Capital Market Efficiency and Its Implication for Financial Reporting

Capital market efficiency has been a widely debated topic since the term was introduced. The efficient market hypothesis was introduced by Eugene Fama in 1970 and is one of the most important topics that is covered in financial accounting theory. There have been many papers and studies that have backed the efficiency market hypothesis. There have also been many others that have tried to show that the markets are inefficient. Are securities markets efficient or not? I believe that they are, and because they are efficient, there are multiple implications of efficient securities markets for financial reporting. In 1970, Eugene Fama introduced the efficient market hypothesis. Since there are many definitions and forms of an efficient securities market, I will focus my attention on the semi-strong form. In the semi-strong form, a market is considered efficient when security prices traded on that market at all times fully reflect all information that is publicly known about those securities. This hypothesis or theory has had many proponents for and many against it in recent years. These people have done their own studies and research on the market trying to either prove or disprove that the markets are efficient. An important statement in the definition of an efficient securities market is publically known. It focuses on the theory that the market prices are efficient and include all publicly known information. It does not rule out that some people will have inside information, and they will know more about the company than the market. Since these people know more than the market, they may be able to earn excess profits on their investments if they choose to take advantage of their inside information. While most insider trading is legal, it is illegal for insiders to trade when they trade with information that is not publicly known to further their own profits. By enacting trading laws, like insider trading, it just further solidifies that the markets are efficient. Market efficiency is a relative concept. This means that the market is efficient relative to the quality and quantity of the publicly known information. Nothing in the definition suggests that the current market prices reflect the real firm value. Due to the possible presence of inside information, for example, the market prices may be incorrect. What the definition does imply is that once new or corrected information comes along the market will adjust the prices quickly. This adjustment happens because rational investors will revise their beliefs. They will start buying and selling securities due to their new beliefs which in turn will change prices. Another important point of the theory is that investing is fair game if the market is efficient. In an efficient market there is an expected return on that security, and one way to establish the expected or normal return is by using the capital asset pricing model. In an efficient market, the investors cannot expect to earn excess returns on a security over and above the expected return of the capital asset pricing model. Under the efficient market hypothesis, a security’s market price should fluctuate randomly over time. The reason that prices will fluctuate is that anything about the firm that can be expected will be properly reflected in the price by the efficient market as soon as the expectation is formed. The only reason that prices in an efficient market will change is if some unexpected and relevant information comes along. By examining a time series form by the sequence of price changes, the time series should fluctuate randomly. A random walk is a time series of price movements that will not follow any patterns or trends and that these past movements cannot be used to predict future price movements. There seems to be an increasing number of people against the theory of market efficiency including Professor Charles Lee (2010). He states that the market efficiency has its limitations. He uses the United States housing market as an example of a market that seems to have been dominated by greed. He believes that emotions now dominate the markets and assist in setting the prices in the securities market. The other emotion that he points out is that of fear. The unwillingness to grant credit and to take risks are direct results of fear. Since these emotions dominate people’s actions, the markets are not as efficient as originally thought. Shiller (1984) created a model which featured two types of agents. The two types of agents are â€Å"smart-money† investors and noise traders (ordinary investors). The smart-money investors focus on fundamental information and react quickly to news about fundamental information in an unbiased manner. Noise traders are vulnerable to fads and may also overreact to news. Noise traders may also trade for consumption-based or liquidity reasons. Since there are noise traders in the market that assist in driving prices, the markets are not completely efficient. Critics of market efficiency also point out that there are several recent instances where the market prices must have been set by psychological considerations instead of by rational investors. The first example is the stock market crash of October 1987. During this crash, the general economic environment stayed the same, but the stock market lost about one-third of its value. A second example is the Internet â€Å"bubble† of the late 1990s. The values assigned to high-tech and Internet related companies were inconsistent with rational valuation. In looking at market efficiency, any large swings upwards or crashes downward that do not have related unexpected information can be signs that the market is not efficient. Despite these cases and examples of reasons that the market is inefficient, I believe that for the most part the market is efficient. It is not completely efficient, nor will it ever be, but for the most part the securities are properly priced. I believe that if the market was not efficient, there would be more professional investors that would be able to beat the market as a whole. I believe that with the information and the speed with which it is available today it is more efficient than in 1970 when Fama first introduced market efficiency. I do agree with the notion that there are some people who invest with emotions. When you talk to people about a company such as Apple, you will find just as many people who â€Å"love† the company as you will who dislike it. My feeling is that most of the emotion trading will for the most part cancel out and will not represent enough trading to dramatically adjust market securities prices. There are many fund managers who believe that they can outperform the market. Efficient markets depend on these participants who think that the market is inefficient and trade in the market in an attempt to outperform the market. Jensen (1968) performed the first study of mutual fund performance. He found that active fund managers underperformed the market and were unable to add value. In my personal research, I have found that when looking at â€Å"professional† analysts opinions, they are all over the board. My belief is that fund managers should focus more on correctly diversifying people’s portfolios than suggesting and trying to get them to invest in securities that they feel are undervalued. In order for the market to be efficient, the arket must be able to quickly analyze and adjust prices for new information. Nowadays with the Internet, investment journals that come out daily, and television shows and channels related to securities markets, the markets are more efficient than in the past. An example of the market being able to react quickly was in the article â€Å"The Stock Price Reaction to the Challenger Crash: Information Disclosure in an Efficient Market. â€Å" Maloney and Mulherin found that â€Å"the market pinpointed the guilty party within minutes. Regardless of whether you agree with the efficient securities markets theory or not, there are many implications of efficient securities markets for financial reporting. In W. H. Beaver’s article â€Å"What Should Be the FASB’s Objectives†, he outlines four implications. The first implication is accounting policies adopted by firms do not affect their security prices, as long as policies are disclosed. The accounting policies have no differential cash flow effects, and the information is given so readers can ea sily convert across different policies. The policy that is chosen will affect the reported net income, but it will not directly affect future cash flows and dividends. The efficient market is not fooled by different accounting policies when securities of firms are compared. The second implication is that efficient securities markets go hand in hand with full disclosure. Management should report firm information if the benefits are greater than the costs. Investors use information that is available to them to improve decisions in market efficiency. Confidence in the securities market will increase because of the information available. An important standard of full disclosure is Management Discussion and Analysis. The objective of MD&A is to enhance investor understanding of the issuer’s business by providing supplemental analysis and background material to allow a fuller understanding of the nature of an issuer, its operation, and known prospects for the future. The third implication is that market efficiency implies that financial statement information does not need to be presented in such a form that everyone is able to understand. The majority of investors are educated and will understand the information as presented. They are the ones who buy and sell and will move market prices to an efficient level. Naive investors are then price-protected since they can trust the efficient market to price securities. The final implication is that accountants are in competition with other information providers. With new pertinent information investors will change their beliefs. This revision of beliefs is a continuous process. If accountants did not provide useful, cost-effective information, the usefulness of this function would decline to other information sources. Accounting information is generally useful to investors. The theory of efficient securities markets has been around for more than forty years. The concept should be around for many years to come. As in all theories, there are people that will continue to try to further prove the theory and people that will work to disprove the theory. From all available information and from my experience, I believe that securities markets are efficient. Due to the efficient securities markets, there are many implications for financial reporting.

NT government Fin

It is prudent at this juncture to define the northern territory as a way of introduction. The northern territory (NT) is much of a political territory, which shares geographical location with north Australia. This is the main distinctive feature. However there are several differences In terms of the social and cultural orientation within the geographical region of north Australia.The northern territory exists as a self-government territory. However the territory derives its right to govern from the federal parliament. This means that the supreme authority is still the federal parliament. If follows that the decision reached at the northern territory legislative assembly is subject to the approval of the federal parliament. This happens to be what separates the self-governing territory of the Northern Territory from the rest of Australia. The political structure in the larger Australia is such that the states are sovereign and only come together under the federal government.The northe rn territory self-government act of 1978 gave a new status to the northern territory. In this act the northern territory was granted authority that could help it become a self-autonomous entity, usurping a few roles from the commonwealth. A few of responsibilities and duties initially carried out by the common wealth were transferred to the northern territory. A superficial glance at the territory and comparison with the other states indicates almost a complete similarity. However, the territory suits a shoulder below the rest in terms of authority and the structure of the government. It leaves more towards being a self-autonomous territory as opposed to the usual states in the common wealth.Although all the states in the common wealth are independent and value sovereignty, the 1978 act to self-given presents the biggest difference between these and the northern territory. The government in northern territory can make and enforce its own laws, but should the federal government wish to overturn or override it, it can achieve this through the parliament. An example in point is the euthanasia legislation passed by northern treaty but overridden by the national parliament ().In the place of a governor, the northern territory has administrator who wields executives’ power. He leads with the help of an executive council. The territory too has its representative in the federal legislature comprising of two representatives and two people in the senate.The territory has a legislative assembly consisting of members that are elected to speaker and the member of the executive council or the ministers. The northern territory also has local governments and authorities with some full administrative powers in Darwin, the capital city as well as in other large towns, these administrative centers provide essential services to the people ranging from housing to health among others.Northern territories have a fully-fledged legal system with the Supreme Court as the highest court in the land.There is a chief minister who leads the self-autonomous government while the premier leads the state government. These two are appointed by the administrator who in turn is appointed by the governor-general of Australia.In the national scene, the parliament is made up of the senate and the house of representative it deals with matters affecting almost all the states like foreign affair or the issue of protecting the nation as is the case in the United States. The territory’s representation in these two organs is a bit lower to make up for special status that it enjoys with an autonomous government.Broad responsibilityThe northern territory government is charged with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the territory save for those that are national in nature like the world heritage areas and national parks located within the territory (Strelein L (2000). This is done to avoid conflicts between the two levels of government. Areas that fall within th e northern territory government share of responsibility include but not limited to; education, health, and issues, administrative matters, infrastructure and local government. In order to perform these duties the NT government receives funds from the federal government.Relationship with federal governmentIt is clear that the two levels of government are mutually dependent. The federal government looks up to the territorial government to facilitate the implementation of laws and policies. Additionally the federal government expects to receive money remitted by the territorial government in order to reach its own objectives. On the other hand, the territorial government receives funds from the federal government to meet its budgetary obligations. This has for long time been a subject of much debate and controversy not only in the northern territory but also elsewhere in Australia and also in the world.The federal government in Australia has to perform a balancing act in order to achie ve some kind of equity. Equitable distribution of resources is a thorny issue here. This balance is important for stability of any nation. An example of inequality is between the State of California in the US and the Mississippi between which a huge economic disparity exists. There has existed a general discontent especially from richer states in the way the national government distributes money contributed by these states.One of the important areas of development that lie within the responsibility of the NT government is cultural development. Culture is a very important composite of any society. However, in the modern world, rarely would any society share in all aspects of a common culture. According to Martin C (1995), this is mainly because of the historical backgrounds that are as varied as the trends of the modern lifestyle. It is therefore important to understand the basics of cultural dynamics before any form of cultural development can be contemplated.Cultural development ca n be defined as the process through which the full potential of cultural diversity can be achieved for the common good. Culture is a most valuable symbol of identity and should not be lost either through assimilation or neglect. Cultural diversity brings out the uniqueness of the northern territory community (CUC107 Northern Perspectives. Cultural expansion and change (2007). One of the unique characteristics of the responsibility that the territorial government has in conserving and developing cultural diversity springs from the history of the people of the Northern Territory.The earliest inhabitants of the northern territory were the indigenous people. These people had and still have a rich culture and customs by which they lived. However, when the European immigrants settled in Australia, they sought to undermine this culture terming it as backwards. They also sought to force their own ways, which they viewed as superior. For many years this opinion has dictated the nature of int eraction between the indigenous people and the settlers. It has also influenced public opinion as well as dominant ideologies (Eckerman T. et al 1992).Upon this background, the territorial government must work to alter this perception and opinion that is based against the culture and custom of the aboriginal people as well as the Torres-strait islander people. The long enduring opinion is narrow and ill informed. It is full assumptions and biases that view some cultures and practices as more superior than others. Cultural development begins with the understanding of the uniqueness of the self. It is the responsibility of the Northern Territory government to promote understanding, acceptance interest and most of all harmonious existence among people of different cultural affiliations. The goal should be for the entire population to appreciate other cultures and to nurture rather than to kill diversity. The goal should also be to create a strong sense of belonging through culture wher e the population is proud of being who they are.Killing cultural diversity is tantamount to killing own individual identity. The study of culture has somehow increased awareness among those who take time to give thought to the wisdom those studies. However the world is still at a point where the western definition of what is superior and what is mediocre is widely embraced. Against this background many cultures have lost invaluable parts that were part of the whole thus becoming diluted (Hunter, E. (1993). This presents the main challenge to the Northern Territory government in its management and development of culture.The Northern Territory government must work from a seemingly â€Å"point of weakness† because many of the cultural practice and customs have lost so much already which cannot be recovered. Elements of culture such as language have also changed greatly. The way people talked as well as the content of these talks has changed overtime. Among the indigenous people for instance, folk tales were used to impart knowledge as well as to pass traditions from one generation to next. However folk tales have today found replacement in technology and the consequences are a lost method of passing culture to generations (CUC107 Northern Perspectives. Cultural expansion and change (2007).These are among the challenges that the Northern Territory government faces. Capitalistic ideologies and economic power has placed some countries at a position where they can dictate the direction the rest of the world takes. This includes dominating cultures. The disadvantaged, minorities and marginalized population have little choice but to tow the line appropriately (Alder, C. 1999). Economic development in the Northern Territory, which ironically must be encouraged, can only serve to diminish any gains on the cultural diversity front. This is a challenge to the Northern Territory government cultural development plans. It is easy to see here that the sacrifices that mu st be made are economic prosperity or the conservation of culture. With the world being the way it is today the Northern Territory government is hard pressed to make a decision to promote economic prosperity at the expense of culture.The Northern Territory government can however produce a win-win situation, by embracing innovative thinking to ensure sustainable development both economically and culturally.It is unfortunate that despite the fact that an opportunity clearly exists in the northern territory to develop ways of achieving sustainable cultural development, not much good seems be coming out of the processes. This can be attributed to the fact that the focus of the main stakeholders is wrong. The Northern Territory government has loudly cited scarcity of funds as the main obstacle in achievement of sustainable cultural development. This has denied these stakeholders from seeing the other methods and avenues open to them to exploit the opportunity (Ames, R et al 1989). The No rthern Territory government has tried to develop a framework upon which to build its plans. One has been the involvement of women and the aboriginal people in decision-making process. Their representation has however not always adequate which has worked against this plan.The NT government has also sought to promote culture by supporting cultural activities like road shows and festivals especially in Darwin. These attractions have served to showcase some of the diverse cultures that exist in Northern Territory. The events are increasingly becoming popular though at a very slow pace.The budget for cultural development has also been increasing steadily over the past few years (Christie, M. 2000).While the efforts of the NT government to involve the local communities especially the aboriginal and Torres-strait islander people together with women and other minority groups are laudable. This paper suggests that more can be done in order to speed up the process and consolidate gains achiev ed so far. Wide consultations have a way of fostering ownership. It is therefore important that the NT government seek to improve participation of the local communities in decision-making. Representation should be increased in the decision-making organ. Additionally, in order to increase coercion the NT government should develop a holistic approach that includes educating the people at all levels of the society to appreciate their cultures as well as other cultures within this society. This can be done formally in small community groups as well as through other contemporary media.Another laudable gesture that should be developed further is use of cultural events and festivals. Cultural events have succeeded elsewhere as tourist attraction and consequently served to preserve the practice. In Spain bullfighting is a cultural even that is unique to this part of the world. It has gained a cult like following and has also been used as a tourist attraction. In Brazil, street carnival wher e people showcase there cultural dances such as samba have also become an eye catching event that is widely accepted all over the world. Similarly events could be organized regularly to showcase the NT diverse cultures.The Northern Territory should also explore the use of cultural ambassadors in other parts of Australia and the world in order to advertise the culture and to promote cultural tourism.ConclusionWhile plans are underway to confer full powers of statehood in the Northern Territory, the territorial government must increase ensure sustainable development in all areas of development. It is the responsibility of the Northern Territory government to promote understanding, acceptance interest and most of all harmonious existence among people of different cultural affiliations. The goal should be for the entire population to appreciate other cultures and to nurture rather than to kill diversity. Cultural diversity must never be sacrificed in the altar of economic development.Re ferencesAlder C (1999) The Aboriginal art market: challenges to authenticity, on-line at:http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/forum/articles6.html, (Accessed: 3/2/05)Ames, R. Don Axford, Peter J. Usher, Ed Weick, George Wenzel, and John Merritt. (1989)Keeping on the land: A study of the feasibility of a comprehensive wildlife harvestsupport programme in the Northwest Territories. Ottawa ON: Canadian Arctic ResourcesCommittee.Christie M 2000 ‘Greek Migration to Darwin, Australia, 1914-1921' Journal of NorthernTerritory History, 71, pp 1 -14.CUC107 Northern Perspectives. Cultural expansion and change (2007). Available:http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/commonunits/cuc107/people/expansion.html. Accessed on 5th March 2008Eckerman T. Dowd, M. Martin, L, Nixon R. Gray E. Chong, Binan Goonj (1992). BudgingCultures In Aboriginal Health, . Armidale NSW: Printery, University Of England.. 23-58.Gavin Mooney Indigenous Law Bulletin Available:http://www.Austlii.Edu.Au/Au/Journals/ILB/2003/47.HtmlHu nter, E. (1993). Aboriginal Health and History. Power and prejudice in remoteAustralia. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York, Melbourne.38Martin C (1995) ‘The Gurindji strike and land claim', Green Left Weekly, Online at:http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/1995/197/197p13.htm, (Accessed 15.2.05)Strelein L (2000) Aboriginal land rights in Australia, Native Title Research Unit, AustralianInstitute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra.   

Beowulf: The Man, the Legend, the Hero Essay

Beowulf is an epic poem whose earliest surviving copy was written in 1000 A.D. The story consists of three thousand one hundred and eighty two lines that follow the life of the title character. The original author of the epic poem is unknown mainly because it started as a verbal tale passed down orally through the ages. Finally someone wrote it down in a document now called the Nowell Codex. The epic tale is centered on Beowulf and his actions in an adventure to repay a debt owed by his father to Hrothgar, a Danish king. A gargantuan monster that is terrorizing Hrothgar’s mead hall is Beowulf’s target and Beowulf sails across the sea to aid his father’s friend. Doesn’t he already sound like a hero? Well that’s because he is. Beowulf is a hero in every sense of the word. From his moral code to his actions, and beliefs this Geatish legend fits the archetype of a hero down to the finest points. All heroes set out on a quest. For what is unique to every story, but a quest is made all the same. This legendary hero of English lore sails across an ocean to take on a seemingly impossible task. For twenty four hours straight he and fourteen companions brave the oceans waters but reached their destination without a hitch. This seems odd for a classic hero. A journey going exactly as planned? Not likely. This alludes to the fact that this journey across the sea wasn’t the actual voyage he set out to make. The ultimate goal is Grendel. True heroes value their reputation. Beowulf’s reputation precedes him, as the Danes already know of many of his mighty feats. The value of a good reputation is also immeasurable in Anglo-Saxon society. When someone introduces themselves they say their name, son of their father. In Beowulf’s case when initially landing on the shores of Denmark, he says â€Å"The son of King Healfdene, have come here to visit.† This let the guard on the coast know that Beowulf came from good blood. Dishonor in one’s lineage in this time period meant dishonor for many generations in the future. The importance of a legacy leads toward the hero that Beowulf is, being shown in his actions. The King remembers Beowulf and acknowledges the fact that his lineage is an impressive one and believes that the hero, Beowulf has been sent by God to save the Danes from the wicked monster Grendel. Beowulf’s strength and endurance are legendary. Upon his arrival to Herot he recants the tale of his competition with Breca. All but one of the Danes is impressed by his tale making them believe that they will be saved. Unferth challenges Beowulf’s feat but, never to be put down, Beowulf clarifies the real story. The Danes are astonished by Beowulf’s adventure and rejoice at his presence. This admiration by his peers motivates Beowulf to do the task he has set out to do. The battle with Grendel also ill ustrates Beowulf’s might. He is initially looked at as a fool for even contemplating such a thing as not using a weapon, but in the end it pays off. His bare hands can dole out more damage than any sword in Herot and in one day of being there the monster is defeated. The Danish people begin to worship Beowulf. This almost cult following fills Beowulf’s ego just like a balloon, yet he doesn’t let it get out of control. He knows the people love him and is happy that his reputation held up. Yes, he works for the repayment of his father’s debt but also for the admiration of his fellow man. The people of Herot feed Beowulf’s desire to be recognized as a hero and therefore he agrees to revenge the death of Halga. He feels that it is his fault that Grendel’s mother has come to terrorize the city. The hero in Beowulf comes out and he protects the people. The protection of the weak is another archetypal hero characteristic that Beowulf exhibits. The people he protects for the first half of the epic, aren’t even his own. He still stands strong even for Hrothgar’s people, just to ensure his father’s debt is entirely paid back. Though he has almost surely done enough to maintain his father’s good name, he stays to make sure the people who have so generously accepted him into their town, are safe forever. Going in to the swamp himself showcases Beowulf’s leadership style. He wants to make sure all of his men return home safely, and the only way to do this is to only endanger one life, his own. This also lends itself to the idea that Beowulf is in his line of duty for glory. Here in this scene he takes the approach of â€Å"If I want it done right I will do it myself.† As the leader of this band of Geats he wants them to live to recant his legacy in the off chance of his death; to be immortalized in history as a brave warrior who died in the line of battle. The swim down to Grendel’s mother’s lair exemplifies Beowulf’s super-human qualities. It was said that he swam for the better part of a day, a deed which by human standards is impossible. Once at the bottom he faces the swamp hag in a battle which once again ends with his victory. When has a story ever had the hero die in the middle of the book? The fact that Beowulf just happened to see the giant sword on the wall shows that he is a hero because things go his way. As one of the oldest written stories of a warrior hero, Beowulf was the basis for all male warriors from this point on. Everything goes their way, the adversaries are defeated, and a celebration is had. The men on the surface had given up on Beowulf. They walked away from the edge of the swap and returned to Herot. But even with the odds stacked against him, Beowulf managed to defeat his enemy, and return safely to his men. The people under Hrothgar’s rule are ecstatic upon his return. Their savior has come back alive and with a trophy to display his victory. The scene that follows his return is also typical for a hero. He is showered with gifts and the admiration of the people. He receives gifts of great significance, not only monetarily, but also symbolically. Hrothgar gives Beowulf’s men gold and other treasures. To Beowulf himself, however, he gives much more than that. He gives armor, which any great hero will need in battle, and horses with golden bridles. On one of the horses lays the most symbolically important gift; a saddle specially fashioned for a King to ride into battle. This saddle shows that Hrothgar knows Beowulf is a hero, and one day will be a king. The hero always gets put up on a pedestal, this case a throne. Beowulf is king for fifty years before his next adventure, but he is the best king the Geats have had. Heroes seem to always come out well rounded, they are fantastic warriors, amazing kings, and great leaders. Beowulf fits all three of those throughout the epic, but especially in the last battle scene. The dragon is Beowulf’s final adversary. The dragon is a symbol for all evil, much like Grendel, and his mother were. This time however Beowulf has aged past his prime, yet hasn’t abandoned his strategy of diving in, headfirst, without back up. At last Beowulf has met his match. The dragon mortally wounds Beowulf but before he dies Beowulf puts up one last fight and lays the death blow onto the dragon. He defeated all of the monsters he was put up against but this last one got the best of him. He died the way he wanted to; in battle, living his warrior lifestyle for one last moment. The way Beowulf’s life ended forever solidified him in the category of a hero. In conclusion, Beowulf is a prime example of an archetypal hero. His valor in battle is only part of the equation. A true hero must also show the importance of leadership, reputation, protection, and strength. Throughout the epic poem, the title character exhibits all of those characteristics of a hero, and others as well. Beowulf is a hero no matter which way his character is examined, and a model for all warriors to come.

Anthropolgy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anthropolgy - Essay Example The social Darwinists have the notion that the strong are supposed to see their wealth and power increasing while on the other hand, the weak are supposed to experience the decline of their wealth and power. Consequently, different social Darwinists support varying views about the groups of people that are supposed to be considered strong and those to be considered as weak. They also have varying opinions as far as the precise instruments that are supposed to be used in promoting strength and availing punitive measures are concerned. Majority of these types of views put emphasis on the competition that exists among individuals when capitalism is considered while the contrary concept that is characterized by intervention by the government in social development enhances the ideas of racism, Nazism as well as imperialism and the struggle that exists between racial and national groups. Colonialisms effects on modern culture and the resulting groups problems for these people Colonialism generally makes reference to a social system whereby political subjugation that instigated by one society leads to a cultural dominance that is characterized by social change that is enforced (Jain 48). There are cultures that do not find it hard to adopt the pragmatic trade patterns that are associated with the colonialists, but many indigenous people violently rebel and make attempts to take back their cultural sovereignty as well as economic imperialism. The indigenous people were not in a position to fight against the Europeans who had guns, were deceptive and the diseases that affected the indigenous people. A perfect example of this occurrence is the manner that the Americans killed the people that were indigenous to the land that they occupy and made them move into reserves and regardless of their attempts to control their generational land, they

Chicken Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chicken - Case Study Example Problems The increased advertising expenses forced the company to increase the net price of the products. In the article, the writers Belch and Belch point out that in the past 10years, the company paid out most of its promotional spending towards consumers in Free Standing Inserts (FSIs) in Sunday newspapers containing coupon offers. As a result, many consumers were found purchasing tuna from local brands or a brand which was on promotion or which offered the lowest shelf price. Chicken of the Sea as well as other major companies faces increasing competition from local brands which are usually priced lower than the national brands. The company’s call for ‘reduction in media advertising and increased emphasis on sales promotion’, as well as the development of local label brands resulted in a change in power from manufacturer to the retailers (Belch & Belch). The profit earning margin on canned tuna has gone down as retailers demand lower price and more trade allow ances. A big question aroused; whether the company could afford to preserve Jessica Simpson, a rising pop star as a spokesperson for the company since her fame and reputation were at peak so was her remuneration too.

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 11

Research paper - Essay Example This kind of situation is not new. There are countries who continue to believe that education should be conducted in the local vernacular. They say that it is not good for the young ones to learn in a language other than their own because it might cause them to forget their native tongue. However, as the demands of society continue to make people and companies more aggressive there is a need for an adjustment in the educational system in order for skills to be sufficient for those demands. In the traditional curriculum, education has always been conducted in the native language. However, as more and more nations interact with each other in trade and commerce, schools have opted to teach in an additional language, most commonly English, to further enhance the students’ communication skills. This is called bilingual education. â€Å"Bilingual education is a form of education in which information is presented to the students in two (or more) languages.† (Bilingual Education) Bilingual education is good to use in the curriculum in elementary schools because it helps them to prepare for viable employment, communicating with others, and educational success. Language is a very important part of one’s individuality. At times, it is the mother tongue which distinguishes one nationality from another. Because of this, the introduction of bilingual education has come to face opposition. Throughout the world, however, there is still an obvious need to promote and practice bilingual education for the benefit of the younger generation. As some countries continue to practice teaching in the mother tongue, families go through many sacrifices in order to catch up with the fast-moving world. A typical scenario would be children being forced to study another language as hard as they could so as to be more efficient communication-wise. All this studying, though, sets aside the child’s right to a normal and fun childhood. Korean students

Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

Final Exam - Essay Example Pain is one such emotion that will serve as a permanent reminder for the culprit thereby compelling an intuitive behavior change. In their own unique explanations, the two authors explain the need for reforming a behavior before reintroducing an individual into the society. According to the two, effective punishments further serve examples to the rest of the population in the society thus deterring any similar undesired behaviors. In chapter 20, Joshua Green and Jonathan Cohen explain the relationship between punishments and neuroscience. Criminal offenders require effective mental evaluation before recommending appropriate punishments. Through effective psychiatric evaluation, the jurists and correctional facilities will understand the unique behavior patterns of every individual criminal thus designing an appropriate corrective measure. The two contend that the primary objective of punishment is to reform behavior. This requires the concerted effort of effective punishments coupled with appropriate psychological counselling in order to develop a coherent individual who will appreciate the societal values. Neuroscience thus helps devise effective punishments that will not only make the offenders acknowledge their mistakes but also reform their behaviors in case of their reintroduction into the society â€Å"effective punishments result in permanent reformation of behaviors† (Tony 243) In explaining the role of punishment, Lode Walgrave appreciates reintroduction of the criminals into the society. He therefore vouches for restorative justice, which he explains will provide justice to the aggrieved parties by punishing the culpable individuals but also reforms the individuals thereby creating a cohesive society in which people take responsibility of their actions. Restorative justice is thus a holistic approach to punishment since it infuses reformation and healing into punishment. The key

Ratio Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Ratio Analysis - Coursework Example In addition, the company performance was higher in reference to industrial average figures. Whereby, the key performance indicators such as; number of visitors, basket value and gross profit margin were put forth. On the contrary, a valuation of the uses of KPIs in assessing organization performance was discussed. The advantages and limitation of using financial ratios as a technique of assessing company performance were also discussed. 1. Comparison of Latest year results with previous year results; Below are the financial statements of ASOS Company for the last year two fiscal years that ended on 31st August 2012 and 31st August 2012. Therefore, based on the consolidated income statement it can be scrutinized that the revenues for 2013 were substantially higher as compared to those of 2012.In addition, the profits before and after tax was higher in 2013 than in 2012. On the other hands, the comprehensive income statement indicates that the total assets and total equity for the fina ncial year 2013 was higher than in 2012. For example, the total equity in 2013 was $159,799,000 while in 2013 it stood at $105,987,000 a difference of $53,812,000. In above connection, the consolidated statement of cash flow indicates that, the net income generated from operating activities was higher in 2013 as compared to 2012.In addition, the net income obtained from financing activities was also higher in 2013 than in 2012. This indicates that the financial performance of ASOS was higher in 2012 than in 2013(ASOS Plc, 2013). ASOS CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2013 Year to 5 months to 31 August 2013 31 August 2012 Note ?’000 ?’000 Revenue 2 769,396 238,023 Cost of sales (370,816) (117,892) Gross profit 398,580 120,131 Distribution expenses (115,172) (35,906) Administrative expenses (228,953) (70,883) Operating profit 3 54,455 13,342 Finance income 5 283 – Finance expense 6 (68) (97) Profit before tax 54,670 13,245 Income tax expense 7 (13,744) (3,341) Profit for the period 40,926 9,904 Net exchange adjustments offset in reserves (45) – Fair value gains on derivative financial assets 225 Other comprehensive income for the period 180 – Total comprehensive income for the period 41,106 9,904 Profit for the period attributable to: Owners of the Parent 40,928 9,904 Non-controlling interest 19 (2) – 40,926 9,904 Total comprehensive income for the period attributable to: Owners of the Parent 41,108 9,904 Non-controlling interest 19 (2) – 41,106 9,904 Earnings per share Basic 8 50.1p 12.5p Diluted 8 49.2p 11.9p Source :(ASOS Plc, 2013). ASOS CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 31 AUGUST 2013 31 August 2013 31 August 2012 Note ?’000 ?’000 Non-current assets Goodwill 9 1,060 1,060 Other intangible assets 10 38,626 22,176 Property, plant and equipment 11 30,031 27,293 Deferred tax asset 14 8,902 8,111 78,619 58,640 Current assets Inventories 143,348 100,263 Trade and other receivables 15 18,420 19,066 Derivative financial assets 21 225 – Current tax asset – 425Cash and cash equivalents 20 71,139 27,884 233,132 147,638 Current liabilities Trade and other payables 16 (149,511) (100,291) Current tax liability (2,441) – (151,952) (100,291) Net current assets 81,180 47,347 Net assets 159,799 105,987 Equity attributable to owners of the Parent Called up share capital 18 2,890 2,854 Share premium 6,368 6,105 Employee Benefit Trust reserve

Unfair dismissal law in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Unfair dismissal law in the UK - Essay Example It is the somewhat a term that workers would like their contracts to have, but cannot claim, since it is a buyer’s market for labour, and workers tend to view the exploration for work as a contest with other potential human resources. This essay provides insights on the unfair dismissal law in the United Kingdom. Similarly, it would be inept, for a prospective worker to make inquiries at an interview when seeking employment about the degree of misbehaviour the company can tolerate before the worker is discharged. The inequity of bargaining command is an attribute of the majority of jobs contract. There exists a body that deals with grievances that arise between employers and the employees called the Employment Tribunal (ET).Latreille, Latreille and Knight (2005, pg. 325) affirms that the ET is an autonomous judicial organisation founded to determine disagreements between a company and workers regarding employment civil liberties. The ET hears allegations concerning employment issues such as unfair dismissal, unfairness, wages and redundancy costs. A number of rationalisations for the law are usually presented to intercede the unfair dismissal law in the management’s capacity to manage its dealings such as rectifying the inequity in bargaining command between the company and workers; shielding possessions right that workers boast, or should boast, in their occupations, defending the decorum and independence of the workers. The paramount clarification is perhaps provided by Hugh Collins when he asserts that the aim of unfair dismissal law is inclined at presenting some level of security to the decorum and independence of workers in the perspective of the job contracts and probable release (Collins, Ewing and McColgan, 2012, pg. 48). The fortification of these values is not indefinite; whereby in various instances the fiscal effectiveness and administrative prudence get priority,

Human Resources & Diversity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human Resources & Diversity - Research Paper Example Diversity is not only a problem but also an opportunity for the human resource management. Diversity has a broader definition than that generally accepted; it is not only related to race, ethnicity and gender. Devoe (34) defined diversity as: â€Å"otherness or those human qualities that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong to, yet present in other individuals and groups.† Diversity has multiple dimensions, which include race, ethnicity, gender, ancestry, age, sexual preferences, physical qualities or abilities, demography, education, marital status, income, religious beliefs, military experience, work experience, parental status, etc. These dimensions of diversity influence behaviour, interactions, motivation, performance and success of the workforce. The human resource management teams have the challenge to examine the effects of these dimensions of diversity and exploit them to improve the performance of the organization. Introduction The bus iness world is changing fast to meet the challenges posed by increasing competition and the organizations are searching for the best talents to gain a competitive edge in the market. They are recruiting the best talents from all across the world and this practice is increasing the diversity in the workplace continuously. The talent – hunt of the organizations are met by the universities like Saint Leo University and the core value of integrity of Saint Leo University states, â€Å"Animated in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we value all individuals' unique talents, respect their dignity, and strive to foster their commitment to excellence in our work. Our community's strength depends on the unity and diversity of our people, on the free exchange of ideas.† The core value of Saint Leo University has helped in the development of talents in the campus. The human resource management of organizations needs to understand, acknowledge, accept, value and celebrate the differences among the workforce in order to manage diversity in the workforce.

Text Linguistics Essay Example for Free

Text Linguistics Essay Module I. Classificationally meaningful characteristics of the text as an integral and independent object of investigation. Lecture 6. Conceptual variability of linguistic interpretations of the text essence and status and their reflections in the models of the text descriptions. Problem for discussion Evolution of the text description approaches. Models of the text descriptions. Grounds for the chosen models and schemes of the text descriptions as a scientific object. It has already been mentioned that despite the fact that there are many publications devoted to problems of text linguistics. There does not exist an adequate definition of the text that would find satisfaction with all researchers. The difficulties that arise when trying to work out an universally acceptable definition of the text can be explained by the fact that scholars study the text in its various aspects : grammatical, stylistic, semantic, functional and so on. The text can be studied as a product ( text grammar) or as a process (theory of text). The text-as-a-product approach is focused on the text on the text cohesion, coherence, topical organization, illocutionary structure and communicative functions; the text-as-a-process perspective studies the text production, reception and interpretation. Text can be understood as an instance of (spoken or written) language use ( an act of parole) , a relatively self-contained unit of communication. As a â€Å"communicative occurrence† it meets seven criteria of textuality (the constitutive principles of textual communication): cohesion, coherence, intentioanality, acceptability, informativity, situationality, and intertextuality and three regulative principles of textual communication: efficiency, effectiveness and approapriateness.(cf. de Beaugrande and Dressler 1981, Maljaer 1991) 1. Regular Principles of Textual Communiction. The principle of efficiency requires that a text should be used with a minimum effort hence the use of plain ( stereotyped and unimaginative)  language. Which, however booring and unimpressive, is easy to produce and comprehend. In contrast, effectiveness presumes leaving a strong impression and the creation of favourable conditions for attaining a communicative goal; this presupposes the use of creative ( original, imaginative) language which, however effective, may lead to communicative breakdown. The principle of appropriateness attempts to balance off the two above mentioned principles by seeking an accord between the text setting and standards of textuality. Common text features. Some common text features found in books are Table of Contents, Glossary, Index, Bold Words, Headings and Titles, Maps, Diagrams, Illustrations and Charts. Why is Understanding Text Features an important reading strategy? Text Features help us to identify the big ideas and topics that the author is focusing on. Visual text features such as maps and charts help to support the information the author presents in the text. How do we use text features to help us understand what we are reading? Before reading, preview the kinds of text features throughout the book. Think about what the big ideas the author wants you to remember. Make sure to read captions Functional Classification  The functional classification identifies illocutionary text types according to the type of the dominating illocutionary act (see 10.2): representative or assertive type (e.g. research reports, public notices, administrative texts, weather forecasts, diaries, CVs, lectures), directive type (e.g. commands, orders, invitations, instructions, directions, giving advice), expressive type (e.g. apologies, thank-you notes, greeting, condolences, compliments, toasts, congratulations), commissive type ( e.g. promises , pledges, swears, offers, vows, contracts, bets), declarative or performative type (e.g. , nominations, appointments, dismissals, accussations: I find you guilty as charged, marriage ceremonies, testaments, certificates). Texts viewed from this perspective satisfy diverse communicative needs of the society members. Situational Classification  The situational classification sorts out texts according to the sphere of activity (e.g., private, official or public, such as a private letter, a  letter addressed to an institution) and form of communication (dialogical and monological, spoken and written texts). Strategic Classification  The strategic classification deals primarily with the topic and the ways of its expansion 9 the term slohove postupy is used in Slovak stylistics to denote macrocompositional principles, cf. Mistrik 1997): narrative, descriptive, and argumentative.

Time Travel Essay Example for Free

Time Travel Essay Time travel is one of the most interesting topic in science fiction. Time travel is usually depicted in movies such as Back to the Future, Time Machine, or Star Trek, you will see people hopping in strange machines or using a device that will take them back and forth through time. At one point almost every kids dream or science fiction fanatics vast imagination consist of some sort of time traveling to change their past or to go to the future. Time travel can fulfill our dreams of going back to the past and meeting a inspirational hero or reliving a historic event. There are many reason for why humans would love to time travel one day. You can change the past or relive a very important moment or if you are really curious go into the future. In class we watched a time travel episode where a woman who was kidnapped and raped in her teens, went back in time and killed serial killers/rapist who had been convicted and executed in the present. In theory she is killing these serial killers before they have yet to kill or maybe even think about killing someone. In the end she killed 20 men and saved 85 women. However, I believe this is morally wrong and was unjust for her to do it. She killed these men who have not killed or maybe even think about killing anyone yet to change the present. It would have been just if she actually try to change their mind about killing the victims. If you could persuade them in not killing their victims than that would have been much better, rather than killing them when they were innocent. If I could time travel I would least likely to go back to the 1930s-40s. This was when World War 2 started, a weapon of mass destruction was launched, and the largest genocide occurred, The Holocaust. A number of new technology and ideology came forth which made the war and each nation much more deadlier, for example the German Blitzkrieg, Concentration Camps, Japanese Kamikaze, and the deadliest weapon of them all the American Atomic Bomb. It would be horrific to relive this moment when many died tragically for unjust causes. The worst event of them all is the Holocaust. To relive a moment when Jews/non-Aryans were deported to concentration camps to be killed, tortured, or use as slaves would be a complete nightmare. Just looking at pictures of the Holocaust can sicken any person. If I could time travel I would most likely go back is the Middle Ages due to my long term interest in the way of life in those times. Reading The Lord of the Rings and the Games of Throne have made me love this time period even more. I am sure as kids or even know we always wanted to be a knight and do chivalrous deeds or become a king and rule over a whole kingdom. Most if not all fantasy movies/T. V shows are inspired by the Middle Ages. Many important ideology that even we use today came from the Middle Ages such as, equality, a class system, a constitution, and the dignity of labor. The idea of democracy was founded by the Greeks. They were the first nation that gave some power to the people for example, the right to vote. In a Medieval society if you were a knight that fought for his kingdom or anyone that work to supply the kingdom were seen as people of importance. There is this very important event in my life that may have change my life and made me respect myself and the people around me even more. My freshman year of high school I was enrolled in Xaverian High school. My journey to this unknown school was very tough because I felt like the new guy in town wanting to fit in and because it is a Catholic school. Ultimately I got to experience a new adventure that changed my view in society. I was born and raised as a Buddhist so going to Xaverian made me feel different than everyone else. The school mostly consist of white Catholic/Christian students which surprisingly did not make me feel uneasy one bit. However, I felt wrong while attending Xaverian because I actually tried to change the way I lived to fit in with my peers. Every day school day the class would start the day with the prayer Our Father and end it with the Sign of the Cross across your chest and I would actually do it. Unlike my classmates who has an emotional attachment to the prayer and to God I only did it to fit in. I disrespected the culture of a Catholic just to try and fit in when all of my friends in reality did not care if I was a Buddhist. I was blinded by this and in the end I transferred to Murrow to stop compromising my own religion. This definitely made me respect my own religion and the people around me even more. I would never dare change this event in my life for any reason.

How Outsourcing is affected by the Current Economic Recession

How Outsourcing is affected by the Current Economic Recession An investigation into Companies Usage of Outsourcing and a Critical Analysis of How Outsourcing is affected by the Current Economic Recession, Specifically in relation to Northern Ireland. Aims and Objectives The Aim of this research is to determine whether or not the current economic recession has affected companies decisions to outsource. It is important to decipher whether or not companies have increased their usage of outsourcing as a direct result of the recession or whether the increase or decrease in outsourcing is due to other factors. The Aim of this research shall be applied in relation to Northern Ireland companies and build a general consensus that Northern Ireland based companies during this time of economic pressure are increasing their outsourcing. Based on this there shall be three objectives of the research. These shall be; To determine companies have increased their outsourcing during the unstable economic climate. To determine that this increase is due to the unstable economic climate; and To determine the relation of outsourcing and the unstable economic climate to Northern Ireland Companies. Importance of the Research In todays volatile and largely unstable economic climate, it is important to note that the recession as it is referred to affects not just large corporations such as banks and multinationals, but ordinary people living in an everyday environment. The state of the economy affects the modest corner shop consumer right to the small to medium sized business entrepreneur. The word recession has become a word synonymous in everyday language. It is due to this that it can be seen to be important that research is carried out to determine exactly how this has impacted the behavioural patterns of people, businesses and theories. This research is important, and more so relevant, to today than ever before with many companies being forced to cut costs and overheads, and inevitably, manpower, as they try to stem the tide of financial loss. The term Outsourcing is subcontracting a service to a third party and the decision to employ this concept is based upon the companies hopes to achieving a higher margin of profit by lowering their running costs. Lankford et al 1999 defines it as the procurement of products or services from sources that are external to the organisation It is believed today that firms should aggressively adopt the practice and the practice is almost becoming a given, and consultants presentations talk of a revolution in outsourcing. The academic literature on the subject has grown in kind. (Lonsdale and Cox, 2000) Outsourcing for businesses has been an integral part of a well oiled operating system for many years. It came to the fore in the 1980s and has since been used in business lexicon, and it is today in the midst of the economic downturn that it has been a vanguard of companies value systems. Few management practices have attracted as much attention as outsourcing is enjoying at the present time (Lonsdale Cox, 2000) The idea of a subcontracting deal to make the most of time and money in the depths of economic downturn would seem like a perfect opportunity to cut the cost of overheads and use resources efficiently. Faith (2009, p.36) agrees, stating As the recession persists, managements are enforcing stricter budgets. All departments are reviewing their processes to find ways to reduce costs and save money. Outsourcing is an area where companies can limit expenditure Research into the recession and its effect on outsourcing has never been more important than it is today, and while companies cannot predict when the recession is going to end, and with the increasing uncertain future and the possibility of more volatility, research into this area of business practice is vital. In a historical sense, the United Kingdom has experienced the onslaught of a recession before. The last recession struck in the 1980s, and this is where companies found the advantages of using outsourcing during a period of economic downturn (Charsley, 1986) Within Northern Ireland, research into the recession linked with outsourcing within Northern Irish companies has been under researched and indeed very little work has been published. So while periods of boom and bust continue throughout the decades in the worlds economy, research into aspects of the need of cost cutting exercises through outsourcing remain essential. There have been many research papers in the area of outsourcing and the implementation of such a business rationale, as there has been in the area of recession, however the development of one in relation to the other has only been lightly touched on, and this is one of the main reasons for the importance of research into this common area, and hopefully add to academic debate. Critical Literature Review A review of literature published suggests that the recession has caused many firms to reshape and refocus their energies into cost cutting exercises, and one of these comes in the form of outsourcing. The literature suggests that there are pros and cons of such an exercise, and that there may be a negative impact of such an implementation. This research is set to highlight the benefits of outsourcing as a key business tool, especially in a period of economic downturn and that it has increased during recent times in this period of economic instability. Past recessions have changed the way businesses operate and the ability to outsource entire departments have compounded this change. Industrial organisations in the late 1980s and early 1990s experienced a turbulent environment brought about by an increase in internationalisation and a downturn in the economy (Tucci et al, 1997) As a result of cost-cutting efforts during this period, many companies are opting to go the outsourcing route to cover either routine and/or non-core work. (Charsley, 1987) This proposal by Charsley would back up the research to determine that the increase in outsourcing is due to the unstable economic climate. The disintegration, outsourcing and off-shoring of manufacturing and other non-core functions have been seen as irresistible trends (Shi and Gregory, 2003, 2005; Sturgeon, 2002; Arnold, 2000) Outsourcing and the recession appear to come hand in hand when a business is restructuring to save costs. The advantages of such a restructuring and outsourcing during a recession have been highlighted in Joanna Faiths article in Outsourcing becomes luxury in recession where she states that the advantage of outsourcing rather than hiring internal resources is that if the state of the company declines, there is no need to make redundancies This helps stave the negative consequences of firing staff and leaving the workforce unsettled, while saving the companys reputation within the market. Mukesh Butani from BMR Advisors in India believes that If you outsource you can just terminate or alter the contract in seasons of peak and downturn however Graham Beck of PA Consulting stated that many firms who were involved in multi-sourcing were unaware of the risks. These include the integration of all the suppliers after the multi-sourcing, despite admitting that multi-sourcing would drive down costs. (Financial Management, 2009, p.7) PA Consultings outsourcing survey found that with the result of the recession firms are re-evaluating their outsourcing contracts or in effect outsource more elements of their firm. Research has also found that Human Resource chiefs have lost control over making outsourcing decisions, as finance directors and chief executives look to rein in costs during the recession (Logan 2009) In January 2009, a study by outsourcing firm Ceridian found that 20% of two hundred and fifty senior Human Resource professionals had the ultimate say in outsourcing recruitment, payroll and benefits for their organisation. Thirty one percent (31%) of the decision making went to the CEOs. Steve Joyce of Ceridian (2009) stated that The credit crunch has left no business function untouched, and it is clear in some organisations now that HR directors are not masters of their own strategy. Barker (2009) believes that In a recession, sometimes it is not possible to take a long-term perspective, especially where firms are really facing an emergency, and it becomes a matter of survival to cut costs wherever they can Charsley, 1987, states the opportunities brought about by outsourcing are several Charsley saw these as, firstly, management could balance the work force with the load, since contracted employees and can be brought on board or dismissed This could be done without the headaches generally involved in changing permanent staff levels. He also identified that management can focus on core work and more easily determine actual cost to the organization provided by non-core support units. In his book, Management Consultancy-A Cost Effective Resource Charsley states The ability to determine costs and allocate them across different parts of the organisation also allow management to consider new structural forms that might enhance the firms overall competitive position However in an interview of 1,000 firms all around the world about their experiences with outsourcing, also by the PA Consulting Group, the results show that the most common outcome was a fairly neutral one. As a result of the cost-benefit analysis comparing contract labour to company personnel, many managers were and are becoming more willing to opt for the contractor through outsourcing contracts because of the total cost of continuing the relationship with the company employee To summarise, there has been very little research conducted to verify whether or not within Northern Ireland the recession has had a direct impact on the decision of companies to outsource more of their business. By conducting further research into this field the purpose of this investigation is to shed more light on the topic as it is of high significance in this turbulent economic climate. Many authors agree that outsourcing is an integral part of the business acumen. The shaping and refocus of business objectives because of the recession has led to this. However there a handful of experts who believe that outsourcing has led to the relationship between the company and employee being stretched. Proposed Methodology The study being undertaken can be described as an exploratory research study. The research aims to find and explain the relationships between the outsourcing and the recession amongst companies in Northern Ireland. The research aims to assess the phenomena of companies outsourcing to cut their overheads and to maximise profit in the time of high economic uncertainty, and to find out what is happening; to seek new insights; to ask questions and to assess phenomena in a new light (Robson, 2002 taken from Saunders, 2007) This research project is set to explore data and develop theories from which will directly relate to previous literature. This is an inductive approach. The use of primary sources for the purpose of this research is decided on the fact that the researcher can focus on specific issues and have a higher level of control over how the information is collected and used. The research can be implemented on a strict timescale. A survey strategy shall be implemented in-order to meet the aims and objectives of the research. Survey strategies are popular in business and management research and are frequently used to answer questions raised by previous research. The benefits of a survey strategy are that they allow a large amount of data to be collected from a large population in an economical way. Survey data is also seen as straightforward to comprehend and illustrate. To conduct this survey, questionnaires shall be drawn up and sent to companies based around Northern Ireland. In social research, questionnaires are one of the most widely used in data collection. For the questionnaires a sample shall be selected from the wider population. The population in this case is all the registered companies in Northern Ireland. Because it is not feasible to send questionnaires to all the companies in Northern Ireland, for the purpose of the research, an appropriate sampling frame shall be drawn up. This is a complete list of all the cases from which the sample shall be made from. The sampling base shall be unbiased, current and accurate. Upon collaborating a suitable sampling frame the next stage of the process will be to decide how many (the sample size) and the method by which the companies shall be chosen. Large sample sizes can be sought without the burden of major costs, and produces quantifiable data. In this instance, systematic sampling shall be used. The reason behind this is it works well with either a small or large number of cases. It is also suitable for geographically dispersed cases. Actual lists are not always needed either. The relative costs are low and is relatively easy to explain. The next stage of the research having identified the method by which the data shall be collected, the sample and the sampling technique is to decide upon the technique of data collection. For this research it is proposed to collect the data via postal questionnaire. This is decided upon the characteristics of the respondents and the size of the sample. Having designed the questionnaire the next step is piloting. The purpose of piloting the questionnaire is to refine it so that the respondents have no ambiguity as so how to answer the questions and the questionnaire exhibits face validity thus ensures accurate feedback of results. In addition to this it shall provide some form of validity to the questionnaire and the results. Reliability of the results is the main aim here. Initially to pilot the questionnaire, a group of experts in the field of which the questionnaire is to given to, should be asked to complete it. Allowing suggestions to improve the questionnaire would further enhance the content of the questionnaire. Upon completion of the pilot, the necessary adjustments can be made. The pilot should also ensure that the structure of the questions is correct and there is an established flow allowing an easier understanding of what is being asked. For the purpose of this research it would be suggested that ten pilot questionnaire s be distributed amongst a field of experts to ensure that any trace of ambiguity or misinterpretation be eliminated before the actual questionnaires are distributed. The responses of the questionnaire will provide an idea of reliability and sustainability. It is good research practice to follow through with a pilot of the questionnaire. The final stage is administering the questionnaire. Attempts must be made to maximise the response rate. In order to do this, factors such as appearance, type of delivery and incentives, should be considered. In order to achieve the aims and objectives of this research, the key data collection method employed shall be interviews. For the purpose of the research the key figures to be interviewed shall be managers from the Human Resource (HR) departments. Reasons for this are that evidence from prior research suggests that it is this department who are in charge of outsourcing despite Logan, (2007) suggesting that many companies are taking this responsibility away from the HR departments. To conduct the interview for the purpose of the research a semi-structured interview shall be implemented as opposed to a fully structured one. The drawbacks of the fully structured interviews in research like this are the fact that the answers that may be given could be irrelevant, providing little or no use to the research, the questions are normally closed and thus does not allow freedom to operate outside the constraints of the questions and removes the interviewers ability to back track and highlight certain topic areas. As questionnaires shall be produced and sent out to various companies, the need for a structured interview is further outweighed as fully structured interviews are broadly similar to structured questionnaires. To complete the semi structured interview the main areas of the research to be covered shall be worked out in advance so the overall focus of the interview can be guided by the researcher. The advantage of using the interview situation is that the response rate can tent to be higher than perhaps if requesting information in a non face to face environment. The ability to judge the seriousness of the answers can be helpful in interpretation as well as noting body language. The planned sequence of questions may change during the semi structured questionnaire. This is a huge advantage, as a number of topic areas may covered simultaneously and the interviewee may revert back to a question to be covered in more detail. The naturalism of conversation can take effect and allow the interviewee peace of mind. Before the interview takes place, the interviewee shall be asked whether or not it is possible to ask for the interview to be recorded for further evaluation. This would be an advantage as the flow of the interview shall not be disturbed. In-order to gain access to the HR department within the companies, adequate time shall be allowed to let the organisations allow feedback, and the proceeding follow up contact. A clear account of purpose shall be given to the company. This should clear all concerns regarding credibility. The gatekeeper is the sole source through which contact should be made to gain access to the interviewee. This is done to ensure feasibility of the actual interview. The analysis of the semi structured interviews shall take the form of transcribing the conversations and from that withdrawing key themes and concepts which may help with the implantation of the research objectives. This is known as grounded theory approach, a widely used method for generating a theory from research. The data derived from this research method shall be qualitative data, and shall emerge from the data collected rather than being imposed. Having completed the transcriptions of the interviews, and the keys themes of note are recognised, the information must then be transformed into a form of quantifiable data which allows easier understanding. This involves coding. The data is split into segments which are relevant and meaningful to the overall research and the aims and objectives. The purpose of this is to highlight any trends which may appear from the qualitative data and add weight to what the research is investigating in a statistical manner. As more data is analysed the codes may change. The program used to carry out statistical analysis is SPSS. Time Scale The research shall commence on January 11th 2010 and will be collated over the course of the following fourteen weeks. It shall conclude on April 16th 2010. Here is a detailed plan of the timescale of each proposed stage of research. While conducting the research it will be important to note that there will be time allowed for contingencies should there be any unforeseen circumstances occur. Due to Undertake Activity Activity Week 1-3 Background reading Week 3 Construction of Questionnaire Week 4 Pilot questionnaire/Select Sample Size Week 5 Feedback from pilot questionnaire and modify accordingly Week 6 Perform final questionnaire, allow three weeks for postal surveys to return and begin interviews Week 9 Collect data from Postal Questionnaires. Begin interview Transcriptions. Week 10 Begin coding of questionnaire results Week 12 Results and Discussion Conclusion and recommendations Week 14 Final Draft prepared and Submitted

The Red Badge of Courage :: essays research papers

Unique in style and content, the novel explores the emotions of a young Civil War recruit named Henry Fleming. What is most remarkable about this classic is that the twenty-four-year-old author had never witnessed war in his life before writing this book. Crane's story developed to some degree out of his reading of war stories by Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy and the popular memoirs of Civil War veterans, yet he also deviated from these influences in his depiction of war's horror. Critics have noted that his portrait of war is an intensely psychological one, blending elements of naturalism, impressionism, and symbolism. Indeed, he broke away from his American realist contemporaries, including his mentor William Dean Howells, in his naturalistic treatment of man as an amoral creature in a deterministic world. For this reason, critical reactions to the The Red Badge of Courage in 1895 were mixed: some disapproved of Crane's use of the vernacularà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ the common slang of everyday folk and soldiersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ and the impressionistic technique. Crane also experimented with psychological realism, and his venture into the realm of the human psyche radically changed the common perception of the novel in America. As he faces combat for the first time, Henry experiences an intense array of emotions: courage, anxiety, self-confidence, fear, and egotistic zeal. Interestingly enough, the naturalistic flavor of the work operates against this serf-important ego. The individual is not of primary importance, as is evidenced time and again in the words of Henry's mother, fellow soldiers, and officers. Henry is often referred to quite impersonally as "the youth." The men, untried and untested, are treated like scared animals against the backdrop of inimitable Nature and War. Cra ne also used color imagery, both vibrant and subtle, to describe war. He describes a skirmish as sounding like a "crimson roar," for example, and writes of war as "the red animal." Crane's sense of color pervades the work; note his description of the sky, which remains "fairy blue" during the day, as if to underscore the indifference of nature to the carnage taking place.

Owens Corning Case :: essays research papers

Owens Corning Case 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Data Provisioning OCF conceptualizes the principal IS production activities that produce value for the company as transaction processing, data provisioning, and information delivery. Data provisioning manages the inventory of data and information, using relational database management systems and a data dictionary and data catalog. Transaction processing stores only the current data necessary to provide the status of current operations. Data provisioning receives, stores, and manages all validated transaction data from transaction processing. It also provides data back to transaction processing and information-to-information delivery when requested. Data dictionary and data catalog keep way of what data exists, where it is stored, what it means, and who has authority to access it. That helps data provisioning to protect the data and to provide access to data and information to those who need it. Data provisioning stores the organizational structure regulations in tables in its database, so these regulations can be changed without any difficulties when management decides to modify the organization. OCF created two relational databases to support data provisioning —one to support transaction processing and another to support information delivery. They used for transaction processing technology IBM’s DB2 running on the mainframe, designed to process high transaction volumes fast. For the information delivery technology they used a TERADATA database machine - a combination of hardware and software that is optimized for answering information questions. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Data warehouse The data warehouse is part of the data provisioning function. It could be described as a big depository. Data warehouse must provide interfaces that accept transaction data from different types of transaction processing systems and move them into the warehouse environment. During this process that data are tested and validated to assure that only high quality data are accepted. On the output side of the data warehouse, there must be interfaces that allow a user to ask for data from the devices (PCs or terminals) that he typically use. The information in the warehouse must be structured, so that users can easily obtain answers to their questions. OCF built data warehouse in 1987. They had selected a combination of IBM’s DB2 relational DBMS, SQL query language, and TERADATA database machine to support the data warehouse. Few months later they built a data warehouse for the Residential and Commercial Insulation Products division that contained product data, sales data, and customer data. After some time they purchased a larger TERADATA machine and related software, which enabled them to expand this data warehouse to serve the other OCF divisions.

Cannibalism: A Human Atrocity Essay -- Cannibals Culture Cultural Reli

Cannibalism: A Human Atrocity "Cannibalism is morally wrong according to modern religion. In Christianity, it was used by God as an ultimate punishment for the disobedience of the Israelites during the siege of Jerusalem. Around the sixth century Before Christ, the prophet Jeremiah warned the Israelites of such a holy damnation: â€Å"I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh during the stress of the siege imposed on them by the enemies who seek their lives† (Barker, Jeremiah 19:9). Despite the warnings, the Israelites continuously disobeyed God and were rightfully punished. Jeremiah saw God as ultimate and threatened the ultimate crime as castigation for their sins. In Islam, cannibalism is considered haram, or one of the â€Å"carnal sins which constitute the most grave danger to man and environment† (Light of Islam). Cannibalism is one of man’s greatest betrayals to God. Cannibalism was a topic of ancient horror stories. In Greek mythology, â€Å"after Thyestes unwittingly ate the flesh of his own children, the Sun was so appalled that he turned back on his course and plunged the world into darkness† (Hodgkinson, 2001). Such an idea was haunting. In the Odyssey, Odysseus met the Cyclops, â€Å"a race of one-eyed human-eating giants† (Acadia). Cannibalism was nightmarish and represented ultimate power. In modern day, cannibalism has emerged in the most horrifying crimes. In 1991, Wisconsinite Jeffrey Dahmer was convicted of fifteen gruesome murders dating back to 1987. Dahmer raped young, ethnic men he met in bars across Milwaukee. He used the teenagers as experiments of his sexual fantasy by â€Å"drilling holes in the selected victim’s skull, then drib... ...ysterious disappearance of a Soylent Company executive (Fleischer). The idea of a depressing, anthropophagic apocalypse stuns moviegoers. Filmmakers evoke fear in their audiences by presenting cannibalism as doomful and inescapable. Cannibalism is immoral and remains the most horrifying phenomenon of mankind. The practice has been part of ancient and modern history, and is a sin according to modern religion. Ancient mythology depicts the practice as outlandish and sinister. Cannibalism has sparked much controversy in the Western world and has been widely feared by societies. Cannibalism is a mind-boggling phenomenon that is so primitive and taboo; it is ignored by society. Cannibalism is the most horrifying reality of the human culture, and mankind forever fears the prospect of unavoidably resorting to Soylent Blue, Soylent Yellow, or Soylent Green." Cannibalism: A Human Atrocity Essay -- Cannibals Culture Cultural Reli Cannibalism: A Human Atrocity "Cannibalism is morally wrong according to modern religion. In Christianity, it was used by God as an ultimate punishment for the disobedience of the Israelites during the siege of Jerusalem. Around the sixth century Before Christ, the prophet Jeremiah warned the Israelites of such a holy damnation: â€Å"I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh during the stress of the siege imposed on them by the enemies who seek their lives† (Barker, Jeremiah 19:9). Despite the warnings, the Israelites continuously disobeyed God and were rightfully punished. Jeremiah saw God as ultimate and threatened the ultimate crime as castigation for their sins. In Islam, cannibalism is considered haram, or one of the â€Å"carnal sins which constitute the most grave danger to man and environment† (Light of Islam). Cannibalism is one of man’s greatest betrayals to God. Cannibalism was a topic of ancient horror stories. In Greek mythology, â€Å"after Thyestes unwittingly ate the flesh of his own children, the Sun was so appalled that he turned back on his course and plunged the world into darkness† (Hodgkinson, 2001). Such an idea was haunting. In the Odyssey, Odysseus met the Cyclops, â€Å"a race of one-eyed human-eating giants† (Acadia). Cannibalism was nightmarish and represented ultimate power. In modern day, cannibalism has emerged in the most horrifying crimes. In 1991, Wisconsinite Jeffrey Dahmer was convicted of fifteen gruesome murders dating back to 1987. Dahmer raped young, ethnic men he met in bars across Milwaukee. He used the teenagers as experiments of his sexual fantasy by â€Å"drilling holes in the selected victim’s skull, then drib... ...ysterious disappearance of a Soylent Company executive (Fleischer). The idea of a depressing, anthropophagic apocalypse stuns moviegoers. Filmmakers evoke fear in their audiences by presenting cannibalism as doomful and inescapable. Cannibalism is immoral and remains the most horrifying phenomenon of mankind. The practice has been part of ancient and modern history, and is a sin according to modern religion. Ancient mythology depicts the practice as outlandish and sinister. Cannibalism has sparked much controversy in the Western world and has been widely feared by societies. Cannibalism is a mind-boggling phenomenon that is so primitive and taboo; it is ignored by society. Cannibalism is the most horrifying reality of the human culture, and mankind forever fears the prospect of unavoidably resorting to Soylent Blue, Soylent Yellow, or Soylent Green."

The Cardiovascular System: Factors That Affect Blood Pressure

NAME: _ MAP Instructions: Select â€Å"Study Area (myA&P) Select â€Å"Interactive Physiology† (left tab) Select â€Å"Chapter 19: Cardiovascular System – Factors that Affect Blood Pressure† Click â€Å"Topic,† watch the tutorial, and then answer the following questions. 1. What are the three main factors that influence total peripheral resistance (TPR)? a. Turbulence b. Vascular Resistance c. A change in blood viscosity 2. Name three hormones that act as vasoconstrictors. a. Epinephrine b. Angiotensin II c. Antidiuretic Hormone 3.Name two hormones that directly increase blood volume. a. Antidiuretic Hormone b. Aldosterone 4. Track the effect on blood pressure by reducing venous return. Go through all the steps. VR decrease in stroke volume (SV) –> decrease in cardiac output (CO) –> decrease in blood pressure (BP) 5. Categorize the following into: A. Factors which increase blood pressure B. Factors that decrease blood pressure _A___ arterial diameter_A___ total vessel length _B___ vessel elasticity_B___ plasma epinephrine _B___ blood volume_B___ plasma angiotensin _A___ stroke volume_A___ plasma ADH B___ blood viscosity_B___ parasympathetic stimulation _A___ blood volume_A___ sympathetic stimulation Use arrows in the spaces for questions 6 through 10. 6. A in hematocrit will result in ____ blood viscosity and ____ blood pressure. 7. Growth will result in ____ total vessel length and an ____ blood pressure. 8. Arteriosclerosis will result in ____ vessel elasticity and an ____ blood pressure. 9. Excessive sweating will result in a short term ____ in blood volume and a ____ in blood pressure. 10. An in epinephrine will result in ____ vessel diameter and an ____ in blood pressure.

Troubleshooting Computer Hardware Appendix B

Axia College Material Appendix B Troubleshooting Computer Hardware In this worksheet, you must identify solutions for three separate computer hardware problems. For each solution, you must prepare an answer of at least 150 words within each of the following Answer boxes. Part One: Troubleshooting a Failed Boot |Problem | |The computer fails to boot. | |Details | |Error messages and beeps occur during Power On Self Test (POST) startup.Note: You have not recently upgraded the memory. | |Question | |What are four possible sources for the error messages, and how do you troubleshoot them? | |Hint: You may look at Figure 3-45 in A+ Guide to Managing & Maintaining Your PC. | |Answer | |Four possible problems that could be indicated by error messages and beeps on POST include a dead CMOS battery, hard drive failure,| |video card problem or memory failure.These problems are also listed in the order of the easiest to the most difficult to fix. | | | |CMOS Battery – Power on the comput er and press the required key (such as F2) that is required to enter the BIOS program. Upon | |entering the BIOS make a note of the settings, especially the date and time. If they are set at some point in the past it’s likely| |that the battery could be dead. Also, set the time, turn the PC off, and then reboot. If the time has reset then the battery is | |likely dead and should be replaced. | | |Hard drive failure – If upon boot the screen indicates a message such as No Operating System found it’s likely the hard drive has a| |problem or is not being recognized. Check the BIOS to see if the correct drive type is listed. If not it’s likely the hard drive | |has a problem and a diagnostic tool provided by the manufacturer would be the best solution. | | | |Video card failures – If the computer has no video output check the connections and try the video card in another slot if possible. |You can also try removing and reinserting the card to see if th e machine will recognize it. | | | |Memory Error – Typically a series of beeps can indicate a problem here or some type of error message relating to a failure to read | |at a particular address. You can try removing the memory modules one or two at a time depending on the configuration and try | |booting with the memory in a different slot or without part of the memory to try and deduce which memory module may have failed. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Part Two: Troubleshooting Memory |Problem | |Error messages indicate a problem with memory. | |Symptom | |Recurring error messages about illegal operations and/or general protection faults appear during normal operation. Note: You have | |not recently upgraded the memory. | |Question | |How might memory be the cause of this problem? How would you go about testing the memory? |If you use a testing utility and determine that memory is not the problem, what are three other thin gs you would suspect to be the | |source of the problem? Describe what you would do to eliminate each possible source. | |Answer | |If there is a problem with the memory it’s likely only at a certain location within the memory module itself and not the entire | |module. Since information is randomly written t different addresses in memory the computer may not always indicate an error | |message. Truly random error messages indicating a problem with illegal operations would likely be a good indicator of the problem | |if no other symptoms exist. | | |There are many tools available for testing memory. These tools will attempt to read/write to all locations on the memory chip to | |find out if any particular address in the memory chip is failing. Another possible way to troubleshoot would be to try the memory | |in a different computer. | | | |If a memory test concludes that there is not a problem with the memory then likely causes could be the memory in the video card, a | |b ad program instruction from a particular program or a problem with the OS installation.If the memory is not the problem then | |additional troubleshooting is required including finding out if the problem only occurs in a certain program. It could be an OS | |issue if it’s when the computer is booted or shut down. Troubleshooting a video card problem may be more difficult and a different| |video card could be tried | Part Three: Troubleshooting a Hard Drive problem |Problem | |The computer shuts down immediately after startup. |Symptom | |When you turn on the computer, the lights on the front panel light up and you hear the fan spin for a moment, but then it shuts down | |immediately. You have urgent data on the hard drive that is not backed up. | |Question | |What is the quickest and easiest way to solve the most urgent problem, which is recovering data from your hard drive? List the major | |steps you must complete to recover data. | |Answer | |The first step would be to attempt to boot the computer using a boot disk that contains core operating system files and then running | |a scan of the hard drive to find out where the errors exist.Sometimes these errors can be fixed or the offending location can be | |erased to prevent the problem. Each of these steps involves risk and if this is for a consumer they should be informed of the risk. | |If a scan of the disk finds the issue and is repaired the computer should be booted and the information backed up immediately. | | | |Another option would be to put the hard drive in another computer as the non-OS drive and attempt to access it from a working OS. | |This may provide the opportunity to retrieve the critical data by directly copying it to the other hard drive or other storage media. | | |If both of the above attempts are not successful then there are programs that attempt to recover data from the hard drive. A boot | |disk should be used or the drive should be placed into another computer. A recov ery tools can scan the entire contents of the drive | |and may be able to recover all or at least some of the files if they are not damaged. If the information is highly critical it can | |be sent to a data recovery professional in order to have the data extracted. While this is not always successful depending on the | |type of failure it’s at least necessary to try and recover the data if possible. |

Neutralization Titration using a Strong Acid and Weak Base Essay

What mass of sodium carbonate is needed to make 250cm3 of a 0.0500 mol dm-3 solution? What is the concentration of the Hydrochloric acid of 0.108 mols? This experiment involves the making of a standard sodium carbonate solution and using the exact concentration of this solution to find the accurate concentration of an approximately 0.1mol Hydrochloric acid solution using an indicator (Methyl Orange). We will be using the same amount of indicator and Sodium Hydroxide solution for this experiment each time it is repeated to minimize any errors that may occur. It is expected that through this experiment we will observe a color change of the indicator from the Alkaline yellow, to a strong orange colored solution. We will be measuring the amount of Hydrochloric acid that is required each time this experiment is repeated to determine the concentration of the Hydrochloric acid. Variables Dependent variable 1. The dependent variable would be the Hydrochloric acid as the amount used will depend on the experimenter’s actions Independent variable 1. the control variable is the experimenter’s eye and judgment Control Variables 1. the volume of Sodium Carbonate in each titration 2. the mole of the Hydrochloric acid used 3. the mole of the Sodium carbonate solution used 4. the indicator used (Methyl Orange) Materials and Equipment Part A 1. Anhydrous Sodium Carbonate (NaCO3) 2. Deionized water 3. 100 cm3 Beaker 4. 250 cm3 Volumetric Flask with stopper 5. Small Funnel Part B 1. Volumetric flask of 250 cm3 NaCO3 from part A 2. 20.00 cm3 pipette 3. Methyl orange indicator 4. 50 cm3 Burette 5. Small Beaker 6. Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) 7. 100 cm3 Conical flask(s) Diagram Method Part A 1. An amount of Approximately 1.325g of anhydrous sodium carbonate was weighed and its mass recorded 2. The anhydrous sodium carbonate was then dissolved in a small amount of deionized water and was transferred to a 250 cm3 volumetric flask using a small funnel. 3. Using small amounts of deionized water, any residual sodium carbonate solution was washed into the flask. This was done three times. 4. Additional deionized water was added to a third of the volumetric flask and the stopped was applied and the flask was shaken to dissolve any remaining anhydrous sodium hydroxide solution. 5. An additional 100 cm3 of deionized water was added and was mixed thoroughly 6. The flask was then filled with deionized water up to the 250 cm3 mark Part B 1. The 20 cm3 pipette was rinsed with sodium carbonate solution from part A. then 20.00 cm3 of sodium carbonate solution was transferred through the pipette into a 100 cm3 conical flask 2. 2 drops of methyl orange indicator was added to the conical flask 3. The 50 cm3 Burette was rinsed with approximately 0.1 mol hydrochloric solution then was filled with hydrochloric acid 4. The initial burette reading was recorded to the nearest 0.02 cm3 5. Hydrochloric acid was titrated against the indicated sodium carbonate solution until a color change from yellow to orange occurs. The final burette reading was recorded to the nearest 0.02 cm3 6. This experiment was identically repeated until three concordant results were obtained Safety 1. A lab coat must be worn when performing this experiment to reduce exposure to any chemical splashes Data Collection Concentration of HCl solution = 0.108 mol ·dm3 Uncertainties 1. Burette  ±0.02 2. Pipette  ±0.06 3. Scale  ±0.001 4. Titre  ±0.04 Amount of Anhydrous Sodium Carbonate weighed = 1.325  ±0.001 Amount of Sodium Carbonate solution used = 20 cm3 Physical observations: Part A 1. When the anhydrous sodium carbonate was mixed with the deionized water, we saw no color change in the water and the sodium carbonate dissolved completely Part B 1. The sodium carbonate solution was clear, when the indicator was added it became a strong yellow color 2. When the hydrochloric acid was added the color slowly changed from yellow to an apricot-like orange 3. When access Hydrochloric acid was added, the solution turned pin Data Processing The total amount of HCl used was: 159.74 cm3  ±0.32cm3 The average volume of Hydrochloric acid used is calculated as:  ±0.32cm3 Due to the observance of a wide spread area of results, I have selected three close results to be more accurate in my calculations. I have selected the highlighted pieces of data from figure 1 The revised average is:  ±0.12 cm3 To convert this to dm3 we divide by 1000, = 0.01846 dm3 To calculate the moles I will use the formula: =0.0125 mols I will find the concentration of sodium carbonate =0.05 mol dm-3 Knowing that this equation is a one to one ratio I can assume that 0.05 mol of sodium carbonate will react with the same number of mols of HCl. The HCl titre of NaCO3 will be calculated using: dm3 I will multiply this by 2 as for every sodium carbonate molecule reacted, I will have 2 Hydrochloric acid molecules. This will give me the moles of HCl To find the concentration I will use the formula The percentage difference is calculated as: The total uncertainty in the whole of Part A and B is: Scale x1 selected pipette x3 Titre x3 The percentage uncertainty of each piece of equipment is Scale: Pipette: Titre: Total percentage uncertainty is: The absolute uncertainty for the concentration is: -3 Conclusion The aim of the experiment is to calculate the unknown concentration of HCl through titration using a strong-acid and a weak-base. The calculated result for the concentration of the HCl is 0.149  ±0.010 mols dm-3. This experiment works on the theory that when the correct amount of acid is added to a base to neutralize it, the pH will be equal to 7, and a color change will occur with an indicator. The percentage difference between my results and the expected results (given by the teacher) is 0.00%. Evaluation In order to decrease any possible error, we have repeated the experiment 8 times in total. Through calculations, we have found that it was the scale that gave us the highest error percentage, thus causing a high overall uncertainty. Any error that may have been caused when we were transferring the sodium carbonate to the conical flask, as a too much or too little amount may have been taken causing the results to fluctuate. Another reason that there may have been an inaccuracy could have been because of human error in reading the scale wrong, for example reading above the meniscus instead of below it. Parallax error is also a possibility; this would cause the calculations and results to fluctuate. Systematic errors such as not zeroing the scale correctly could lead to significant fluctuations in the measurements, or slight inaccuracies to a more accurate reading. However, in this case, there was no percentage error in the results. Improving the experiment Although the results had 0% error, the experiment could be further improved my using a more accurate and reliable way to measure the volume of the HCl that was released by using possibly an electronic measuring device that would be more accurate in reading the scale. The random error can be minimized by performing the experiment a larger amount of times and selecting the best results to average. Another way to improve the experiment, would be to use an electronic magnetic stirrer to stir the substance whilst the titration is occurring to gain a more accurate time for stopping as the reaction will occur much faster due to the continuous constant motion of the stirrer. The best way to fix this type of error is to obtain more accurate scales to measure the substances. Or to have a data logger, with a pH probe to gain accurate readings for the neutralization.