon it.

Lady Macbeth – Human Weakness

Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ is a character who suffers greatly in because of her human weakness, which is her vaulting ambition. This ambition is not for her, but for her husband. This woman, who seemed so in control at the beginning of the okay, only cared for her husband and his success, later becomes so consumed with guilt and remorse that it results in her tragic death. Through the discussion of characterisation and lkey scenes, I shall reveal that Lady Macbeth’s human flaw is   not only a major contributor to the ruthlessness of her husband but creates a huge influence in how the play unfolds.The effect of Lady Macbeth’s ambition and compassion towards her devoted husband is immediately shown in the first scene of which she appears. When she receives a letter from Macbeth informing her on his meeting with the three witches, who they promise him that he will be king. This is, in Lady Macbeth’s eyes, his rightful position and by her first words, ‘Glamis art thou cawdor/ and shalt be what thou art promised’ makes us instantly recognise that she will stop at nothing to make sure that he gets what she feels Macbeth deserves.So when Lady Macbeth’s disturbing soliloquy about her becoming un-womanly to make sure her plan to kill Duncan will not fail, is not all of a surprise. She calls upon the spirits of evil in her quest to become completely absent of feeling and emotion. ‘Come you spirits, which tend on mortal thoughts/ unsex me here and fill me from the crown to toe/ top-full of direst cruelty’. She wishes for all her innate womanly qualities to disappear and replace it with evil ‘Come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall’.She calls upon the evil spirits to prevent her in failing her mission to make her husband king. ‘no computions visiting of nature/ shall shake my fell purpose’. She asks for ‘Come thick night, and pall thee to the dunnest smoke of hell’ to hide her malicious thoughts and plans from everyone. As well as wishing for herself to become overwhelmed with ambition and callousness, she wants her husband to do the same. As in the same soliloquy she states her concerns for Macbeth that his soul is ‘too full of the milk of human kindness/ to catch the nearest way’.This means that she thinks that Macbeth’s natural kindness is a bad thing and that he would be unable to murder Duncan, the quickest way to become king. However, when Macbeth returns home from fighting he is greeted with the plan to kill Duncan. At first he refuses to co-operate but his wife manipulates him to change his mind. She throws at him insults, such as ‘once you durst do it, then you were a man’ and to call a man who just fought bravely for his king a coward in a mighty insult. She also throws at him ‘From this time such I account thy love’.At the end, in order to make sure Macbeth does commit the unnatural deed she tells him a disturbing image of her with her newborn child ‘And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you’. Even so, if Lady Macbeth was a heartless, truly selfishly ambitious and a ruthless character then she would not have to call upon spirits to help become evil and take all her womanly qualities. Thus implying that she has womanly qualities that she wants rid of. And Shakespear makes us weary of this by allowing her to speak her thoughts and agony’s but only when Macbeth is not around.When Macbeth commits the murder, in Act 2, he is truly distraught and cannot think correctly and brings back the blood laden daggers with him. So Lady Macbeth, again, takes control of the situation. Earlier in the scene Lady Macbeth, who we first thought would commit the murder could not as ‘had he not resembled my father as he slept/ I’d had done it’. This shows flaw in her ruthlessness and shows th at her calling of evil did not completely work. It also shows that her human weakness, has weakness’ in itself. However she collects herself and brings the daggers back to Duncan’s body. To do this must have taken super human strength.

Nietzsche and the Superman

The philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche has four themes: nihilism, morality, the will to power, and eternal recurrence. It is important to know and to understand first these themes so as to comprehend the value of Nietzsche proclaiming the struggle to be a superman. Nietzsche perceives nihilism as the product of an accelerating corrosion of religious and cultural beliefs at the heart of European civilization at the end of the 19th century. Thinkers during the Enlightenment period, who uphold the supremacy of reason over faith, challenge supernatural truths, demanding explanations of the afterlife, the soul, and God that are amenable to human logic and the senses. This mode of thinking seriously challenge and influence to undermine the basic tenets of Christianity and European culture. The statement of Nietzsche, â€Å"God is dead,† is the greatest expression of nihilism. From a viewpoint that God is none existent, Nietzsche sees man’s life as characterized by an aimless relativity that is experienced by him in every sphere of reality – cultural, political, historical, and philosophical. God, considered to be a supreme value, no longer exists. When the highest values consequently become devalued or rejected, nihilism emerges. A case in point, if a supreme value is non-existent, what is there that serves as basis for the existence of things? Man is therefore incapacitated to arrive at certainty about knowledge of reality or of his world. The highest values become devalued not in the sense that man knowingly confronts an eternal abyss in fear and trembling, but the highest values simply no longer exist. These values no longer exert influence. Man accepts this event not with stoic resignation but in total unawareness (Magnus, 1978: 11). Man lives in a society, and is bound by its conventions. When he is born, given to him are his race or ethnicity, status, and role to fulfill in society. Man takes these things and lives his life according to these, often done unconsciously. The second theme of Nietzsche’s philosophy is the master and slave morality. The master morality is born out of higher qualities inherent in the greatest men. Moral judgments are made according to the qualities of the person and not to his actions. A noble statesman is always deemed good, someone who is worth emulating. On the one hand, slave morality is an almost unconscious condition that holds sway over the vast majority of men. The moral standard is that which is useful or beneficial for the many or for the community. The noble statesman, who is deemed good by the standards of master morality, is judged as vile according to the standards of slave morality. Majority of men are suspicious of the leaders that rule over them, and are influenced not immediately because their actions but by their role of ruling over the majority. This value system is an unfortunate vestige of millennia-old social and religious systems, which perpetuate outdated and corrupt moral values such as humility, sympathy, and the like (Magnus, 1978). Nihilism is a life without depth. It is a life of endless wandering, moreover with the fact that man is often unconscious of it. Man hence has to be made to see that this nihilism is the form of life that he has become. He has become a slave, who is one among the many. He must come to know that he lives a passive nihilism, submitting to the fate of the many, and must overcome this, which is to become a master. He must overcome himself. Indeed to change man’s nihilistic idea, he has to change his habitual way of viewing the world. He has to transform his way of understanding religions, moral behavior, language, and political and social institutions of which he is a part (Magnus, 1978: 12). This is where the superman of Nietzsche gains significance. Since the highest values no longer exert influence, Nietzsche proclaims that men have to struggle to become the superman. The superman represents ascending to life, self-overcoming, self-possession, and is to be contrasted with decadence, decomposition, and weakness. As an idealized type, he represents the highest possible integration of intelligence, strength of character and will, autonomy, passion, taste and perhaps even of physical prowess (Magnus, 1978: 34). The task of the superman is to become individuated in an extreme degree and thus to rise high above morality and the herd morality. Man has to question conventional truths that have been accepted by society, and for him to in fact rise above these truths. He has to formulate those high values for himself, and thus end his aimless wandering. There are three steps that Nietzsche espouses in struggling to become a superman. In his book Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche portrays this struggle as the metamorphoses of the camel, the lion, and the child.   First is that one must exert a will to power which is demonstrated in that person’s extinguishing of his nihilism and in a profound reevaluation of traditional moral ideas and the creation of radical new concepts. For this to be realized, one has to be immersed as an active agent with the structure in which one finds himself. Referring to the camel, it submits to burdensome labor. It offers itself to be employed in order for society to attain its good. In doing this, the camel realizes itself and acknowledges its value in that society. Upon realizing that one’s value or worth is endowed by society instead of emanating from oneself, the will to power must also manifest itself destructively in the form of an abhorrence and total rejection of the moral and social ideas hitherto believed by mankind. â€Å"In the loneliest desert, however, the second metamorphoses occurs, here the spirit becomes a lion which would conquer its freedom and be master in its own desert. Here it seeks out its last master: it wants to fight and its last god; for ultimate victory it wants to fight with the great dragon.† (Nietzsche, 2006: 14) Referring to the lion, it projects pride, strength, autonomy, and passion to assert and to distinguish itself among the many. It strives to dominate or to be above the rest. â€Å"My brothers, why is there a need in the spirit for the lion? †¦to create new values†¦that is within the power of the lion. The creation of freedom for oneself and a sacred â€Å"No† even to duty – for that my brothers the lion is needed.† (Nietzsche, 2006: 15) Last is that one must perpetually involve himself in an act of self-overcoming. The will to power is a struggle both against oneself and other men that have adhered to conventions in society. Referring to the child, he is free from internal constraints. He is emancipated from the cares of this world. â€Å"†¦my brothers, what can the child do that even the lion could not do?†¦A child is innocence and forgetting, a new beginning, a game, a self-propelled wheel, a first movement, a sacred Yes. For the game of creation, my brothers, a sacred â€Å"Yes† is needed: the spirit now wills its own will, and he who had been lost to the world now conquers his own world.† (Nietzsche, 2006: 15) A child creates and possesses his own values and sees the world according to these values. To become a child, to have a freedom like his, this is man has to struggle for. The last theme in Nietzche’s philosophy is eternal recurrence. This is his central and most famous philosophical idea. This his conviction that at some time in the future another individual would be born with precisely the same thought-processes and experiences as himself. Furthermore, Nietzsche’s principle of love of fate is purely antithetical to religion: rather than live your life in preparation for such supernatural illusions as heaven, one must rather embrace this life and wish every feature and moment of it to be repeated forever, since only this life exist and none other. This idea may be horrifying and paralyzing for most people but it is a necessary conviction for the attainment of full individuation. II The struggle to become a superman arises from an external force, that is social structures, and from an internal force, that is emanating from the individual. Man is born free, yet he is situated in a massive and oppressive social structure, which limits and alienates his activities. He lives with a set of beliefs and values that influence his thoughts and actions. But are these beliefs and values that he adheres to are instilled consciously by him? Not all, and even most of these beliefs and values are already present when he was born. He is born in a family, baptized or inducted into a particular religion, taught with customs and traditions of his native place, bounded to the laws of his people or nation, and the like. As he matures, he takes these beliefs and values into himself without much evaluation since these are what he got to grow up with and such are the conventions that his society got used to live with.   He is born a peasant or a working class. He would be taught or trained to be a worker; would have a family and would pass his learning to his children. He would unfortunately die a peasant or a working class. This is what usually happens to man. This is the curse of the many. Is man totally free then? The answer is that an individual has the capacity to go beyond the present, to move toward the future. Man has the capacity to choose and decide for himself.   What he does ought to be determined by him and not by the social laws or larger social structures wherein he is situated. Though he lives in a society, he is not bounded by its conventions. Man has the prerogative for transcendence, the surpassing of the given. Freedom however demands that man be responsible for it. It is simply to take the consequences of choice. People are free to choose for themselves or to decide for their lives. They are responsible for everything they do. They have no excuses for the outcomes of their choice. And that is the staggering responsibilities of freedom, which cause anguish to some while a source of optimism to those who see their fate in their hands. The struggle to become a superman involves that anguish because due to the staggering resonsbilities of freedom. Friedrich Nietzsche in his work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, has wrote: â€Å"The Superman is the meaning of the Earth. Let your will say: The Superman shall be the meaning of the Earth! I conjure you, my brethren, remain true to the Earth, and believe not those who speak unto you of superearthly hopes! Poisoners are they, whether they know it or not. Despisers of life are they, decaying ones and poisoned ones themselves, of whom the earth is weary: so away with them!† (Nietzsche, 2006:4) It is a challenge to question a universal system of thought that reveals what is true, right, beautiful, and so on that led to the closure of philosophy and the human sciences. It is to challenge convention. â€Å"Man is a rope stretched between the animal and the Superman – a rope over an abyss. A dangerous crossing, a dangerous wayfarign, a dangerous looking-back, a dangerous trembling and halting. I love him who lived in order to know, and seek to know in order that the Superman may hereafter live. Thus seek he his own down-going.† (Nietzsche, 2006: 6) Life is a theatre, and we are the actors. We can choose to play our own roles, and not be determined by the roles that are given to us by society. That is the Superman. REFERENCES Magnus, Bernard (1978). Nietzsche's Existential Imperative. United States: Indiana University Press. Nietzche, F. (2006 ed.) Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.      

(book) norwegian wood by HARUKI MURAKAMI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

(book) norwegian wood by HARUKI MURAKAMI - Essay Example The sensitive portrayal of the Japanese youth who were caught in the web of contrasting culture of the East and the West, has turned into a universal appeal for understanding. The protagonist of the novel is Toru Wantabe who becomes nostalgic about his student days when he hears his favourite Beatle song ‘Norwegian Wood’ while travelling on the plane. The book is his flashback into his student life while he was studying in the University of Tokyo. The protagonist, throughout his recollection, has maintained a tender spot for the love of his life and at the same time his encounters with death, in the form of suicide have forced him to contemplate the wider meaning of life. The author has seemingly used death as a reconciliatory medium as well as that of alienation so much so that it has almost become a second theme of the novel. The book is a subtle love story of Toru and Naoko who are probably caught by circumstances into a relationship. Naoko was the girlfriend of Toru’s best friend, Kizuku. After Kizuku commits suicide at the age of 17, Naoko is lost in grief and subsequently, loses touch with Toru. They meet each other after a year in Tokyo where both of them, have gone to study. They are drawn towards each other through their common friend, who is dead. Each of them want to keep in contact because it brings them closer to Kizuku, who is more alive than dead, in the memories of the two characters. The inability of the characters to move away from the past is the bond that ultimately becomes the main cause of their separation. Though initially, Toru befriends Naoko because she was a link with his best friend but later, his feelings change into love or so he thinks. The author has used the protagonist to represent the contemporary youth who are shy to proclaim their love but are least hesitant to experiment with sex on a casual and

Innovation and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Innovation and Change - Essay Example Innovation and commercialisation differ considerably from each other. Different types, sizes and markets of innovation have been clearly depicted in the paper. Several factors such as culture, organisational structure, its core competence and environmental scanning that play a vital part in innovation strategy have been mentioned in detail. Various issues and factors that make an organisation innovative have been discussed by citing examples. 2.0 What Is Innovation and Why Is It Important? Definition Innovation refers to an application of improved or new ideas to products, process, marketing or various other activities of a firm in order to increase its ‘value’. Value represents a wider approach to incorporate higher value added to the firm, benefits to consumers or other firms (Princeton University Press, n.d.). Innovation implies the process by which different degrees of quantifiable value improvement is planned as well as achieved in commercial activity. The processes by which innovation can be achieved are introducing new or improved products and services, executing improved operational process and implementing new managerial process (Business.Gov.in, n.d.). Importance In the present scenario, innovation is a key factor to maintain long run of business and organisation. Innovation facilitates to achieve competitive advantage over others. An organisation is involved in various innovative activities in manufacturing procedures, brand building, product improvement and others. Innovation facilitates to structure corporate life and also helps a company to develop various strategies. Various other significances of innovation in the industry encompass decrease in total cost of production, increase in income opportunity and maintenance of well-organised operating system. It also enables to observe probable acquisitions on the basis of cost as well as accelerating profitable top-line revenue growth along with increasing capabilities. The research and de velopment of the country can be expanded by innovation by means of most up-to-date technology in the country (Business.Gov.in, n.d.). Difference between Commercialisation and Innovation Innovation implies improvement with innovative technologies in various sectors in an organisation. Innovation process varies considerably depending on different industries and their product lines. In certain industries, such as pharmaceuticals, innovation depends greatly on scientific breakthroughs, while in electronics industry innovation develops from product and process design. Innovation takes on several characteristics during product as well as industry life cycles (Princeton University, 1995). Commercialisation refers to increase in profit from innovation in an organisation by integrating new technologies into processes, products and services and then selling them in marketplace. Commercialisation is contingent in industries of pharmaceuticals along with aircraft while receiving sanction of pro ducts from suitable organisations. Commercial success depends on the ability and skill of firms to develop and protect a proprietary benefit in the marketplace as it does on their capability to produce new scientific and technical advances (Princeton University, 1995). Several innovations are developed to the prototype stage and are produced in lesser amount, but it is not totally commercialised because the financial

Joint venture success factors in the petroleum industry (management Essay

Joint venture success factors in the petroleum industry (management side) - Essay Example On the other hand, there were thirteen failure factors that gas and oil managers pointed out. The failure factors include; i. Selecting a suitable business partner. ii. Managerial teams having mixed abilities. iii. The company’s power of negotiation. iv. Gain of foreign technology v. Compatibility of each partners objectives vi. Having a clear understanding of the petroleum sector future dynamics vii. Gaining managerial expertise from foreign partners viii. Cooperation between supply and reinforcement. ix. Export development. x. Sharing risks and profits. xi. International marketing cooperation. xii. Joint venture agreement transparency. xiii. Powers for independent decision making. The success factors that were pointed out by the managers include; i. Corporate cultures importance ii. Production cooperation. iii. Solving of conflicts iv. Export development v. Domestic marketing cooperation. vi. Taking an equal responsibility in management vii. The willingness of the partners f rom Algeria to retain their stake as majority shareholders in the Joint Ventures. viii. Involvement of domestic partners in R & D. ix. International leasing eligibility. The data gathered from all the participants in the form of filled questionnaires were then arranged as tables in the SPSS data files in order to be analyzed through the SPSS processor. In total, four SPPSS data files or tables were composed, out of which one represented the Algerian Managers failure factors, one included the Algerian Managers success factors, one comprised of Foreign Managers failure factors and one consisted of Foreign Managers success factors. Each one of the 4 SPSS data files was analyzed by executing the descriptive analysis, t-test analysis and chi-square analysis with the help of the SPSS software. Subsequent to which, the output data that were generated for each table have been presented in the respective tables in the following sections. The SPSS processor also generated the histogram showin g the distribution of each factor with respect to the normal-distribution-curve. The output data for each section will then be compared to develop the similarities and the differences in the perception of the Algerian managers to that of the foreign managers in relation to the success and failure factors of the international oil and gas joint ventures in Algeria both in the past and in the present. 11.1. Literature Review 11.1.1. Hypothesis Testing A hypothesis, in a research-study, can be defined as an expression that can be subjected to analysis. For answering a statistical question, the question is formulated in the form of a hypothesis. Then the hypothesis is accepted or rejected on the basis of the outcome of the analysis. The hypothesis that is being analyzed or tested is referred as the null hypothesis and is denoted by H0, which has to be a true or false statement. There is an alternative hypothesis denoted by HA for every null hypothesis. In this regard, the development and the assessment of the hypotheses is the most important task however the best way for the hypothesis-construction is not necessarily evident: Priority is given to the null hypothesis and it is accepted until some strong evidence is found or produced against it. If a hypothesis is simpler than the other one then it should be given priority in order to adopt a relatively 'simpler' theory unless adequate evidence is found