Self Fulfilling Prophecy Pygmalion Effect Essay Example for Free

Self Fulfilling Prophecy Pygmalion Effect Essay The problem with productivity measurements – especially in measuring a company’s workforce efficiency, is that they do not take into account other factors relating to the way people work. This means that elements such as employee’s initiatives, their flexibility, teamwork and adaptability are not incorporated in the measures of input. As such, the calculation of productivity is not an absolute one. Also, the failure to incorporate the element of effectiveness in the measurement of productivity could produce a false assessment of the true performance of a company. It’s a fact that attitude is the main stumbling block that holds back employee’s productivity. The Self fulfilling Prophecy or Pygmalion Effect as a Management Concept. Conceptualized by Robert Merton, it is about phenomenon that occurs when â€Å"a false definition of the situation evokes a new behavior which makes the original false conception come through†. The whole theory is based on the theorem: †if men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences, This means that when one has a set expectation, he would behave in ways that suggest that his expectation would be fulfilled no matter what. The consequence of his behavior somehow fulfils his expectation. The ultimate function of a prophecy is not to tell the future, but to make it. It is important for managers to consider carefully their action and behavior as understanding and applying the Self fulfilling Prophecy will have a great impact on the performance of the employees. In working environment, the way manager behaves, his attitudes, beliefs towards his subordinates do have an impact on how they behave, managers who truly believe in them have the very same people performing better and contributing to the organization success. Instruction must be communicated clearly to employees so that no ambiguity(unclear or confuse) on what is expected of them. The four factors of self-fulfilling prophecy and its application are 1)Consistent Information (C I) Good performer who are well liked by their managers are often given more ideas, instruction and suggestion. As the day goes by, it help them perform better, have an edge over their colleagues whom the manager deem poor performers. The key is to be conscious of this â€Å"mind play† and to start creating positive expectations rather than negative expectations in managers and employees about the organization and themselves. 2)Expected performance (E P) The way managers communicate performance expectations to their subordinates will influence them to establish realistic levels of aspiration and higher performance goals. The learning point is, managers and subordinates must establish and set realistic goals and targets. 3)Positive Reinforcement (P R) Subordinates who are expected to perform well are normally rewarded more frequently and generously when they achieve their performance goals. On the other hand, those who are not expected to perform well tend to perform badly and are not reinforce. Interestingly, even if they perform well, they may not be rewarded because their managers felt threatened or irritated that their expectations are not proven. Hence, it is important for managers and supervisors to be aware of their prejudices and negative feelings of their subordinates. Conscious attempts must be made to eliminate such prejudices and discriminations. 4) Constructive Feedback (C F) Managers who communicate high performance expectations typically provide greater feedback. Feedback occurs more frequent and have specific suggestion for improvement. Especially in performance appraisal and review, the variables is the manager’s rating of the subordinates. It is based on the manager’s values, prejudices and feelings. Most employees will take the cues and alter their future behavior accordingly. As such, managers and supervisors must take due care in the way they give feedback to their subordinates. Their tone, body language, and attitudes do account for a successful feedback session. Conclusion: The above four factors which contain a manager’s expectation can be effective and productively manage if mangers are conscious and aware of their existence and the way they function. The learning point is that even if a subordinate is not a high performer, a manager can still help by being positive with his expectations. This way, the subordinate is at least given a fair opportunity to prove his self worth and capability.

How Can a Nurse Improve and Develop Professional Identity?

How Can a Nurse Improve and Develop Professional Identity? According to DeJong 2014, professionalism can be defined as the means of acting in an acceptable and appropriate way while adhering to a professional code of conduct. It also means completing given tasks and responsibilities on time. On the other hand a Professional identity can be described as a set of principles that define a person in their professional career. A professional identity can also be defined according to the attitudes, beliefs, experiences, ideals, professional involvement, need for advancement and codes of a given career. These virtues determine the kind of people we interact with in our lines of profession. These experiences and professional interactions tend to define ones professional identity. In the line of nursing professionalism is significantly essential if nurses are expected to provide quality and effective services and care to their clients and to the population as a whole. In health care Professionalism is regarded as a bridge between the interests of the nurse and the needs of society. It is evident that better professionalism is associated with good medical care and better health outcomes in general. (DeJong et al 2014). Nurses need to be able to develop and improve their imaginative and creative skills in order to attain and improve effective patient care. In a research by O’Brien, Strzyzewski and Szpara 2013, on nurses working in the surgical department it was found that by creating an organized process of educational projects to encourage, support and promote professionalism nurses were able to improve their professional identity and complete their practice successfully safely and effectively. In order to achieve the best results Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and Educational Nurse Coordinators (ENCs) in the surgical unit developed meetings for nurses with the medical librarians and unit leaders. Teaching was carried out by use of posters and oral presentations. Through this nurses were able to master effective ways of generating ideas and implementing them to complete projects. (O’Brien, Strzyzewski and Szpara 2013). There are many factors that influence professional competence for nurses for example organization of work, personal characteristics, cognitive abilities and clinical knowledge. In order for a nurse to be able to undergo Professional growth they need to be committed to their work in order to able to fulfill their work tasks. Professional identity is usually accompanied by the workers’ self-concept; self-respect, identity, essential nature, team spirit and values. Moreover for a nurse to improve their professional identity they need to be flexible and resilient in their field of work. This means that nurses need to believe in oneself and be willing to take risks. In addition to that they have a career insight in order to be able to establish realistic career goals by being aware of their strengths and weaknesses. (Tamm 2010). There are some inevitable factors in the health sector that demand for professional growth and that has impact on the management, employers and the employees. First creation of new knowledge, there are changes in the scientific and technical knowledge every few years which demand nurses to update their education levels from time to time. Secondly technological innovations are taking place so rapidly that nurses have to be willing to sharpen their skills and change with the changing times. Lastly, the upcoming of more challenging tasks demands for professional development in order for nurses to be able to cope efficiently. (Willetts and Clarke 2012). Development of professional identity according to Tamm 2010, starts with how individuals view their work roles and how good they manage their work life and related practices. Moreover professional identity is a process of becoming independent and having self-awareness through work. For a nurse to be able to develop and improve their identity they first have to have a professional self-concept and respect, in short they need to accept their roles as nurses. Nurses begin to build their professional identities during their study period and continue to develop all through their work life. Development of professional identity is a life course process comprising of different stages. Which range from novice to expert. (Tamm et al 2010). In conclusion development is accompanied by professional maturity which is a nurse’s preparedness to handle work tasks in different phases of their work. Nurses need to be cognitively prepared, this means that they need to have sufficient knowledge on principles of health care to be able to apply them in real life situations. In additional to that nurse need to have knowledge on the nature of the profession and the occupational sphere. (Willetts et al 2012). In my opinion there are numerous number of factors that have effect on the development and improvement on a nursing professional identity. I have learnt a lot of new information from this assignment. It is a broad topic and I feel I still have a whole lot more to learn about developing my professional identity in the future. REFERENCES D. O’Brien, N. Strzyzewski and T.Szpara 2013, Getting to Success: Supporting Staff Nurses to Enhance Practice and Professionalism. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing. Volume 28, Issue 3, June 2013, Pages e34  Available: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1089947213002037#  Accessed 7th September 2014 G. Willetts and D.Clarke 2012 The shaping of Professional Identity in Nursing: An ethnographic Case Study  Available: http://global-qhr.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Abstracts.pdf Accessed 7th September 2014  S .M. DeJong 2014 Chapter One–What is Professionalism? Social Media and Online Professionalism in Health Care 2014, Pages 1–11  Available: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124081284000011  Accessed 7th September 2014 Tiia Tamm, 2010 Professional Identity and Self-concept of Estonian Social Workers .University of Tampere  Available: http://tampub.uta.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/66631/978-951-44-8115-4.pdf?sequence=1#page=69zoom=180,-4,613  Accessed 7th September 2014 Stem Bark Extracts of Anthocleista: Antioxidant Properties Stem Bark Extracts of Anthocleista: Antioxidant Properties Original 1 Research Article PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES  OF STEM BARK EXTRACTS OF ANTHOCLEISTA NOBILIS ABSTRACT Aim: This study was carried out to determine the phytochemical and antioxidant properties of extracts  of Anthocleista nobilis. Methodology: Acetone and methanol extracts of A. nobilis were investigated for their free radical scavenging activities in the presence of diphenyl picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) using ascorbic acid as positive control. Results: In the phytochemical screening of the plant extracts, results showed that both extracts recorded the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, and glycosides. The acetone and methanol extracts of A. nobilis exhibited significant free radical scavenging activities in the DPPH assay with the  acetone extract recording better activity. The antioxidant activity of the two extracts was however, lower than that recorded by the positive control-ascorbic acid. Conclusion: The result suggests that the extracts have potential antioxidant properties which could be  exploited in medicine and food industry. Keyword: Anthocleista nobilis, antioxidant, DPPH. 1. INTRODUCTION Plants have been utilized by humans to treat various infectious and non-infectious diseases since the  beginning of time as they constitute a reliable source of therapy. In addition, they are also the primary  source for many of today’s medicines [1,2,3]. For instance, purified secondary metabolites such as vinca alkaloids are used widely in cancer chemotherapy [4].Quinine and artemisinin, derived from the  bark of the cinchona and qinghaosu trees respectively and their derivatives have been widely used for  the treatment of malaria [5,6,7]. Some of these secondary metabolites are synthesized for specific purposes by plants. Others may be  by-products of plant metabolism which currently have no known biological function. Hydroxylated  coumarins have been reported to accumulate in carrots in response to fungal invasion [8],  glucosinolates, recognized for their antimicrobial properties[9], have also been reported in Brassia  rapa in response to fungal infection/attack [10]. These secondary metabolites fall under one of the major phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins,  glycosides, steroids, terpenes, etc. Although these compounds are known to be bioactive, a lot is yet  to known about their mechanisms of action. Some of these groups of compounds such as flavonoids,  proanthocyanidins and tannins are polyphenols or phenolic [11]. Phenolics are known for their  antioxidant properties [12]. Antioxidants are molecules that halt oxidation processes while the molecules get oxidized in the  process. The antioxidant activity of phenolics is derived from their ability to act as reducing agents,  donating hydrogen, electrons and stabilizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) [13]. ROS such as  hydroxyl radicals (OH.), superoxide anion radicals (O2  .) and singlet oxygen (145 O2) have been implicated  in many disease processes such cancer, diabetes, ageing, atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration[14]. Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables rich in plant polyphenols(antioxidants) as food has  been reported as a protection against several diseases which include cancer, cardiovascular  diseases, diabetes, asthma etc. [15] suggesting that the mechanism of action of the secondary  metabolites can be traced to their antioxidant properties. ROS can cause the deterioration of food by  causing lipid peroxidation. The rancid odor and taste of lipid containing food such as palm oil occur as  result of lipid peroxidation which in turn affects the nutritional value and safety 52 of such food items  [16]. Recently, the use of synthetic preservatives and other additives has been linked to increased  prevalence of cancer. For instance, sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite used to preserve processed  meat has been implicated in bowel cancer [17]. As a result, the demand for natural food preservatives  has been rising steadily [14] and that prompted the European Union funded AGROCOS to include the  replacement of synthetic preservatives and other ingredients as part of the FP7 research topics which  has yielded about 30 natural compounds for the food and cosmetic industries presently being further  tested by Greek and German companies [18]. Anthocleista nobilis which is commonly called the candelabrum or cabbage tree in English language,  Duwa Kuchi in Nupe language, Kwari in Hausa language and Apa Ora in Yoruba language belongs to  the family Loganiaceae [19]. Anthocleista nobilisis used in local medicine in parts of West Africa for  curing fever, stomach ache, diarrhoea, and gonorrhoea, and are also aspoultice for sores [20,21]. The  present study was designed to investigate the antioxidant properties of extracts of Anthocleista nobilis  by measuring their free radical scavenging properties with aim of confirming the ethnobotanical use  and assessing their suitability as preservatives in the food industry. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1 Sample collection The stem barks of A. nobilis were collected in March, 2014 from Ezza Community in Ebonyi state,  Nigeria. They were identified by a plant taxonomist in the Department of Pharmacognosy and  Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.  The plant material was pulverized into fine powder using a mechanical grinding machine. 2.2 Extraction   500 g of thepulverized plant was macerated in 1 Liter of acetone and methanol respectively for 48  hrs.The mixture was sieved using porcelain cloth and was further filtered using No. 1 Whatman filter  Ã‚  paper. The filtrate was concentrated using rotary evaporator and the crude concentrate was then  stored at 4o80 C until required for further experiment. 2.3 Phytochemical Screening   In the phytochemical analysis of the extracts of A. nobilis stem barks, tests for alkaloids, tannins,  saponins, flavonoids, steroids, cardiac glycosides, and terpenoids were carried out using standard  methods reported by Trease and Evans [19]. 2.4 In vitro free radical scavenging activity of the extract (Diphenyl dipicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free  radical scavenging activity) The free radical scavenging activity of the various extracts and ascorbic acid was measured with  DPPH. Three (3) mL of DPPH in methanol solution was added 100 ÃŽ ¼L of different concentrations of  extracts (10-1000 ÃŽ ¼g/mL). After 30 minutes, the absorbances of the extract solutions ion methanol  were measured at 517 nm after calibration with methanol. Lower absorbance indicated higher free  radical scavenging activity. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was expressed as IC50 which was  defined as the concentration of the extracts that inhibited the formation of DPPH radical by 50 %. Each  experiment was carried out in triplicate. The average absorbance for each triplicate was calculated  and the percentage inhibition of the extracts at different doses calculated using the formula:   %Inhibition 100 o s o A A x A −   Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ½ Where Ao is absorbance of control and As the absorbance of tested extracts. 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The antioxidant activity of the extracts of A. nobilis was investigated and the results were compared to  Ã‚  that of ascorbic acid which was used as the positive control. The results are shown in Figures 1. Also,  Ã‚  the result of the phytochemical analysis links the presence of flavonoids and other polyphenols to the  Ã‚  antioxidant activities observed. Different levels of the secondary metabolites based on the tests  Ã‚  carried out were observed as displayed in Table 1. Table 1. Result of the Phytochemical Analysis of A. nobilis Extracts UNDER PEER REVIEW Alkaloids Tannins Saponins Flavonoids Glycosides Terpenoids Steroids Methanol extract ++ +++ ++ + ++ Acetone extract + ++ ++ + ++ +++ = Abundantly present; ++ = Moderately present; += Mildly 108 present; =Absent Figure 1. Comparison between free radical scavenging activities of acetone and methanol  extracts of A. nobilis and ascorbic acid determined using DPPH. IC50 for Acetone extract= 400  ÃŽ ¼g/mL; Methanol extract= 800 ÃŽ ¼g/mL; Ascorbic acid= 30 ÃŽ ¼g/mL. The bark of A. nobilis is used as warm expellant and as antimalarial remedy amongst other  Ã‚  ethnobotanical uses by the Ezza people in Nigeria. The result of this study showed that the crude  Ã‚  extracts showed significant antioxidant properties with the acetone extract of A. nobilis recording an  Ã‚  IC50 of 400 ÃŽ ¼g/ml. The methanol extract of A. nobilis had the lowest antioxidant activity with an IC50 of  Ã‚  800 ÃŽ ¼g/mL.   However, the acetone extract of A. nobilis which had the best antioxidant activity compared to the  methanol extract had moderate presence of terpenoids, flavonoids and tannins. Flavonoids and  Ã‚  tannins are polyphenols which are known to have potent antioxidant properties due to there reducing  Ã‚  ability [23]. The lower activity observed can be explained by the fact that flavonoids only exihibit  Ã‚  antioxidant properties if features such ortho-dihydroxy substitution in the B-ring, C2-C3 double bond  Ã‚  and a carbonyl group in C-4 of the C-ring are present [24]. Quercetin is a good example of a flavonoid  Ã‚  with such structural features and it has a high antioxidant property [25]. Although the free radical scavenging activities observed for the extracts were not as much as that  observed for ascorbic acid which was the positive control, the antioxidant activity of the extracts, can  be said to be significant considering that the extracts were in the crude form. Further purification of the  aqueous extract is expected to produce pure compounds with improved antioxidant property. 4. CONCLUSION The findings of this study reveal that Anthocleista nobilis possess antioxidant property. This provides a  scientific basis for the ethnomedicinal utilization of this plant. The antioxidant property of this plant  may qualify it for use as preservatives of natural origin in the food industry. Further tests are needed to explore the exact mechanism of action at the molecular level and to know the actual 138 constituents  responsible for these activities. %inhibition Concentration(ÃŽ ¼g/ml) % Inhibition Versus Concentration Acetone extract Methanol extract Ascorbic acid UNDER PEER REVIEW REFERENCES Krishna S, Bustamante L, Haynes RK, Staines HM, Artemisinins: their growing importance in  medicine. Trends PharmacolSci. 2008, 29(10):520-527. Akhondzadeh S, Noroozian M, Mohammadi M, Ohadinia S, Jamshidi AH, Khani M, Melissa  officinalis extract in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a double  blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial. J Neurol, Neurosurgery Psych. 2003, 74(7):863-866. Luciano-Montalvo C, Boulogne I, Gavillà ¡n-Suà ¡rez J. A screening for activities of Carribean herbal  remedies. BMC Comp Alter med. 2013, 13:126. Sahenk Z, Brady ST, Mendell JR. Studies on the pathogenesis of vincristine-induced  neuropathy. Muscle Nerve. 1987, 10(1):80-84. Haynes RK, Krishna S: Artemisinins, activities and actions. Microb Infect. 2004, 6(14):1339-1346.   Bucher C, Sparr C, Schweizer WB, Gilmour R, Fluorinated Quinine Alkaloids, Synthesis, X-ray  Structure Analysis and Antimalarial Parasite Chemotherapy. Chem-A Euro J. 2009, 15(31):7637-77. Wright C, Plant derived antimalarial agents, new leads and challenges, PhytochemRev. 2005, 4(1):55-61. Darvill, A. G. and Albersheim, P.: Phytoalexins and their elicitors a defense against microbial  infection in plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol. 1984, 35:243-275. Al-Gendy AA, El-gindi OD, Hafez AS, Ateya AM, Glucosinolates, volatile constituents and  biological activities of Erysimum corinthium Boiss. (Brassicaceae). Food Chem.  2010, 118(3):519-524. Abdel-Farid IB, Jahangir M, van den Hondel CAMJJ, Kim HK, Choi YH, Verpoorte R: Fungal  infection-induced metabolites in Brassica rapa. Plant Sci. 2009, 176:608-615. Cowan M, Plant products as antimicrobial agents, Clinical Microbiol Rev. 1999, 12:564-582 Khan RA, Khan MR, Sahreen S, Ahmed M. Evaluation of phenolic contents and antioxidantactivity  of various solvent extracts of Sonchusasper (L.) Hill. Chem Central J. 2012, 6:12 Huda-Faujan N, Noriham A, Norrakiah AS, Babji AS, Antioxidant activity of plants methanolic  extracts containing phenolic compounds.African JBiotech.2009, 8:484-489 Saeed N, Khan MR, Shabbir M. Antioxidant activity, total phenolic and totalflavonoid contents of  whole plant extracts of Torilis leptophylla. LBMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.  2012,12:221-233. Pandey KB, Rizvi SI, Plant polyphenols as dietary antioxidants in human health and disease. Oxid  Med Cell Longev. 2009, 2: 270–278. Monica Leopoldini M, Russo N, Toscano M, The molecular basis of working mechanism of natural  polyphenolic antioxidants Food Chem 2011, 125:288-306. Zhu H, Yang X, Zhang C, Zhu C, Tao G, Zhao L, Shu, Z, Cai J, Dai, S, Qin, Q, Xu, L, Cheng H,  Tang T, Sun X. Red and processed meat intake is associated with higher gastric cancer risk: a  meta-analysis of epidemiological observational studies Plos one 2013, 8:1-10. ESASTAP (2014). EU Project hunts for natural substitutes for synthetics.  http://www.esastap.org.za/news/20140911.php (accessed 27/09/2014).  Ã‚   Ayodele PO, Okonko IO, Evans E, Okerentugba PO, Nwanze JC, Onoh CC. Effect of  AnthocleistaNobilis Root Extract on the Haematological Indices of Poultry Chicken Challenged  with Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV). Science and Nature.2013, 2(2): 65-73. Irvine, FR. Woody plants of Ghana. Oxford University Press, London, UK.1961. pp.194, 208, 548. Dokosi, OB. Herbs of Ghana. Ghana Universities Press. 1998. pp. 615-623. Trease GE, Evans WC. Pharmacognosy.11th Edn, Balliere and Tindall. Eastbourne, London  1983, pp: 243-551. Rodrigues HG, Diniz YS, Faine LA, Galhardi CM, Burneiko RC, Almeida JA, Ribas BO, Novelli EL,  Antioxidant effect of saponin: potential action of a soybean flavonoid on glucose tolerance and risk  factors for atherosclerosis.Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2005. 56(2):79-85. Chen Y, Miao Y, Huang L, Li J, Sun H, Zhao Y, Yang JY, Zhou W. Antioxidant activities of  saponins extracted from Radix trichosanthis: an in vivo and in vitro evaluation. BMC Complement  Ã‚  Alt Med.2014,14:86-94. Zhang H, Zhou Q, Tyrosinase Inhibitory Effects and Antioxidative Activities of Saponins from  XanthocerasSorbifolia Nutshell, PlosOne 2013, 8:e70090-e70096

Existentialism in The Stranger (The Outsider) :: Camus Stranger Essays

Existentialism in The Stranger Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes a few main points, such as the freedom to choose and the choices you make should be made without the assistance of another person or standard. From the existentialist point of view you must accept the risk and responsibility of your choices and follow the commitment to wherever it leads. Someone that is put in a particular situation understands it far more than someone looking in on that same situation, one commonly used situation that appears often in existentialist writing is that of death. The existentialist should learn to accept death when the time has to come and should know that the most important questions in life are not accessible to reason or science. Acting on your own experiences is essential in arriving at the truth and "man is condemned to be free. (Sartre)" There were two parts in The Stranger that helped me better understand existentialism the most. One part of the novel that helped me to understand existentialism better was when Meursault shot the Arab on the beach and how he handled the situation afterwards. The Arab had drawn his knife and held it up to Meursault, but this wasn't what bothered him, it was the light from the sun that shot off the Arabs knife, and the intense heat along with the salt from his sweat in his eyes that was bothering him. Meursault shot the Arab mainly because he was uncomfortable and not because he felt threatened, but in any case he made the decision to shoot him. In the next chapter Meursault can't understand why he would need an attorney for his case because it's simple to him, he had murdered a man and was now ready to pay the consequences. He had made a choice that might not have been the right one but he accepted it and was ready to go through with his decision to wherever it would lead. The other part in The Stranger that helped me to understand existentialism better was at the end of the novel when Meursault is sentenced to death. I don't think Meursault was an existentialist but I do think that he faced death the way an existentialist would have.

The Public Choice Essays -- Education School Essays

The Public Choice For some parents, deciding on a school for their children can be a difficult decision. Many parents do not spend much time thinking about it; they place their children into the local school designated by where they live. Others attended a private school themselves and found that it was a beneficial experience and therefore want the same for their kids. But which is better: private schools or public schools? While there are many advantages and disadvantages in each (nothing is going to be absolutely perfect), we are going to focus on the benefits of an education in the public school system, or in other words, schools funded by the government that are for anyone to attend. An accurate definition found in the Encyclopedia of American Education (1996) states: â€Å"Any elementary or secondary school under control of elected or appointed civil authority, supported entirely by public tax monies, and, with few exceptions, open to all students in a designated district, free of any tuition charges.† (780) These include elementary, secondary schools and vocational schools. Public schools are a good choice in education because they provide a wide variety of subjects to study, are diverse in their student body, available to everyone, yet can sometimes be misunderstood. Imagine sitting in a class, completely bored out of your mind. This is not difficult considering everyone has taken a class like this somewhere along the road of their education. Not every class can be exciting and we should know that. Now imagine every class is of this level, with no â€Å"break†, or elective, classes incorporated into your day. Although this may not apply to all private schools, there are many that focus on specific topics. So even though the... ...des. Students who do well in a public school setting tend to feel better about themselves. They succeed because they want to, not because someone else forced them to. Whether someone prefers a public school or a private school, it all depends on the person. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to appreciate all that public schools have to offer because they get their vision blurred by all the benefits of private schools. The only thing holding them back may be cost. If these people would just take some time to find that there are just as many wonderful things about the schools our governments provide, they may feel more confident in their choice. Those never exposed to anything but private education miss out on the diversity among students, extra vocational and extracurricular classes, and may even continue to not understand all that public schools have to offer.

El Duche De Corum Est :: Papers

El Duche De Corum Est The poem Dulche et Decorum Est is about Wilfred Owen (a war poet) who describes in his own experiences, what the war was like. Verse one describes how the soldiers are returning to base camp. Owen uses a slow halting rhythm to suggest how much pain and misery the soldiers are encountering and to imitate how slow are walking. He does this by using punctuation. Verse one tells us a lot about the condition, both physically and mentally, of the men and it gives us an idea of the appalling conditions!. He uses similes such as, "Bent double, like hags"; this illustrates how many of the men fall ill. The poet's choice of vocabulary in verse one is very effective in portraying the state of the soldiers. He uses words such as sludge, trudge, and haunting to describe the harsh conditions of the battlefield. The rhythm in verse two suddenly increases, this displays the soldiers panic during the gas attack! Punctuation is used to create this faster rhythm, exclamation marks and short sentences suddenly speed up the pace. This gives the reader an image of the weary soldiers suddenly changing into panic-stricken men. It means that the reader feels that they are involved in what is happening! "Gas! Gas! Quick boys!" direct speech is used to create panic. Owen also uses words such as stumbling, floundering, and fumbling to describe the desperate actions of the dying man. The verbs such as yelling and drowning give the reader a feeling of chaos. "As under a green sea, I saw him drowning", this describes how the gas causes a thick green misty haze around the men. This is a useful phrase as it enables us to imagine what is happening and use our imagination. It also gives us a sense of how real it all is in his vivid descriptions. Owens guilt is suggested in the line, "In all my dreams before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning". The fact that he dreams about this

Dba Financial Management Essay

1. What is Annuity kind of cash flow? Answer: Annuity is fixed sum of money paid every year in at any other fixed interval shorter than a year. This annuity may be by way of return of some principal plus interest payment of against money invested or by way of payment of other dues such as pensions after retirement. In any case it represents out flow of cash from one account to in flow of cash to another account. In this way all annuities involve movements of cash or funds. Therefore all annuities are cash flows that can be suitably represented in cash flow statements.An annuity will be represented as inflow of cash in the cash flow statement for the recipient of the annuity and out flow of cash in the cash flow statement of the person or firm paying out the annuity. 2. What do understand by Portfolio risk? Answer: In business and finance the term portfolio refers to the collection  of various investment of an individual or a firm in various bonds, stocks or other securities and instruments. Portfolio risk is refers to the extent of risk or possible variation associated regarding the amount of return the individual or the firm is likely to earn on the portfolio. Broadly a specific investment in a portfolio can be judged for its riskiness along a scale. On one end of this scale a risk less investment offers a guaranteed rate of return on the amount invested, but generally the quantity of return is low. On the other end of the scale are very risky investments which may end giving a very high return or may actually result in a heavy loss. The risk of the total portfolio is assessed on the basis of combined likelihood of variation in the combined profit or loss on all the investments in the portfolio. 3. What do you understand by ‘Loan Amortization’? Answer: Loan amortization is the process of paying back a loan over an extended duration of time along with the interest incurred. The interest to be paid for the amount borrowed, till the loan is completely repaid, is calculated in advance. This is divided by the total number of payments being made and added with the principal payments to arrive at an amount that consists of both the principal as well as the interest. The payments have to be made according to this amortization schedule, which is decided before the loan is issued and could be in the form of simple monthly or annual payments. Before the principal amount is issued, the terms for calculation of the interest are also fixed. 4. What is the Difference between NPV and IRR? Answer: The difference between net present value and internal rate of return both of these measurements are primarily used in capital budgeting, the process by which companies determines whether a new investment or expansion opportunity is worthwhile. Given an investment opportunity, a firm needs to decide whether undertaking the investment will generate net economic profits or losses for the company. The main difference however should be more evident in the method or should I say the units used. While NPV is calculated in cash, the IRR is a percentage value expected in return from a capital project. Due to the fact that NVP is calculated in currency, it  always seems to resonate more easily with the general public as the general public comprehends monetary value better as compared to other values. This does not necessarily mean that the NPV is automatically the best option when evaluating a firm’s progress. The best option would depend on the perception of the individual doing the calculation, as well as, his objective in the whole exercise. It is evident that managers and administrators would prefer the IRR as a method, as percentages give a better outlook that can be used to make strategic decisions over the firm. Another major shortfall associated with the IRR method is the fact that it cannot be conclusively used in circumstances where the cash flow is inconsistent. While working out figures in such fluctuating circumstances may prove tricky for the IRR method, it would pose no challenge for the NPV method since all that it would take is the collection of all the inflows-outflows and finding an average over the entire period in focus. Evaluating the viability of a project using the IRR method could cloud the true picture if the figures on the inflow and outflow remain to fluctuate persistently. It may even give the false impression that a short term venture with high return in a short time is more viable as compared to a bigger long-term venture that would otherwise make more profits.In order to make a decision between any of the two methods, it is important to take note of the following significant differences. Section B: Case lets CASE 1 1. Which type of financing is appropriate to each firm? Answer: – APT Inc. can go in for debt with warrants since it is nearly a zero debt company and is also willing to accept any form of security. Sandford Enterprises can go in for callable debentures since it has a low debt equity ratio combined with excellent track record of servicing debt. Its future cash flows also suggest a strong capability to service future debt. Sharma Brother Inc. can go in for issue of preferred stock considering that its fund requirements of $20 million cannot be met by debt issue. Sachetee Energy Systems can consider issue of common stock for meeting its expansion requirements. Ranbaxy Industries can issue convertible bonds or debt with warrant considering that it is averse to divesting management control. 2. What types of securities must be issued by a firm which is on the growing stage in order to meet the financial requirements? Answer: – for a company which is in a growing stage, issue of debt may be the most optimum mode of rising fresh funding, this is because future potential cash flows would be sufficient to service the debt obligation or make a premature payment. This would also be in line with the potential risk appetite of the organization to sustain its growth and earn incremental returns. Issue of equity is another option which such a company can look at. This would however depend on the management philosophy of retaining or divesting management control. A mix of debt and equity could also be a potential source of financing. Cost of raising debt or equity would be an important consideration in deciding the option. CASE 2 1. How would you judge the potential profit of Bajaj Electronics on the first year of sales to Booth Plastics and give your views to increase the profit. Answer: – Sales fluctuate seasonally and the average collection period tends to run 40 days. Bad-debt losses are less than 0.6 per cent of sales. The Perluence’s accounting dept estimated a 24 per cent markup as the average for items sold to Pucca Electronics. Bajaj Electronics, in turn, resold the items to yield a 17 per cent markup. Bajaj Electronics incurred out-of pocket expenses that were not considered in calculating the 17 per cent markup on its items. James would receive a 3 per cent commission on all sales. a commission paid whether or not the receivable was collected. In addition to the sales commission, the company would incur variable costs as a result of handling the merchandise for the new account. As a general guideline, warehousing and other administrative variable costs would run 3 per cent sales. First of all, he considered the potential profit from the account. James had estimated first-year sales to Booth Plastics of $65,000. Assuming that Neck Booth took the, 3 per cent discount. Bajaj Electronics  would realize a 17 per cent markup on these sales since the average markup was calculated on the basis of the customer taking the discount. His department probably spent three times as much money and effort managing a marginal account as compared to a strong account. He also figured that overdue and uncollected funds had to be financed by Bajaj Electronics at a rate of 18 per cent. 2. Suggestion regarding Credit limit. Should it be approved or not, what should be the amount of credit limit that electronics give to Booth Plastics. Answer:- Strand Electronics has 950 employees and handles a volume of $85 million in sales annually. About $6 million of the sales represents items manufactured by Perluence. He supervises five employees who handle credit application and collections on 4,600 accounts. The accounts range from $120 to $85,000.Thefirmsells on terms, with 2/10, net 30 mostly. Sales fluctuate seasonally and the average collection period tends to run 40 days. Bad-debt losses are less than 0.6 % of sales. The company was founded in 1977 by Neck and has grown steadily. The Perluence’s cost-accounting department estimated a 24 % markup as the average for items sold to Pucca. Bajaj, in turn, resold the items to yield a 17 per cent markup. Bajaj incurred out-of pocket expenses that were not considered in calculating the 17 per cent markup on its items. James would receive a 3 % commission on sales made to Booth, a commission that would be paid. a general guideline, administrative variable costs would run 3 %. James estimated first-year sales to Booth of $65,000.Assuming that Neck took the, 3 percent discount. Bajaj would realize a 17% markup on these sales since the average markup was calculated on the basis of the customer taking the discount. If Neck did not take the discount, the markup would be slightly higher. In addition to the potential profit from the account. He also figured that overdue and uncollected funds had to be financed by Bajaj at a rate of 18 %. All in all, slow paying or marginal accounts were very costly to Bajaj. SECTION C 1. Honey Well Company is contemplating to liberalize its collection  effort. Its present sales are Rs. 10 lakh, its average collection period is 30 days, its expected variable cost to sales ratio is 85 percent and its bad debt ratio is 5 per cent. The Company’s cost of capital is 10 per cent and tax are is 40 per cent. He proposed liberalization in collection effort increase sales to Rs. 12 lakh increases average collection period by 15 days, and increases the bad debt ratio to 7 percent. Determine the change in net profit. Answer:- At 85 percent variable cost the gross contribution of various costs including cost of bad debt and and capital cost amount tied up as receivables to be collected will be 15 percent of the sales. From this contribution of 15 percent all other expenses except the bad debt and cost of capital tied up in receivable will change. Therefore we can calculate the impact of liberalization in collection on profit as follows. Original Amount Changed Amount 1. Sales [per year] 1,000,000 1,200,000 2. Contribution [15% 0f (1)] 150,000 180,000 3. Receivable [(1)*Days/365] 82,192 147,945 4. Cost of receivables [(3)*0.1] 8,219 14,794 5. Cost of bad debts [(1)*%] 50,000 84,000 6. (4) + (5) 58,219 98,794 7. Balance Contribution (2) – (6) 91,781 81,206 ———————————————————————————- We can see from above table that that the balance contribution available will decrease by Rs. 10,575 from Rs. 91,781 to Rs. 81,206. The profit before tax will also reduce by the same amount. The reduction in profit after tax will be: Reduction in profit after tax = 10575*60/100 = Rs. 6345 2. Explain the concept of working capital. What are the factors which influence the working capital? Answer:- The management of the current assets deals with the determination, maintenance, control and monitoring of level of all the individuals current assets. Current assets have short life span. Each current asset is swiftly converted into other assets forms. The  existence and necessity of current assets is implied for the efficient and optimal use of the fixed assets. This project reveals the various aspects of working capital management in general, and also at the same time sneaks into the practical aspect of applying theoretical concepts of the company. The importance of working capital management is reflected in the fact that financial managers spend a great deal of time in managing current assets and current liabilities. These include arranging short term financing, negotiating favorable credit terms, controlling the movement of cash, administering accounts receivables and investing short-term surplus funds. For the analysis part, the data collection was done by primary and secondary sources where the primary sources includes the personal interaction with the industry guide and secondary sources includes external and internal sources involving company annuals. Thus the presentation of data collected was done in the form of graphs and tables. In summer training; I was given the project related to working capital management and CMA forms which were discussed later in the project. For this purpose, I regularly interacted with my industry guide and the other staff of the Corporate Finance Department. For the preparation of the project, I had a look on the company profile and made a plan by going through its previous accounting reports. Then, I had analyzed the plan and accordingly I filled the CMA forms and projected as per the instructions of my industry guide.The basic objective of this project is to know the factors that determine the working capital requirements and to analyze the different approaches available for the financing. Basically, working capital is composed of various items. Most of the time you got inventories and retained profits. According to the US GAAP (Generecally accepted accounting principles), the inventories must follow any appreciation (or depreciation) of the items in inventory. Let’s say that you have a pencil in your company’s inventory whose value is US$1, 00. If from October 2008 to November 2008 the value of the pen would go from US$1,00 to US$1,20, your working capital would be affected in 20%. On the opposite, if the value had dropped to US$0,80, your working capital would have depreciated in 20%. But this is according one of the many accounting principles. On the other side, if you have money invested in any kind of product or fund, you have to adjust properly, reflecting its appreciation or depreciation. But in this case, other factors play an important role.

To what extent does the media represent people/places by using stereotype?

Lady Gaga's music video ‘LoveGame' was directed by Joseph Kahn in 2009. The video starts with the heading ‘Streamline presents' and shots of Lady Gaga naked with purple and blue paint and glitter all over her body. The lighting is dark and there are flashing lights. She is seen fooling around with two fully clothed men on a bench. The two men have the words ‘Fame and ‘Love' shaved on their hair. In many music videos this is evident as women are normally perceived as sex objects and drive home the message that exposed bodies and looks are what count. The scene changes to a subway where Gaga is intimidating a group of men who are a crowded around her. She starts singing in a grey leotard with a hood and wears chain-linked glasses. She carries her trade mark ‘disco-stick' which is mentioned a lot lyrically in the song. This scene subverts many stereotypes in the music industry. In music videos it is common to see men surrounded by lots of semi-naked women. However in this video Kahn has switched it up and has put Gaga surrounded by men, making her dominant. The next seen shows Lady Gaga making her way through the subway and dancing with three other men at the bottom of the staircase. The subway seems damaged, used and neglected, very similar to those found in cities and other urban places. It is a very realistic representation of train stations/subways as there is also pieces of rubbish lying about and ticket machines in the background/ The scene then shifts to a train where Gaga is dancing amongst male dancers, The train is also a very standard train commonly found in cities, there is nothing luxury about it which makes it very familiar to the audience. She is wearing a different colour to the dancers so she stands out. However she dancing on the same level as them which could represent equality. She soon changes her attire to a black jacket and black leotard, she is now wearing the same colour as the male dancers which show that neither one of the sexes is dominant and that they are equal however this is very short lived as she gets lifted to a higher platform which shows her as powerful and dominant. One element in Lady Gaga's video that conforms hugely to the stereotype of pop videos/music is the amount of choreographed dancing which is commonly used in pop videos. This may have been done to remind the viewer that it is a pop music video and so it complements the upbeat vibe of the music. It may also encourage viewers to join in and dance along. Gaga and her dancers move on to an under-ground car park. She is seen dancing on a top of a car and her dancers are shown dancing on the floor. This represents status and that Gaga is yet again more dominant than the male dancers and that she is in control. By putting Lady Gaga on a higher platform than the male dancers it she is very clear that she is constantly in control and is just as able as the male dancers around her. She is then shown entering a ticket booth with a male inspector. The ticket booth scene shows Gaga and the inspector kissing, however Gaga is then shown kissing a female inspector in the booth. The inspector changes from a man to woman in each frame. This sexual reference subverts the typical ‘male and female' stereotype. This scene shows the audience that Gaga clearly does not have a ‘preference' when it comes to her sexuality. This could connect with an audience who are either bi-sexual or homosexual. It does not have a bias towards any certain type of sexuality and does not discriminate either. This could also create a larger fan base of people who are gay as it is showing that it is acceptable in today's society. However it may cause controversy and would most likely be discussed in certain magazines and the news in particular countries, the reason for this is that homosexuality has not yet been embraced in every country/society, and it is only just starting to be accepted in certain communities and certain places. The final scene shows Gaga in a choreographed dance routine with her male dancers. As the artist, Gaga is placed at the forefront of the dance crew so that the audience are not side tracked from the main aim of the video which is naturally to promote Lady Gaga and this new style of music. She is dressed in a similar type of outfit as her male dancers and is pulling off the exact same dance moves. This could represent as women being as equivalent to men. The ideology of this video is to show that not all women are subservient to men. Gaga is used as an example to show that women can be sexy, provocative yet powerful. Gaga is shown in a positive light as someone new and fresh and also very unique in her sense of fashion. By the amount of choreographed dancing in this video it also implies that perhaps she wants to be viewed as more than just a singer but also an entertainer and someone who is talented in more ways than others. However this music video can have quite a few negative points to it, such as the sexual references throughout the video, visually as well as lyrically. This video could easily be portrayed as a bad influence to the younger audience. The way Gaga has been represented could go either way, many people will embrace the fact she is empowering women and on the other hand, many will criticise her for being very sexual and explicit. Now that Lady Gaga has begun to subvert stereotypes, it can give other similar artists a reason to be edgy and individual. Many critics will look to these artist and debate whether or not it is suitable way of women to act and be shown in the media behaving in an independent and unique way. This constant debate can seep into the average person's everyday life; they may discuss certain music videos with friends, especially if they have controversial issues such as ones raised in Lady Gaga's music videos. It can start conversations, discussions and build the relationship between the groups of people.