Monday, September 30, 2019
Chapter Three Doc
CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY 3. 0 INTRODUTION This chapter deals with research method. The research methodology applied for the purposes of this study covered areas like research design, population of study, sampling technique, data collection method, data analysis method and limitations. 3. 1 RESEARCH DESIGN Research design is therefore a plan for a research work, which aims at providing guidelines, which the research work is being conducted. The study employed a descriptive survey research design.A survey research design seeks to obtain information that describes existing phenomenon by asking individuals about their perceptions, attitudes and values (Mugenda and Mugenda, 2003). Descriptive survey research design is the systematic collection of data in standardized form from an identifiable population or representative (Oso and Onen, 2009). This design was adopted for this study because it intensively described and analyzed the role of employee welfare services on productivity of the e mployees of the case company. The method of questionnaire and interview are used in data collection.Data are presented in tables and a descriptive method is adopted in analysis. 3. 2 POPULATION OF THE STUDY According to Mugenda and Mugenda (2003), target population is the members of a real or hypothetical set of people, events or objects the researcher wishes to generalize the results of the research. The study targeted a population of about 400 comprising of clerical staff, officers, senior officers, middle-level managers, and top level managers that constitute the workforce of Leadway Assurance Limited. 3. 3 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE AND SAMPLING SIZEThe method of sampling used is proportional stratified random sampling. Firstly the whole population of employees is divided into departments, and a specific number of employees from each department were selected for the survey. The sample size of 100 employees was draw from the population. Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) observe that 30% of the target population is a good representation of the study. 4. 4 DATA COLLECTION METHOD The data for this study will be collected through the administration of structured questionnaires to a sample of employees selected from the head office.One hundred copies of the questionnaires were administered randomly to on the sampled employees. Eighty five (85) copies of the questionnaires were duly completed and returned which formed the basis of the analysis, while 15 of the questionnaires were considered as non-returns. The questions were tailored along a four point likert scale. The responses were coded and mapped into numeric values; the following mapping exists; strongly agree = 4 point, Agree = 3 points, Disagreed = 2 points, Strongly disagree =1 point (Azika,1991). 3. 5 DATA ANALYSIS METHOD The study adopted descriptive statistics in its analysis.Descriptive statistics according to Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) includes the statistical procedures that produce indices that summarize data an d describes the sample. Presentation of data was done by the use of charts and tables. The data collected was analysed using pie charts, tables and percentages. Due to the volume of the data involved Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used employed to perform the statistical analysis. REFERENCES Madumere S. C (2012) A Guide to Research Methodology Vitaman publishers Lagos Mugenda, O. M. & Mugenda, A. G. (2003), Research Methods; Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches.Nairobi: Acts Press. Oyaide, W. G. , 1977. The Role of Direct Foreign Investment: A case study of Nigeria, 1963-1973. United Press of America, Washington D. C. Root, F. R. , 1984. International Trade and Investment. 5th Edn. South Western Publication Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. Serven, L. and A. Salimano, 1992. Private investment and macroeconomic adjustment: A Survey. World Bankobserver, 7(1). Tadaro, M. P. , 1999. Economic Development. 7th Edn. , Addison Webley Longman Inc. Reading Massachusetts. Voiv odas, C. S. , 1973. Exports, foreign capital and economic growth. J. Int. Econ. , 3(1).
Sociology and Modernity
Modernity is one phrase that is complex to define. This is because no precise definition of modernity that is globally accepted has been decided upon. This is inclusive of the sociology field that has seen so many theories brought about to define modernity. However, we can have a general definition defining modernity as a post-middle age era that is discernible with a drastic change from the pre-modern concept of agrarianism to a world of industrialization, capitalism, urbanization, rationalization and general social change that was tremendously adopted by the entire world, though having its root origins in Europe in the times around 1700. Renaissance was the immediate time that preceded modernity; renaissance in this case referring to the last moments of the middle-aged era. This era was all about scientific and industrial revolution that saw the rise of many inventions that have come to define the modernity of modernization. The social change can be attributed to the enlightenment of human kind as Immanuel Kant stated in one of his famous books. Many definitions have been thus brought up in the field of sociology and by different philosophers. Karl Marx defines modernity as a capitalist revolution. Capitalism is a state of economic status that is based on individualism in that an individual invests in different ownerships or businesses for the sole purpose of personal benefits or for profit motive. He therefore sees modernity as an evil phenomenon and seriously criticizes it. On the other hand, Max Weber defines modernity on the basis of personal beliefs that eventually lead to the social changes that occur in modernization. He sees modernity as a trend that leads to the reduction in traditional values and beefs up rationalization that he so much fears would eventually corrode off humanity. He is so pessimistic on the effects of modernity given the mean definition that he gives to the phenomenon. The last of the philosophers to provide a definition in our essay will be Emile Durkheim. Durkheim at least had an optimistic definition of modernity, though not entirely optimistic. He defined modernity on the basis of labor division. He believed that modernity would bring in the world the concept of diversification of economic activities in the human society. He saw modernization as a shift of change in the way the community operated; the solidarity change from mechanical to organic. On the pessimistic side, he however dreads anomie, a state that describes minimal moral guidance provided to individuals in the society (Calhoun, Gerteis, and Moody 46). As defined in the introductory part, modernity carries along different social changes and cultural values that define a clear-cut difference from the same elements that were experienced in the pre-modern age. Modernity has greatly affected the basis of the family in the world today. The family as an institution, coupled with many other things like marriage, morality and religion have all been compromised. In the pre-modern age, the morality of the society stemmed from the family institution. Thus, the cautiousness that was always involved in the upbringing of a moral family was the number one priority by the family heads at that time (Macionis 4). Politics has undergone dynamic transformation due to the effect modernity. In the pre-modern days, politics was not as dominative as it is in the modern world. Modernity has caused governments to have a very dominative hand by heavily regulating its citizens by very intricate and uncongenial bureaucratic formation. The economy is another entity that has defined modernity. In the pre-modern era, economy was defined by agrarian productivity. This can even be demonstrated by the Feudalist system of government that existed in Europe. This system of a political system involved land being exchanged in turn for services. It was a system where the lords, who were the land owners, gave out land to vassals, who were the tenants. The land in this kind of political system was referred to as fief. However, the economy in the modern society has completely taken a twist, with capitalism being the system. Capitalism centered on the personal interests and profits motive of either an individual or a country. This means no rational prioritization will be taken if at all a country or an individual has the aim of making profit. This is a system that was widely condemned by philosophers such as Karl Marx (Calhoun, Gerteis, Moody, Pfaff, and Virk 122). The different philosophers who came up with the various definitions of modernity had varied expectations and predictions that would come along modernity. Karl Marx had a very pessimistic view of modernity. He highly criticized capitalism, an economy system that he claimed set in with modernity. He sees capitalism as a profit motivated system and therefore a selfish system. He also feared the rise of classes in the society, something that he describes as the baby of capitalism. He abhorrently condemns capitalism as greed and self interest and had very pessimistic expectations of the modern world. He foresees challenges such as extreme poverty while other countries swam in a lot of wealth, all with the advent of a capitalist economy. Max Weber, with his definition of modernity being based on human rationality, had his fears on the degradation of humanity. Weber was also pessimistic on the way modernity would transform the world. He foresaw the alienation of social justice that would set in as a result of the change in individuals beliefs brought about by modernity (Calhoun et al 122). Among these three philosophers, Emile Durkheim at least had an optimistic view of the setting in of modernity. With his definition of modernity being based on the division of labor, he saw modernity bringing in drastic growth of the economy. This would occur due to labor diversification and specialization that would equally distribute human resource to every economic activity. His expectations for the advent of modernity were therefore high. Despite him having these positive expectations, he had a fear of anomie. This is a state where there is slow degradation of morals in the society due to disregard of moral guidance by human who would have all their minds set towards the development of the economy. The subject of modernity has always raised a lot of arguments. Many philosophers have brought up theories trying to define modernity but no articular theory has been globally accepted to define modernity. With this essay though, we have had an overview of the various definitions of modernity by the three philosophers: Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. We have also seen their premonitions, feelings and expectations of modernity. Different aspects of modernity and the change of these aspects that affect modernity have been discussed and compared to with the pre-modern age. However, even with all these, it should still be clear that there still exists no precise definition of modernity and the term is open to any belief that any person could come up with.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Carrie Chapter Twenty
Q. You deny you had prior knowledge of Carrie White's whereabouts? A. Of course I do. It's an absurd idea. Q. Oh? And why is it absurd? A. Well, if you're suggesting some kind of conspiracy, it's absurd because Carrie was dying when I found her. It could not have been an easy way to die. Q. If you had no prior knowledge of her whereabouts, how could you go directly to her location? A. Oh, you stupid man! Have you listened to anything that's been said here? Everybody knew it was Carrie! Anyone could have found her if they had put their minds to it. Q. But not just anyone found her. You did. Can you tell us why people did not show up from all over, like iron filings drawn to a magnet? A. She was weakening rapidly. I think that perhaps the â⬠¦ the zone of her influence was shrinking. Q. I think you will agree that that is a relatively uninformed supposition. A. Of course it is. On the subject of Carrie White, we're all relatively uninformed. Q. Have it your way, Miss Snell. Now if we could turn to â⬠¦ At first, when she climbed up the enbankment between Henry Drain's meadow and the parking lot of The Cavalier, she thought Carrie was dead. Her figure was halfway across the parking lot, and she looked oddly shrunken and crumpled. Sue was reminded of dead animals she had seen on 495 ââ¬â woodchucks, groundhogs, skunks ââ¬â that had been crushed by speeding trucks and station wagons. But the presence was still in her mind, vibrating stubbornly, repeating the call letters of Carrie White's personality over and over. An essence of Carrie, a gestalt. Muted now, not strident, not announcing itself with a clarion, but waxing and waning in steady oscillations. Unconscious. Sue climbed over the guard rail that bordered the parking lot, feeling the heat of the fire against her face. The Cavalier was a wooden frame building, and it was burning briskly. The charred remains of a car were limned in flame to the right of the back door. Carrie had done that. She did not go to look and see if anyone had been in it. It didn't matter, not now. She walked over to where Carrie lay on her side, unable to hear her own footsteps under the hungry crackle of the fire. She looked down at the curled-up figure with a bemused and bitter pity. The knife hilt protruded cruelly from her shoulder, and she was lying in a small pool of blood ââ¬â some of it was trickling from her mouth. She looked as if she had been trying to turn herself over when unconsciousness had taken her. Able to start fires, pull down electric cables, able to kill almost by thought alone; lying here unable to turn herself over. Sue knelt, took her by one arm and the unhurt shoulder, and gently turned her on to her back. Carrie moaned thickly, and her eyes fluttered. The perception of her in Sue's mind sharpened, as if a mental picture was coming into focus. (who's there) And Sue, without thought, spoke in the same fashion: (me sue snell) Only there was no need to think of her name. The thought of herself as herself was neither words nor pictures. The realization suddenly brought everything up close, made it real, and compassion for Carrie broke through the dullness of her shock. And Carrie with faraway, dumb reproach: (you tricked me you all tricked me) (carrie i don't even know what happened is tommy) (you tricked me that happened trick trick trick o dirty trick) The mixture of image and emotion was staggering, indescribable. Blood. Sadness. Fear. The latest dirty trick in a long series of dirty tricks: they flashed by in a dizzying shuffle that made Sue's mind reel helplessly, hopelessly. They shared the awful totality of perfect knowledge. (carrie don't don't don't hurts me) Now girls throwing sanitary napkins, chanting, laughing, Sue's face mirrored in her own mind: ugly, caricatured all mouth, cruelly beautiful. (see the dirty tricks see my whole life one long dirty trick) (look carrie look inside me) And Carrie looked. The sensation was terrifying. Her mind and nervous system had become a library. Someone in desperate need ran through her, fingers trailing lightly over shelves of books, lifting some out, scanning them, putting them back, letting some fall, leaving the pages to flutter wildly (glimpses that's me as a kid hate him daddy o mommy wide lips o teeth bobby pushed me o my knee car want to ride in the car we're going to see aunt cecily mommy come quick i made pee) in the wind of memory; and still on and on, finally reaching a shelf marked TOMMY, subheaded PROM. Books thrown open, flashes of experience, marginal notations in all the hiergglyphs of emotion, more complex than the Rosetta Stone. Looking. Finding more than Sue herself had suspected-love for Tommy, jealousy, selfishness, a need to subjugate him to her will on the matter of taking Carrie, disgust for Carrie herself, (she could take better care of herself she does look just like a GODDAM TOAD) hate for Miss Desjardin, hate for herself. But no ill will for Carrie personally, no plan to get her in front of everyone and undo her. The feverish feeling of being raped in her most secret corridors began to fade. She felt Carrie puffing back, weak and exhausted. (why didn't you just leave me alone) (carrie i) (momma would be alive i killed my momma i want her o it hurts my chest my shoulder o o o i want my momma) (carrie i) And there was no way to finish that thought, nothing there to complete it with. Sue was suddenly overwhelmed with terror, the worse because she could put no name to it: The bleeding freak on this oil-stained asphalt suddenly seemed meaningless and awful in its pain and dying. (o momma i'm scared momma MOMMA) Sue tried to pull away, to disengage her mind, to allow Carrie at least the privacy of her dying, and was unable to. She felt that she was dying herself and did not want to see this preview of her own eventual end. (carrie let me GO) (Momma Momma Momma oooooooooooo 0000000) The mental scream reached a flaring, unbelievable crescendo and then suddenly faded. For a moment Sue felt as if she were watching a candle flame disappear down a long, black tunnel at a tremendous speed. (she's dying o my god i'm feeling her die) And then the fight was gone, and the last conscious thought had been (momma i'm sorry where) and it broke up and Sue was tuned in only on the blank, idiot frequency of the physical nerve endings that would take hours to die. She stumbled away from it, holding her arms out in front of her like a blind woman, toward the edge of the parking lot. She tripped over the knee-high guard rail and tumbled down the embankment. She got to her feet and stumbled into the field, which was filling with mystic white pockets of ground mist. Crickets chirruped mindlessly and a whippoorwill (whippoorwill somebody's dying) called in the great stillness of morning. She began to run, breathing deep in her chest, running from Tommy, from the fires and explosions, from Carrie, but mostly from the final horror-that last lighted thought carried swiftly down into the black tunnel of eternity, followed by the blank, idiot hum of prosaic electricity. The after-image began to fade reluctantly, leaving a blessed, cooling darkness in her mind that knew nothing. She slowed, halted, and became aware that something had begun to happen. She stood in the middle of the great and misty field. waiting for realization. Her rapid breathing slowed, slowed, caught suddenly as if on a thorn And suddenly vented itself in one howling, cheated scream. As she felt the slow course of dark menstrual blood down her thighs.
K-19 Disaster
Leadership is the process in which an individual influences the group of individuals to attain a common goal. Good leadership ensures that the goal is attained by mutual cooperation and cohesive behavior. An effective leader infuses a sense of positivist and efficiently directs others to reach the specified goal.The captain in the movie placed too much emphasis on power. A captain who attempts to control circumstances with power most often becomes authoritarian in his expression which can lead to dissent among subordinates. On the other hand, a captain who communicates effectively and collaborates with all team members is often respected and becomes more successful. In K- 10, the co-captain was an antithesis to the actual captain. The stark contrast between the two men's leadership styles conveyed a message about the relative effectiveness of each one.The crew embers were more loyal to the co-captain because he worked as a team to reach a goal Instead of ordering his subordinates ar ound. When disaster struck the crew was more apt to follow orders from the authority figure who worked with them as a team because they trusted him to care for their well-being. The only way to efficiently govern a large number of people is to instill a sense of trust. Those who abuse their power will not be trusted and thus will not become effective leaders. During war time people tend to experience and strong sense of nationalism.A citizen of Russia n the movie would feel patriotism for his own country starting at a very early age. It's a socio-cultural phenomenon that has been examined for ages. Many social psychologists believe that the patriotism is derived from the innate human desire to belong. Therefore, when Russian begins to experience military tensions during the onset of WWW, many citizens felt the need to defend and protect not only the country's honor, but their own as well. This explains why it was so hard for the captain to abandon the mission that his government had assigned him to.He felt that it was only right to risk his life defending his country and his own reputation, When technology advances rapidly, there is often a discrepancy between the capabilities of technology and the capabilities of the people in charge of said technology. Examples of such discrepancies can be found throughout all time periods. During the industrial revolution, for example, the technology allowed for mass production of goods, but the society of the time did not have regulations in place to successfully prepare workers for the hazardous conditions. As a result many lives were tragically lost.During WWW, Germany was beginning to use planes In the war. However, the first airplane had been flown Just over a decade earlier and the technology was still in its Infancy. Consequently, the average life span of a fighter pilot In WWW was only two weeks. When watching K-19 it is quite easy to understand why such a disaster could occur. The government at the time was despera te to have the cutting-edge technology, but did not have time to properly train those who would be working with the equipment. In today's society our technology Is once again advancing at a 1 OFF startling rate.As social medial becomes more prominent, minors are more expos to the adult world and the dangers that accompany it. We must be careful, as a society, to guard against technology being controlled by those who don't know how to properly utilize it. The movie was a powerful, reality based drama that causes viewers to consider the effects of nuclear power and the dangers of radiation. However, it also has underlying tones that speak to the very nature of humans. Leadership skills, nationalism, and technological innovation continue to be pressing issues in society throughout the ages.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Financial Management and Control – Kingspan
Financial Management and Control Kingspan Assignment 6th December 2012 Contents Introduction4 1. Profitability Ratios4 1. 1Gross Profit Ratio4 1. 2Net Profit Ratio4 1. 3Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)4 2. Liquidity Ratios5 2. 1Current Ratio5 2. 2Quick Ratio/Acid Test Ratio5 3. Efficiency Ratios6 3. 1Debtors Days6 3. 2Creditors Days6 3. 3Inventory Turnover Days6 4. Gearing Ratios7 4. 1Gearing Ratio7 4. 2Debt to Equity Ratio7 4. 3Interest Cover7 5. Investment Ratios8 5. 1Earnings per Share8 5. 2Price Earnings Ratio8 5. 3Dividend Cover8 6. Sources of Finance9 6. 1Debt capital:9 6. 2Lease and Hire Purchase9 . 3Share Capital9 6. 4Creditor & Debtors10 6. 5Reducing stock levels10 7. Conclusion10 7. Appendices11 7. 1Appendix 111 7. 2Appendix 212 Introduction Below are the ratio findings based on Kingspan PLCââ¬â¢s annual report year ended 31st December 2010. The ratios are calculated for both 2010 and 2009. The ratios are as follows: 1. Profitability Ratios 1. 1Gross Profit Ratio 201020 09 Gross Profit333,694Ãâ"100%=27. 96%308,913Ãâ"100%=27. 45% Sales Revenue1,193,2151,125,523 There is a slightly higher Gross Profit in 2010. Kingspan are now holding onto . 51% more of each euro of sales then they were in 2009.This is due to the increase in sales. 1. 2Net Profit Ratio 20102009 Net Profit (before Int & Tax)67,405Ãâ"100%=5. 65%62,659Ãâ"100%=5. 57% Sales Revenue1,193,2151,125,523 There is a slight increase of. 08% in 2010 compared to 2009. If going by the gross profit ratio this should have been higher; this indicates that they need to manage their expenses more efficiently thus increasing their net profit. 1. 3Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) 20102009 Net Profit (before Int & Tax)67,405Ãâ"100%=7. 65%62,659Ãâ"100%=7. 97% Capital Employed (W1)880,616786,676 Kingspan has been less efficient in using their capital in 2010; they are down by . 2% from 2009. Although there was an increase in sales in 2010 the decrease in ROCE is due to the higher borrowings in 2 010. If in following years they continue this trend investors could start to worry and sell shares. 2. Liquidity Ratios 2. 1Current Ratio 20102009 Current Assets471,193=1. 55:1398,212=1. 31:1 Current Liabilities304,922303,529 The current ratio in 2010 shows that kingspan are managing their short term debt more efficiently than in 2009; this is due to increasing their current assets and managing to keep their currents liabilities relativity steady.They need to manage their debtors and stock better to further increase the ratio which will entice potential investors. 2. 2Quick Ratio/Acid Test Ratio 20102009 Current Assets less Closing Inventory (W2)342,158=1. 12:1287,391=0. 95:1 Current liabilities304,922 303,529 In 2009 Kingspan may have had difficulty in paying their short term creditors but they have managed to increase it in 2010. Given the ideal ratio of 1:1 they could look at investing the surplus assets for a return. ? 3. Efficiency Ratios 3. 1Debtors Days 20102009 Debtors218,04 7Ãâ"365=66. 70Days181,071Ãâ"365=58. 72Days Credit Sales1,193,2151,125,523Kingspan were managing their debtors better in 2009. There is an increase of 8 days in 2010; this could potentially lead to bad debt. Collecting their debt earlier will increase the liquidity of the business. They could offer discounts on early payment or offer a cash price. 3. 2Creditors Days 20102009 Creditors93,024Ãâ"365=38. 68Days85,228Ãâ"365=40. 42Days Credit Purchases (W3)877,735769,671 Kingspans creditors days have decreased by 2 days meaning they are paying off their debts 2 days earlier than in 2009. This shows that Kingspan are managing their debt more efficiently and may interest potential investors. 3. Inventory Turnover Days 20102009 Average Inventory (W4)119,928Ãâ"365=50. 93Days134,291Ãâ"365=60. 02Days Cost of Sales859,521816,610 Kingspan has managed their stock more efficiently in 2010; by doing so they have increased their cash flow and reduced their holding costs. ? 4. Gearing Ratio s 4. 1Gearing Ratio 20102009 Long Term Borrowing213,671Ãâ"100%=24. 26%201,141Ãâ"100%=25. 57% Total Capital (W1)880,616786,676 By decreasing the level of gearing they have decreased the level of financial risk, although they have increased their borrowing the increase in capital is greater meaning that they are using less debt to make their profit. . 2Debt to Equity Ratio 20102009 Long Term Borrowing213,671Ãâ"100%=32. 04%201,141Ãâ"100%=34. 35% Shareholders Funds666,945585,535 Debt to equity has decreased by almost 2% in 2010 showing that there are more shareholders funds to borrowings. This shows that Kingspan can manage to pay their debts which is important for future borrowings and investors. 4. 3Interest Cover Interest Cover 20102009 Profit before Interest & Tax67,405=5. 3562,659=4. 91 Loan Interest12,59412,750 There are higher interest rates associated with short term borrowings than there are with long term borrowings.By reducing their short term and increasing their lon g term borrowings Kingspan has reduced their finance costs in 2010. They have also increased their sales giving a better interest cover. It shows that in 2010 Kingspan would be able to pay their interest 5. 35 times compared to 4. 91 times in 2009. Bank and investors would look at this ratio to see how they cover their loans. 5. Investment Ratios 5. 1Earnings per Share 20102009 Profit after Interest and Tax48,657,000= â⠬ 0. 28 47,658,000= â⠬ 0. 28 Number of ordinary shares171,755,762171,503,951Earnings per share in 2010 have remained almost the same as 2009. It is displayed here rounded but 2010 has a slight increase. It shows the profitability of Kingspan and the consistency of the EPS shows security. Shareholders are receiving a slightly higher return in 2010. 5. 2Price Earnings Ratio 20102009 Price per share7. 49=â⠬ 26. 956. 05 =â⠬ 21. 32 Earnings per Share0. 280. 28 It is more expensive to buy Kingspan shares in 2010 than compared to 2009; this shows confiden ce in future earning power. 5. 3Dividend Cover 20102009 Profit after Int & tax & Pref Div48,657=7. 0NIL Earnings per Share6,661 Kingspan can pay their shareholders 7. 3 times from their available profits. They did not pay any dividend in 2009; this could have been a strategic move to increase cash flow. ? 6. Sources of Finance Kingspan operate a number of different finance sources, such as: 6. 1Debt capital: Kingspan have both long and short term borrowings. With short term borrowings such as overdrafts and hire purchase kingspan will pay a high interest rate on their 2009 borrowings of â⠬31,863mn but they have managed to reduce that by over half to â⠬14,259mn.This will reduce the financial costs. The interest rate for long term borrowings is generally a lot lower than that of short term loans; although Kingspan increased there long term borrowings in 2010 by â⠬12,529mn they will be paying a lower interest rate, again saving on finance costs. By reducing their short t erm borrowings and increasing their long term borrowings in 2010, Kingspan have managed to reduce their overall finance cost to â⠬156mn in 2010. The long term borrowings of â⠬213,671mn have been scheduled for staggered repayments over 5 years, this ill allow kingspan to meet their liabilities when due. Interest rates for loans over â⠬300,000 can be discussed with individual financial institutions. Kingspanââ¬â¢s interest rate for both long and short term loans will depend on their credit rating. They will have to be able to produce cash flow forecasts or provide security for the loan. 6. 2Lease and Hire Purchase This form of finance allows Kingspan to obtain the use of an asset without a large initial cost. It is beneficial as the risk remains with the owner and as technology changes they can upgrade the equipment with minimal cost.Kingspan have increased their lease/hire purchase costs by â⠬7mn in 2010. 6. 3Share Capital The core funding in Kingspan is provid ed by shareholders; this increased by â⠬81,410mn in 2010. Although there is risk involved and there may be a high return expected by using this form of financing there is no requirement to pay dividends even if profits exist. As Kingspan do not have preferred shareholders they did not pay out dividends in 2009 and allowed them to retain their profit and improve sales. 6. 4Creditor & DebtorsKingspan's creditors days decreased by 2 days in 2010; depending on the agreement they may have been able to receive a discount for early payment. However agreeing longer credit terms with their suppliers would allow them more flexibility with cash flow. In 2009 Kingspan were also managing their debtors days more efficiently than that of 2010. This may be due to the down turn in the economy and to make sales they could have offered longer repayment options. If needed Kingspan could renegotiate the terms or offer discounts for early payment. 6. 5Reducing stock levelsBy reducing the number of d ays stock is held will save on holding costs such as security, light, heat, warehousing and staff it will also reduce the risk of spoiling or obsolete goods. Kingspan have managed to reduce their stock turnover days to 51 days compared to 60 days the previous year. 7. Conclusion Overall Kingspan is performing better in 2010 than compared to 2009. The sources of finance are working well for the company, they have a low gearing ratio and have moved funds between long and short term borrowing taking advantage of a lower interest rate.They are managing their creditor, debtor and stock turnover days more efficiently than in 2009. They are leasing or using hire purchase to obtain assets this giving Kingspan the use of equipment without a large initial cost. Given the industry and the economic climate in 2010 Kingspan shows to be a liquid company and shows confidence in future earnings. ? 7. Appendices 7. 1Appendix 1 Workings (W1)Capital Employed20102009 Share Capital & Reserves666,945585, 535 Long Term Debt213,671201,141 882,626786,676 (W2)20102009Current Assets471,193398,212 Closing Inventory-129,035-110,821 342,158287,391 (W3) Credit Purchases20102009 Closing Stock129,035816,610 Cost of Sales859,521110,821 Opening Stock-110,821-157,760 Purchases877,735769,671 (W4)Average Inventory20102009 Opening Stock110,821157,760 Closing Stock129,035110,821 Total Stock239,856268,581 ? 2119,928134,291 ? 7. 2Appendix 2 Share prices for Kingspan Fig 1. 2009 share price as of 31/12/2009 Fig2. 2010 share price as of 31/12/2010 http://www. kingspan. com/kingspangroup/investors/share_info/share_chart/
Chicago Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Chicago - Essay Example In comedy, it started the improvational style of amusement, in architecture the prairie design, and a variety of contemporary music like the jazz, soul and romantic blues. The city has a deep rooted liking for the classical songs. The city also has contemporary music best known for its performing music moguls in the world. Apart from music, it hosts dance competitions which attracts performers from other states as a way of promoting its art in the city (Koval 66). Through the immigration of various ethnicities in the city like the Europeans, Asians, Africans among others; the city enjoys a mixture of different traditions from dishes to artistic works. The fine arts sector has been majorly boosted by a number of award winning artists through their paintings. The city has numerous theaters including the renowned Steppenwolf Theater for the performing plays. The city hosts annual theater awards for recognition of the contributors in the fine arts industry (Koval 111). From the historical beginning of the town, there is a strong tie in Christianity especially the Catholics. It was majorly contributed from the immigration of Europeans who later transformed the town in religion and civilization. Chicago has a number of ancient but unique delicacies in the food industry. The Maxwell hotdog is a unique hotdog which was just prepared by mere steaming or boiling with raw onions and mustard, and is still sold in many food joints. In sports, the city has a wide range of games but most notably in baseball and basketball games. The famous Michael Jordon contributed significantly in winning various titles for the Chicago Bulls (Koval 75). Chicago is the third largest state which contributes enormously for the US gross national product. According to business reports, it has been known to have the most balanced economic growth among the other states of America. This is because it has vast incomes from transportation,
Friday, September 27, 2019
Disaster Recovery Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Disaster Recovery Planning - Essay Example This article looks at the various essential elements of disaster recovery planning how NIST guidelines can be applied to implement a disaster recovery plan. Physical risks for business include and are not restricted to natural calamities like Earth Quakes, Storms, and Floods etc. Fire accidents, power failures, Use of Unsafe machinery and Equipment all come under Physical Risks. Malfunctioning of Individual units in a system, Network Cables, Cable tapping are some of the physical factors that pose risk to a Business (Cooper, 1995). Physical risks to a business also include risks to the physically existing things like buildings, the computers, related media and equipment. Few of the physical risks are mentioned below. Natural Calamities: Natural Calamities like Earth Quakes, Storms and Floods disrupt any business and their corresponding data that is stored. A single quake can destroy entire business information in no time and nullify its existence. Continuous monitoring of this information and assessing the risks that these factors cause, becomes an important issue. All business data and resources (movable and immovable) are at stake if risk due to these factors is not analyzed. Malfunctioning of Cables and Other C... All business data and resources (movable and immovable) are at stake if risk due to these factors is not analyzed. Malfunctioning of Cables and Other Components: Another major risk faced by the business is due to the improper functioning of components present in a system or the Network cables that make up the backbone of any network. Hardware faults are inevitable, so nullifying them will not be possible. Their affect could be equally frustrating and annoying. Even these cause many problems to the organizations that include data loss, increased response time, network congestions, and un-timely break up of systems and temporary stagnation of work (Cooper, 1995). Managing these risks is not only necessary but also very important for the growth of an organization. Trashing: Trashing, also known as dumpster diving is a possible physical risk commonly found in the corporate sector. In this method, sensitive data is searched for in the trash and most of the times, the crackers become successful. History has proved that many industrial spies achieved remarkable success with this approach. It is common for crackers to find useful information in used tape drives, disks and discarded print outs. Crackers often find computer manuals, passwords and other information in them. All sensitive data that should not be saved will be saved and can be easily recoverable from trash. This becomes the initial point for the risks. A cracker sees a highway ahead to breach the system with this approach (Cooper, 1995). Eaves Dropping: Business data may be prone to interception with this approach, commonly known as Eaves dropping. It is a known fact that upon pressing a key on the keyboard, Electro Magnetic waves will be generated
Voter ID for Polling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Voter ID for Polling - Research Paper Example Largely, legislation guiding the voting process sets some requirements that a voter must meet. It is quite for a voter to show up at a voting station without these requirements. The legislation provides sanity in the election process thereby promoting transparency and accountability. America states have voting rules or laws, which define the election process. Each state has its laws, which it has enacted to guide the election process. The use of Voter ID in the voting process is a legal requirement by the laws of some states in America. Voters have the mandate of acquiring the Voter ID at the stipulated time before the electioneering period. Voter registration and verification is an important exercise that involves all those people who are willing to cast their votes (Schmidt, et. al. 307). Enacting legislation to guide the election process has met protest of equal magnitude from citizens who feel that the voter requirement would lock many people out of the voting process. It is true that the people locked out of the voting process would not find an opportunity to make a decision on what kind of leadership they would like to rule their society. Voting is a vital process for each citizen because the choice that a citizen makes today would define the life the citizen would lead tomorrow. This reason has led to the criticism of the Voter ID requirement. Restrictive voter identification policies, such as, state issued photo ID cards, threaten to exclude millions of eligible voters who include poor, minorities, elderly, handicap among others. State governors, led by Republican state governors promote the Voter ID policies. States in America have adopted new voter law, which aim at restricting voting procedures in the states. The law stipulates that voters must produce government ID photo, proof of citizens, and other related government documents. Many Americans do not have all or some of these documents, yet they need to vote in order to shape their destiny. Reaction by different wings in the political divide has led to filling of lawsuits, which would lead unraveling of stagnation of the votersââ¬â¢ right. Elderly people, students, women, people who are under the low-income bracket, people with disabilities, and the color may not vote. The law threatens the right of this group because of the strict conditions that it poses to them. The move adopted by many states in America to adopt strict voter laws has led to protest from civil right movements and the democrats. Many street protests indicate that many people feel that the laws are repugnant to the electioneering process sometimes in 2012. Electio n is the pillar of democracy in America and any thing that seems to tamper with the election process draws criticism from all the political wings (Griffith 227). Senior election analyst, Jennie Bowser comments that American people believe that election is the root of American democracy. Some Americans feel that the rights to vote in America are under attack following the new voter regulation policies. It is worth noting that the freedom that American enjoys is a result of voting freedom that they have. Voting has been a tool of changing and shaping leadership in the United States. The role of voting in the American society is clear to every American citizen. A society without laws does not respect the opinion of the society. The laws provide a framework that lays the procedures of handling things. In the like manner, the electoral laws provide a guide to the society in order to promote accountability and transparency. The fear that electorate have over the new laws have some grounds because some people are likely to remain out of the process because of the restrictive laws. Laws are useful in the society, but would be havoc if they lead to
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5
Research Paper Example e character and behavior of animals (23) The author further describes this type of art and influenced by observation of animals and their behavior under particular circumstances (Art Galleries Switzerland 24). Regardless of the assumption in the similarity between animal characters and real events, Skoglundââ¬â¢s art work is effective and appropriate to communicate to her audience. The art work titled Fox Games displays the exact characteristics of Skoglund. The art work incorporates appropriate color and installation and presentation of the art work. Skoglund uses fox described objects to set the art work into the required plot expectation (1). The fox installations represent the animal itself. She is also able to display the violent nature of foxes by placing different foxes at different position other denoting violence and fighting. Skoglund uses color to enhance audience and art connectivity. Foxes are normally regarded as dangerous animals and color red represents this notion effectively. Hung Liu is a Chinese artist whose most artwork is influenced by her personal experience since her childhood. As a child she had she had to witness many tribulations that affected China including eviction from their homes due to war and political instability (Hallmark 56). Liu studied art and he paid tribute to great artists in China. His acknowledgement of art made her an artistic symbol in China as she got numerous teaching opportunities in universities and colleges (Hallmark 58). She travelled to the United States where she further continued with her artwork and gain global acknowledgement for her presentation and great taste in art. Her art work are based on photography and painting based on ancient Chinese traditions and perception on the society (Art Scene Chinas Par 3). Her presentation of the Chinese tradition in the modern art galleries have gained significant and the influential in the Chinese social circles. In reviewing her 1995 painting titled Customs, Liu uses
Law Enforcement in the Czech Republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Law Enforcement in the Czech Republic - Essay Example The total area of Czech Republic is 78,844 square km and the population is 10.5 million. It is surrounded by Poland, Austria, Slovakia and Germany and also occupies the historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia and a small area of Silesia. The people of Czech Republic are Slavic people who are from central and Eastern Europe but their culture and tradition connects them to the West. Czech Republic is a democratic country and the bicameral Parliament, that includes the House of Representatives and the Senate, acts as the central body in the political system. The head of the state is the President with limited powers and is elected for five years. The President holds some important legal powers such as the appointment of the Prime Minister and members of the government, selection for the members of Czech National Bank Board and the official signing authority (Czech Republic Country Brief, 2007). General: In Czech Republic the Justice system consists of 86 District Courts, 8 Regional Courts, 2 High Courts and a Supreme Court. The highest judicial authority in the country is the Constitutional Court which is situated in Brno. Its major activities do not include dealing with criminal cases. Prosecution: The formation of the State Prosecutor's Office entirely follows the courts. Prosecution is brought by the State Prosecutor's Office. The courts completely handle the operations of the office. Police Force The total number of police force in Czech Republic is approximately 47,400 officers and 11,600 civilian staff. They are responsible for the security of its people and investigation of all crimes that took place in the country. In addition to the state police, there is municipal police that controls the traffic and public order in their particular municipalities. The right to investigate and arrest only lies with the state police. Police officers of Czech Republic are allowed to use vehicles. Their vehicles contain a black and white inscription "Policie" on the sides. These vehicles are white in color with horizontal green strips on the sides. Police force of Czech Republic possesses the following rights: 1. Demand for testimony in case of any accident. 2. Demand for personal identification. 3. Taking a person into custody. 4. Supervising the traffic and checking the conditions of the vehicles. Czech Police departments Criminal police: In the police department of Czech Republic, the officers monitor the criminal cases. Moreover, they detect the wrong doers and take them under their custody. The criminal police force is also responsible for the investigation of different cases regarding stolen properties, missing people, road accidents etc. They continuously look after the people and places in order to safeguard the lives of the citizens (Czech Republic, 2007). Traffic police: By law the traffic police officers are there to organize and control the movement of the traffic. In addition to it, they have to be really careful about the investigations made on the roads regarding accidents that happen almost every day. They are further required to check the procedures of collecting fines for illegal acts. When a driver commits an offense then the traffic police officer has the right to stop him from driving and take the car into his custody with some
Final review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Final review - Assignment Example In a situation whereby a third quality land is cultivated, the rent commences on the second land quality with an immediate effect. However, the rent can be regulated by the difference in their productive powers as the rent of the first quality land increases since it must always be slightly above the second class. Naturally, the aspect of rising rents would directly take more of the national income (page 91) The paper also reflects on the T. Malthus` objections to Ricardo`s attack on the Corn Laws 1895 and how he responded to these objections in his principle of political economy and taxation. In addition to that, it also discusses how his response strengthened his conclusions about the Corn Laws in 1985. Malthus was a personal friend to Ricardo as well as his opponent on the matters to do with rent whereby Ricardo went on to write a letter to Malthus suggesting that every person to retain his own opinion without terminating the friendship (page 92). According to Ricardo, he referred to the economic rent as a surplus of the personal paper profit over the social gain whereby its value is in control over the resources instead of being directly to the resources. Moreover, there is no representation of gain but a transfer of wealth that was unearned. On the other hand, Malthus objected this opinion by stating that a material gain is stated when the rent is re-invested though the gain is in excess of the social unity. According to John Stuart Mill, the nature of the laws that regulates how we produce products is different from the laws that regulate how we distribute the fruits of that production. Therefore, details on specific examples from the 19th century English labor movement of how the laws of distribution were undergoing change, is also provided in this paper. The existing differences between the laws of regulation in production and distribution come in to nature because both of them undergoes through different processes. However, countries that export produc ts on a large quantity ought to trade perfectly well on a special way, without restrictions for them to gain great advantages. In the context of the quote from Marx`s capital, an explanation of how labor is so important to Marx`s understanding of human self-realization has also been reflected upon. Moreover, a discussion of the role of history among the German philosophical ideas in shaping the Marks idea of human-self realization through labor has also been reflected upon in the discussion. According to Mark, alienation reaches at the peak when labor changes to become wage labor. Out of labor, capitalists are able to higher workers so as to convert the capital goods to final goods. Labor enables the workers to obtain wages that re later used to sustain their families. The more the workers are specialized in their specific areas of labor provision the more alienated they become in reference to the production of products. The employees tend to become more dependent on the production of products as well as the employee when they have set their goals. However the presence of Marx`s differences between the value of labor power also emerged. A provision of detailed explanation on the origin of profits according to Marx is also in this paper. The explanation begins with a discussion of how value is transformed in the production process including the relationship that has been discussed by Marx in the quote. Moreover, it is explained in to details as to why the
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Summary for FAITH integration readings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Summary for FAITH integration readings - Essay Example Throughout the Bible, there are ideas and inferences that touch on the aspect of supply and demand in relation to the necessities of faith. One of the most important necessities of faith is the grace of God, upon which all other elements of Christianity and biblical spirituality are based. There are relations that connect the Biblical reference to grace and sin to the supply and demand elements of economics. This bearing is brought through the correlation between the offence of one man, Adam, and the subsequent death that resulted, and the grace and gift of righteousness that is bound to result from Christ (International Standard Version Rom. 5:17). From this, we can note that there is a relationship that exists between grace and sin according to the existences of both Adam and Jesus Christ. Additionally, there are elements of supply and demand in light of the relationship between sin and death such that as much as sin brought death, the Lordââ¬â¢s grace reigns through righteousne ss unto eternal life (International Standard Version Rom. 5:20-21). Therefore, the relationship that exists between grace and sin is of a supply-demand nature, and as such, grace counters whenever sin increases and sin also monitored by the grace and righteousness, much like in economic parlance. Still on the economic bearing, the grace of God has a price to it, which is following Jesus Christ. In supply and demand, the element of price plays a critical role in determining the equilibrium between the two forces (Marshall 228). The only way to grace and righteousness, therefore, is through embracing Christ and living by the ideals of righteousness. In this way, Christ is a representation of the grace of the Lord, and it is the only means for attaining righteousness. Therefore, the whole relationship between sin and grace or righteousness is based on the need and ability to
Not Sure Yet Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Not Sure Yet - Thesis Proposal Example Rationale: The investigation of this topic will take place through research and analysis of the state of environmental health during and after Hurricane Katrina. The thesis will first examine the nature of Katrina itself and the immediate damage done. It will then proceed to describe how the immediate destruction affected or threatened the environmental health in the region. Finally, the thesis will explore the extent to which these environmental health threats have been relieved through the hurricane help efforts, and which ones continue to be affecting the environment, posing a threat for future society in the region. Literature: The main sources to be used include an report and analysis provided by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, a New Orleans Environment Watch, which provides articles about specific post-Katrina environmental health issues and progress, and other articles that address more narrowed topics, such as access to healthy food. Conclusion: Although progress has been made, New Orleans continues to face numerous environmental health threats and challenges. This thesis will produce a summary and analysis that identifies which challenges are most essential in terms of needing to be addressed to provide a safe and healthy future
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Legalizing Marijuana in Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Legalizing Marijuana in Canada - Essay Example One of the bodies that have been vocal on the issue of the use of marijuana in Canada is The Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The body earlier this year introduced a new evidence based report for marijuana policy framework with recommendations of strict regulations on controlling the harm associated with the use of marijuana. In 1960s, the laws against marijuana were tough with where an offender found to possess small amounts of marijuana was to be sentenced for six months or a $1000 fine. However, in the recent past, pressure on the parliament to legalize marijuana has amounted with the House of Commons special committee on non-medical drugs releasing a report suggesting the reform of laws on marijuana possession and supply. Even as the issue of whether to legalize marijuana or not is debatable, legal access has been granted to people with HIV/AIDS and other individuals with serious illnesses.Ã With these deliberations on the policies that has been stipulating on th e control and use of marijuana in Canada, the focal point that has been echoed by different stakeholders articulates on the viability, and applicability of legalizing the drug. Factors to be considered when deciding on whether to legalize it or not are depicted below. Ã Ã Evans and Berent (1992) argued that legalizing marijuana would lead to more jobs creation. Ã This would go a long way in growing the economy of the country. In addition, the government will be in a position to earn revenue from the taxes.
Finanical Accounting Concepts Phase 2 DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Finanical Accounting Concepts Phase 2 DB - Essay Example This is also the reason why the expense incurred on Furniture is not shown on the income statement, The expense incurred on the furniture ($1500) will be shown in reduced amounts for a period of years in subsequent income statements. The Income Statement reflects the inflow and outflow of expenses and revenues. However, the Ownerââ¬â¢s equity statement is a statement that reflects the position of the ownerââ¬â¢s capital in the business. Therefore it reflects the shares position, the kinds of shares (common, preferred or deferred preferred shares) and their distribution. However, a balance sheet is a comprehensive statement that reflects the financial position of a firm at the end of a financial year. While the Income statement shows mainly operating expenses and net revenues, the balance sheet is a summary of a Companyââ¬â¢s entire financial condition at any given point of time, therefore it includes all assets of the Company, all liabilities and net worth. This statement also takes into account the ownership of non fluid assets and share ownership in the Company. Therefore, in a balance sheet, the accounting equation would be: Assets ââ¬â Liabilities + Ownerââ¬â¢s Equity. The Accounting Cycle includes the process of recording entries of receipts and expenses in a journal in chronological order according to dates. These entries are then posted to the ledger, both under debits and credits, under the appropriate account heading. The trial balance is then prepared to ensure that all debits are equal to all credits. Any errors or discrepancies are then resolved with individual journal entries, in order to yield the adjusted trial balance. This forms the basis for the preparation of the various kinds of financial statements, such as cash statements, income statements and balance sheets. The final steps in preparing these statements are in the posting of the closing entries and the preparation of the final
Monday, September 23, 2019
5step Approach to Biomedical Science Research Essay
5step Approach to Biomedical Science Research - Essay Example But these molecular determinants were undefined. In an another report thapsigiargin , a sesquiterpene lactone inhibits both mammalian and malarial SERCAs. These findings led to hypothesis that artermisins interact with a region of PfATP6 that binds thapsigargin-binding cleft of malarial and mammalian SERCAs, and are the determinant of the arteminisinin.Based on the previous data and literature, the authors identified PfATP6 as a target site. Using bioinformatics the researchers compared the amino acid sequences of mammalian and malarial SERCAs, and found that the leu263 residue is unique along with few more amino acid. After identification, different mutant were constructed to determine the affinity of arteminsins towards these mutated forms to establish its role of each amino acid towards arteminsins sensitivity.To determine the role of leu263 and other amino acids in PfATP6 doain. Different mutant of PfATP6 were express in Xenopus oocyte and functionality test were performed. It wa s shown that in case of altered Leu263 sensitivity decreased to almost three fold. Whereas alteration of other amino acids along with leu263 lead to 10 fold decrease in sensitivity. Similarly, introduction of Leu263 in non-sensitive sps. like Plasmodium vivax and P. berghei ether increased or decreased sensitivity.
Latin American Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Latin American Politics - Essay Example There is no such ideal situation defining the real state of democracy, in fact there may be a narrowed down democracy in certain countries or there may be a broaden concept of democracy prevailing in the others. The narrowed democracy is a situation where certain aspects of democracy are existent while the others are entirely invisible, for instance in Peru. In such cases the governments are purely appointed by the people and are very much people-oriented, but there some problems of democracy are also prominent, such as the freedom of speech, the liberty of press, the development of human rights and the free establishment of organizations fostering such attitudes in society. These problems arise because in a narrowed down democracy, the government that has been selected by the people is not willing to provide such a freedom to its people. Conversely, in a broaden concept of democracy that can be spotted in most of the developed countries of the world, where the people do not only exercise the power of selection and appointment of a government, but also are bestowed with complete human rights, freedom of speech, liberty of press and expression of ideas. ... The democracy in Latin America is on the way to extinction. The political history of Latin America is full of attacks on democracy, giving a deteriorated picture of democracy in the region. Its history reveals a series of confrontation with pure democracies as well as pure dictatorships. In Latin America, the first move of peoples' attitude from democracy came into existence even before the year 1989. This change in peoples' attitude towards democracy dates back to the period of 1960s when the youth of Latin America were in a great number shifted towards the socialist view rather than a democratic view of government. But during the year 1980 and ever since after that time there has been a continuous effort for the re-establishment and re-development of democracy in Latin America. However, these efforts were less successful in their aim every time for so many reasons. This has not been just the case in Latin America; in fact even in the case of countries with relatively broader concept of democracy than Latin America, the problems of democracy can be spotted. A principle example to this approach may be Mexico, which is a country that has been continuously heading towards an advanced form of democratic government. Brazil and Peru have also been confronted with the same situation in their progression towards a more democratic government. The general situation is worsening in these countries with respect to human right motives and activities. In Mexico, the governments pay no consideration to the development of their people in the setting of their political objectives. Most of the people are living strictly hand to mouth in the country. Consequently, there has been much widely prevalence of criminal offences and also the Guerilla movements
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Advantages Of Bluetooth Technology implementation In Modern Life Case Study
Advantages Of Bluetooth Technology implementation In Modern Life - Case Study Example The Bluetooth technology in business information system uses a weak signal so that it doesn't interfere by means of cell phone signal or additional signals. This technology is identical to the radio signal technology. The Bluetooth technology can be utilized to transfer data between different sections at the Business Information System. The current status of the technology Bluetooth has held every corner of society resorting overwhelming trend since Ericsson proposed the new technology-Bluetooth in 1998. The development of Bluetooth is improved rapidly in recent years. As a new short distance wireless transmission technology, Bluetooth has been paid close attention to the fields of science, industry, and entertainment. Bluetooth service utilizes radio waves to transfer data that's mean distances between each Bluetooth devices has to in short distance. Another weakness point about Bluetooth is security; because of the underlying communication medium is an open system for everyone. In these cases, this technology is not effectively operational. It is suitable for only office-based communications and data handling. According to Flint, Karvinen, McKnight, & Tee (2008), Bluetooth is a new and modern type of technology in the telecommunications sector. This new technology allows connecting wirelessly to computers, mobile phones, and personal digital assistants or PDAs. This wireless connection allows easy interconnection by a short-range wireless link. In this way, we can transfer data within a short distance with high data rate. By means of this technology, users of wireless technology, cellular phones, PDAs can purchase a 3in1 mobile phone that is able to offer the facility of portability at the office or home. It also presents the capability to obtain rapidly synchronized information in a notebook or desktop computer.
American Airlines Strategy Paper Essay Example for Free
American Airlines Strategy Paper Essay Currently the airline industry as a whole seems to be on the road of recovery. We, American Airlines, the fourth largest carrier recently avoided bankruptcy, but had a summer full of pressure due to ongoing union struggles and questionable executive compensation packages. After having incurred such big losses, this recovery has come about because of the government bailout and many of our large competitorsââ¬â¢ abilities to survive the turbulence in the industry. So far, the prospects look promising. Revenue has improved across all regions of the business. Domestic unit revenue was up almost 10 percent and Latin American revenue has increased by close to 11 percent in the last quarter of 2012 compared to the same period the prior year. We are performing better than other airlines that have filed for protection and have done so without slashing capacity. In short, American is doing the right things to return to business efficiency and customer effectiveness. In order to establish a sustainable position for the future, American Airlines must adopt a three-pronged strategy moving forward. First, we should focus on low priced operations and increased marketing strategies to improve customer demand. We have to enhance customer experience and our volume of loyal customers to build a stronger presence in Airline Industry. Second, we must focus on increasing and improving the routes to cater to large customer base. Lastly, we must address the difficulties our company might face in integrating with the culture of US Airlines. Our future success is highly dependent on these two entities efficiently operating as a single organization. Industry Analysis Current Position US Airline industry today is dominated by five major domestic carriers. United, Delta and Southwest each has more than 15 percent market share. American is fourth, with around 12 percent and US Airways is fifth with around 10 percent. Four of these five are profitable ââ¬â all but American. We lost $2 billion in 2011 and $1.7 billion in the first quarter of 2012. Future Strategy Our emphasis in 2013 is on operational flexibility, international growth through alliance and selective network expansion, and domestic partnerships to reduce operational and balance sheet risks. Americans market differentiation is based on emphasizing and meeting the needs and expectations of high value customers (particularly large global corporates) and better alignment with the one world airline network and value proposition. Also, being the lead carrier between not only the United States and Latin America but, increasingly, the world and Latin Americaââ¬âconnecting through Dallas, Los Angeles, or Miami. This strategy makes sense; if they can get all labor work groups on board, they should be able to make it happen. That is still the main challenge, as is competitor contestation, particularly from larger traditional rivals like Delta and United. Improve Customer Demand Lower Operational Costs American passenger division which already has 57 fewer planes in service than an year ago, should further shrink by another 57 planes this summer. This would improve operational efficiency. Current service levels include 275 cities with a fleet of over 1000 aircraft. American carries about 80 million passengers daily and receives more than 329,000 reservation calls, handles more than 293,000 pieces of luggage and flies more than 4300 flights in one typical day. In order to reduce costs further over 27000 jobs will have to be eliminated. Because of high competition in the industry, substantial price fluctuations occur related to fares. Enhance Customer Base Increase value added services offered through our interactive website, AA.com. Any differentiation that convenience added capabilities offer is the center of focus. Busy hiub systems and schedule patterns need to be looked at to improve efficiency and routing effectiveness, thereby enhancing customer experience. We need to do rigorous marketing to attract more customers. Our marketing is currently focused on seasonal and business travelers and much analysis is taken in order to optimize peak travel seasons as well as frequent flier miles programs and pints systems. The Making More Room in coach program is the original marketing ploy of American to project a perception of higher passenger comfort levels. As increased advertising and intense market share is gained, we will continue to remain a key player assuming passenger demand goes up as projected. We will focus on upgraded in-flight entertainment systems, football game special fares, and buy-on board meal options to further enhance customer experience. Improve Network American Airlines new network strategy is designed to improve profitability by offering the routes and schedules that attract and retain not only their own high value customers but also those of alliance partners, an important source of revenue through codeshare agreements and closely aligned loyalty programs. The network is the core product that works in concert with lie-flat seats, onboard amenities, and customer service. Latin America is a prominent focus, due in part to our strong presence in key hubs to Latin America such as Dallas and Miami. This is where the profits are. Passenger growth forecasts for Latin America for 2013-17 are 6 percent for Latin America North (Central America and the northern rim of South America) and 8 percent for Latin America South (southern cone countries such as Brazil and Argentina). This compares with 3.6 percent for Europe and 4.4 percent for Asia. Increase International Routes To follow the growth markets, we must change our portfolio mix to focus more on international rather than domestic routes. This is a gradual process, moving from 38 percent international and 62 percent domestic capacity in 2013 towards a 44/56 percent balance by 2017. As we refocus more of our flying towards international opportunities, it is likely to look towards increased code-sharing with domestic carriers like Alaska Airlines, jetBlue, and others to further enhance our network in places like Los Angeles and New York City. This is likely to have initial teething problems, due to terminal colocation and product disparity issues. For instance, the business passengers that we are pursuing may be disgruntled by jetBlues more restrictive carry-on baggage policies or by extra time and added security checks if they are required to change terminals. Refurbish domestic feed Our plan is also to diversify our domestic feed by increasing the number of regional carriers with which we do business to reduce operational and balance sheet risk. Today, we primarily get a feed from our wholly-owned subsidiary, American Eagle, which has higher costs than some other regional carriers. American Eagle is going through its own restructuring to lower its costs, and it may ultimately be spun off. Synergies with US Airlines Merger with US Airways will result in the largest carrier in US. It would create roughly $1.2 billion in financial benefits.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Case study Technique Essay Example for Free
Case study Technique Essay In psychology, cases study is the use of descriptive research and analysis to obtain in-depth information about a person, group, or a phenomenon. Case study is conducted using techniques such as direct-observation of the person, personal interviews, psychometric tests, and use of earlier researches archived (Dunbar, 2005). Psychology uses a case study often in clinical research to explain an unusual occurrences and conditions of the patient. The conditions are contrary to the pre-established principles in the fields of psychology and clinical research. Most of the case studies are single-case design; however, there is multiple-case design where instead of using sampling, replication is the criterion for use. Case study in psychology ought to be valid, and reliable to help in the future psychological research. This paper explains the reasons, disadvantages, and advantages of the case study. Reasons for Using Case Study Case study allows the researcher to examine and gather information about persons in far more detail than if the research was on a large number of people. Although the case study is not a research method, clinical and psychological researchers identifies methods of data collection that is suitable for the case study (Goodwin, 1995). For instance, observation, interviews, personal notes, and officially documented records. The reason for the case study is to investigate into the private lives of persons with the focus of understanding them and helping them in overcoming the problems that they experienced in their daily lives. Advantages and Disadvantages of Case Study Case study allows the researchers to collect detailed information about a person that is useful. The information would not have been obtained by the other research methods. The information obtained during the case study is richer and is greater in depth compared to the other experimental designs. Moreover, the research considers rare cases where large samples of similar people are not available. Scientific experiments on the person done during the process of study are also an advantage (Dunbar, 2005). The process enables the researchers to adapt to ideas and come up with a hypothesis thatà will be a point of reference in the future research. On the contrary, the data collected during the case study cannot apply in a wider population. This makes the data not be useful in longitudinal case studies. In addition, some of the studies are not scientific in nature (Goodwin, 1995). They are only a generalization of the scientific principles. The study considers only one individual; therefore, the study is prone to the researcher biases. The bias of the experimenter can influence the conclusions more than in the other study designs. It is also difficult to prove the effect from the psychological case study (Dunbar, 2005). A case study is often prone to be more time consuming than the time used in other study designs. Sources of Case Study Data The case study research generates data from different sources. The researchers use field notes to record data that is already available in stored databases. The use of sampling where one person is examined to represent a wider group is also a method of case study data collection. In addition, questionnaires, observations, and interviewing are other methods used to collect case study data. In conclusion, the study tends to collect qualitative data. The psychological case study is important since it collects unique and in-depth data about a person. Mainly, the rare phenomena and conditions allude to case studies. Finally, it is vital to refer to the recorded data to ensure that the findings are accurate and applicable in the real life situations. References Dunbar, G. (2005). Evaluating research methods in psychology: A case study approach. Malden, MA: BPS Blackwell. Goodwin, C. J. (1995). Research in psychology: Methods and design. New
Importance Of Unity And Harmony To Plato
Importance Of Unity And Harmony To Plato Plato who lived between 427-347 B.C is known for his development of many distinct areas in philosophy such as metaphysical, epistemology, aesthetics and ethics. Plato was a prototypical philosopher whose philosophical ideas had great impact on the subsequent political theories and concepts. Platos philosophy is implied in the use of dialectic method in discussion which involves reflective insights into the nature. Also by way of cognitive optimism this method involves a belief in humans mind capacity to reach for truth and then using it for virtuous and rational ordering of human affairs (p.96). Plato holds that any conflicting interests between the different parts of humanity can be harmonized. Plato proposes a righteous and rational political system which directs to a harmonious unity in a society and that gives chance to each of its parts to develop but not at the disadvantage of others. According to Plato, the practical implementation and theoretical design of such systems is how ever not possible without virtue in a society (p.69). This paper studies the importance of unity and harmony to Plato in his philosophical concepts and how these concepts illustrate themselves at the level of individual soul as well as in the political society. This paper will also evaluate Platos understanding of these concepts and how he uses them to unjustify democratic form of government. In the Platos philosophical theories, justice is one of the most important concepts in ethics and politics. Justice may refer to individual virtue, society order or even individual rights in contrast to the general social order claims. According to Plato justice is simply speaking the truth and giving back or repaying what one has borrowed (p.5). However this definition is grounded on the traditional moral customs and may not be adequate to hold to todays challenge and the power of critical thinking. If rightfully understood, justice does not act as a special advantage to any of the factions of a city but justice represents the common good of the entire political community which is to everyones advantage. Justice provides unity in a society which is fundamental for societys health. A political order that promotes social peace in the environment of friendship and cooperation among different social groups whereby each benefits and each contributes to the common good of the society, is the best according to Plato. Unity and harmony plays a very important role in the republics politics and ethics since both the good soul and the good state are said to be harmonious (p. 99). Plato constantly argues that harmony in a society is achieved when everyone plays his or her role. From this it seems that good is generally achieved when each thing exhibits its essence harmony. However according to Plato good is not just a property that the forms have but its a force from which reality comes from. He argues that if the good is unity and harmony, it is also the first principle of everything, the standard by which everything is what it is, that has as existence and power of all its own (p.100) The courage, wisdom and moderation developed by the guardians, rulers and workers ideally give forth the justice in society which those virtues generate in the individual soul when they are nurtured by the three elements of that soul. Only when the three elements work in harmony and with intelligence under control does the individual or society attain the happiness and realization of which it is capable. In the republic he argues that the good use of a human being and his soul is to live in a just manner as well as to attain a state of unity and harmony (p.110). According to Plato every human being consist of many parts whereby each is different from the other and each has unique goals, aims and appetites. The three parts of the soul are intellect physical desires and courage. However its fundamental to conceptualize the soul as encompassing the many conflicting parts although this state of conflict is unwelcome and meaning that man must attempt to harmonize his soul. According to Pl ato man can harmonize his soul by training each part to function as dictated by nature without hampering other parts business. In this context each part of a mans soul should not only perform its function but also perform it well. So in the case of physical desires one should not look for luxurious pleasures but should look for survival and good health. When the parts of the soul are satisfying their ordinary functions well and under the direction of reason, they are then in harmony and balance with each other and at that instant the soul id unified, just, good and happy (p.99). In this context Plato implies that a mans soul cannot be in harmony when performing functions of aimed at bringing luxurious pleasures to him alone and not caring for the goodness of others. In the republic Plato states that the purpose of man is to use his mind and reason to search knowledge, truth and eventual reality. In this search man should understand that the body is a hindrance and therefore the soul should always struggle against it so as to achieve satisfaction in the individual soul as well as develop a good political society (p.296). The body always confuses the mind with all types of appetites and desires thus giving the mind time to think. According to Plato the man should therefore remove himself entirely from his body and only use it to survive. This way man will be able to reduce the impediments to in pursuing his true function to the best of his ability, for his good and the good of the entire society. This search for mans function and reaching his good life is dependent on justice and harmonization of the soul. . In todays politics its universally believed that democracy which is a government of the people for the people is the most justifiable form of political system. This form of government has two features i.e. freedom and equality which are usually conspicuous in its operations. Democracy can be expressed as the rule of people governing themselves directly or by their chosen representative. However Plato does not consider democracy to be the best form of government. Plato criticizes the unchecked and direct type of democracy of that time because of its leading styles. According to Plato democracy is largely characterised by presence of freedom, but although freedom is a true value it can also be dangerous when its in excess (p.288). When everyone is given the freedom of doing as he or she wishes then this can results to anarchy. On the other hand, in democracy there is equality which means that everyone in these systems has the right and equal capacity to rule (p.288). The right for every one to rule implies therefore that many individuals will seek power in politics not necessarily to help or lead the society but because of their personal gains. These power seeking individuals can therefore make a democratic form of government to be highly corruptible opening ways for potential dictators, demagogues and can thus lead to tyranny. For instance Hitler was democratically elected claiming that he would act on behalf of the people but then he turned to be a tyranny and worked for his own personal interests (.p.296) Plato holds that democratic political systems are and may lead from anarchy to tyranny. This system also lacks proper committed leaders with skills and morals. Though it may not happen in todays liberalized democracies the above reasons are Platos main problems with democracy. According to Plato democracy is a political system that depends on chance and thus without able and virtuous leaders it becomes a dangerous form of government. According to Plato therefore democracy is not possible without unity and harmony between the human soul and body. Harmonization of the soul helps human beings to avoid the temptations of the body such as selfishness and greed and pursue his true function which is also the way to good life in the society (p.268). Harmonization also helps man to fight all sort of bodily desires and appetites which is important for leaders in democratic forms of government. For a society to enjoy the goodness of a democratic form of government it should therefore have leaders with harmony and unity between their soul and body. Thus they will be able to guide the society for the interest and benefits of everybody and not for their own self needs. Conclusion According to Plato for one to be truly happy he or she must participate in the good and to take part in the good one must be just. However not every individual soul that is just and therefore one wonders how the unjust can be happy (p.267). Just or right means nothing thats in the interest of the more powerful. According to Plato injustice is not really ones true self justice. Therefore it should be in one interest to understand happiness. True justice and happiness is concurrently webbed together with self-justice. In the republic Socrates agrees that he also doesnt know exactly what good is but then he says we should endeavour for its knowledge since its what brings happiness. Unity and harmony are therefore important in achieving individual satisfaction and also in developing an appropriately organized political society. Platos unjustifying of democracy may however not be applicable in todays liberal democracy systems. Todays liberal democracies are not only based on freedom and e quality but also on other factors like multi party systems and rule of law.
Friday, September 20, 2019
The Biological Determinism Or Social Constructionism Sociology Essay
The Biological Determinism Or Social Constructionism Sociology Essay Gender differs in culture and personal circumstances, they shape the way men and women behave according to their societys norms and values. Learning plays a major part in influencing gender roles, in what defines masculine and feminine, parents, teachers, friends, media, music, books and religion teach and reinforce gender roles throughout a lifetime. Gender roles are also shaped by the power of reward and punishment, as its used by some people to reinforce what they consider to be appropriate gender behaviour. In terms of influencing gender roles the influence of parents is significant as the family is the primary agency of socialisation. Gender roles are realities in almost everyones life. (Warnke 2008) This essay will discuss whether gender roles are determined by biological determinism; our genetics, or whether they are constructed by society; expectations in our environment. In addition theories explaining gender behaviours. Freud and Parsons had theories based on Biological determinism which depends on the presence or absence of certain chromosomes, DNA, proteins and hereditary genes. Men and women have obvious biological differences- a man can produce sperm, and women can produce ovum, lactation and go through pregnancy and menstruation. Without those two different sexes reproduction would not be possible, and our biological sexes are needed for our society to progress. A good example of this is the Bruce Reimer case. Bruce, an eight month old boy, underwent a circumcision that went terribly wrong, his penis was completely destroyed and with no hope of reconstructing the organ, his parents consulted Dr Money. Doctors and family decided Bruce would best function as a girl rather than a boy. He was surgically transformed into a girl, whom they named Brenda. From an early age Brenda felt she was a boy trapped in a girls body, she ripped off frilly dresses, rejected dolls in favor of guns, preferred to play with boys, and even insisted on urinating standing up. At fourteen she was so miserable that she decided either to live her life as a male or to end it, her father finally told her the truth. She underwent a new set of operations, assumed a male identity and later married and went on to become a father himself. Although Dr Money tried to apply the logic behind social determinism, Bruce revealed that despite dresses, social pressure, surgeries and fem ale hormones he never looked, acted or felt like a female. (Colapinto 2000) This shows social factors do not always override biological factors in determining gender. Social constructionism understands how gender roles are created by us in everyday lives. One sociologist, Margaret Mead, was one of the first to ground the distinction between the biological and social characteristics of men and woman based on her study in three civilizations. Each society displayed different gender role qualities. In one society both women and men were cooperative, in the second they were both ruthless and aggressive, and in the third the women were dominant and the men more obedient. (Mead 1935) This shows masculine and feminine roles are learnt and shaped in cultural socializations and not inborn, biological specific roles (Bown, 2012). Gendered behaviours are shaped especially in responses and reactions like in families, children and adult relations, workplace, groups, schools, media, texts, history, popular culture and social structures. During pregnancy and after birth people are divided into two sex categories, boy and girl, to which they received gender characteristics like colours, toys received as children by evasion, like football and trucks for boys, dolls and dresses for girls. In the course of her and his life the human being is then made into a girl or woman, boy or man. Many factors influence our behaviours such as education, social norms and values, stereotypes, identifications, images and traditions. Concept of woman and men are subject to change over time. What is to be feminine and masculine is historical defined. (Lavenda and Schultz 2011) These are all social contributors towards the way gender is shaped. In the nineties relationships between men and women were followed by tradition and religious views, the natural differences between the sexes were emphasized throughout the influential years of childhood. In marriage young men would commit to protect and provide for the woman with whom they had agreed to spend the rest of their lives. Marriage was considered a lifelong partnership with Nuptial vows to be kept despite all obstacles. Although men and women had unity of purpose in progression with their lives, the roles of each were very different, women were expected to remain at home caring for the children, cooking and housework, despite any educational background or career she may have previously had. The husbands role was to provide financially for the family as sole breadwinners and to teach their boys to be courageous and brave, to be out in front, to provide, to be tough and to sacrifice, to perform heavy, physical work at an early age. Mothers educated their daughters to be gen tle, modest, loyal, respectful and supportive, girls were assigned duties around the house assisting with cooking, sewing and cleaning. This behaviour reinforces the idea that gender roles are socially constructed. Women were influenced to break away from the traditional gender roles with the emergence of icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Bell and Betty Friedan. They were very popular and influenced woman in various ways, their motivational work encouraged woman to break out of gender roles, be more independent, be inspired to take on a new role, empower woman to take control of their bodies and to fight for equal opportunities that lead us to the present- with equality between everyone, no matter their gender. (Penny Colman 1995) this is another example of how social construction defines gender. Children, before they grow into adults, have been completely socially engineered and manipulated, generation by generation. Toys are the greatest influence in defining gender in children, as so often children are divided by stereotypes of toys. Children have a strong sense of gender identity and gender role expectations. Most two year olds know whether they are male or female and, by the age of four or five, not only do they develop gender constancy but often show rigid standards of what they believe is appropriate male and female dressing and behaviour. Young children appear to acquire gender roles stereotypes at about the same time they develop gender identity. Social construction has been pressed upon children from the moment they are born, so from an early age the signs of gender roles are already reinforced. Many sociologists insist we now live in postmodern society; shaped by our personal experience, egocentric and mass media, rather than expectations of following a script. Roles in the family had some changes, couples now make decisions together, expressing opinions openly and encouraging mutually the male role in the home is progressing, men are now more supportive in the housework tasks and more child-centred. Male and female roles and identities, which were previously very distinct, are now much more blurred. Women are increasingly choosing to take on roles previously fulfilled by men. Most women and mothers are now employed and occupy 48% of the work force with both men and woman more likely to choose the careers they want. There may be more women in the workforce than there were before but there still exists some division and segregation between the sorts of occupation in which women tend to work and the sorts of jobs men have. Woman are often located in secondary labour market wi th unsecure jobs, low status, inferior work conditions, low salaries and lower chances of promotion, while men retained the primary labour market with high paid salaries, higher status, more secure job placements, good working conditions and easier access to promotion. This explains gender roles are socially constructed whether at home on at work. . Biological determinism (in detail) dont describe, discuss analyse this argument what is it? Biological determinism (in detail) dont describe, discuss analyse this argument what is it? Paragraph 3. Social construction, feral children, children of deprived and a-sexual (media influences) Then next few are optional choose two or three to talk about Family Masculinity/Femininity The body Work roles Media.. Conclusion- shouldnt be too long just refer and summerise back to questiTo conclude, society was previously shaped by society norms and values. Children tended to follow parents footsteps. In postmodern societies, male and female roles and identities, which were previously very distinct, are now becoming blurred. People do not follow a fixed pathway, women dont assume they will become mothers and housewives, men and woman are much more likely to choose what to do in their lives and which identities to adopt. The activities traditionally assigned to members of each sex may no longer be needed and the traditional division of labour by biological sex no longer is appropriate. The traditional gender role for males prepares men for a world that no longer exists. Men no longer are the sole breadwinners in most families, and their traditional place of dominance in society no longer is assured. Change is occurring in the definition of gender roles and identity for both men and woman, with female increasing the participation in a world of paid work, increasing economical independence and viewed as significant consumers. Young females are becoming more self determined preferring to pursue careers and decline marriage and children, with this, woman are more likely to see consumption and leisure as a key factor in their identity, this suggests female identity is being redefined. Traditional ideas and roles of female identity are being abandoned and redefined, becoming a mother and housewife is less significant. And men defining their identity, by being in touch with his feminine side, taking on share roles with partner in housework duties and childcare. We now live in a society where anatomy is not a destiny, the roles and functions once so preserved are now fading in the past, and replaced by society in which true masculinity and femininity are no longer taught or understood. It is impossible to argue that gender is socially constructed or biologically driven because there is evidence that argue for both ways. Society and culture can no doubt shape the beliefs and standards for a certain society, however we cannot ignore our fundamental biological nature.
Analyzing What Boudicca Is
Analyzing What Boudicca Is Though the primary sources on Boudicca are fragmentary and limited, it can still be ascertained that she played a major role in the revolt of the Iceni against the mighty foreign power of Rome. Throughout history powerful men have been viewed as threatening, but powerful women such as the late queen of the Iceni are often seen as awe-inspiring. Owing to Boudiccas mistreatment and bravery she rose up against the Roman Invasion endeavouring to seek vengeance and in doing so shaped European history. Boudicca, one of historys most powerful women, suffered rape only vicariously as a mother, but her revenge destroyed thousands. The rebellion of Boudicca has an established and monumental place in British history. Her ability to recruit a brutal Celtic army and massacre thousands in her revolt displays her courage and determination as a leader. The character of this woman and the events of her life, contribute immensely to her importance in history. While over time she has been viewed by dif ferent perspectives, she is most commonly seen as the obvious; a queen, mother, wife and survivor. Boudiccas revolt against the Romans was initially shaped by misfortunes brought upon her life and her family. Among ancient Celts, women were equal to men and held a number of well established rights. Consequently, when Boudiccas husband, Prasutagus, King of the Iceni tribe met his death in 60 AD, Boudicca took her assumed role as Leader and queen. Her husbands will outlined Boudiccas inheritance of the tribe and its land yet the Romans considered this practise illegal and demanded she hand over her wealth and territories. The injustice of such a demand resulted in Boudiccas strong refusal which ultimately led to her arrest, flogging and then the public brutalisation and rape of her two young daughters. Tacitus, senator and historian of the Roman Empire depicted the event in his work, The Annals. He states, His kingdom was plundered by centuries his wife Boudicca was scoured and his daughters outrage. All the chief men of the Iceni as if Rome had received the whole country as a gift, were stripped of their ancestral possessions, and the kings relatives were made slaves.(http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus/annals.html). This prominent historian outlines significantly the atrocious actions of the Roman Empire and mistreatment of the Royal Family and its tribe. Manifestly, after the assault to her children, her family and her kingdom, it was time to seek vengeance. Boudicca triumphed as courageous female leader and despite the fragmentary nature of sources; there is strong historical evidence which depicts her heroic qualities. In the case of Boudicca, the public lashing she received and the rape of her daughters was a calculated political move on the part of the offending Romans, whose intent was to show the Celts their helplessness against the conquerors. For years Celtic tribes had suffered under roman domination and taxation. They had been driven off their own land and subject to lives as slaves and prisoners. After suffering yet enduring such great offences, Boudicca recruited neighbouring Celtic tribes which without a doubt strongly supported the revolt. Tacitus articulated that even neighbouring tribes which had not yet been cowed by slavery agreed in secret conspiracy to reclaim Celtic freedom. (Annals, 14,31). Cassius Dio, a Roman historian, could not overlook the magnanimity of Boudicca as he romantically depicts her in his literature when he displayed, She was huge of frame, terrifying of aspect, and with a harsh voice. A great mass of bright red hair fell to her knees: she wore a twisted Torc, and a tunic of any colours, over which was a thick mantle, festered by a broach. Now she grasped a spear to strike fear into all that watched her.(www.unc.edu). Without question, Boudiccas larger than life reputation, courageous persona and frightening stance was clearly recognised and depicted strongly in Roman history. Her ability to inspire support from neighbouring tribes in her vengeance in seeking to revolt made her a leader in her own right. Her final speech to her army, retold by Tacitus, displays the motivations of the Celts. Boudicca stated, Roman lust has gone so far that not our very person, nor even age or virginity, are left unpolluted If you weigh well the strength of the armies, and the causes of the war, you will see that this battle you must conquer or die. This is a womens resolve; as for men, they may live and be slaves, and captive.(www.unc.edu). Boudicca expresses that she would rather die than let herself and her tribe fall under the control of the Roman Empire. It is articulated that Boudicca saw the battle as life or death and that women will fight to the very end in the name of vengeance. Despite the fragmentary nature of the sources surrounding Boudicca, it is still evident that her efforts to build and motivate her army display her impact and inspiring leadership qualities. After the rape of her daughters, her own lashing and the outright theft of Iceni lands, Boudicca inspired an army of some 100,000 to break out from the oppression of the Roman Empire. Those who rose up against the Romans were few and far between. Perhaps the most significant factor is that the Roman Legions were far away from the Iceni Lands when the uprising occurred. Roman Governor Suetonius and his army were on the island of Mona and his march would take considerable time to intercept Iceni plans. Consequently, Camulodunum, Romans centre of rule, was attacked by Boudiccas troops and burnt to the ground. With little resistance in Boudiccas path, her army marched on to Londinum which suffered largely the same result as Camolodunum. Boudiccas army slaughtered the Roman people mercilessly. Inspired by vengeance the army marched on. Governor Suetonius described by Tacitus as an officer of distinguished merit, received news of the revolt and gathered 10,000 legionaries and marched them to stop Boudicca in her path of destruction. The exact location of the final battle is unknown but Boudiccas tribe were confident in their triumph against such a small Roman army. What the Iceni army did not have was militaristic training like the Roman soldiers did. Suetonius positioned his army on a hill leaving Boudiccas army to fight uphill, tired and hungry. Cassisus Dio described the Iceni as a swelling army in a battle that lasted all day with Boudicca sending wave after wave of Celts. (www.womenshistory.about.com) Tacitus gives an account of the final battle and tells of the women running around frantically, hair wild, naked and screaming, The Celtic chief was adorned to barbaric splendour with highly ornamental shields of armour. (www.conquest.caeraustralias.com.au) Boudicca was again presented in a heroic light yet her tribe was depicted as unhuman and unsophisticated. This is evident bias as the Romans stood for order and military discipline. Consequently, Boudiccas army were brutally defeated. Boudicca escaped with her daughters and it is believed that they ended their lives with poison to escape punishment and having to submit to the hands of Roman Rule. The Celtic tribes were hopelessly outmatched in militaristic methods yet they represented tradition and religion. Boudicca led a rebellion which literally and metaphorically set Roman Britain ablaze, but in doing so guaranteed the destruction of her people. Regardless of the fragmentary nature of the sources, Boudiccas influence is clear yet her fame in British and Roman history somewhat outweighs her achievements. Cassius Dio expresses the impact of Boudiccas revolt as he highlights, A terrible disaster occurred in Britain, Two cities we sacked, eighty thousand of the Romans and their allies perishedMoreover, all this ruin was brought upon the Romans by a women, a fact which in itself caused them the greatest shame. (M.J.Trow, 2005). Boudicca had clearly made a significant impact, but perhaps the most history making aspect of the revolt was the simple fact that its leader, Boudicca, was a female. Cassius continued to make reference to Boudiccas gender as he articulated that she possessed greater intelligence than what often belongs to a woman. (S.Busby, 2006). The shock to the Romans that a woman caused such a large uprising was evident and contributed greatly to her eminence. In contemporary times, Boudicca, warrior Queen of Iceni, is regarded as a heroine, a leader who stood her ground against foreign invasion. The misfortunes brought upon Boudicca and her tribe resulted in her vengeful seeking war against the Romans. The significant events which destroyed thousands of Romans, is a clear exemplar of her courage and leadership qualities. Despite fragmentary sources she rose as a strong female leader recruiting an outsized army. Her gender along with her achievements contributed immensely to her eminence and important place in history. Her name and history will constantly serve as a brutal yet remarkable reminder of Britains past.
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