Beloved essays

Beloved essays In Beloved, Toni Morrison portrays the barbarity and cruelty of slavery. She emphasizes the African Americans desire for a new life as they try to escape their past while claiming their freedom and creating a sense of community. In Beloved, "Much of the characters pain occurs as they reconstruct themselves, their families, and their communities after the devastation of slavery" (Kubitschek 115). Throughout the novel, Morrison uses color to symbolically represent a life complete with happiness, freedom, and safety, as well as involvement in community and family. In many scenes, Morrison uses color to convey a character's desire for such a life; while, in other instances, Morrison utilizes color to illustrate the satisfaction and fulfillment, which the characters experience once they achieve this life. Morrison uses color to symbolize the life Paul D desires as he is heading North. When Paul D asks the Cherokee man how he might get North. Free North. Magical North, (Morrison 112) he conveys his desire for a free, safe, happy and even somewhat magical life. Equating color with this life, the Cherokee man replies, Follow the tree flowers. When one thinks about or describes flowers, their colors are always important. In his journey North, Paul D would scan the horizon for a flash of pink or white...[or] blossoming plums (Morrison 113). By having Paul D search for colorful flowers, Morrison illustrates Paul Ds desire for a life full of safety, enjoyment, and freedom. Just as Paul D desires a better life after slavery, so does Baby Suggs. As a slave, Suggs was suppressed and did not experience the type of life she desired. Morrison indirectly demonstrates this by purposely leaving out any descriptions of color in Suggss life when she was a slave. Morrison uses this absence of color to express that Suggs had lived the life which she had longed for. She ...

5 Awesome Ways to Cut Your Energy Bills

5 Awesome Ways to Cut Your Energy Bills 5 Awesome Ways to Cut Your Energy Bills If you are moving into your first shared apartment, you’re probably worried about paying the bills. And since we are now into fall, you’re probably already thinking about turning the heating on. Here are some great ways for you and your housemates to save money! 1) Shrink Wrap Your Windows Did you know that shrink wrap makes an excellent substitute for extra window panes? If you are stuck with single glazed windows, you’ll know that the heat leaks out! Try taping shrink wrap to the window panes: you’ll be amazed at how much warmer your room feels! 2) Get Some Snakes! OK, real snakes probably won’t heat up your house much, especially since they are cold blooded. However, stuffed snakes laid at the bottom of doors, will! Try using the leg of an old pair of pantyhose and stuff it with rags. Put it at the bottom of your door and you have yourself a free draft excluder. For extra cuteness, add some googly eyes and a smile. 3) Line Your Curtains You’re probably thinking that this is the sort of thing your grandmother would do. But there’s a reason for that: it works! Add a fleecy lining to your curtain for extra insulation. 4) Reflect that Radiation! A sheet of aluminum foil behind a radiator reflects the heat waves back into the room, instead of letting it be absorbed into the wall. Bet you never thought foil could keep you warm, right? 5) Warm Up With Rice! Anyone who has ever tried studying with cold feet will know that it’s not a great experience. Sew up some raw rice in a rectangle of cloth to make yourself a microwaveable rice pillow. It uses a lot less energy than a hot water bottle (kettles are super energy intensive) and is ready in seconds. What are you waiting for? Get busy and make your home a warm and cozy study nest for the winter!

Success of small farm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Success of small farm - Essay Example The paper will also suggest regarding the significance of the concept of economies of scale. To begin, as much as organic farming has gained a promising market niche over the years, there are numerous challenges facing the small and medium growers. While this has been valid for a few producers, many small farmers have likewise experienced significant difficulties regarding marketing and selling their products. While rivalry from bigger producers is obviously an essential component, past examination led by the California Institute for Rural Studies has documented a scope of extra marketing difficulties confronting little and moderate sized organic cultivators. This examination tried to acquire in depth data about these difficulties through meetings and surveys with producers, purchasers and specialists acquainted with the organic sector. Secondly, in microeconomics, economies of scale are the expense points of interest that firms earn because of size of operation and yield, with expense every unit of yield for the most part decreasing with the growing scale as fixed costs are spread out over more units of yield. Many people support local food and it is creating a vibrant new economic laboratory for the organic farmers in America. Probably, the results are enormous in terms of the increasing demand for small-scale organic farming by focusing on dollars as a reworking of old models regarding how farmers get financed and their produce marketed. Finally, issues particularly influencing organic farmers incorporated the development of the organic farming sector, authorization and rivalry with different other large farmers selling the same produce. Successful small-scale organic farmers are using a system of quality-based advertising to address these difficulties. They are laying much emphasis on the qualities that make their farms extraordinary and are competing on these qualities, as opposed to low

Answer these questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Answer these questions - Assignment Example Since Brazil dependent on primary commodities, it experienced a case of Dutch Disease during this time. Another obstacle towards Brazilian development was the elastic supply of labor. Initially Brazil took advantage of the import of slaves from Africa but with the abolition of slavery that Brazil tried to ignore for as long as it could, Brazil began to gain labor from Southern Europe. The plantation owners began to press the government to transport labor from southern Europe at low costs. Thus an elastic supply of labor was maintained which resulted in a stable labor costs. While labor costs should have increased with the abolition of slavery, Brazil managed to keep them down through its lax immigration laws. One obstacle to the development of Brazil was the high cost of transportation. The country depended on waterways for the transportation of labor and other commodities. But the topography is Brazil is such that these waterways are not strategically placed within the country. Also the flow of certain rivers did not allow for an advantage through water transportation. The other option available to Brazil was land transportation. Unfortunately, land transportation was not a feasible option as most roads were broken and vehicles could not pass by them. The high cost of transportation therefore led to a limited interregional and international trade. Agriculture producers were only limited to market in their immediate vicinity. The surplus that was being produced in certain areas could not be transported in such a manner as to profit the crop owners. The inelasticity of supply that generated as a result meant that prices would increase every time the demand of advanced products increased i n the market. Thus the domestic agriculture sector of Brazil was unable to flourish as a result of the inelastic transportation system within the country. Even though the government realized the impact of the under development

First Grade Curriculum Guide for Mentally Retarded Students Essay Example for Free

First Grade Curriculum Guide for Mentally Retarded Students Essay Various models of language, which are rich and are in various forms of literature, including, poetry, songs and fiction are to be introduced. The five major ideas in reading are some of the basis of the curriculum and the instructions. They inspire the various assessments that to be used. Phonemic Awareness: It involves the ability to and be able to manipulate sounds in words. It also involves the ability to isolate letters and sounds and also to blend sound and segment sounds. Alphabetic Principle: This refers to the capability of associating sounds with letters and uses these sounds to form new words. Fluency with text: Is the effortless and the ability of the reader to read words in connected text automatically. Vocabulary: Being able to effectively understand and use words so as to acquire and convey meaning. Comprehension: This process involves the intentional communication that takes place between the reader and the text to be able to convey meaning. Literacy Centers Each day a child will be expected to participate in centers. This will allow the children to be able to explore various materials, try to reinforce concepts already taught and direct their own learning. The centers are likely to change weekly. They include: Word wall centre, Art centre, Listening centre, poetry centre, spelling centre and Reading centre. Writing, Spelling and Phonics The children will be given the courage to apply their knowledge of letter sounds as temporal spelling. After the child knowing how to say words slowly as well as listening to the sounds, this should help him record the message and think of himself as a writer. As the child progresses, he will be expected to move toward a more convectional spelling and therefore will be held increasingly accountable. Words and spelling of high frequency are taught when working with words block of time. In each week, there will be an introduction of word wall words which will be seen by the child always during the time of reading and therefore he will need to spell frequently while writing. To add on that, through these words, the child will be taught letter sounds and some spelling patterns of the words that are well known such as â€Å"at† so that they are able to spell words like â€Å"fat†, â€Å"sat†, â€Å"mat† and even â€Å"cat†. The goal is to enable the child recognize the spelling patterns and then consistently use them while writing. The writers’ workshops will consist of ample time for writing, mini lessons and during guided writing sessions, there will be sharing of time. Grammar will be taught to children including the use of punctuation marks. There will be the use of modern manuscript as a form of handwriting. There will be no extra time being spent on teaching formal handwriting, but rather there will be incorporation of the teaching of proper letter formation into some other daily lessons. Reading Curriculum The development of literacy will form the primary focus of the first grade year. There will be a well balanced literacy program which will include a wide range of language experiences which involve reading, writing, listening and speaking (American Association and School Administrators, 2006) Reading aloud to children This will be a guided reading where by the teacher will be required to read allowed for the children to pay extra attention to be able to hear what is being read. The children listen carefully. The children will then read with the teachers help. This is achieved when the teacher reads then the children repeat what is being reading. Shared Reading This is also referred to as Independent reading. There are two forms of independent reading: †¢ Children read in group together †¢ Children read alone First, there will be grouping of children to enable them read as a group. In this they will be able to assist each other catch up. Those who are fast in mastering the words are likely to play important roles. After doing this the children will be allowed to read on their own (individually). This is the best time to determine whether a child has got something from the session.

The Important Features of a Mosque :: Papers

The Important Features of a Mosque Possibly one of the most important aspects of the Islam religion is the Mosque, which means "place of prayer". This is seen as the centre of the Islamic community and is where Muslims join together to worship Allah, pray, and learn about the religion. Also, weddings, festival celebrations, and meetings of the Muslim community are held there. On the outside, many Mosques are plain and not elaborate at all although, it is not wrong for them to be grand. They are usually rectangular in shape and two features of them would be the dome and minarets. The dome is situated on the top of the roof and symbolises the universe. A minaret is a tall tower and every Mosque must have at least one. From here the adhan, call to prayer, is called by the mu'adhin. Most modern minarets have loudspeakers to drown out the noise of traffic, etc. The adhan is translated as: "Allah is most great, Allah is most great. Allah is most great, Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god except Allah. I testify that there is no god except Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to prayer! Come to prayer! Come to success (in the life and the Hereafter)! Come to success! Allah is most great. Allah is most great. There is no god except Allah. (Morning prayer) Prayer is better than sleep. Prayer is better than sleep." The times that adhan is made is set by the sun. The first is made at dawn, the second after the sun has passed the peak, the third mid afternoon, the fourth after sunset, and the fifth when night begins. Inside the Mosque, as a mark of cleanliness and respect, shoes must be removed. Before praying, Muslims must wash in a special way called Wudu, which they were commanded to do by Muhammad. This makes them clean for prayer as they are about worship and be in close presence

Cowper’s poem Essay

Both poets use rhetorical questions in their poems. Angelou says, ‘Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? † Meaning that this was the image that white people thought blacks should look like. People are expecting Angelou to fail and be miserable. Cowper’s use of rhetorical question was more hymn like and gave a vivid image of the situation. The question was, ‘ Why did all creating nature make the plant for which we toil? ‘ However it does get the reader to think about the asked question. Cowper’s poem is very hesitant because there were obviously aspects of slavery, which were too crude to talk about. Slavery was still legal at the time so being hesitant was because he could indeed get into serious trouble for broadcasting slavery in such a negative attitude, whereas Angelou’s poem is defiant, challenging and bold. This attitude of the poem is very much like the poet who wrote it. The tone of Cowper’s poem is full of anger and questions the rights of slavery, whereas the tone of Angelou’s poem is generally positive, confident and assertive. An example of Cowper’s anger would be when he says, â€Å"Prove that you have human feelings, ere you proudly question ours. † This suggests that Cowper is asking the slave traders to think about how the black slaves are being treated and asks them if they feel the pain, which slaves go through. An example of Angelou being confident would be the line which says, â€Å"You may trod me in the very dirt but still like dust I’ll rise. † This says that Angelou remains positive and confident even though the path ahead looks dismal. The poems are structured as follows: Angelou’s poem is written in different stanzas, each containing four lines. Lines two and four rhyme and therefore, create a great sense of rhythm. The final stanza in ‘Still I Rise’, changes structure. Angelou uses repetition, she constantly stresses the point that she still rises by using the name of the actual poem, ‘Still I Rise’ to emphasize the point. The structure of Cowper’s poem, ‘The Negro’s Complaint’ is also similarly written in four line stanzas, but is much longer and complex and written to inspire others to believe in the immortality of the slave trade. Lines one and three rhyme and then lines two and four rhyme. The rhythm in this poem does not differ and remains constant throughout, unlike ‘Still I Rise’. A large difference in the two poems is the language used within. Angelou’s poem is written by using a number of abbreviations, such as: † ’cause and diggin'†. This suggests a deep south American accent and was a typical language used in America at the time of this poem. Cowper, however, uses archaic language like using the words, ‘ye and hark’. This gives the reader a picture of the timescale. Both poets use a number of poetic devices. Angelou uses metaphors, similes and personification. An example of a metaphor in this poem is when she says, â€Å"I’m a black ocean. † This is saying that Angelou is a black ocean and therefore, vast and powerful. The simile that she uses is, ‘But still, like dust I rise,’ Angelou thinks she is like dust. Her use of personification is, â€Å"ocean, leaping,† the ocean has been given a human characteristic. Cowper doesn’t use comparative language like Angelou, so no metaphors or similes are present. Cowper does however, use personification, he says, â€Å"raging billows,† this creates a very vivid image in your mind of the ferocious waves. Both poems’ personification refers to the seas, this is just another of the similarities between the two poems. Cowper was a son of a Rector and therefore, educated in religion. We realise his use of his knowledge when Cowper comments on, â€Å"blood extorted screws,† this is obviously referring to Jesus, and compares his torture, to the slaves torture and we can imagine the pain caused. Cowper’s poem is depressing at times; this may be due to the childhood he had faced. Cowper’s mother died when he was only six years of age and was a victim of bullying at school. Later in life he was called to the bar before attempting suicide. Cowper’s childhood may have influenced the angry tone of the poem, ‘The Negro’s Complaint. ‘ On the other hand, Angelou was born into a black family and suffered just as much pain as Cowper, if not more. Even though the slave trade had been previously abolished, the black and white people were, nevertheless separated from each other. Angelou had received her fair share of racial comments over the past but still remained powerful and took no notice. This later helped Angelou on her road to success and she became the first black lady to drive a tram. As the time progressed she also became the first black director in America. This success was really all down to Angelou’s power to overcome things. This knowledge of Angelou’s past would have influenced the contrast of the positive and negative aspects apparent in her poem. The message, which is presented in, ‘Still I Rise,’ is that you can never keep a strong lady down. Racist comments and abuse just fly in one ear and come out the other, not remaining in her head long enough to be dwelled on. The message given in, ‘The Negro’s Complaint,’ is that he wants the reader to understand the uncivic and inhumane aspects of the slave trade and he generally questions the rights of the slaves. Overall, I prefer, ‘Still I Rise. ‘ In a rather clever way, it presents the personality of the poet through her writing. The tone of which she writes is so much alike the person she is, and I admire her for the way she rose no matter what happened. I also admire Cowper for writing in the eyes of a Negro. It must have proven difficult to write from another viewpoint whereas Angelou writes from her own experiences.

SAS Institute Case Analysis

1. Basic Business Model The business model of SAS is such that it in general it offers services coupled with software. Unlike typical firms in the industry it follows an annual software subscription model. Rather than sell its software, SAS leases to its customers – a strategy of immense importance in understanding the company’s relationship to its users. The fact that leases must be renewable annually creates a tremendous emphasis on customer satisfaction and quality in addition to stabilising its revenue. Furthermore, its products are made based on what customers require and its developmental process is almost wholly customer driven. There is also a strong focus on employee satisfaction leading to customer retention and loyalty which SAS believes is directly linked to customer satisfaction. As seen by the SAS Institute, the leasing strategy helps keep the company sharp by ensuring that technological advances are driven solely by customer needs. 2. Capabilities and Core Competencies to execute its Business Model SAS possesses many capabilities and competencies to help execute its business model effectively. These include flexibility from being a private company, an effective tacit leadership, unique corporate culture, strong brand, dedicated human capital and a considerable amount of financial resources which they efficiently allocate to certain projects whenever required. Being private, it is able to focus on the long term, continue to implement activities which have a strong focus on employee satisfaction and focus on slower but steady growth, something that would have most likely have not been possible had SAS been a public company. With a strong leadership spearheaded by CEO Jim Goodnight, coupled with a strong brand, SAS is able to recruit and retain the key talent it requires to execute its business model. Having a corporate culture which is egalitarian and based on mutual trust and respect also plays a significant role in retaining talent and keeping employees loyal and happy. With a dedicated human capital striving to continue the company’s growth, SAS does not only come up with innovative products which increase its revenue, it also saves more than $100million due to its low attrition rate. Key Success Factors The key factors are its unconventional management philosophies, customer driven developmental process and it being a private company. Unlike other software companies that focus on monetary benefits, SAS’s management philosophy is mainly employee centred with the provision of many intangible benefits. It also believes in a long term view of all issues and does not actively strive to reac h specified short term financial goals. These have led to a build up of a loyal and talented workforce and sustainable long term growth. Moreover, its products are built on customer needs and customer feedback is taken very seriously. Using the Voice of the Customer (VOC) approach, customer opinions and suggestions are compiled and used to guide the development process. Being a private company with no debt has allowed Goodnight to have a long term view of issues and also implement the abovementioned policies to provide employee satisfaction and consequently customer satisfaction as well. . Building of Capabilities and Core Competencies via People Management Practices With attraction and retention of talent central to the company’s continuing success, it has developed certain principles in its recruitment, compensation, employee benefits and outsourcing policies. It has a stringent recruitment process to ensure the cultural fit of its new hires and thereafter gives its employees as much autonomy as possible. It also actively promotes a work life balance and egalitarian culture with a promotion of non financial incentives, unlike other software firms thus creating a unique corporate culture, â€Å"One of cooperation, teamwork and mutual respect† . Moreover its flat organization structure, open door policy and informal work environment encourages communication at all levels of the organization.. This has also led to the development of a strong brand and increased employee satisfaction which not only enables the company to attract but also retain talent. As shown in the diagram above, this leads to increased customer satisfaction and thus increasing revenues. All in all, these practices have helped promote the building of its capabilities and competencies to a large extent ?Is the SAS Model perfectly in balance? With SAS focussed on long term growth and emphasizing non monetary benefits for its employees, this model has been almost perfect for them. It is not fair to say that the model is perfectly in balance as a firm’s model is largely determined by its capabilities and core competencies. A public company for instance would not enjoy the flexibility that SAS enjoys. It would not be able to provide such extensive employee benefits or focus on long term growth at the expense of short term profitability. No model can fit all organizations and be perfectly in balance and SAS is not different. For example, if its model is in balance, its attrition rate despite being low would be 0 and not 4%. 4. Difficulties in imitating SAS’s approach Being such a differentiated company compared to the rest of the industry in many aspects, it is difficult to duplicate SAS’s approach which is based heavily on intangible assets. â€Å"†¦intangible assets almost never create value by themselves. They need to be combined with other assets. † Hence, not only do these intangible assets such as SAS’s unique corporate culture take years to implement, it is also hard to imitate as the social complexity of a company's culture is so ambiguous that it is almost impossible to find out how it works and combines with each other. ?Why few firms have tried to implement many of its People Management Practices Big companies with strong brands such as IBM could follow its stringent recruitment process but would not be able to imitate its unique culture as easily. With most companies providing incentive compensations and stock options, it would not be easy to eliminate that and emphasize non-monetary incentives. This is especially so when public companies would have to go through its board just to provide employee benefits on a similar scale as SAS. It would also be unfeasible to bring outsourced functions back in-house as it would most certainly drive up labour costs and hence be blocked by a hard-nosed board. 5. Extent to which SAS is dependent on continuation of its CEO With a flat organization structure and having 27 direct reports, Goodnight also appears o be very much on top of all the details of the organization. Conversely, he appears to give his direct reports a clear direction of where SAS Institute is going on the product or technology front, and then let them run their own areas. Even though Goodnight is no longer directly involved with most decisions related to SAS’s work culture, his original vision has spawned a self-perp etuating culture, and â€Å"new† decision makers now share his vision, which governs the variety of philosophies, strategies, and practices adopted by the company since its inception. Even though the culture looks so strong that it would survive a change in leadership, the new CEO would not only have to possess business leadership ability but also shares the same values as Goodnight so that SAS does not deviate from its current approach to its business and management. Hence, with no formal succession planning and still being heavily involved in almost all aspects of the organization, the SAS institute approach to its business and management is heavily dependent on Goodnight’s continuation. . Theory of Human Motivation and Behaviour underlying SAS’s Management Approach Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy seems to underlie SAS’s approach to people management. 7. Barriers in implementing knowledge of how SAS manages its people Firstly, a barrier in trying to implement freedom and autonomy coupled with possessing employees with intrinsic motivation is not only the lack of talent but finding talent with the required characteristics. Secondly, extensive employee benefits such as a gym, day-care and the absence of commission-based pay for its account representatives would most likely not been possible if a company is public. Thirdly, a lack of explicit support and encouragement from top management would be another barrier as this is important for the promotion of an egalitarian culture based on trust and mutual respect on top of a family-friendly atmosphere. 8. Major Challenges SAS may face in the next 5 years and its Impact Due to the changing dynamics of the software industry and increasing global competition, the company has to expand its talent pool which is already in shortage. Hence, there might be a need for the company to come out with new ways to attract talent. Practices such as providing more career advancement opportunities would be important in retaining them. Another challenge would be to develop current staff to meet future needs whilst nurturing its talent to fulfil their potential. SAS might have to change its current unstructured approach where employees are free to come up with and develop their own projects and idea. A more structured approach to its job design could be considered to help nurture and develop staff. In general, SAS’s practices have been working for them and look to be able to continue to help them succeed. However, certain aspects could be improved in the future to overcome potential future people management problems such a new generation of workers demanding a different set of benefits than the one SAS currently offers. . Lessons drawn By paying extraordinary attention to its customers and employees, the company has differentiated itself from other companies in the competitive industry, and subsequently has created this â€Å"wheel of loyalty† which resulted in both employee and customer retention. For various HRM practices such as recruitment and selection, great care must be taken to ensure all practices are designed to fit t he company’s business model and culture and at the same time also highlights its strengths, to promote a competitive advantage. For instance, during recruitment, SAS took great care to hire people to ensure a cultural fit. In addition, its job design was such to fit into its philosophy of trust and autonomy between its employees. There should also be a strong relationship between management and employees to produce competitive advantage, hence SAS’s promotion of an egalitarian culture. ?Future of HRM in firms like SAS The future of HR should be one that is committed to working with line managers to improve SAS’s bottom line, create service value for customers and create workplace value for employees. Leadership and management training should be initiated for senior managers while knowledge sharing within the HR function would be vital for SAS to move forward and expand globally. HR should also become a champion for employees while working to increase employee contributions, specifically commitment and ability to deliver results, be an agent for continuous transformation, and cultivating a culture that will improve SAS’s capacity for change.

Enron Corporation

Enron Corporation Introduction Enron Corporation was an American company that used to manufacture diverse products and provide services. It was based in Houston, Texas. According to Fusaro Miller (2002), the story of this company is considered to be the most spectacular and scandalous business failure in history.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Enron Corporation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Before it became bankrupt in 2001, the company had employed about 22,000 people. Enron was among the leading company in products such as gas, paper, pulp, electricity and many more. Its revenue hit the $ 101 billion mark by the year 2000 but unfortunately met its death a year later (Deakin and Konzelmann, 2003). The downfall came as a surprise to many, since it had been named as the most innovative company a while ago. It was realized later that financial situation and success had been sustained by mere acts of corruption in form of accounting fraud. This got the name the Enron scandal. Since then, the company has served as an example of a company run through corruption and fraud (Salter, 2008). This paper will use Enron as a case study while addressing how it upset the tenets of agency theory and looked at the presumed priority of shareholders interests above those of other stakeholders. Agency theory The classic definition of agency theory proposes that a company can be regarded as a network of contracts between the holders of resources. This relationship occurs when one or more people, known as principals, hire other people to do particular tasks and leave the decision-making process to the agents. Some examples of such a relationship are the manager and stakeholder, and the relationship between stockholders and debt holders (Jesen and Meckling, 1994). Agency theory depicts the issues that occur in these relationships and they are referred to as the agency conflicts. These are the conflicting interests of the agents a nd their principals. Such things have a negative effect on the business ethics and on corporate governance (Fischer and Lovell, 2006). This also has a negative impact on the economy since there is an agency cost, which is the cost incurred in order to sustain an efficient agency relationship. Such costs may come in form of the management performance bonuses that are meant to give encouragement to the managers to behave in such a way as to favor the shareholders.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Limitations to agency theory One assumption to the agency theory is that whenever the principal-agent goal is not congruent, then the behavior that instills the self-interest of the agent in utilizing to the maximum results in the maximization of wealth by the principal. Another limitation is that the compensation incentives that are meant to align the agents and the principa ls are likely to spur the agents to maximize their utility and consequently maximize the wealth of the company. Another limitation to agency theory is that there is the lack of empirical support for such a relationship among principals and agents. This leads to the coming up of two different responses. One of them is that the research that would come up in the future should change and perform a better job in terms of measuring the variables at the agencies. The second thing would be to focus more on the process rather than the issues to do with the structure. In other words, they would require the use of longitudinal studies (John, 2007). Enron case The Enron case was that of bankruptcy and this occurred in October 2001. It was additionally attributed as the largest audit failure in American. In 1985, Kenneth Lay formed Enron. This happened after there was a merger between InterNorth and Houston Natural gas. Later on, a certain manager was hired and that was the beginning of Enronâ €™s downfall. This was because he hired a group of employees (executives) who could cleverly use the loopholes in accounting to provide incorrect financial reports. This is whereby the company could hide its huge debts and avoid reporting failed projects. The CEO and other executives made a lie out of the BODs of Enron and at the same time insisted that Andersen should ignore it. The shareholders lost billions of dollars when the stock price came down so bad. The cause of all this was the lack of transparency and accountability when it came to the financial statements (Fox, 2003). Presumed priority of shareholders interests The theory of shareholder primacy asserts that the interests of the shareholders should be put as the first priority. This gives the shareholders the power to directly intercede in the decision making process in the corporations and this includes amending some corporate charters (Smith, 1998). Conclusion Enron was one of the leading companies that supplied a variety of products in America but failed due to some bad managerial practices that included corruption. The corrupt leaders violated the agreement between the shareholders and disregarded the priorities that should govern such relationships. The shareholders ended up in losing billions on investments that has never yield any fruits. Bad leadership is to blame for the death of a great corporation that served the people with goods and services. The shareholders, who formed the larger part of the community, were the ones that suffered most for the mistakes made by others.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Enron Corporation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Deakin, S Konzelmann, S 2003, ‘After Enron: An age of enlightenment?’, Organization, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 583-587. Fischer, C Lovell, A 2006, Business ethics and values, London, FT. Fox, L 2003. Enron: The rise and fall, John Wiley Sons, New Y ork. Fusaro, PC Miller, RM 2002, What went wrong at Enron: everyones guide to the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history. John Wiley and Sons, New York. Jesen, E Meckling, W 1994, The nature of man, Harvard University Press, Harvard. John, F 2007, ‘Professor Bebchuk’s brave new world: A reply to the myth of the shareholder Franchise’, Virginia Law Review, Vol. 93, no. 1, pp. 773-787. Salter, M 2008, Innovation corrupted: The origins and legacy of Enron’s collapse, Harvard University Press, Harvard.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Smith, D 1998, ‘The shareholder primacy norm’, Journal of Corporation Law, vol. 23, no. 1, p. 296.

Battle of Taranto in World War II

Battle of Taranto in World War II The Battle of Taranto was fought the night of November 11/12, 1940 and was part of the Mediterranean Campaign of World War II (1939-1945). In 1940, British forces began battling the Italians in North Africa. While the Italians were easily able to supply their troops, the logistical situation for the British proved more difficult as their ships had to traverse almost the entire Mediterranean. Early in the campaign, the British were able to control the sea lanes, however by mid-1940 the tables were beginning to turn, with the Italians outnumbering them in every class of ship except aircraft carriers. Though they possessed superior strength, the Italian Regia Marina was unwilling to fight, preferring to follow a strategy of preserving a fleet in being. Concerned that Italian naval strength be reduced before the Germans could aid their ally, Prime Minister Winston Churchill issued orders that action be taken on the issue. Planning for this type of eventuality had begun as early as 1938, during the Munich Crisis, when Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, directed his staff to examine options for attacking the Italian base at Taranto. During this time, Captain Lumley Lyster of the carrier HMS Glorious proposed using its aircraft to mount a nighttime strike. Convinced by Lyster, Pound ordered training to commence, but the resolution of the crisis led to the operation being shelved.   Upon departing the Mediterranean Fleet, Pound advised his replacement, Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, of the proposed plan, then known as Operation Judgement. The plan was reactivated in September 1940, when its principal author, Lyster, now a rear admiral, joined Cunninghams fleet with the new carrier HMS Illustrious.  Cunningham and Lyster refined the plan and planned to move forward with Operation Judgement on October 21, Trafalgar Day, with aircraft from HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle. The British Plan The composition of the strike force was later changed following fire damage to Illustrious and action damage to Eagle. While Eagle was being repaired, it was decided to press on with the attack using only Illustrious. Several of Eagles aircraft were transferred to augment Illustrious air group and the carrier sailed on November 6. Commanding the task force, Lysters squadron included Illustrious, the heavy cruisers HMS Berwick and HMS York, the light cruisers HMS Gloucester and HMS Glasgow, and the destroyers HMS Hyperion, HMS Ilex, HMS Hasty, and HMS Havelock.    Preparations In the days before the attack, the Royal Air Forces No. 431 General Reconnaissance Flight conducted several reconnaissance flights from Malta to confirm the presence of the Italian fleet at Taranto. Photographs from these flights indicated changes to the bases defenses, such as the deployment of barrage balloons, and Lyster ordered the necessary alterations to the strike plan. The situation at Taranto was confirmed on the night of November 11, by an overflight by a Short Sunderland flying boat. Spotted by the Italians, this aircraft alerted their defenses, however as they lacked radar they were unaware of the impending attack. At Taranto, the base was defended by 101 anti-aircraft guns and around 27 barrage balloons. Additional balloons had been placed but had been lost due to high winds on November 6. In the anchorage, the larger warships normally would have been protected by anti-torpedo nets but many had been removed in anticipation of a pending gunnery exercise. Those that were in place did not extend deep enough to fully protect against the British torpedoes. Fleets Commanders: Royal Navy Admiral Sir Andrew CunninghamRear Admiral Lumley Lyster24 torpedo bombers, 1 aircraft carrier, 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 4 destroyers Regia Marina Admiral Inigo Campioni6 battleships, 7 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 8 destroyers Planes in the Night Aboard Illustrious, 21 Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers began taking off on the night of November 11 as Lysters task force moved through the Ionian Sea. Eleven of the planes were armed with torpedoes, while the remainder carried flares and bombs. The British plan called for the planes to attack in two waves. The first wave was assigned targets in both the outer and inner harbors of Taranto. Led by Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Williamson, the first flight departed Illustrious around 9:00 PM on November 11.   The second wave, directed by Lieutenant Commander J. W. Hale, took off approximately 90 minutes later. Approaching the harbor just before 11:00 PM, part of Williamsons flight dropped flares and bombed oil storage tanks while the remainder of the aircraft commenced their attack runs on the 6 battleships, 7 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 8 destroyers in the harbor. These saw the battleship Conte di Cavour hit with a torpedo that caused critical damage while the battleship Littorio also sustained two torpedo strikes. In the course of these attacks, Williamsons Swordfish was downed by fire from  Conte di Cavour. The bomber section of Williamsons flight, led by Captain Oliver Patch, Royal Marines, attacked hitting two cruisers moored in the Mar Piccolo.    Hales flight of nine aircraft, four armed with bombers and five with torpedoes, approached Taranto from the north around midnight.   Dropping flares, the Swordfish endured intense, but ineffective, antiaircraft fire as they began their runs. Two of Hales crews attacked Littorio scoring one torpedo hit while another missed in an attempt on the battleship  Vittorio Veneto.   Another Swordfish succeeded in striking the battleship  Caio Duilio with a torpedo, tearing a large hole in the bow and flooding its forward magazines.   Their ordnance expended, the second flight cleared the harbor and returned to Illustrious. Aftermath In their wake, the 21 Swordfish left Conte di Cavour sunk and the battleships Littorio and Caio Duilio heavily damaged. The latter had been intentionally grounded to prevent its sinking. They also badly damaged a heavy cruiser. British losses were two Swordfish flown by Williamson and Lieutenant Gerald W.L.A. Bayly.   While Williamson and his observer Lieutenant N.J. Scarlett were captured, Bayly and his observer, Lieutenant H.J. Slaughter were killed in action. In one night, the Royal Navy succeeded in halving the Italian battleship fleet and gained a tremendous advantage in the Mediterranean. As a result of the strike, the Italians withdrew the bulk of their fleet farther north to Naples. The Taranto Raid changed many naval experts thoughts regarding air-launched torpedo attacks. Prior to Taranto, many believed that deep water (100 ft.) was needed to successfully drop torpedoes. To compensate for the shallow water of Taranto harbor (40 ft.), the British specially modified their torpedoes and dropped them from very low altitude. This solution, as well as other aspects of the raid, was heavily studied by the Japanese as they planned their attack on Pearl Harbor the following year.

Law in Civil Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Law in Civil Engineering - Essay Example In the UK, there are several laws enacted to protect women against this kind of discrimination. Though the laws also protect men from being discriminated against, women are the victims in most cases. Several cases have set precedence of the actions and compensation that victims are entitled to in such cases. The case In the UK, the equality act enacted in 2010 protects employees against any form of sexual discrimination. The equality act is just an extension of the sex discrimination act of 1975. It does not apply only to women but also covers men. The aspects of employment such as recruitment, appraisal and promotion are covered under this law. The terms of an employment contract should provide similar entitlements to both men and women since the nature of their work is homogenous and of the similar value. In drafting its employment contracts, the company should consult its legal experts who will advise it on the implications of each of the contract statements. Eileen could sue the company for gender discrimination, age discrimination, criminal intimidation and unfair dismissal. She is entitled to damages should she win the case or decide to settle. On the first count of gender discrimination, Eileen is likely to be successful if the case goes to court. Her manager’s comments that the company has an unwritten policy for women in their twenties to be promoted are sexist. He says that the reason for this is that they leave to have children. An example would be a case in which a male supervisor at the Deutsche Bank made jokes considered sexist in the office about women. An employee Dr. Swinburne sued the bank for sex discrimination and was awarded compensation of ?40000 (Labour research department, 1988). Another example of such a case was the Crown Prosecution Services vs Maria Bimieh in February 2000. She won a case for sex and racial discrimination case against the firm. Her male supervisor failed to promote her even after her performance reviews showed that she met the requirements for a promotion. She had worked at the firm for 12 years. The company is vulnerable if it does not have any written document on its policy on sex discrimination. If Eileen and other employees bear witness that in her time working for the company, the management did not hold any educational forums to educate its employees on the implications of sex discrimination or have official policies on according each person equal opportunities on promotion and other matters, then the company is liable for the damages. In 2003, a trainee sales representative at a car showroom belonging to beadles group sued for discrimination claiming compensation of ?180000 which she won. The reason for her compensation was that she was forced to quit work by the offensive conduct of a colleague at work. The court ruled that since the company did not make any efforts to deter this behavior from its employees, it was liable for her emotional injuries. The medical evidence presented during the case showed that it would be more than 2 years before she was emotionally fit to work again. Sex discrimination cases do not always go in the directions of the plaintiffs, some have also lost. In Villalba vs Lynch inn 2004, the tribunal found that she had no basis for a sexual discrimination claim in which she was asking for ? 1.7m in settlement. She claimed discrimination for being made to perform the duties of cabin crew as the directors of