Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Rampage A Movie about a Serial Killer - 2935 Words

Rampage is a 1993 movie about a serial killer whose motive is blood. On a December afternoon, Charles Reece buys a gun and murders three adults in their home. After shooting them to death, Reece mutilates the two women and drinks their blood. A day or two later, Reece kills a woman and her five year old son. After Reece mutilates and drinks the blood of the mother, he takes the child’s body which is later found. When caught by the police, Reece clearly presents signs of mental disturbances as he justifies his killings by saying that the people he killed were out to get him and that he needed blood to live. The main problem in the movie however is whether or not Reece will be found guilty and put to death for his crimes, found guilty and sent to a mental institution, or found not guilty by reason of insanity. Since Reece bought a gun before he killed the first three individuals, and the fact that he knew the mother and child that he killed, the prosecuting attorney tries to pro ve the Reece is in fact sane and just sick. On the other hand, the defense sheds light on Reece’s past at a mental hospital as well as his detachment from reality. After three more killings and a trial that brings up Reece’s cognitive and mental abilities as well as the premeditation that went into his killings, Reece is found guilty and sent to a mental institution. I chose this movie and this particular character for several reasons. For one, I am very interested in studying and learning aboutShow MoreRelated The Truth About Serial and Mass Murders Essay1033 Words   |  5 Pages A murderer is a murderer. There is no doubt about it, a person like that deserves to be punished for the crime they committed. However, not every killer is the same; there are some who are mass murderers who go on killing rampages for reasons of their own, and then there are the serial killers that love to kill people because it makes them feel some sort of emotion. People often mistake these killers as one and the same, but in reality they are completely different in the ways they are profiledRead More Natural Born Killers Essay1827 Words   |  8 Pagesclassic, Natural Born Killers, excited and traumatized its audiences while also causing controversy. The tale of white trash lovers caught up in a realm of chaos that includes a continuous murderous rampage from state to state, draws in audiences with its graphic violence and riveting pulse inducing music. Yet, the message of this film seems to be much deeper than just exposing audiences to yet another chaotic action movie filled wi th guns, blood and mayhem. Stone’s Natural Born Killers examines the subjectRead MoreThe Crimes of Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo1664 Words   |  7 PagesAndrei Romanovich Chikatilo seemed to be just like a regular man. He had a wife, two kids, was a teacher in Russian literature, an engineer, and a proud soviet party member. No one would have ever guessed he was one of the world’s most notorious serial killers. By day, he was your average Joe literature teacher, but by night he took upon a darker passion that involved rape and murder. He would lure his victims into decollate locations with sadistic intent unknown to them. Chikatilo managed see out hisRead MoreThe Opinion Of Journalists, Politicians, By Aileen Wournos2139 Words   |  9 Pagesdirector who produced two documentaries about Aileen, said, â€Å"The idea of a woman killing men – a man-hating lesbian prostitute who tarnished the reputations of all her victims – brought Aileen Wuornos a special kind of hatred.† Aileen was a murderer, a monster. Monsters do not have rhyme or reason to their actions, pasts that could ground them in humanity, or a place in society. However, others feel differently. A strange blend of victim and serial killer, many scholars are looking at the case ofRead MoreEssay about Mock Documentaries2177 Words   |  9 Pagesadults sent into the woods to make a movie of their adventure. This documentary style film takes place in Burkettesville, Maryland were a subsequent legendary haunted woods is the center of focus. Upon entering the old cemetery from the legend, strange events start to occur. They enter the forest and hear strange noises from the woods, get lost, lose their only map, they are soon starving, cold, bickering through the forest while videotaping the whole time. The movie is a documentary of their subsequentRead MoreCause Of School Shootings2045 Words   |  9 PagesColumbine, Colorado thirteen people died and twenty-four were in jured in one of the worst school shootings in America’s history. In this school massacre, there were two shooters by the names of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold who died after their shooting rampage by suicide. Their original plan was to set off bombs during lunch where an estimated 500 people would’ve been during the time. The plan changed when the bombs did not detonate in time and that is when the two decided to open fire on the school. Harris

Monday, December 23, 2019

Loneliness to Insanity and Madness in A Rose for Emily...

From Loneliness to Insanity in A Rose for Emily and The Yellow Wall-Paper In The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir states that within a patriarchal society woman does not enjoy the dignity of being a person; she herself forms a part of the patrimony of a man: first of her father, then of her husband (82-3). Both Emily Grierson in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily and the narrator of Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wall-Paper are forced into solitude simply because they are women. Emilys father rejects all of her prospective mates; the husband of Gilmans narrator isolates her from stimulation of any kind. Eventually, Emily is a recluse trapped in a deprecated home, and the narrator in Gilmans story is a delusional†¦show more content†¦After living so long as a victim of loneliness perpetrated by her father, Emily decides that she will be vindicated-she will have her man. She orders a toiletry set to be engraved with Homers initials, purchases an outfit and a nightshirt for him, and buys the arsenic that is to seal his fate. When the townspeople enter her house for the first time in forty years, they find a bridal tomb: a tarnished toiletry set, a neatly pressed suit, and a rotting Homer Baron clad in the nightshirt wearing a profound and fleshless grin (87). Just as the patrimony of a man destroys Emily, it also destroys the first-person narrator of The Yellow Wall-Paper, secluded from both life and reality by her over-protective husband. The narrator is both creative and eccentric; her husband is practical in the extreme (160). She believes that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do [her] good (160). Her husband, however, believes in the strength of conventional medicine such as the rest cure for nervous diseases (164). Like Emilys father who denies her a family and a life of her own, the husband of Gilmans narrator denies not only her desire to write, but also her craving for society and stimulus as she struggles to find a creative outlet (160). This appears a type of solitary confinement for such a creative being, and it should come as no surprise that she is crazed after monthsShow MoreRelatedShort Story Comparison1241 Words   |  5 PagesScales 1! Katrina Scales David Miles ENC-1102 16 July 2015 A Yellow Rose It is likely that after reading short stories The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner, any sensible reader will feel disturbed in at least the slightest. Both texts contain neurotic women of unsound mind who have deathly obsessions. At first glance, these stories do not seem to have much in common; they have been written through opposite perspectives, one neglects to be chronological

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Schema Free Essays

Schema as Hirsch has defined it is an â€Å"unified system of background relationships† that allows people to understand the â€Å"surface meaning† of a statement (Hirsch 54). If people can find ways to influence students about things that are important in the world, they would grow up connecting series of things important nowadays, and end up having the knowledge to choose what they can do next. If a person contains schema about environmental problems, and how to solve them, they would automatically put things side by side and build a solution for it. We will write a custom essay sample on Schema or any similar topic only for you Order Now With the help of schema, people most especially students can be able to focus on what is important in the society today. If the student graduates with the mental ability to know automatically what is right for their health and be aware of the environment problems, they can lessen the cause of it and the world would be a better place. If the student graduates with the general knowledge of choosing healthy foods, obesity would be lessened and if they graduate with the general knowledge to be aware of what they do to the environment, global warming would slow down. In the end, since schema cannot be taught, institutions should change the curriculum to teach information that will inform the schemata, so that the generation to come would automatically do what is right for them and for the environment. How to cite Schema, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Evaluates The Effectiveness And Usefulness Of The Learning Experience

Question: Discuss about the Evaluates The Effectiveness And Usefulness Of The Learning Experience. Answer: Introduction This reflection report evaluates the effectiveness and usefulness of the learning experience. It explains the usefulness of learning process. It also describes objectively the things that happened in the learning process. It also evaluates what I learn from assignment 1 and 2. Further, it describes the learning process and the ways I will apply my learning in the future. Evaluate the effectiveness and your usefulness of the learning experience I have gained my learning through literature review and research methodology part. This learning was effective for me to develop my research skills. From the literature review, I have observed that artificial intelligence is the advancement of technology on which the business future is oriented. It is evaluated that artificial intelligence has changed the lifestyle of people in all around the world(Britten, 2013). It has highly influenced the daily activities of life. This learning experience is useful for me to use the artificial intelligence in an organization. I have also pointed that artificial intelligence technology helps the companies by using an image, voice recognition and use of natural language processing. It also aids them to assess the consumer via voice and face recognition methods(Brooks, 2013). As a result, this learning experience is effective and useful for me to apply artificial intelligence technology in an effective manner. This experience is also valuable for me to enhance my career. Explain how this learning process will be useful to you This course would be useful for me to create the awareness about the artificial intelligence. In this way, I have learned that artificial intelligence deals with distinct challenges of insurance companies, which are associated with the privacy of data related to consumers. I will apply this new knowledge and insights in the future to get growth in the organization. This learning process will be also useful for me to improve my comprehension about the benefit of artificial intelligence. In this way, it is assessed that artificial intelligence is used to decline the amount of money spent by an individual in the process of availing these insurance(Chiu, and Ng, 2009). I have also observed that artificial intelligence aids to get loans for home, which is built in the prone area of the disaster. I will apply this learning process to promote the artificial intelligence among people. As a result, it has built my technical skills. Describe objectively what happened in the learning process In the learning process, I have gained my knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence in the insurance firm. For this, I read about the research concern through different sources like books, journal articles, and online and offline publication. I see that artificial intelligence aids to solve the problem associated with people identification while they are demanding their insurance. This learning experience is useful for me to imply the artificial intelligence in the future. I have also gained my comprehension with regards to the role of artificial intelligence in the future. In this way, it is evaluated that the AI supports to keep the data in an effective and efficient manner(Hewitt, 2009). Since, the machines get smarter outcome hence there are fewer possibilities to make a breach of security. This course was also beneficial for me to enhance my career by gaining my learning. In such case, it is identified that artificial intelligence also generates the new sort of tasks, which are associated with technical fields and also decline the efforts of an individual in performing their jobs (Petroni, 2012). As a result, I can apply my learning experience in an organization in terms of using artificial intelligence technology. It is explained that there is no emotional understanding with regards to current phenomenon about AI devices(Mugenda, 2009). As a result, people cannot act according to the current situation. However, I have observed that future machines could understand the social values as it is in the procedure. Evaluate what you learn The business research was used for the research learning procedure as it has built my skills and knowledge regarding the artificial intelligence in the insurance firm. I have also observed that artificial intelligence facilitates the flexibility to the whole procedure hence the benefits of insurance could be done as per the algorithm. But, at the same time, I have pointed that there are certain disadvantages of using artificial intelligence. In this way, it is evaluated that artificial technology required a huge amount of investment in their maintenance and installation (Hennink, Hutterand Bailey, 2010). I have gained my understanding of the research objective. In this way, I have learned that research objective is essential to complete the research in an effective and efficient manner. I have also developed my comprehension with regards to the research question. In such way, I have learned that research question is responded through literature review. Explain your learning process From the assignment 1, I gained my new insights about literature review with regards to the effect of AI on the insurance industry. It is useful for me to use artificial intelligence technology in the future. I did different activities in assignment 2 such as research methodology, data analysis, and plan for interpreting the research outcome. I have learned that both qualitative and quantitative research design is used to collect the data. As a result, it has developed my research skills in an effective and efficient manner. I have developed my understanding of the sample place. In this way, I have learned that Chevalier insurance company in Hong Kong would be selected as a sample to gather the opinion about the research concern. As a result, it would be beneficial for me to enhance my career in long-term. From the assignment 1, I feel that there is a gap in the literature review. In this way, it is identified that there is a gap in technology such as relationship handling is long in this decades and also changes in the lifestyle of human (Herschel and Jones, 2005). There is inadequate information in the literature review. For instance, literature review identifies that artificial technology decline the possibility of connection of face to face but it is not possible in real life (Hwangand Greenford, 2005).Since, people can get more data about their friends and more friends without seeing each other through facebook. I have also gained my knowledge that data will be collected through different techniques such as interview, observational as it would be beneficial to pool relevant and reliable information regarding research concern. It is also analyzed that the outcome of the research will be comprehended by the different charts and graphs to understand the pool information in a meaningful manner (Hillman, et. al., 2015). Explain Plan how this learning you will apply I will apply my learning in the future for using artificial intelligence technology within an organization. This course is beneficial for me as it has not only gained my understanding of the effect of AI in the insurance firms but also improves my different skills such as research and technical skills. I will also apply my learning to improve the professional career. Although, this course has developed my understanding of the effect of artificial intelligence in the future yet, there is some gap in a research study. In this way, I would suggest that literature review should contain depth information regarding artificial intelligence as it would be beneficial to eliminate the gap from research. Conclusion It could be concluded that this research was effective for me to enhance my knowledge about the effect of artificial intelligence in the insurance industry. This course has also developed my different skills such as technical and research skills. References Britten N. (2013) Qualitative interviews in healthcare. In Pope C, Mays N (eds) Qualitative research in health care. 2nded. pp 1119. London: BMJ Books, 2013. Brooks, R.A., (2013). Intelligence without representation.Artificial intelligence, 47(1-3), pp.139-159. Chiu, W.C., and Ng, C.W., (2009). Women?friendly HRM and organizational commitment: A study among women and men of organizations in Hong Kong. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 72(4), pp.485-502. Hennink, M., Hutter, I., and Bailey, A., (2010).Qualitative research methods.Sage. Herschel, R.T. and Jones, N.E., (2005). Knowledgemanagement and business intelligence: the importance of integration. Journal of knowledge management, 9(4), pp.45-55. Hewitt, C., (2009). Open information systems semantics for distributed artificial intelligence.Artificial intelligence, 47(1-3), pp.79-106. Hillman, K.I.W.D., Walker, D.I., Larkum, A.W.D. and McComb, A.J., (2015). Productivity and nutrient limitation.Elsevier Science Pub. Hwang, T. and Greenford, B., (2005).A Cross?Section Analysis of the Determinants of Life Insurance Consumption in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.RiskManagement and Insurance Review, 8(1), pp.103-125. Mugenda, O.M., (2009). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. African Centre for Technology Studies. Petroni, K.R., (2012). Optimistic reporting in the property-casualty insurance industry.Journal of Accounting and Economics, 15(4), pp.485-508.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Jetblue Ipo Essay Example

Jetblue Ipo Paper JetBlue Airlines, a low-fare commercial airline, has planned to go public towards the end of 2001. During the process the firm had restructured their initial price from $22- 24 per share to $26 – 28 per share. Advantages / Disadvantages of the IPO Decision There are considerable advantages with obtaining equity through the IPO process. There are, however, some drawbacks that also need to be taken into consideration. Some of the advantages and disadvantages are: Advantages| Disadvantages| Equity value is established for the firm * Current shareholders can diversify personal portfolios| * SEC requires public disclosure of financial information (transparency) * IPO expenses| * Liquidity of stock increases| * Owner restricted to immediate cash-out| * Easier to raise capital in the future| * Sharing of future earnings with outsiders| | * Legal liability| Exhibit A in the appendix outlines some additional key advantages and disadvantages of going public through the IPO process. IPO Valuation Techniques Deriving a value for an IPO is the critical part of the process. In both fixed price and book building offers some form of initial price must be determined by the investment bank. Key methods are used to determine the value of a company and thus the initial IPO price includes: * Discounting Methods: based on a firms intrinsic value (future cash flows) * Comparable Multiples Method: value based on similar publicly traded companies Using information from the case we perceived the IPO pricing of $24-26 was determined by using the comparable multiples approach. Therefore, we will use the discounted cash flows method to determine an introductory price and evaluate whether it is in-line with the current proposed price. Exhibit B provides a description of each method. Discounted Cash Flow Recommendation It is our recommendation for the firm to set the price range for the IPO at the adjusted rate of $26 to 28. Although more value is achievable through a higher price, the lower range will meet the needs of the firm, maintain interest in the share, and possibly give large returns to the investors right away. Advantages and Disadvantages of Going Public through the IPO Process Advantages The partners can obtain a true value of the shares they possess in the company * Partners can remove their signatures from the lines of credit and thus, are no longer personally liable to the creditors * The overall financial condition of a company is improved as it brings in non-refundable money * A broader capital base gives the company more access to credit whi ch gives the company an option to venture into new business opportunities * Capital raised in an IPO can be used to pay off debt and thus reduce the interest costs and enhance the company’s debt to equity ratio * The value of the stock may see an upward trend thus increasing the initial investor’s financial wealth * When a company goes public, it attracts the attention of the media and financial community thus providing free publicity and helps in creating a better corporate image * By going public and listing on a stock exchange it can directly foster public reputation in general Disadvantages The market is extremely unpredictable and an unsuccessful IPO can result in a great loss of time as well as money for the company * The ownership of the partners is dissolved and they become mere employees who are responsible to the shareholders and Board of Directors * Continuous dealing with shareholders and the press is a time-consuming process * Shareholders judge the perfor mance of the company on the basis of the profits and stock price and may cause managers to overlook the long-term strategic objectives * The company needs to make nation-wide presentations about its performance to the interested shareholders, brokers and the investment bankers * The company’s continued success may bring a lot of close scrutiny by the public * Large amounts of fees and expenses are associated with a public company on a continual basis commissions, advertising costs, securities exchange fees etc. Exhibit B: IPO Valuation Techniques Discounting Methods Theoretically, the price of a share is derived by discounting all future cash flows that accrue to shareholders. These techniques are used throughout industry; however, they do suffer in practical application due to the risk associated with forecasting both revenue and expenses (Draho, 2004). The two most frequently used discounting methods include the discounted free cash flows (DCF) and a residual income model (RIM). * Discounted Free Cash Flows Free cash flows are defined as the cash flows from operations after investment in working capital and any capital expenditures. We will write a custom essay sample on Jetblue Ipo specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Jetblue Ipo specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Jetblue Ipo specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These cash flows are considered more appropriate than accounting earnings which include non cash items such as depreciation that cannot be used to pay shareholders. Cash flows are used to pay dividends and thus capture true value for the investor. These cash flows are then discounted using a risk adjusted rate. The rate is estimated either by using the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) for a 100% equity company or by calculating the weighted average cost of capital of the firm’s debt and equity (Geddes, 2003). * Residual Income Model The DCF model requires accounting earnings to be converted to cash flows. This is considered inappropriate as accounting values do not take into consideration the time value of money and may be subject to manipulation by way of accounting methods. The RIM is similar to the DCF method in that both methods use a risk adjusted discount rate. The RIM model, however, utilizes the difference between the realized earnings and the expected earnings, where the expected earnings is the cost of equity multiplied by the start of period equity book value (Draho, 2004). Comparable Multiples This is the most common method used by investment banks to value IPO’s. Its fundamental approach is the comparison of ratios of companies that operate in similar businesses that possess the same characteristics of risk, current and future profitability and growth prospects. There are number of ratios that can be used under this method, the most common being: * Price/Earnings multiples * Price/EBIT Market value/Book value * Price/sales The successful application of this method lies in choosing an appropriate comparison company. One method used by practitioners is to select up to 10 company’s operating within the same industry and to use the group’s median multiple to value the issuer. The second and most common method is to select 3-4 companies that are direct competitors within the particular industry to the issuer. The third method is to use multiples of firms that have recently gone public assuming all issuers share common valuation multiples. The comparable multiples method is a popular method to value an IPO due to its simplicity and accuracy. With the use of multiples there is no need to estimate the cost of capital, neither is there a need to depend on forecasted earnings and assumptions of valuation models. The use of multiples is supported by the assumption that relevant ratios capture the markets estimate of risk and growth. References Bruner, R. F. , Eades, K. M. , Schill, M. J. (2010). Case Studies in Finance: Managing for Corporate Value Creation. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Damodaran, Aswath. Damodaran Online: Home Page for Aswath Damodaran. Welcome to Pages at the Stern School of Business, New York University. Web. 1 July 2010. http://pages. stern. nyu. edu/~adamodar/. Draho, J. (2004). â€Å"The IPO Decision: Why and How Companies Go Public†. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Jetblue Ipo Essay Example Jetblue Ipo Paper JetBlue Airlines, a low-fare commercial airline, has planned to go public towards the end of 2001. During the process the firm had restructured their initial price from $22- 24 per share to $26 – 28 per share. Advantages / Disadvantages of the IPO Decision There are considerable advantages with obtaining equity through the IPO process. There are, however, some drawbacks that also need to be taken into consideration. Some of the advantages and disadvantages are: Advantages| Disadvantages| Equity value is established for the firm * Current shareholders can diversify personal portfolios| * SEC requires public disclosure of financial information (transparency) * IPO expenses| * Liquidity of stock increases| * Owner restricted to immediate cash-out| * Easier to raise capital in the future| * Sharing of future earnings with outsiders| | * Legal liability| Exhibit A in the appendix outlines some additional key advantages and disadvantages of going public through the IPO process. IPO Valuation Techniques Deriving a value for an IPO is the critical part of the process. In both fixed price and book building offers some form of initial price must be determined by the investment bank. Key methods are used to determine the value of a company and thus the initial IPO price includes: * Discounting Methods: based on a firms intrinsic value (future cash flows) * Comparable Multiples Method: value based on similar publicly traded companies Using information from the case we perceived the IPO pricing of $24-26 was determined by using the comparable multiples approach. Therefore, we will use the discounted cash flows method to determine an introductory price and evaluate whether it is in-line with the current proposed price. Exhibit B provides a description of each method. Discounted Cash Flow Recommendation It is our recommendation for the firm to set the price range for the IPO at the adjusted rate of $26 to 28. Although more value is achievable through a higher price, the lower range will meet the needs of the firm, maintain interest in the share, and possibly give large returns to the investors right away. Advantages and Disadvantages of Going Public through the IPO Process Advantages The partners can obtain a true value of the shares they possess in the company * Partners can remove their signatures from the lines of credit and thus, are no longer personally liable to the creditors * The overall financial condition of a company is improved as it brings in non-refundable money * A broader capital base gives the company more access to credit whi ch gives the company an option to venture into new business opportunities * Capital raised in an IPO can be used to pay off debt and thus reduce the interest costs and enhance the company’s debt to equity ratio * The value of the stock may see an upward trend thus increasing the initial investor’s financial wealth * When a company goes public, it attracts the attention of the media and financial community thus providing free publicity and helps in creating a better corporate image * By going public and listing on a stock exchange it can directly foster public reputation in general Disadvantages The market is extremely unpredictable and an unsuccessful IPO can result in a great loss of time as well as money for the company * The ownership of the partners is dissolved and they become mere employees who are responsible to the shareholders and Board of Directors * Continuous dealing with shareholders and the press is a time-consuming process * Shareholders judge the perfor mance of the company on the basis of the profits and stock price and may cause managers to overlook the long-term strategic objectives * The company needs to make nation-wide presentations about its performance to the interested shareholders, brokers and the investment bankers * The company’s continued success may bring a lot of close scrutiny by the public * Large amounts of fees and expenses are associated with a public company on a continual basis commissions, advertising costs, securities exchange fees etc. Exhibit B: IPO Valuation Techniques Discounting Methods Theoretically, the price of a share is derived by discounting all future cash flows that accrue to shareholders. These techniques are used throughout industry; however, they do suffer in practical application due to the risk associated with forecasting both revenue and expenses (Draho, 2004). The two most frequently used discounting methods include the discounted free cash flows (DCF) and a residual income model (RIM). * Discounted Free Cash Flows Free cash flows are defined as the cash flows from operations after investment in working capital and any capital expenditures. We will write a custom essay sample on Jetblue Ipo specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Jetblue Ipo specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Jetblue Ipo specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These cash flows are considered more appropriate than accounting earnings which include non cash items such as depreciation that cannot be used to pay shareholders. Cash flows are used to pay dividends and thus capture true value for the investor. These cash flows are then discounted using a risk adjusted rate. The rate is estimated either by using the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) for a 100% equity company or by calculating the weighted average cost of capital of the firm’s debt and equity (Geddes, 2003). * Residual Income Model The DCF model requires accounting earnings to be converted to cash flows. This is considered inappropriate as accounting values do not take into consideration the time value of money and may be subject to manipulation by way of accounting methods. The RIM is similar to the DCF method in that both methods use a risk adjusted discount rate. The RIM model, however, utilizes the difference between the realized earnings and the expected earnings, where the expected earnings is the cost of equity multiplied by the start of period equity book value (Draho, 2004). Comparable Multiples This is the most common method used by investment banks to value IPO’s. Its fundamental approach is the comparison of ratios of companies that operate in similar businesses that possess the same characteristics of risk, current and future profitability and growth prospects. There are number of ratios that can be used under this method, the most common being: * Price/Earnings multiples * Price/EBIT Market value/Book value * Price/sales The successful application of this method lies in choosing an appropriate comparison company. One method used by practitioners is to select up to 10 company’s operating within the same industry and to use the group’s median multiple to value the issuer. The second and most common method is to select 3-4 companies that are direct competitors within the particular industry to the issuer. The third method is to use multiples of firms that have recently gone public assuming all issuers share common valuation multiples. The comparable multiples method is a popular method to value an IPO due to its simplicity and accuracy. With the use of multiples there is no need to estimate the cost of capital, neither is there a need to depend on forecasted earnings and assumptions of valuation models. The use of multiples is supported by the assumption that relevant ratios capture the markets estimate of risk and growth. References Bruner, R. F. , Eades, K. M. , Schill, M. J. (2010). Case Studies in Finance: Managing for Corporate Value Creation. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Damodaran, Aswath. Damodaran Online: Home Page for Aswath Damodaran. Welcome to Pages at the Stern School of Business, New York University. Web. 1 July 2010. http://pages. stern. nyu. edu/~adamodar/. Draho, J. (2004). â€Å"The IPO Decision: Why and How Companies Go Public†. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Economic History of English Colonization of the US

Economic History of English Colonization of the US Early settlers had a variety of reasons for seeking a new homeland. The Pilgrims of Massachusetts were pious, self-disciplined English people who wanted to escape religious persecution. Other colonies, such as Virginia, were founded principally as business ventures. Often, though, piety and profits went hand-in-hand. The Role of Charter Companies in the English Colonization of the US Englands success at colonizing what would become the United States was due in large part to its use of charter companies. Charter companies were groups of stockholders (usually merchants and wealthy landowners) who sought personal economic gain and, perhaps, wanted also to advance Englands national goals. While the private sector financed the companies, the King provided each project with a charter or grant conferring economic rights as well as political and judicial authority. The colonies generally did not show quick profits, however, and the English investors often turned over their colonial charters to the settlers. The political implications, although not realized at the time, were enormous. The colonists were left to build their own lives, their own communities, and their own economy - in effect, to start constructing the rudiments of a new nation. Fur Trading What early colonial prosperity there was resulted from trapping and trading in furs. In addition, fishing was a primary source of wealth in Massachusetts. But throughout the colonies, people lived primarily on small farms and were self-sufficient. In the few small cities and among the larger plantations of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, some necessities and virtually all luxuries were imported in return for tobacco, rice, and indigo (blue dye) exports. Supportive Industries Supportive industries developed as the colonies grew. A variety of specialized sawmills and gristmills appeared. Colonists established shipyards to build fishing fleets and, in time, trading vessels. The also built small iron forges. By the 18th century, regional patterns of development had become clear: the New England colonies relied on shipbuilding and sailing to generate wealth; plantations (many using slave labor) in Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas grew tobacco, rice, and indigo; and the middle colonies of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware shipped general crops and furs. Except for slaves, standards of living were generally high - higher, in fact, than in England itself. Because English investors had withdrawn, the field was open to entrepreneurs among the colonists. The Self-Government Movement By 1770, the North American colonies were ready, both economically and politically, to become part of the emerging self-government movement that had dominated English politics since the time of James I (1603-1625). Disputes developed with England over taxation and other matters; Americans hoped for a modification of English taxes and regulations that would satisfy their demand for more self-government. Few thought the mounting quarrel with the English government would lead to all-out war against the British and to independence for the colonies. The American Revolution Like the English political turmoil of the 17th and 18th centuries, the American Revolution (1775-1783) was both political and economic, bolstered by an emerging middle class with a rallying cry of unalienable rights to life, liberty, and property - a phrase openly borrowed from English philosopher John Lockes Second Treatise on Civil Government (1690). The war was triggered by an event in April 1775. British soldiers, intending to capture a colonial arms depot at Concord, Massachusetts, clashed with colonial militiamen. Someone - no one knows exactly who - fired a shot, and eight years of fighting began. While political separation from England may not have been the majority of colonists original goal, independence, and the creation of a new nation - the United States - was the ultimate result. - This article is adapted from the book Outline of the U.S. Economy by Conte and Carr and has been adapted with permission from the U.S. Department of State.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Regulations for the Licensure of Hospitals in Virginia Essay

Regulations for the Licensure of Hospitals in Virginia - Essay Example Also, the hospital must declare if it intends to be a General, Special, Nursing home, Outpatient, or surgical hospital, or combination of as defined by the regulations. Next, according to 12 VAC 5-410-140, a hospital must undergo an inspection, unless previously accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and certified for participation in Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. If the hospital has already been approved by these two organizations, it can be assumed that it will fulfill all requirements of the Department of Health. Thus, it is easier if the accreditation and certification process is completed before applying for a license, but not mandatory. If the hospital has not already been accredited and certified, before obtaining a license then the hospital must undergo a rigorous inspection according to Part II of the Regulations for Licensure of Hospitals. Part II covers Organization and Management, Patient Care Services, Special Services, Environmental and Maintenance Services, and Physical Plant Requirements for existing Buildings. The differing parts of the inspection are not listed in detail, but it d oes list that the hospital has an opportunity to submit a plan of correction. (12 VAC 5-410-150) According to Part II of the Virginia State Board of Health's "Rules and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Mod 2 case Tort Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mod 2 case Tort Law - Essay Example ACE sports owed a duty of care to the users of the rim to ensure that the rim was safe and did not have any parts that would possibly cause harm to the players who used it. This duty of care was breached when Bobby hurt himself with the small pieces of metal left on the rim due to lack of reasonable care by ACE sports. Dr. Andrews, on the other hand, is also liable in negligence for erroneously amputating Bobby’s functional wrist. The doctors’ actions were caused by medical negligence, when the surgeon did not exercise the required standard of care before performing the amputation. In establishing medical negligence, it is essential to demonstrate the occurrence of medical negligence or error, and more significantly, that this error or negligence resulted in physical or psychological suffering to the patient (Charlesworth, Walton, & Cooper, 2011). In Bobby’s case, his left wrist was erroneously amputated and this is sufficient to establish both error and physical suffering required to establish medical negligence. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) provides for how and when a patient might be denied treatment or transferred to another medical facility when such a patient is in an unstable medical condition. The Act provides that where a patient presents himself to a medical institution requiring examination or treatment the hospital must provide the appropriate screening to establish if the patient has an emergency medical condition. Where it is established that indeed there is an emergency medical condition, the hospital is obligated to provide treatment to the patient until the condition stabilizes or transfer the patient to another hospital. Where the emergency condition is not established, then the statute imposes no obligation on the hospital. The act defines an emergency condition as a medical condition with acute symptoms where absence of treatment is reasonably expected to cause impairment or a

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Sound of an Utterance and Its Meaning Essay

The Sound of an Utterance and Its Meaning - Essay Example The theory of phonosemantics states that phonemes and meanings are inter-related, or that â€Å"phonemes are signs in some sense† (Gudwin & Queiroz 2007:177), which is a concept known as sound symbolism. Let’s first understand how mind interprets meaning of a word. Sign is something that refers to a property of an object, and when interpreted, leaves an effect on the interpreter’s mind. This effect is called meaning. If we talk about human language, words and phonemes (/st-/, /gl-/, /-ump/, /-at/) are the signs that leave an effect on humans’ brains, linking a specific meaning to the word. The study of this link between phonemes and meanings is called phonosemantics. It states that our minds process sounds quite unconsciously, like the invoking of emotions on the sound of music without the interpreter even understanding it. The hypothesis that the theory of phonosemantics holds is that, the relationship between phonemes and meanings must be arbitrary since every language has its own words for the same object or its properties. This arbitrariness is to be understood only in the sense that words acquire meanings randomly, and such words form connections with other similar-sounding or similar-meaning words with the passage of time. Once a word has acquired a meaning, both will stay interconnected forever for a specific language. 3. What is Sound Symbolism? Chan (1996:1) states that, â€Å"Sound symbolism is the study of the direct relationship between the sound of an utterance and its meaning. It is a special nature of human language, that the utterance of sound can be linked with some meaning. The sound of a child’s cry refers to his wanting attention. A loud scream refers to somebody who is in danger. Clearing the throat refers to one’s attempt to start communication. The name called to grab a person’s attention matches the acoustic restrictions of the environment in which it is being called, like we call a name unintentionally loudly if there is noise in surroundings. Sound symbolism is pervasive to human language, and plays a very important role in linguistics, â€Å"especially at the affective level† (Chan 1996:2). It explains a symbolic or metaphoric link between sounds and meanings because when we hear a sound, we interpret it and associate it with images and concepts, and respond to them emotionally. Phonosemantics goes one step further in claiming that even distinct sounds (like scream) have meanings, which are vague and metaphoric in nature. Sound symbolism involves two types of words: phonaesthetic words, and imitative words. Imitative words will be defined later. 3.1. Phonaesthetic words Phonaesthesia is the concept, originally presented by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (Fisher 2011:85), that describes the link between phonaesthemes or phonaesthetic words and specific meanings (Trask 2000:252). Trask gives the example of â€Å"slime, slope, slush, sludge, slip slide, slosh, sl urry and slug.† All of these words start with /sl-/ and give off an idea of wet and slippery. These are phonaesthemes because they have the element of wetness in them, like when we hear these words, a kind of watery feeling comes into our minds. Hence, phonaesthetic words usually have the same combination of alphabets or consonant clusters at the beginning or ending of the words. Smith (2002:3) has given many good examples in his paper, like â€Å"

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Strategic Position Of The Google Corporation Commerce Essay

Strategic Position Of The Google Corporation Commerce Essay This individual case study analyzes the strategic position of the Google corporation in its market and references some of the competitive forces as described by Michael Porter (1980). The analyses will also include some of the axioms from Sun Tzu and the art of business by Mark McNeilly (1996). Bernard Girards book on The Google Way (2009) was used primarily for this case study. Investor relation websites along with internet articles supplemented the review of Google and to present financial numbers for market comparison. Google is arguably one of the most innovative and interesting companies today in their industry. Their beginning can be seen as the classic Silicon Valley company formation. Two friends from Stanford University, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, had a vision to make an impact on the information technology industry. To be more specific their mission was to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful  [1]  (Girard, 2009). But Google is anything but the typical company in reference to their strategies for going public and how the organization operates. The mid to late 1990s the computing technology world was racing towards advancements and the founders of Google took advantage of this. Prior to this date, computer technology was more expensive for less in relation to storage, components, processing, and performance. Computers and the internet were still limited to a narrow group of people which included universities, government and researchers, along with only a small population fortunate enough to afford this technology. The mid 1990s experienced more rapid advancement in information technology including the World Wide Web, faster processors, upgraded memory, accelerated graphics cards, more storage, and user friendly operating systems (Windows). That affect made personal computing a household name. A large factor in this was price per technology. As Bernard Girard (2009) points out, Asia was emerging as technology manufacturers at the same time advancements in computer components were maturing, yielding lower prices for computing technology. The phenomenon allowed the Google founders to capitalize on the market conditions which were favorable to them as it applied to building the computing power they needed to accomplish what they set out to achieve. Not only were they becoming the new entrant  [2]  into the information technology industry, but the competitive force principle that Michael Porter (1980) describes that gave Google favor in the market from their start was the bargaining power of suppliers  [3]  (Porter, 1980). To create their massive database and sophisticated algorithms based on artificial intelligence (AI), they would need talented programming people as well as the highest technological computer components which there were plenty of, limiting the bargaining power of the suppliers. There was also no shortage of venture capitalists at that time willing to invest in the next Silicon Valley start up. According to Entreprenuer.com in a 2007 study of the top one hundred venture capital firms in the United States, found that approximately half of them were located in California (Girard, 2009). This made it easier for Google to obtain the capital necessary for their ideas from the financial perspective. Public Offering When it came time to open Google up to Wall Street in 2004, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin along with new their new partner Eric Schmidt made a tactical move to improve their companys position  [4]  at its initial public offering (IPO). Analyzing the methods of an IPO, they decided to use the OpenIPO in lieu of the standard public offering. As Girard (2009) explains, the OpenIPO resembles the Dutch auction where the seller sets a bid price and the number of shares, and allows the investors to bid what they think is the fair price. In the end, all winning bids will pay the exact same price regardless if some of the bids were higher, which is in contrast of the typical Wall Street IPO which allows investment bankers to manipulate the system in their favor. The OpenIPO strategy gave Google the credibility, confidence, and favorable public opinion from the start. Market and Financial Position Google was not formed yet when the World Wide Web took off in the mid 1990s. The internet search market was shared by Magellan, InfoSeek, AltaVista, Yahoo, Inktomi and Northern Light (Web Search Engine, n.d.). Although Google formed in 1998, its search engine (and main component) started to gain market share in the year 2000  [5]  through its unique technology and basic home page design. In 2002 Google was ahead of both Yahoo and MSN by a half of a percent to a percent in the market (29.2%6). By May 2003, Google had fifty-five percent (55.2%  [6]  ) of the global search engine market share with Yahoo at a distance second (21.7%6). As recent as March 2011, Googles claim on the search engine market is nearly two-thirds even though Microsoft has been gaining as of lately mostly due to its Bing search engine and Yahoo which is included in the Microsoft statistics from their partnering (Parr, 2011). Googles financial position is very strong. In terms of revenue, the company grew from eighty-six million in 2001 to over twenty-nine billion dollars reported (unaudited) in 2010  [7]  (Google investor relations, n.d.). Google has managed to increase their revenues every year within that time and the majority of that comes through advertising. For example in 2010, twenty-eight of the twenty-nine billion dollars were logged in under total advertising revenues7. Many dot com (.com) companies did not last in the market and faded after the early 2000s, and if they did, struggled thereafter. Google however has proven to be a profitable company. In 2001 their net income was just under seven million dollars while earning four cents per share outstanding  [8]  (Google investor relations, n.d.). They have since grown to a net income of eight and a half billion dollars and impressive earnings per share of twenty-six dollars8 (Google investor relations, n.d.). Though competition in the technology world is fierce, Googles financial figures still far outweigh its two closest competitors in the information technology web services industry, Yahoo and Chinas Baidu. To date Googles total revenues are greater than Yahoo and Baidu by twenty-three and twenty-eight billion dollars respectively  [9]  . Research and Development A large factor in the success of Google comes from its commitment to research and development. Google spent over three billion dollars ($3.7 bil) towards research and development8 (Google investor relations, n.d.) . Compare that to Yahoo, according to their investor relations site, who report just over a billion dollars in 2010 for product development (up from only two hundred million in 2009), and Baidu who only allocated just over seven hundred million towards research and development9. One of Googles policies in human resource management is not only to acquire who they think is of great innovative talent, but to allow them some space to be creative. This is what is known as the twenty percent rule (Girard, 2009). Google is so committed to research that they allow their people to have twenty percent of their time to work on research and not be devoted full time on specific projects. This is not a typical policy in most organizations. The Sun Tzu and the art of business axiom that applies to Googles theory towards innovation is Deception and Foreknowledge, Maximizing the Power of Market Information.  [10]  (McNeilly, 1996). The principle refers to staying connected to what your competition is involved in to be able to better respond to what your market is dictating at the time. If ignorant of the conditions of mountains, forests, dangerous defiles, swamps and marshes he cannot conduct the march of an army.  [11]  (McNeilly, 1996) This is especially important in information technology because it is more dynamic than most other industries. As Bernard Girard (2009) points out what sets Google apart from the typical company when it comes to the attitude towards development, is that it stays connected to the world around them for ideas that can be placed into motion. One of the policies pertaining to this is the building of networks in their Silicon Valley area to listen to what other companies are doing and what may be the next start up new entrant on the horizon (Girard, 2009). They also encourage their employees to stay connected to their alma maters and other university students to stay in touch on new ideas in the market. Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths Google is a large corporation whose strength relies on its current technology and innovation. They have dynamic leadership in founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who have the vision and the means to put it forward as they have demonstrated from its inception in 1998. An obvious strength is their current financial position. They are in good position monetarily to invest in new technologies and combat legalities and new services. As stated in the previous section, most of their revenues are generated through advertising. What set Google apart from the competition when it launched its search engine was the model they incorporated. It is known as the cost-per-click strategy which was a system that allowed advertisers to pay what they thought their ads were worth which mathematically was translated in search rankings (Girard, 2009). Google gave advertisers a visual way of tracking the effectiveness of their marketing dollars. This was a breakthrough because before Googles method, it was difficult for companies to track their marketing efforts whether it was on the web, or even in other media outlets such as print and television. In an indirect way, Google became a substitute product or service  [12]  , referring to Porters force driving industry competition, in relation to advertising venues besides the internet. Google offered companies a more fair way to judge what they thought they should price their advertisements as well as the ability to view their effectiveness. For marketers, this information can be priceless and a better opportunity than blind ads. Another one of Googles strength is its algorithm that runs its page ranking search engine. It is different from the typical methods of other engines because its objective is to rank pages not only by its word content but also uses artificial intelligence for relevance. Their search engine algorithm approach can be viewed as avoiding strength and attacking weakness  [13]  . Instead of following methods and theories of the status quo web engines, they developed a unique system that has revolutionized internet searching today. Weakness It is hard to fathom weakness in a company of this magnitude, but no organization is without them. The obvious is the possible loss of key members which can include anyone from the executive management team to its software engineers. The information technology market is very competitive because it relies heavily on scientific and mathematical talent that is not easy to come by if you measure it against all disciplines overall. Key production employees may opt to leave to other organizations for better offers or start up their own technology company. Googles enormous growth could possibly be a weakness. With that in mind other companies that are competing to regain a part of that large share that Google currently owns. An example is Microsofts Bing Maps feature birdseye view which is direct competition with Google Earth for usage as it refers to the threat of new products and services from competitors. They will also have to combat new companies that will enter the information technology arena looking to capitalize on the rewards Google has discovered. One such company that has developed a new computational knowledge search based on natural language and new algorithms is Wolfram|Alpha, the very company that produced the software Mathematica (About Wolfram|Alpha, 2011). Such a company could prove to be the direct competition for Googles search engine market because of its ability to match the sophistication of the algorithms that drive both organizations search engines. Technological Position Google puts stock in innovation. As mentioned, they encourage collaboration and creativity. This is evident from the technology they are able to house. According to author Bernard Girard (2009), Googles data house, which is built on a very powerful software platform, may consist of approximately four hundred and fifty thousand (450,000) microcomputers. There in house intranet known as Moma, is extremely powerful and acts as their enterprise wide application which reveals numerous statistics about their operations as well as an open view of all of their research and development. Googles technological arsenal is stocked well enough to compete against rival companies. Advancements and Emerging Markets Some of Googles advancements in the market include their web browser Chrome, which is one of the fastest, the popular Android mobile operating system, and their Gmail service. The Gmail service has emerged as of the more popular email systems today that offer an extraordinary amount of free space. They accomplished this through by leveraging their cloud technology which is also emerging today. They also plan to offer almost all personal and workstation computing applications through the cloud technology which would directly compete against Microsoft. One example is the current research and development of the Google Chrome OS (operating system) which is intended to run exclusively on computers specifically manufactured from Googles partners (Google Chrome OS, n.d.). Google has even partnered with the company GeoEye to launch a satellite for higher quality imagery for their Google Earth service in 2008 (Google. n.d.). They have also entered the renewable-energy market with their subsidiary, Google Energy, and invested in a wind project in the state of North Dakota (Google. n.d.). Another market that Google is experimenting with advantageously is the broadband service. They have an agreement to install the Google fiber optic system which will offer broadband at ultra high speeds upward towards one hundred times faster than normal broadband according to Google. They are also beta testing a free home wireless service under the name Google TiSP. International Policy One of the negatives that always need to be dealt with in reference to large corporations is its position in the international community. Antitrust laws can be used to limit the power one company may have. Googles already has had a negative experience abroad in relation to China. According to contributor Steven Levy (2011), Google had a rough relationship with China due to the countrys censorship policies which were contrary to Googles views and style. Googles service was also different over there because it had to adapt to the possibility of turning over data to the Chinese government, something they wanted to avoid. As Levy (2011) explains it got so bad that even Googles policy for their employees to take twenty percent of their time towards independent ventures was not well received in Chinas culture. This is an example of not only are there different and possible unique laws a corporation may have to abide by, but also a different lifestyle and culture may hinder how a company ma y run its operations. Evaluation Answering the question about how Google can improve market share is a difficult one. Google is basically competing against itself in its own industry. This is why they expand in all directions to gain share and enter other markets. Their market share can improve greatly with the success of their ultra high speed broadband service experiment. Ultra high speed connection for everyone, even in outlying rural areas is the future. Google has the technology, resources and ability to deliver this. Another possible market Google would have the capability to enter is the smart appliance industry. This emerging technology uses programmable features in appliances that would allow control for household energy usage. The industry is still new, but a company such as Google could make an impact because of its software programming talent, internet dominance, and its new broadband technology. Googles management is very progressive. According to Girard (2009) they took liberties to install a collaborative environment to be able to connect its employees to each other as well as to the outside world (universities, other companies) to better react to the changes in demand from customers and emerging technologies. For example users were becoming more frustrated with internet explorer in the late 1990 and early 2000s. Google responded with the Chrome web browser to take market share. When email services were cheap on storage, they answered with Gmail. Now the public has been demanding more speed for the rich applications across the internet and Google is responding with an ultra high speed service. A couple of laws that Google needs to stay on top of are privacy laws and antitrust laws. One law in particular, The Patriot Act, may impact Google in a negative way because there are laws that all companies have to abide by, which may mean handing over of information when requested. This could have effect on usage and market share due to how the public may perceive the giant corporation. Antitrust laws can affect Google because of its growth and size. Google has a history of buying companies to acquire different technologies which included KeyHole, DoubleClick, Aardvark, and YouTube to name a few (Google. n.d.). Laws that prohibit monopolies may impede Googles quest to grow further in certain markets. Conclusion One would have to ask the question, will Google be able to sustain its own growth? Information technology is a broad field that covers many aspects of the industry. Googles corporate strategy judging by the amount of services it offers and the ones it is trying to breakthrough makes it an aggressive company that likes to stay on top of innovation and market share. Growing too fast can be an achilles heel at some point, because a company can end up spreading itself too far while ignoring advancements and changes it might need for its main services.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Car Vs SUV Essays -- essays research papers

Technology has brought many luxuries to people. The invention of the automobile has brought convenience to everyday living. People use their vehicles to commute to work, school, home, and other events. Some people cannot even imagine living life without the use of an automobile. People have different tastes in the type of automobile that they drive; the automotive industry has made several different ways to commute. The car and the sports utility vehicle seem to be the most common types. The sports utility vehicle is inferior to the car.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sports utility vehicles harm the environment more then cars do. It takes more gas to fill up these vehicles, and the big engines consume it as if they’re where no tomorrow. The weight of the vehicle also contributes heavily to this consumption since it needs to burn more fuel to drive it. The sports utility vehicle harms everybody with all of its emissions that it emits into the environment. However, driving a car does not bring the emissions as high. The smaller engines and the lightweight of cars make them a Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV). Since cars produce less smog, the government has labeled them LEV. This allows people to be able to travel the same distance while producing fewer emissions. In return, the environment is much cleaner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Safety is another issue that makes the sports utility vehicle inferior to the car. The number of deaths with people driving the sports utility v...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Graded Unit Essay

As a HNC Health Care student I am required to provide evidence of the following principal aims and objectives: to integrate knowledge, theory and practice, to develop and apply a broad knowledge and skills and to have an individual patient/client focus in my practice. To achieve all of the above I am required to complete project in a form of Graded Unit which consists of three stages: planning, development and evaluation. After consultation with my work experience mentor and lead lecture (appendix 1 and 2) it was agreed, the project will be a nursing activity, weighing a patient , which will be carried out within an ambulatory care settings which is my current placement . This will take place on Monday the 22nd of April. The chosen activity is a part of the patients’ treatment care plan and its aims maintaining patient’s safety related to correct medicine administration as well as to detect potential side effects associated with pharmacological treatment. In accordance with applicable law (Data Protection Act 1998) and to maintain patient confidentiality and privacy the name of the patient has been changed. I will be referring to the patient as Cinderella. The patients’ personal information had been obtained with her consent and knowledge (NMC Code of Conduct 2008). Cinderella is a 26 years old patient attending the Peter Burnt Centre at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where she has been receiving Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment since November 2012. Cinderella lives alone in high rise block of flats in one of Aberdeen City Council estate. She left school at the age of sixteen with no qualifications and used drugs for several years. She was brought up by single parent – her mother, and has no siblings. With the help from local drug rehabilitation team she managed to stop using drugs for five years. Currently she works as a housekeeper on a part time bases in one of the hotels in the city centre. Recently, she has reduced the number of working hours due to the side effects of medication which make her feel very tired. She also complains of an upset stomach and lack of appetite. After having a chat with Cinderella she has told me that her social life and circle of friends is quite limited as her income is now much lower. She also mentioned that is quie t difficult to make new friends while you have drug use history. When speaking to Cinderella it became evident to me that being HCV positive makes her feels worse than others and reminds her of when she was using drugs. It is well  evidenced that people who have both; history of drug use and disease which can be sexually transmitted such is HCV, are likely to experience stigma and discrimination in their life (Gilman 1999).Stigma and discrimination are socioeconomic factors which have a damaging health, social and financial consequences (Nursing Standard 2008). It is believed that those who are stigmatised and discriminated are more likely to have a lower income and due to this cannot afford to purchase better quality food, better housing, live in safer environments and have worse access to healthcare and education. Cinderella’s low socioeconomic status and negative social attitudes evidently put her physical and mental wellbeing at risk. Stigma and discrimination may relate to Social Symbolic Interaction Theory and in particular to the i dea of labelling and its negative impact on people behaviour and self- concept (Miller J, Gibb S 2007). This would also fit with Carl Rodgers Person- Centred Theory and his idea of self- concept. Self –concept in other words is how we perceive and value our self. Rogers believes that humans need a positive environment to achieve fulfilment in their lives. In Cinderella’s case both her socioeconomic status and unfavorable social attitudes may make her feel negatively about herself and stop her from social integration. I also believe that Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be applied to the patient situation. According to this psychological perspective every person is motivated by their needs and cannot achieve his/he full potential (self-actualization) if some of these are not met. I feel that this may relate to Cinderella’s safety, love and belongings needs. Limited social contacts, stigma and fear caused by her illness may stop her from moving on to the next level personality development. To support people in similar to Cinderella’s circumstances the Scottish Government launched the Hepatitis C Action Plan in 2006. The aim of this policy is to improve health care services for people living with HCV and to tackle HCV- related social stigma, by rising public awareness and changing the way HCV is portrayed in media. I have decided to use Roper Logan and Tierney twelve activities of daily living (A DLs) to asses Cinderella’s needs. The reason for this is that I find it to be the nursing model which is very effective in assessing basic day to day activities which have its own importance to the survival of life;  also it follows the objectives of my graded unit. For the purpose of this project I will focus on maintaining safe environment in relation to Cinderella’s HCV antiviral therapy. Cinderella had been referred to Peter Brunt Centre at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by her GP due to the result of blood test which revealed Hepatitis C antibodies. After a number of blood tests and liver biopsy Cinderella had been diagnosed with Chronic Hepatitis C with genotype 1 and mild liver damage. HCV is a disease caused by blood – borne virus Hepatitis C, which infects the liver and causes its inflammation (British Liver Trust 2010). The term chronic describes illnesses that last for a lon g period of time (more than six months) or for the whole life. The liver is an organ which is a part of the digestive system and carries out numerous important jobs’ such as; detoxification, aiding digestion or extracting nutrients. These play a vital role in maintenance of equilibrium of the body internal environment, known as a homeostasis. Due to prolonged liver inflammation scaring of liver tissue occurs (fibrosis) and permanent liver damage is likely to occur (cirrhosis, liver cancer). As a result liver work capacity become impaired and the whole body may become poisoned (WHO 2011). There are several effective HCV treatment options available however none of them gives a one hundred percent guarantee. Nevertheless, adequately matched therapy can permanently clear the virus from blood and prevent liver from further damage. Cinderella after consultation with liver specialist doctor and liver specialist liver nurse decided to undergo HCV treatment known as a ‘triple therapy’ which is recommended by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) The effectiveness of treatment among other factors lay in an adequate dosage and duration of medicine intake. Both too low or too high dosage as well as side effects of medication may negatively impact Cinderella’s physical health and put her life at risk. To maintain the patient safety it was agreed that Cinderella will be visiting PBC every Monday for blood tests and weight checks. To ensure Cinderella’s safety I will follow appropriate NHS procedures and policies (NHS Procedure guidelines: Weighing the patient 2008) in line with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). To perform chosen activity I will require specific resources which I listed in Appendix 3 and project timescale (see Appendix 4). I have obtained consent from a different patient who is also visiting PBC this day if for some reason I will not be able to complete it with  Cinderella. References Health Protection Scotland – a division of NHS National Services Scotland. (2009). Blood Borne Viruses & Sexually Transmitted Disease . Available: http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/bbvsti/hepatitisc.aspx. Last accessed 25yh March 2013. The Scottish Government (2011). The Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework 2011-15 . Edinburgh: Scottish Government. p31- 42. Grundy G, Beeching N . (2004). Understanding social stigma ii women with hepatitis C. Nursing Standard. 19 (4), 35-39. Gilman S (1999) Disease and stigma. Lancet. 354, Suppl, SIV15. World Health Organization. (2012). Hepatitis C . Available: http://who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/index.html. Last accessed 5th April 2013. Nicole Cutler. (2007). Breaking the Hepatitis C Social Stigma. Available: http://www.hepatitis-central.com/mt/archives/2007/08/breaking_the_he.html. Last accessed 7th April 2013. British Liver Trust. (2011). Facts and functions of the liver. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/c onditions/in_depth/liver/liver_facts_functions.shtml. Last accessed 11th April 2013. Maslow, A. H. (1970). Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper & Row Rogers, Carl. (1951). Client-centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory. London: Constable. Miller,J and Gibb, S (2007). Care in practise for Higher Second Edition. Paisley: Hodder gibson. 202-204. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008). The code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London: NMC. p2- 8. Roper, Logan, Tierney (1980). The elements of nursing. Edinburgh: Churchhill livingstone. 141.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Free Essays on Tristan

At a time in history when kings ruled countries and knights in shining armor protected the lands, there was one feeling that everyone shared†¦that feeling was love. From the Serfs to the Lords, love was something people shared. In the romance Tristan love is the key ingredient to the legendary tale of heroes, romance, and adventure. In this tale Tristan the main character falls in love with Isolde, who is married to his uncle, King Mark. This starts a love triangle between them all resulting in a conflict. Isolde is married to Mark, but in love with Tristan. Throughout all of this Tristan is still able to show his love for Isolde through the laws of love, courtly love, and physical attraction. Many of the rules of love are seen throughout this novel. Out of all of the rules of love many are shown by Tristan. One of these rules, from the work of Andre the chaplain, from the book The Troubadours and courts of Love, is a true lover never desires the favors of anyone but his own lady-love, out of real affection. This means that he does not need anyone else but his love, Isolde. Tristan even marries a women who has the same name as his love, because due to marriage, he can not have the true women for whom he really loves. â€Å"And because her name was Isolde, whenever he let his eyes go out to her he grew so sad and joyless at the name that you could read his heart’s pain in his face, yet he cherished this pain and held it in tender regard-it seemed sweet and good to him† (290-91). This quote means that he thinks of Isolde, he is thinking of her through this other women who has the same name as his true love. Another law of love is that marriage cannot be pleaded as an excuse for refusing love. Tristan and Isolde continue to have a relationship while she is married to King Mark. They sneak around and are still able to be together. Although they are not married, they are in love and that is the strongest thing to ... Free Essays on Tristan Free Essays on Tristan At a time in history when kings ruled countries and knights in shining armor protected the lands, there was one feeling that everyone shared†¦that feeling was love. From the Serfs to the Lords, love was something people shared. In the romance Tristan love is the key ingredient to the legendary tale of heroes, romance, and adventure. In this tale Tristan the main character falls in love with Isolde, who is married to his uncle, King Mark. This starts a love triangle between them all resulting in a conflict. Isolde is married to Mark, but in love with Tristan. Throughout all of this Tristan is still able to show his love for Isolde through the laws of love, courtly love, and physical attraction. Many of the rules of love are seen throughout this novel. Out of all of the rules of love many are shown by Tristan. One of these rules, from the work of Andre the chaplain, from the book The Troubadours and courts of Love, is a true lover never desires the favors of anyone but his own lady-love, out of real affection. This means that he does not need anyone else but his love, Isolde. Tristan even marries a women who has the same name as his love, because due to marriage, he can not have the true women for whom he really loves. â€Å"And because her name was Isolde, whenever he let his eyes go out to her he grew so sad and joyless at the name that you could read his heart’s pain in his face, yet he cherished this pain and held it in tender regard-it seemed sweet and good to him† (290-91). This quote means that he thinks of Isolde, he is thinking of her through this other women who has the same name as his true love. Another law of love is that marriage cannot be pleaded as an excuse for refusing love. Tristan and Isolde continue to have a relationship while she is married to King Mark. They sneak around and are still able to be together. Although they are not married, they are in love and that is the strongest thing to ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Berlin Wall History

The Berlin Wall History Introduction The Berlin wall was erected by the communist German Democratic Republic (GDR) of East Germany and was essentially designed to separate East and West Germany. It was a result of cold war politics that had also been witnessed subsequent to the Potsdam and Yalta Conferences during which the Allies divided up Germany. West Berlin after World War II was enclosed by East Germany and access to it was always a sensitive matter and a controversial political issue (Andreas 2).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Berlin Wall History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The disagreement was between the soviets and the allied forces of American, French and British, who differed in the reconstruction of Germany after the soviets had inflicted most of the damage during World War II. Plans were underway to rebuild Germany and make it be self-sufficient, a major industrial hub with good infrastructure and a new Germ an currency, but the soviets under Joseph Stalin were of a different opinion. Precursors to the Berlin wall The soviet administration was overwhelmed by a strong opposition in the west where non-soviet zones had been combined into one block under the Marshall plan. Consequently, in 1948, Stalin instituted the Berlin Blockade which cut off food and other requirements from going to the west considering that Berlin was deep into the soviet territory. Owing to East Berlin encircling the west, opinionated and ideological enmity amid west and east made the Western countries which are considered powerful to fly all the required supplies to West Berlin and that was between June 1948 and September 1949, this meant that the supplies were to be air lifted because the Soviets had closed road access. This was later to be known as the famous Berlin Airlift and was orchestrated by United States, Britain, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and several other European countries (Taylor 11). East Germany or the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was under a communist system of governance with all property and industries were nationalized under the soviet rule. This greatly differed from West Germany or the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) which was under a democratic parliamentary system of governance which adopted a Western capitalist approach, transforming into a society with a social market economy. This spurred persistent economic growth with the development of industries, infrastructure, and a better standard of living for the residents. By the early Fifties, thousands of East Germans were fleeing to West Germany on a daily basis, majority of who were accomplished business people and specialists looking for better opportunities in West Berlin, and this lead to heavy losses in manpower in the GDR. Soviets had introduced compulsory Marxism-Leninism doctrines in all East Germany school curriculums, which inturn led to the moving of professors and their students to the west so as to escape such extremist ideology and this led to massive brain drain experienced in the east (Gale 22).Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In 1960, the East Germany exodus now totaling to millions of civilians was predictably damaging to the political integrity and economic capability of East Germany, making it vital to fortify its borders with the west, especially West Berlin for feasibility of the country to endure. Erection of the wall On August 13, 1961, the East German army began to close the border with West Germany, installing barbed wire entanglements chain fences, nail beds, minefields, and other obstacles and barriers along the 155 kilometers strip. Houses and other buildings were demolished in the process to pave way for the blockade. On August 15 1961, the concrete foundation for the wall was laid down and eventually a 106 kilometer and 3.6 meter high concrete section was erected. 43 kilometers of the wall separated east and West Berlin, and a further 37 kilometer section of the wall divided residential vicinities (Prager 13). It was further reinforced with 67 kilometers of wire mesh fencing, 106 kilometers of anti vehicle trenches, 302 watchtowers, 20 bunkers and 126 kilometers of contact fence, effectively shutting off East Germany from the West, as a result transforming West Berlin into an enclave. In June 1962, a second equivalent fence was built about 100  meters deep in East German terrain. All houses and buildings located between the two fences were demolished and the area cleared out (Elander 23). This region was bare and was later covered with raked gravel, rendering footprints easy to detect and extended for 124 kilometers. The aim behind this was to prevent escapees heading to the west from scaling the wall and offered a clear line of fire to the perimeter guards. Any civilian who was spotted in this area was immedia tely shot dead. This place was later came to be known as â€Å"The Death Strip†. Approximately 190 people were killed in this region with a further 200 being injured by gunshot inflicted wounds. Though it was a violation of the postwar Potsdam Agreements, The allied forces did not challenge the existence of the wall, and only committed to protecting serving West Germans in a political move that was aimed at avoiding conflict with the U.S.S.R. The exodus from the east gradually slowed down and majority of East Germans could no longer visit, work or move to west Germany. Families who had their members in both east and west at the time of completion of the wall were separated for more than a quarter of a century.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Berlin Wall History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Other professionals who commuted to work in the west found themselves unemployed since there was no acce ss to their jobs. Protests erupted in West Berlin, and the West Berliners criticized the allied forces for not antagonizing the construction of the wall, although the Potsdam Agreements gave them mandate over the whole of Berlin, (Fred 55). Crossing the wall At first, there was nobody who was allowed to cross over either in the west or east from the time the wall was built but it later changed in 1963. This was brought about by intense negotiations amid GDR and FRG governments that allowed West Germans limited access and restricted visits to the east during Christmas between 1963 and 1966. After 1971 agreements, the borders between east and west became more porous to West Berliners who could then apply for a visa to East Germany, but the East Germans and citizens of other eastern European nations were not allowed into the west apart for a few exceptions, (Prager 28). Permit approval was however not guaranteed for East Germans and GDR also limited the amount of money that they could convert to western currency in an attempt to restrict their financial autonomy while in the west. This was aimed at making sure that those visiting the west would come back due to financial constraint. This led to the introduction West German’s policy of giving a small amount of money known as welcome money every year to east Germans who visited West Germany and West Berlin and this was meant to help assuage their tribulations. However, as a requisite for the post war Four Power Arrangements, allied military employees, diplomatic personnel and civilian officials could enter and exit East Berlin without presenting their documents at East German check points, (Andreas 2). Ordinary citizens of the Western Allied states who had no official association with the Allied forces were supposed to use the approved road or rail check points in and out of East Germany and they were required to present documents to the East German border control units. There were eight border crossings bet ween East and West Berlin that permitted visits by West Germans. Each of the border crossings had a designated nationality group which could pass through and that was only after verification of their identity and citizenship. Certain checkpoints only allowed West Germans; others only processed East Berliners while others were restricted to Allied personnel and foreigners only.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Impact of the Berlin wall The establishment of the Wall had significant supposition for the East German state. By effectively reducing the emigration of people from East Germany, the East German government was able to restore its mandate over the country exterminating financial hardships grounded by a weak currency and an effervescent black market leading to the commencement of substantial economic growth in East Germany. The GDR came to the defense of the wall, asserting that the wall was primarily to limit the belligerence that the west was setting in motion in East Germany. There were allegations that western spies and agents were operating in the east, subverting government programs and initiatives as well as collecting critical information. The eastern administration also claimed that the westerners were flooding the eastern markets to buy government subsidized goods which were cheaper than those in the west, (Alex 39). The allied forces administration saw the construction of t he wall from a different perspective. There were major concerns about the Soviets recapturing part or the whole of Berlin. These concerns were however put to rest by the erection of the wall for the wall would seemingly have been a superfluous undertaking if such a strategy was being considered by the soviets, decreasing the likelihood of a martial collision over Berlin. There was severe labor and brain drain across East Germany before the wall was erected, and most of those who immigrated were among the young and well educated group. The GDR was rapidly loosing their intelligentsia and human resource to the west. East Germany had already lost 9.5% of its working age population among them, doctors, professors, engineers, notary and various other professionals and skilled manpower (Gale 19). This as a result led to the underdevelopment of East Germany both in infrastructure and a depleted education system (Brennan 13). After the wall was erected, majority of the eastern work force st ayed in the west, what followed was a generational gap that had inadequate human resources, and this led to an acute under development of eastern Germany, and of which is currently still evident in some parts of the current Germany. West Berlin’s elaborate train transport system was also adversely affected by the creation of the Berlin wall. Some of the transit routes were divided and eventually several stations had to be closed down, Escapees There were a number of triumphant getaway efforts made during the era of the wall’s existence. They were reported to be more than 4,700 escapees but there were also a significant number of casualties and fatalities recorded. Escapes involved people jumping over the preliminary barbed wire or leaping out of residential houses either from the roofs or through windows. To solve this problem, East German authorities closed off apartments within the vicinity. Later, they introduced the infamous Death Strip that saw the persistent quan dary of escapees come to a grinding halt. Resourceful East Germans however resulted in using discrete methods like digging underground tunnels and using the sewer system to avoid detection (Taylor 36). The East German government gave its border guards shooting orders when dealing with escapees, though such orders were not necessarily equivalent to shoot to kill orders. They were however ordered in an October 1973 circular to regard anyone approaching the wall as a traitor and the border guards should therefore shoot at any person attempting to cross even in the presence of women or children (1999. Fred 55). Falling of the wall and unification of Germany In the late 1980s, the Soviet Union began to weaken, and its collapse was imminent. The opening of Hungary’s borders to Austria in May 1989 may as well be viewed as the trigger that impelled the falling of the Berlin wall. Hungary was immediately flooded by East Germans who then crossed the border into Austria eventually campi ng at the West German embassy in Austria. East Germany was forced to stop any further travel to Hungary but the same case was being witnessed in Prague and Czechoslovakia (Frederick 3). This was followed by protest through out the months of September and October 1989 and such demonstrations were recurrent, with protesters in their millions leading to the East Germans camping in all West Germany embassies being allowed to travel to the west by the East German government (Elander 1). The protests grew by the day and in early November; the East German government was forced to open all borders leading to the west. By 11th November 1989, citizens had begun chipping off pieces of the wall as souvenirs. The official dismantling of the wall was done much later though, on June 13 1990 and it involved bulldozers and the military felling huge chunks of the wall and this went on until November 1991. The East Germany adopted the West Germany currency on July 1 1990 and the unification of Germany became a reality. Conclusion Although the economic state of affairs in the West continued to advance, the one in the East remained as static just like everywhere else in the U.S.S.R. West Germany rebuilt itself into an economic motivating force and the occupational opportunities available were of a large number. This attracted thousands of workers from all over Europe, who essentially flooded the country, giving West Germany a rich and variant workforce. Their eastern counterpart however continued to relish in poverty and abject conditions that were not conducive for significant education or work. The East German government never gave any solid reason for the erection of the wall, but it is widely known that most of the citizens of the GDR were fleeing from the oppressive communist rule. The unification of Germany was well received locally and internationally and only then did the east see an opportunity for potential growth. Work Cited Alex, Bruffeno. â€Å"The History Surroundin g the Berlin Wall†. Wellington. NC. Cruss press. 2003. Andreas, Ramos. â€Å"The Fall of the Berlin Wall: A Personal Account†. Krafts. May 30 2003.Web.: http://andreas.com/berlin.html Brennan, Luann. â€Å"The Fall of the Berlin Wall: Truth or Hype in the Media†. Media Focus. June 25 2004. Web.: is.wayne.edu/mnissani/media/Berlin.htm Elander, Eugene. â€Å"And the Berlin Wall Came Tumbling Down†. Berlin. Nov 2 1999. Web. opednews.com/articles/And-the-Berlin-Wall- came-t-by-Eugene-Elander-091109-87.htm Fred, Willis. â€Å"The Rise and fall of the Berlin wall†. Berlin. Penguin. Frederick,  Ramm.† The fall of the Berlin wall 1989†. Germany. August 14 1999.Web.: remote.org/frederik/culture/berlin/ Gale, Cengage. â€Å"Berlin Wall. The History†. June 2 2002.Web.: encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045300183.html Prager, Brad. â€Å"The erection of the Berlin Wall†. Chekers. Dec 4 2006. Web. highbeam.com/doc/1G1-138663011.html Taylor, Frederick. â€Å"The Berlin Wall†. Berlin. April 13 2003. Web.: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-the-berlin-wall-by/

Monday, November 4, 2019

MGMT670 week 6 Conference Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MGMT670 week 6 Conference - Assignment Example If you have yet to generate a company icon online, social media sites are the places to do it. There are innumerable principal benefits to carrying out marketing and promotional practices on global products. Foremost, the most significant merit is attached to brand recognition. Marketing and promotion of a global product assists in imprinting the product’s brand in the minds of the potential customers (Zimmerman & Blythe, 2005). Accordingly, the customers tend to seek a pre-identified brand rather than the product brand seeking for its users. In addition, once a brand has expanded its ground and founded its customer base, promotion enables it to keep hold of the potential customers. Another merit linked to promotion is the identification of potential customers rather than forcing a product on unenthusiastic purchasers (Marquardt, 2012). Furthermore, direct marketing enables companies to target specific customers by personalizing the meaning of the advert to have the best possible effect. The downside is that such promotions can be expensive. Companies have to spend on adverts as well as employing sales and marketing professionals (Stonehouse & Purdie, 2004). If a firm fails to conduct a proper market research then it might end up making unnecessary advertisement and marketing expenses. Some companies waste efforts in targeting unwilling customers using unsuitable media. Small businesses owners must, therefore, weigh the merits of conducting such marketing practices against the respective costs incurred. As well as the financial expenses, promotion requires sacrifice of time. The sales experts are expected to research on the most proper marketing approaches design the adverts and deal with customer reactions to the products. An example of how to market global products and services is by use of funny video clips. YouTube and other social network videos could be used to

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Italy Country Profile Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Italy Country Profile - Assignment Example . . Italy is a magic. Explore it† (â€Å"Beautiful Italy,† n.d.). With this notion, it can be perceived that Italy must be a paragon of a paradise in the contemporary perspective. The concept of this paper has been created as to depict the PEST-C aspects of the country, including the Hofstede's perspectives of analyzing the culture of Italy as compared to Canada, and depicting the feasible business venture in the country. Lastly, a conclusive remark will be inscribed. 2. PEST-C Aspects Political/Legal. When it comes to dealing with weak pecuniary locus of the country, Italy has announced to cut its budget amounting to â‚ ¬26bn from the period span 2012-14. In accordance with the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2011, the country is placed at 69th among 183 nations (â€Å"Italy Country Profile,† 2012, p. 4). In the context of European Union, Italy is deemed as having the highest aggregate tax rate. In accordance with Paying Taxes 2 012, the nation’s aggregate tax rate was 68.5%, which is notably above the average of EU of 43.4%. Such taxes may comprise of profit and labor impositions. Dismally, the nation’s aggregate piracy rate is 49% that has eventuated to procure detrimental losses of â‚ ¬1.87bn; such piracy issues are associated to business and entertainment softwares (â€Å"Italy Country Profile,† 2012, p. 5). ... Furthermore, non-performing loans, such as substandard, restructured, bad, and past-due loans. In accordance with the International Monetary Fund, these loans have incremented to 11% in 2011 from about 6% in 2008. The debt turmoil has become the triggering factor for organizations to be exposed to short-term debts, which are dependent to the lending institutions. Otherwise stated, organizations are doomed to fail because of the potential risks of high interest rates and be liquidated. The worst case is that forty percent of these organizations are exposed to interest rates that are payable within a period of less than twelve months (â€Å"Italy Country Profile,† 2012, pp. 4-5). Social/Cultural. It is significant to consider the demographic profile of a country when it comes to depicting the generality of its social aspects. Therein, cultural aspects will be delved as well in the light of fathoming the demographic facets. In accordance with the CIA World Factbook, the average l ife expectancy of Italy last 2012 was at 81.86 years--comprising of men ages 79.24 years and women 84.63 years (â€Å"Italy Country Profile, 2012, p. 5). That record is notably one of the highest in the world. In the light of macroeconomics, the nation’s aggregate workforce is mitigating (â€Å"Country Intelligence: Italy,† 2012, p. 16) and such a situation will deem as detrimental. In fact, Italy’s unemployment rate was about 8.40% in 2011, which was considerably higher than that of the developed countries. This implicates that Italy’s work environment may be the cause of weakening social aspects that will lead to impact the economy of the country. As a matter of fact, Italy’s employment rate of 56.9% was lower compared to that of the EU average of 64.2% (â€Å"Italy