Current issues in financial reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Current issues in financial reporting - Essay Example 549-586). This paper explains the importance of financial reporting in organization, and gives the reasons for and against capitalising human resources in the financial statements of a company. Discussion Financial reporting entails communication of useful financial information for making credit, investment and other decisions in business. Reports to the stockholders on quarterly and annual basis, financial statement notes, prospectuses on issuance of security and common stock, and the external financial statements, like the income statements, stockholder’s equity statement, cash flow statements and the statements on stock equity. Financial reporting enhances delivery of information to the shareowners and lenders in business; it is usually component of the essential contract between them since they have the right to know the spending of their money and the returning profits (Ballweiser, 2004). In UK, big changes in financial reporting are under the Financial Services sector. T he Accounting Standards Board, ASB issued exposure drafts that detail the proposals for financial reporting in UK. ... The demand for more transparency ensures growth to the interests of an organization in order to meet such demand constructively. The organization will, therefore, have a strategic value in clarifying for the critical performance as well as internal management of the organization communication. This leads to effective allocation of capital in the organization, and critical in achieving a special attention within the accounting research. Reason for Capitalizing Human Resource in UK Human capital forms the main asset in service companies. The success of an organization can be rated depending on the  employees and customers they retain (Francis, Lafond, Olsson, & Schipper 2005, p. 295-327). Several studies on human resource measurement aim at providing the management of any organization with the traditional financial statements, as well as additional information. The intangible asset from many organizations is more critical than the tangible assets. Intangible assets comprise of the su ccess factors needed for maximization of profits and continual survival of the organization. Like human resource, while the intangible assets comprise of the fixed assets like property. The financial information from the financial statements is considered incomplete when they fail to cover and account the human resources. Financial measuring and reporting by businesses in UK enhance the management and evaluation of people’s performance. This ensures greater transparency on value creation through effective policies and practices that benefit stakeholders and the organization at large. The management of people by an organization impacts their performance. The feature of good managerial practices

Frankenstein Mary Shelly Essay Example for Free

Frankenstein Mary Shelly Essay She is a reminder that even though he gave his monster life she is still dead. It is possible he feels responsible for her death on some level, and now hes responsible for this monster. Shelly focuses the entire dream on death and those close to Frankenstein. It gives the impression that everyone close to Frankensteins heart is tainted even his child and creation. In this paragraph Frankenstein is described as being trapped, too scared to venture into his house. Instead he is confined to the courtyard, waiting with wide eyes to escape onto the streets. Shelly describes the morning just as dismally as the night; rain, cold, depressed atmosphere, but the light is growing. Morning arriving is a portrayal of hope. Once Frankenstein is released onto the streets he walks around quickly, with some unknown purpose. His eyes are ringed with sleep, he moves almost erratically, trying to find something and yet avoiding his monster. Shelly shows a paranoid man, running. Hes drenched and shivering from cold, on the point of breaking down. The picture is unwelcoming and uncomforting. Frankenstein is isolated by the rain and darkness of the black sky. Frankensteins aimless expedition continues, he speeds along pelted by rain, but time only trickles by. It seems he hopes that his stinging eyes and aching legs will numb his troubled mind. Mary Shelly quotes a poem The Ancient Mariner. It fits the story so perfectly it appears as though it could have been her inspiration for this description. It describes a terrified man scared of whats following him. His follower is said to be a frightful fiend, like Frankensteins monster, close to him like a friend but evil, waiting to creep up on him. The poem itself is about sailors searching for land, searching for an albatross to lead them to safety. Frankenstein is also lost in the dark winding streets of Ingolstadt desperate for help. Mary Shelly brings the tension up almost as high as it can go in this section of the chapter. To keep the story flowing she cuts through the suspense with a stinger. Cleval arrives signifying the start of a new stage in the story. Frankenstein is on the point of breaking down when his old friend appears. Clevals arrival brings Frankenstein around and lightens the mood; soon the monster is almost forgotten. Shelly stops using oppressive descriptions and starts describing Frankensteins interactions with his old friend. The reader moves from Frankensteins shoes to an outsider, watching the story unfold. Frankenstein is twitching and restless, terrified that the monster is still in his apartment. He acts childishly in front of Cleval making him wait downstairs while he checks to see if his nightmare is gone. Frankenstein throws open doors and charges into rooms ready to confront his ghouls and demons. Once he realizes that the monster isnt there he becomes giddy with joy. Mary Shelly procedes too describe him as feverish and unsettled. This is noticed by Cleval, alarmed by his ostentatious laughter and wild darting eyes. Frankensteins mind may be more at ease, like the readers, but hes obviously feeling uncomfortable showing that the threat isnt gone. Frankenstein had been malnourished and sleep deprived for many months, and in the last few weeks leading up to the reanimation of his assembled body his life was barely there. Mary Shelly shows Frankenstein as being delirious and senseless, almost wild in the way he moved and did things. Frankenstein is finally overcome by exhaustion and he breaks down, which in turn develops into a feverish illness that renders Frankenstein helplessly weak for months. Shelly allows the necessary time for him to recover which is vital for the story. She had made the story so tense but it needed to continue on, so Frankensteins illness allows the tension to simmer and the plot to progress onto the next chapter. As he slowly recovers things finally return to normal. Shelly gradually stops using depressing worlds like gloom and dismal which were frequent occurrences in the winter months. Instead she describes the holly springtime and plants with buds growing symbolizing new life and a new beginning for Frankenstein. In conclusion, Mary Shelly uses numerous techniques to achieve the right amount of suspense and atmosphere in this chapter. She frequently applies gothic machinery to her descriptions. Shelly distorts the light the increase suspense and consistently describes drab and dreary weather to give an underlying base of gloom. Shelly continuously shows Frankenstein as being terrified, mad with fear yet relentless. His strange behaviour unnerves the reader. Shelly uses longer sentences throughout this chapter to make it appear that the time spent between the reanimation and meeting Cleval even longer. Shelly carefully uses the poem The Ancient Mariner (which mirrors the Frankensteins situation) to cut the tension in the middle of the chapter allowing it to peak then plateau. Shelly moves the reader from the point of view of Frankenstein to the point of an outsider several times, not literally, but by increasing the tension and allowing it to fall, the reader occasionally feels as though they are there with Frankenstein. Shelly does all of this seamlessly, not letting any style or technique stand out and draw away from the seemingly natural flow of the chapter, and still developing the atmosphere terrifically throughout.   Jessica Williamson English 1574 24/10/2005 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

The Local Economic Impact From Mega Events Tourism Essay

The Local Economic Impact From Mega Events Tourism Essay In this section, the researcher will present the reason for the selection of this topic. An introduction about mega sporting events, the research questions, its aims and objectives, the literature review, theoretical rationale, methodology, its limitations and followed by a short summary will be written in this proposal. As the researcher in writing is much more familiar with the Singapore economy, the research would be based on the local market, which would be the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix. Roche (2000) describes mega-sporting events as large-scale cultural (including commercial and sporting) events which have a dramatic character, mass popular appeal and international significance. They are typically organised by variable combination of national governmental and international non-governmental organisations. This describes that such events should attract viewers and media representatives from all over the world and that the host city or nation should experience alterations to the regular cycle of events. The hosting of sport events in particular has showed a number of potential benefits. Potential benefits such as investments, advertising, tax generation, revenue generation, enhanced community image, job creation, positive spiritual earnings, health and fitness, promotion of sport, creating local amusement, creation of new infrastructure, improvement community pride, urban redevelopment, increased tourist flow, according to Daniels and Norman (2003), and Kim et al. (1998). Research Question This research explains how mega-events like Singapore Formula One Grand Prix affects the local economic impact and the strategies adopted. The research is classified under the following question where in this report; the researchers effort will be concentrated on giving insights on this research question. How do managers use strategic analysis tools on a mega-event such as F1? Aims and Objectives The aim of this research is to discuss the impact of strategic analysis tools used on mega-events, on how events such as Formula One is marketed to the beneficial of Singapores local economy. Thus, the researcher will be aiming to attain the following objectives: To identify the different strategic analysis tools used for economic impacts. To develop an understanding on how these strategic analysis tools are placed on to mega-events. To discover the influences from strategic analysis tools on mega-events such as Formula One. To examine the effectiveness of the strategic analysis tools impact on Formula One. Literature Review Mega-events such as Formula One have the ability to attract large numbers of visitors and their expenditure, which is often sought after by local tourism agencies because of their actual potential to contributing to tourism marketing and development. An important fundamental that government bodies put forward to hosting a mega-sports event is the perceived economic benefits that the event creates (Porter, 1999). It is usually claim that mega-events, such as the Formula One Grand Prix, give an incentive to business resulting in economic benefits generated which are greater than the costs, including public funding, from hosting the event. Sports entrepreneurs or government bodies typically engage consulting agencies to outline an economic impact report (Johnson and Sack, 1996). Regardless of the mega-sports event, such reports from consulting agencies normally claim a huge positive economical impact. However, there are a lot of criticisms in the academic literature on the effectiveness of these economic impact analyses. Matheson (2002; 2006) points out that many (event-sponsored) studies overstate the economic impact on local communities and Porter (1999) states that the envisioned benefits of public spending never occur. This explains that the future prospects of hosting such mega-events are worse off for developing countries and the opportunity cost of providing up-to-date facilities are greater and the need of modern infrastructure required poses a major further investment. 4.1 Impact of Events Mega events can help re-prioritise urban agendas, create post event usage debates, often stimulate urban redevelopment, and are instruments of boosterish ideologies promoting economic growth (Hiller, 2003, p. 449). Thus, these offer an extensive range of potential positive and negative impacts for host destinations and are both short- and long-term. Even though now there is significant competition between destinations, there is still significant gaps between the experience of mega-events in developing and advanced societies, between economic and non-economic outcomes. Mega-events should be part of a long-term developing and marketing plan. The hosting of mega-event can play a critical role in marketing or branding a host destination and be part of a long-term development or positioning strategy. It is important for the marketing opportunity sought from hosting a mega-event to be seen as part of a longer term strategic marketing plan for the destination as opposed to a one-off marketing event (Jago, Dwyer, Lipman, Vorster, 2010, p.231). If a host destination has a development plan in place, the hosting of a mega-event can perform as a catalyst to bringing forward future development opportunities. In this case, this often brings in merit in creating an on-going suite of events that utilises the infrastructure built for the mega-event and enhance the reputation and profile of the host destination over time. In order to formulate a plan for both short- and long-term event outcomes, the organizing committee must consider various event leveraging strategies to be adopted. (OBrien and Chalip, 2007). The leveraging perception is implicated with planning ahead of the event so that a host city can improve and maximize positive impacts such as increased business, tourism and social aspects and benefits Chalip (2004, p. 245) explains that a strategic management process must be formed and implemented in order to properly leverage the opportunities from hosting an event. Strategic analysis tools such as SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, Porters Five Forces analysis and Value Chain analysis are appropriate for the evaluation of event leveraging or marketing strategies. The following section will examine what the natures of the said four analysis tools entails and how it is applied to a strategic management process for the organization to host mega-events. 4.2 SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is whereby an approach to analyze the aspects of the external environment, in order to identify and establish the most attractive or suitable course of action in terms of strategic decisions to be used. In the sport context, Shank (2009) found that the strengths and weaknesses are manageable elements within the establishment (in this case a host city) that may influence the objectives of the strategic management process. In this case, conducting a SWOT analysis is deemed helpful for host destinations as it can provide event organizers to recognize how the strengths of their country or city can be matched with opportunities that exist in the environment, and useful insights to leverage the benefits of the event. A brief example of a SWOT analysis on Singapore Formula One Grand Prix can be seen in Figure 1. C:UsersNoWaKiDesktopSWOT table.png Figure1 4.3 PEST Analysis PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations (Roumboutsos, Chiara, 2010). It understands the political, economic, socio-cultural and technological of the business environment and event managers can use PEST to scan the environment and adjust their plans to minimize threats and capitalize on opportunities. In the context of Singapores Formula One, brief examples of PEST analysis can be seen as: Political Seen as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the public and private sectors. Economic A stable and growing economy, translating to high consumer confidence and increase in spending Social Lack of racing events in Singapore, thus the idea of Formula One will be well received by the society. Technology Singapore ranked 2nd place of World Class IT Infrastructure by the World Economic Forum in 2011. 4.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis Porters (1980) five forces framework models the five most significant competitive rivalry forces in an industry in order to determine that industrys profitability. This serves as a proxy for the magnetism of the industry for potential entrants and determines the industries profitability. The five forces are: rivalry between competitors in the industry, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of consumers, barriers to entry and threat of substitutes. Thus, in the case of Singapore Formula One, examples can be seen in Figure 2. C:UsersNoWaKiDesktopUntitled.png Figure 2 4.5 Value Chain Analysis Value Chain analysis defines each activity that takes place in a business organization and relates them to an analysis of the competitiveness in the environment.  It is based on the principal that firms (or events) exist to create value for their customers and helps to identify new business opportunities. The value chain analysis includes a couple of significant theoretical distinctions, one being between primary and support activities (Porter, 1985). Primary activities create value for the customer, whereas support activities support primary activities and indirectly affect customer value. Competitive advantage involves signification and interpretation on the activity cost behavior drivers and differentiation generated by those activities. Product differentiation in turn effects what customers are willing to pay for the firms products, thus depending on the activity cost drivers leading to the end product. A simplified table used on Formula One can be seen in Figure 3. C:UsersBenjamin PhoonDesktopUntitled.png Figure 3 Theoretical Rationale Leveraging mega-events such as the Formula One can offer incentives and benefits to a host destination, relating to cultural insights, development of collaborations and improved organizational networks (Kellet et al., 2008). In order to successfully leverage the event, strategic analysis tools such as SWOT, PEST, Porters Five Forces and Value Chain Analysis associated with hosting the event can provide valuable knowledge to host destinations. Analysis of weaknesses in the operating environment, such as economic stability and political support (Shank, 2009) can also offer valuable insights for event managers and tourism providers to plan on how the host destination can reap the benefits from the sport event (OBrien and Chalip, 2007). However, mega-events can lead to an entryway to under-utilized infrastructure and debts. Jones (2001) argues that the justifications in the use of public funds are based on the economic benefits that are often overstated. The case of Montreal 1976, where they experienced a tremendous debt after hosting an event, which cost the country and its residents over CAD$2 billion in capital and interest cost (Whitson and Horne, 2006). Therefore, the selection of Strategic Choice Theory and Stakeholder Theory would be appropriate for this rationale. Stakeholder theory (Freeman, 1984) focuses the organizations efforts on developing a firm that has to deal with a multitude constituent groups other than customers and shareholders. Stakeholders groups represented are both legitimate and powerful, thus this approach seeks to widen the vision of a marketing manager, of his/her duties, rather than just being profit and customer oriented (Mitchell et al., 1997). Stakeholders are distinguished into two categories primary and secondary. Managing both primary and secondary stakeholder relationships is critical and essential for the marketing organization in achieving marketing objectives. Strategic analysis theory contends that marketing managers plays an exceptional role in a marketing firms success or failure in the market, with other factors such as product development and market repositioning efforts (Child, 1972). Strategic decisions made by managers are often made with careful considerations for the marketing firm as the primary driver, where they are able to adopt a specific type of strategy that fits their main marketing competencies. Strategic choices geared to the accomplishment of achievable strategic objectives are more likely to be effective through an open managerial decision- making process (Harrison and Pelletier, 1998). With the inter-relationship between stakeholder and strategic choice theory, stakeholders (e.g., customers, media, and shareholders) will have an influence and affect on marketing managers strategic decision making on the nature of the situation (Jawahar and Mclaughlin, 2001). A clear role of stakeholders is that they can provide necessary and vital information and if well captured by marketing firms, would lead to better organizational performance in decision making (Mori, 2010). A simple model of the process of decision making can be seen in Figure 4. C:UsersBenjamin PhoonDesktopUntitled.png Figure 4 Managers would use strategic analysis tools to measure the strengths and opportunities from stakeholders to hosting a mega-event, in this case, Formula One in Singapore and make strategic choices within constraints. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of what can be classed as a major sporting event of international recognition and its implications from the perspectives of government officials, private businesses and local residents. Furthermore, sports events research has lacked exploratory findings to qualitatively examine how it impacts on the local economy. Hence, the following research will utilize a qualitative approach to begin developing an understanding of how mega-events such as Formula One would impact on the local economy using strategic analysis tools. This research will offer a basis for future qualitative research and provide relevant information to future researchers studying strategic analysis tools to evaluate and identify data relevant to strategy formulation mainly on mega-events. Research Methods The researcher will undertake a case-study and secondary data approach. This study will only be analyzed by a qualitative approach and thus, the researcher will conduct a case study based on qualitative findings. Qualitative research focuses on the gathering of more richer and in-depth data from other smaller samples (Kent, 1999). Case Study According to Yin (1984), case study research method is defined as an empirical inquiry that explores a contemporary phenomenon and the real-life context in which it occurred; when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly palpable; and in which several sources of evidence are used. The approach of a qualitative case study is to research and assists examination of an occurrence within its context and to compare using a wide range of data sources for research validity (M. Dooley, 2002). This will ensure that the focus is not explored through a single view, but a variety of views which allows for various facets of the event to be exposed and understood (Baxter Jack, 2008). Secondary Data Secondary sources will be mainly used to collect and utilized to gather qualitative data related with this research. This is especially helpful as the researcher lives in Singapore and could not acquire data of market situations from other countries holding mega-events such as Formula One. In this case, different research reports, books, electronic journals and web portals will be accessed to gather information from these sources to conduct the study of the available secondary data. Data Analysis Firstly, after collating data from secondary sources and case studies, the researcher will read and transcribed all collected data to get a general sense as a whole and ideas presented. It is crucial to take into consideration the value of the data before analysing as it may not be significant to the research. Next, the researcher will identify areas to be covered and what is to be achieved based on the aims and objectives of the research by focusing on the analysis. In this case, the researcher can focus on the analysis by comparing the data collected from various case studies and secondary sources in a qualitative perspective, in which theoretical statements and causal relationships are clearly developed from and grounded in the phenomena studied (Cumberbatch, 2004). Thus, this leads to the use of Grounded Theory where it provides a mix of flexibility and structure with unambiguous guidelines, where the researcher will adopt the usage of coding. Coding is a method of constant comparison which led to the founding of Grounded Theory on the conceptualisation of data (Jones, Keifilik and Zanko, 2005). There are three steps of coding in analysing data collected. Opening coding is about understanding and to have a constant comparison of data collected that would be fractured into conceptual codes. In this case regarding to case study methodology, the researcher may categorise factors of economic impacts from mega-events into codes such as social, environmental, strengths, benefits, etc. The next step after data has been fractured, axial coding would be used. It is the process of exploring new relationships among the data and to discover any connections between them (Warburton, 2012). The final step would be selective coding, whereby it involves picking of certain codes to construct and integrate them with the listed categories in the axial coding model as part of the approach to developing a grounded theory (Strauss and Cobin, 1998). Limitations One of the main limitations is that an independent empirical process research is not being employed due to restrictions of organizations being reluctant to provide accurate data as some sports that host mega-events are naturally secretive. F1 is heavily technologically driven; therefore the release of information is seen as a pejorative to the sport. Reliance can only be placed upon the accuracy of data provided from external sources such as case studies and mainly secondary data. However, this issue will be minimized through the approach of identifying as many different reports as possible and cross-referencing them. Timeline The Gantt chart in the appendix section will be showing the estimated time needed for each process up till the submission of the dissertation itself. Conclusion In conclusion, the researcher will use a qualitative research methodology to have a better understanding and insight of the local economic impact of mega-events, using Formula One as the key event to the research. With the study on strategic analysis tools, the researcher will be able to find out how marketing managers analyse the economic situation and make strategic decisions on for the success of leveraging mega-events. It is also vital that the researcher have an open mind without any biasness in order to obtain accurate data for the development of grounded theory while conducting this qualitative research. Nevertheless, information acquired for the research will hopefully formalize a grounded theory and to be used as guidance for future researchers and academics studying economic impact from mega-events using analytic tools, to have a better insight and build on in the future for improvement. Appendices C:UsersNoWaKiDesktopUntitled.png Planned Timeline/Gantt Chart of Dissertation

Macbeth :: Essays Papers

Macbeth The witches and Lady Macbeth appear to dominate Macbeth's will, but in reality Macbeth is always in control. The confusion is created because, unlike these one dimensional, aggravating characters, he understands the complexity of the problem and must wrestle with his conscience. However, his action is based primarily upon his own desires. Ironically, given his understanding of the issues, he is horrified by the immensity of his crime once it has been committed and his terrified of the consequences. Clearly Macbeth understands the problem he faces and must struggle with his conscience. Throughout Macbeth's soliloquy in Scene 1 he expresses his feelings by saying, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear Thy very stones prate of my whereabout, And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives: Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. (Act 2, Scene 1) With that speech he is saying don't hear the steps I walk for fear they will give away my whereabouts. He wishes that the silence would break so he could finish his work. This meaning he wants the bell to ring, causing a break in silence, signaling him to kill Duncan so he can get his evil deed finished. To add to that point he also is saying that talking is delaying action. Actions being the killing of Duncan. The bold reality is that he is struggling within himself because he just wants to get it over and done with. He has everything under control now and just hopes that he wont be found out. The complexity of his problem between his ambition and loyalty he recognizes, knowing that he wants to do this but prays not to be caught in his act of disloyalty. Macbeth's ambitions are that of his own desire. The murdering of Duncan is purely what Mabeth truly wants. These desires are well pointed out during his soliloquy in Scene 1. He says, Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 19

Finding them wasn't so easy. No one was at my apartment, and Vincent didn't answer his phone. I drove down to the Cellar, hoping maybe they'd all decided to start drinking mid-day. Nope. The pub was barren, with only a couple bored patrons sitting at the bar. Frustrated, I called Hugh, deciding it was time to get help from my own resources. â€Å"Is Jerome back yet?† â€Å"No,† the imp said. â€Å"Do you need him?† â€Å"Kind of.† â€Å"Kind of?† â€Å"It's a long story.† â€Å"I'm in the city for a meeting. You want to have lunch and explain? I'm practically down the street from your place. I'll meet you there, and we'll go eat.† It was the first time I'd talked to Hugh since the blowup at Peter's over Seth and me. I was still reeling from all that, but I did kind of want to get feedback from another immortal source. Besides, I was rapidly running out of options. It only took ten minutes for him to show up, but it felt like an hour. â€Å"Holy shit,† said Hugh, spotting the Christmas trees when he walked in. â€Å"Your apartment's a national park.† â€Å"Be quiet.† â€Å"I'm serious. You need a ranger working in here.† â€Å"Come on. Let's go.† We walked to a deli down the street. Once we were seated with our food, I began explaining to him why I needed Jerome. By the time I finished the Nyx story, Hugh's mirth had faded. â€Å"Fuck,† he said, biting into an enormous Reuben. â€Å"That might be worth bugging Jerome after all.† â€Å"Where is he?† I asked. â€Å"Another training?† Hugh shrugged. â€Å"Not entirely sure. He was vague about it. Grace and Hiroko insinuated he's having ‘a personality conflict' with another demon and went to settle it.† â€Å"Oh, God,† I said. â€Å"Not a duel?† â€Å"I don't know. I hope not. Those crazy bitches seemed pretty smug, so they're probably hoping for some opportunity to pull a power play out of all this. You know how they are. Still†¦you could probably go to them for help with all this.† I could†¦but if Jerome had something weird going on, I didn't want to get enmeshed with his lieutenants and possibly be used in some way. The two demonesses worked for him but would seize any chance for promotion, and when political tremors shook our world, everyone was quick to exploit everyone else. â€Å"I'll hold out for the angels,† I said. â€Å"As long as I can space out my energy fixes, there shouldn't be a problem. If I can't find Carter and friends in another day or so, I'll think about talking to Grace and Hiroko.† â€Å"I can get a hold of him if you really need it,† said Hugh. I smiled at the uneasy tone in his voice. â€Å"Yeah, but your instructions were to avoid bothering him at all costs, right?† The imp nodded. â€Å"It's okay. I'll wait on the angels. If I have to go to Grace and Hiroko, they can be the ones to decide if it's worth interrupting Jerome for. I mean, the evidence is pretty solid†¦but, well, if we're wrong, and it turns out to be nothing†¦ Jerome's going to be pissed that I bothered him based on the word of two humans.† â€Å"Pissed at all of us.† â€Å"Yeah.† I idly picked holes in my sandwich with the toothpick that held it together. â€Å"Are you scared?† asked Hugh. â€Å"Of Nyx?† â€Å"Yeah. I am. I don't like the idea of anything invading my sleep. Certainly not something that powerful. That guy I mentioned – Dante – is going to try to make me a charm or something to ward her away.† Hugh snorted. â€Å"No human can make a charm like that.† â€Å"He's a magician. He said he could.† â€Å"Sweetie. Nyx is a fucking deity – no, more than that. An uber-deity. A force of the universe that was instrumental in creation. She's been weakened over time, yeah, but some strung-out, psychic sham can't make a charm powerful enough to scare her off. There are probably only a handful of humans in the world who could, and to get that kind of power†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hugh shook his head. â€Å"I don't know. Based on what you've told me, I'm just not seeing it.† I'd had my own doubts about Dante, but I'd thus far managed to push them aside and keep hoping for the best. Hearing Hugh, I felt all of my misgivings return. â€Å"Fuck,† I said. Silence fell as we munched on our sandwiches a bit. Rain fell outside, and hungry customers ducked in to avoid it. Hugh watched a cute brunette order at the counter, then he turned his attention back to me. â€Å"Any idea when Niphon's leaving?† I frowned. â€Å"Whenever Tawny gets a victim.† Now Hugh frowned. â€Å"But she did, didn't she?† â€Å"Did she?† â€Å"I don't know. That's what Simon said. Or at least, he thought she did. He said she was up there dancing with a glow a couple nights ago. Made up for the shitty job she was doing.† A couple nights ago†¦ â€Å"No†¦that's impossible. I saw her right around then, and she still hadn't taken anybody. She was so low, I had to kiss her again. He's wrong.† â€Å"Maybe she got a glow from the kiss.† Hugh sounded kind of hopeful. â€Å"You use a lot of tongue?† â€Å"It wasn't that big of a kiss. No glow. Just enough to get by.† â€Å"Huh.† He swirled the ice around in his Diet Coke. â€Å"I guess Simon was wrong. Figured he'd be good at spotting that stuff.† I would have thought so too. â€Å"Hugh†¦this is going to sound weird, but I think Tawny may be faking how inept she is.† He looked rightfully startled. â€Å"Why the fuck would she do that?† â€Å"I don't know. I think it's to help Niphon. But none of this makes sense. This is the second time I've heard of her possibly getting a fix, but then I've seen her shortly thereafter, and she was way too low to have burned through so much so quickly.† â€Å"Maybe she's got your problem.† â€Å"I have a lot of problems.† â€Å"Your Nyx problem. Maybe Tawny's losing her energy too.† Whoa. Interesting idea. And why not? If Nyx was preying on one succubus, why not two? And it would explain how Tawny was losing energy so quickly. Except†¦ â€Å"If Nyx is taking her energy, that means she's actually getting it to begin with. But Tawny keeps telling me she isn't having sex.† â€Å"Huh. A servant of Hell lying. Go figure.† â€Å"Yeah, but why? Niphon's risking getting both of them in a shitload of trouble if Jerome or anyone else finds out. He's gambling a lot just to stick around and annoy me. And if Hell thinks Tawny isn't doing her job, they'll recall her.† Hugh gave me a funny look. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"What's that for?† â€Å"You didn't read the book, did you?† â€Å"What book?† â€Å"The succubus manual.† â€Å"You know I didn't.† â€Å"And I even got you the abridged one,† he said, sounding wounded. â€Å"Hugh,† I growled. â€Å"What's your point?† â€Å"The point is that as her mentor, you're accountable for her actions. If she can't bag a victim, you're the one they'll call in.† â€Å"What? That's ridiculous.† â€Å"Those are the rules now.† â€Å"So, what, I get slapped on the wrist for her screwing up?† â€Å"Slap on the wrist? For being a succubus who can't teach another one to have sex? It's so ludicrous, it's probably never happened before. I don't know what they'd do. Censure you at the very least. Transfer you to work under a senior succubus.† â€Å"I am a senior succubus.† He shrugged. â€Å"But if she's lying†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Then prove it.† I rubbed my eyes. â€Å"This is utterly insane. Why does Niphon hate me so much? He already bought my soul, for God's sake. What more is there?† I expected some smartass remark. Instead, I received silence. I looked at Hugh. â€Å"What? What is it now?† He pointedly glanced away. â€Å"Hugh!† â€Å"I don't know, Georgina.† Hugh rarely called me by my first name. I was usually honey or sweetie. â€Å"Sometimes we make deals, and they seem airtight, but something goes wrong.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"I worked with another imp when I lived in Dallas. Raquel. She brokered this one deal with a guy who was pissed off when his wife left him because he found out he was sterile. Couldn't have kids.† Hugh helpfully illustrated the meaning by pointing down toward his lower torso. â€Å"I know what sterile means, Mr. Wizard. Get on with it.† â€Å"So, he sold his soul under the conditions that his ex-wife couldn't have kids either. He was bitter and into the poetic justice thing, apparently. Wanted to punish her with what she'd punished him over. So, he gave up his soul, and our side gave her some kind of inflammation thing that totally destroyed her fallopian tubes and scarred up her uterus. I don't know. Girl stuff.† I had to hold back an eye roll. Hugh might feign ignorance about ‘girl stuff,' but he'd found time in his years of corruption to go to medical school. He knew more about this than I did. â€Å"Harsh,† I said. â€Å"But fitting from the guy's point of view, I guess.† â€Å"Yeah. Should have been a done deal, but something went wrong. Or, well, right. Her ovaries still worked – she was making eggs, even if she couldn't carry a baby. She and her new husband found a surrogate mother. The wife donated eggs, they mixed up a Petri dish cocktail, and the surrogate carried the baby. Bam!† â€Å"The wife had a child after all,† I mused. â€Å"Wow. Hell gets defeated by science. All those philosophers from the Enlightenment were right.† Hugh scoffed at my joke. â€Å"It was stupid. Someone – by which I mean, Raquel – should have thought of that when they picked the infection as a way to make that lady infertile. Raquel fucked up. The guy was able to take his case back to Hell and won his soul back for breach of contract.† â€Å"Oh, wow,† I said. â€Å"I bet that went over well. What's Raquel doing nowadays?† He grimaced. â€Å"I think we're all happier not knowing.† I agreed. â€Å"But what's this have to do with me? That's kind of a rare case.† â€Å"Eh, it happens more than you'd think. Most of the time, the seller doesn't even notice something got messed up. But if the imp or someone else in authority catches it, I've seen them move Heaven and Earth – no pun intended – to fix it.† â€Å"So, you're implying that Niphon's here, finagling all this stuff with Tawny, because he did something wrong in my purchase?† Hugh spread his hands out. â€Å"I don't know. All I know is that when an imp shows up and is going to this much trouble over something, the evidence suggests it's big. Maybe not a situation like Raquel's, maybe not a breach of contract, but something.† â€Å"My contract's long since done,† I murmured. â€Å"Everyone it involved is dead now. If there was a problem, I would have had to bring it up back then.† â€Å"Like I said, I don't know. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions.† â€Å"Could you look? Could you get a hold of the contract?† â€Å"No.† Hugh's answer came almost before I finished speaking. â€Å"Absolutely not.† â€Å"But if there's some wording I didn't know about – â€Å" â€Å"You think I can just go walk into Hell's records and pull a contract I'm not involved with?† he exclaimed. â€Å"Fuck. If I got caught, it'd make what happened to Raquel look like a promotion.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"No,† he said again, voice like stone. â€Å"No debate. I love you, sweetie. You know I do. You're like my sister, and I'd do almost anything for you, but not this. I'm sorry.† I glared. He glared back. â€Å"Look, you want my advice? Get rid of Niphon. And Tawny, if you can. Expose them if they really are pulling something here, and Jerome will take it from there.† â€Å"Jerome's not even around! Damn it. Why can't you help me with this? You were so quick to help with my love life when you were talking to Seth the other night.† Hugh narrowed his eyes. â€Å"It was probably the best thing I've ever done for you.† â€Å"Are you insane? He's walking around talking about that now – all worried about how he's going to hurt me and make me miserable!† â€Å"Good,† snapped Hugh. â€Å"He should be.† I shoved my trash onto my tray and stood up. â€Å"See you later. Thanks for†¦well, nothing.† Hugh followed me over to the garbage bins. â€Å"You're behaving irrationally. On all of this.† â€Å"I'd never treat you the way you're treating me,† I said, dumping my tray. â€Å"I'm your friend.† â€Å"Friendship has nothing to do with this.† â€Å"It has everything to do with this!† He stacked his tray on the others and looked at his watch. â€Å"Look, I have to go. I'm sorry I can't give you the answers you want. Am I going to see you at Peter's?† Peter, unable to pass up party-giving opportunities, was hosting a Christmas dinner, weird as that seemed. â€Å"No. I'm going to be with Seth. Unless he breaks up with me because of your great advice.† Hugh bit his lip on some remark that probably would have been uncomplimentary. Shaking his head, he turned around and left.

Scholarship letter 2015 Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Scholarship letter 2015 Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers People often say money isnt everything however this true. Money is a major part in gaining a college education. Therefore as an upcoming college freshman I wish to obtain any scholarship I can. I am from Missouri City, Texas unlike some students home is not around the corner. Secondly, I come from a very larger family and this fall my parents will have two students in college. Lastly, I dont desire to take out any loans if I dont need to. Money is not everything but I need it to start my new chapter in life. I plan to obtain my PHD in chemistry then farther my education as I go into physical therapy school. After I become a great physical therapist I will then start to train others and start an internship program. In my program I will teach and train the interns to the best of my abilities and at the end of the program I will have a job waiting for them. I plan to gain an education and teach others so I can bless them as I was bless. I want to become a physical therapist because they help God heal those who need to be healed from there body to their soul. At times there is just one check rolling in for the bills. Honestly I need to take as much pressure off my family as possible. It might sound bad now but my family just came across their struggle we all have them. My family believes in education, my parents have bachelor degrees and my brother and sister are obtaining degrees as well. I have big shoes to fill as you can see and my parents have plans to see me soar. Therefore, I wont let them down which is another reason I will stay in school and achieve my goals.

How to Take Math Notes With a Smartpen

How to Take Math Notes With a Smartpen Everybody knows that its important to take good math notes, but do you really know how to take notes that really make a difference? The old rules may not work for modern students. For example, weve always heard that you should use a sharp pencil to take math notes. But these days its much better to use a smartpen! Using a Smartpen for Taking Math Notes A smartpen has the ability to record your teachers lecture as you take notes. This is important because no matter how quickly you copy notes in class, you are likely to miss something. If you are able to record the lecture as you write, you can review the teachers words as you work through the class problemsand you can do it over and over again! The best tool for recording math class is the Pulse Smartpen, by LiveScribe. This pen will enable you to tap on any space in your written notes and hear the lecture that took place while you were writing it. If you cant afford a smartpen, you may be able to use a recording feature on your laptop, iPad, or tablet. If these tools arent accessible, you can use a digital recorder.If you cant use a smartpen, you should be sure to write down everything that might be useful as you do your homework. Be sure to copy every single step of every problem, and in the margins of your notes, jot down anything the teacher says that may give additional clues t o the process. Science has shown that we all learn best through repetition over time. Rewrite each problem or process at night as you study. Also, try to re-listen to the lecture.Sometimes we struggle on exams because we havent worked through enough problems. Before you leave a class, ask for extra sample problems that are similar to the problems your teacher works through. Try to work through the extra problems on your own, but seek advice online or from a tutoring center if you get stuck.Buy a used math textbook or two with more sample problems. Use these textbooks to supplement your lectures. It is possible that one book author will describe things in a more comprehensible manner than another.

Discovering Texas essay

Discovering Texas essay Discovering Texas essay Discovering Texas essayThe factors that could result in Texas transforming from a Republican Party dominate state, to a Democratic one include economic changes and increased demographic changes in the region that could considerably increase the participation of voters in political elections. Besides, a Democratic party could become dominant in the state if there were the opportunities for political growth, such as the election of new leadership, the changed organizational structure and other factors. Finally, the party could become successful and dominate in Texas if a large number of voters from the Republican Party were attracted by the Democratic Party during election campaigns. It is necessary to remember that â€Å"Republican growth was affected by several socioeconomic and cultural forces that conflated during the 1960s-1970s to enable an emerging and popular image of liberalism as weak, amoral and failed†. The implications at the state and national level if it were to m ake this transformation would be considerable. If a Republican Party failed to win elections, it could not control governing organizations and agencies. In other words, it could not dominate the public policy process in a proper way. It is necessary to remember that Republican and Democratic Parties have their presence at the state and national levels. The above mentioned transformation could lead to conflicts between governing organizations and agencies at the state and national levels. Moreover, these implications could be explained by the fact that the two parties dominate political elections on the national level, and they dominate elections at the state and local levels. These facts mean that the implications at the state and national level if it were to make this transformation could lead to changes in political environment.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Philosophy - Essay Example In a prevalent information source – the Internet, where everybody everywhere can upload information – how do we know if these information are true or otherwise? These are just some of the highlights of the movie – philosophically. In the following sections, I will discuss several others that have struck a chord in me. On Utilitarianism In short and simple language the principle of utility as a consequentialist theory would say that the action is right when its consequences are right or when it brings about the greater good or pleasure to the greater number. In the movie, the principle of utility was presented but the phrase of â€Å"the greater number† can be argued since the goal was for Mr. Cobb to be with his children again. He was doing something illegal and yet he thinks it is worth it because the people who he is doing the job for can ‘erase his charges’ – the ultimate goal for Mr. Cobb. In another sense this can also be attribute d to Machiavelli’s â€Å"the end justifies the means† – that although he was doing something illegal, this was all going to be worth it once he goes home. The movie ends by showing that he was able to go home and be with his kids. The happiness that he projected is enough to show that what he went through was worth it. Many of us go through with these dilemmas with or without being consciously aware of it. What is good if we are aware of the dilemma is that we are able to make the options and weigh the best options there is for us. But if we are not aware, we might just go right in – as what is shown in the movie. How do you know what is real and what is a dream? This is one question in the movie that presented how one searches for the truth. One of the lines in the movie that may be related to this is â€Å"The smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can define you or destroy you†. Our search for truth can be hard sometimes. The truth about the best diet tips or best dating tips are all over – from the Internet, to the movies, to friends and even maybe one’s own experience. We can claim that this works for us but it may not work for the others. The usual reaction would be to look for another truth or another claim that can be true to us. On the other hand, we can modify some parts of the claim and make it true to us. The ultimate question is â€Å"how do you know it is the truth?† – Mal was plagued with this question and she was entombed in her own reality. Many of us may be trapped in our own realities like the close chance of winning the lottery jackpot, when in fact there is always that statistical chance of 1 to N; or the reality we embrace are perfect and indispensable, but in fact we are vulnerable to diseases; or the reality that we are creative and artistic, when in fact there are others who are more creative than us. We realize the reality of the matter when we fail or when we get sick â₠¬â€œ just like the â€Å"kick† that they get in the movie or when they sense the discrepancies from the reality and the dream state (which is usually painful because really, waking up to the truth can be painful as well). On Existentialism When Ariadne was introduced to the inception, she disliked it but Mr. Cobb commented that â€Å"Reality won’t be enough for her now† – and I was taken aback because it seemed like it can become an

Art Institute Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art Institute - Assignment Example It was not just a picture of women crying, but also had lots of expressions on it. The overall experience was great, although there were certain areas that really put me off. For instance, the employees who worked there did not seem to be very friendly. In addition, flash photography was not permitted inside the museum and, therefore, one could not really experience the fun of walking around the museum. I took interest in a medieval painting of a child being held by the parent. This child looked like a miniature adult and that is one common thing from the painting of the medieval times. However, neither the name of the artist nor the school of art has been provided for this particular painting (Gardner et al. 126). I particularly enjoyed various works of sculptures, but there is mostly one that caught my attention. This was a work done by Richmond Barthe of ‘The boxer’. The piece of art depicts African Americans. In the year 1942, the boxer corresponded to the period of time where boxers, especially the blacks like Joe Louis, used to fight with their white rivals and ended up beating them. It meant a huge step for the African Americans and on the basis of equality at least while boxing (Gardner et al. 99). In the institute there is a widely known arms and armor collection that have been put on a special display. There are half and full suits, cannons, pole arms, a knight mounted on a horse that if fully arrayed and a shield in the company of two swords. There are ceiling which are high enough to allow for the Baroque tapestries and Renaissance to be included along with a sculpture. In addition, some paintings and objects imply a wide range of settings. The installation looks at the close association between the arms and armor and the contemporary art and style hence demonstrating the different ways hose objects put emphasis on the social status of the owner (Gardner et al. 226). There is a

Jesus & Mohammed Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jesus & Mohammed Paper - Assignment Example Jesus and Mohammed singlehandedly made a greatest impact on the society of their time and shaped the course of history for over two thousand years. Their religions reflected similarities and differences in lives and deaths of both Jesus and Mohammed. Jesus was born 4BC from Virgin Mary and did not have an earthly father but was raised by his mother and stepfather. Mohammed was born 570 CE (Common Era), almost 6 centuries after Jesus, from Abdullah and Aminah, and was raised mostly by his nurse as was customary in the desert countries, as well as grandfather and uncle because his parents and other closest relatives had died when he was just a boy. (Rodinson, 2002, p.46) The lives of these great religious leaders were described in hagiographical books: Jesus’ in Gospels and Mohammed’s in Suras. Jesus was a carpenter and Mohammed was first shepherd and then caravan trader. (Rodinson, 2002, p.58) Jesus was speaking Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek (Peters, 2011, p.45) but did not write any book himself; Mohammed spoke Arabic and left records that were compiled into Quran (Phipps, 1999, p.81). Jesus started his ministry at 30 and continued it for the next 3 years. Most of the time, he was staying in Galilee. It is believed that Mohammed have received a revelation and a call at 40 and ministered for 22 years traveling more widely due to his occupation. (Peters, 2011, p.65) Both Jesus and Mohammed performed miracles. The first miracle Jesus performed was turning water into wine at the wedding party (John 2:1-11); to contrast, Mohammed forbade wine drinking as he considered it â€Å"an abomination of Satan's work† (Quran, Sura 5:90). Jesus attracted people by miracles, signs and sermons (Peters, 2011, p.47) and Mohammed - by his teaching and wisdom. In the Gospel, Jesus is often described in the presence of women; however, there is not a single mention about any relationship or wife. Jesus did not have a wife; he was a celibate (Peters, 2011, p.46). The n umber of Mohammed’s wives is uncertain as they go in Quran unnamed and uncounted (Peters, 2011, p.180). Both spiritual leaders caused religious disruption and brought change to the traditional establishments. Their ministries and teachings led to the new religion creation rather than reformation of the old. Jesus shook Judaism, stating that he was the Son of God, while Mohammed never made such claims. Their messages were contrasting in many ways. Jesus himself did not wage any war and never ordered to kill anyone. To the contrary, he taught to â€Å"turn the other cheek†, did not resist the arrest and discouraged his disciples from the fight. Jesus’ legacy is the religion of pardon, tolerance and love even for the enemies. On the opposite, Mohammed fought in a number of battles, converting captives into Islam; he was granting them forgiveness in exchange for conversion. He wore â€Å"two coats of mail†, swinging the sword and leading Muslims into war (Phi pps, 1999, p.62) He believed that Allah gave him permission to cut infidels (The Quran, Sura 9:5, 29), calling his actions â€Å"Jihad† – â€Å"holy war†. Jesus death was public: he was crucified by Romans at the age 33 as one of the worst criminals, suffered an excruciating pain, was forsaken by all and a mob was spitting on him. However, after such a terrible death, Jesus resurrected and ascended to Heaven. The tomb he was buried in was opened three days after his death by angels. Mohammed

The Main Role Of Corporate Accountability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Main Role Of Corporate Accountability - Essay Example It is emphasized that stakeholders are identified by their interests and all are considered to be intrinsically valuable. As a managerial tool, it recommends attitudes and practices and requires that attention is given to all legitimate stakeholders i.e.  government, investors, political groups, suppliers, customers, communities, trade associates and employees. When the corporation takes responsibility for decisions that earn them profits in spite of their negative impact on degenerating environment, social and ethical issues their organizations/corporate have to be accountable. S ome corporations report voluntarily while others are obliged to thorough policies and regulations; traditionally corporate use the inputs of investors; employees and supplies to convert inputs to salable outputs which customers buy and return to the firm some capital benefits. A s evident in www.wikipendia.org, scholars that include Donaldson & Preston (1995), Mitchell, Agle and Wood (1997), Philips (2003) their supportive contributions that corporations should act both morally for operation and management of corporations.

Leading and motvating the team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leading and motvating the team - Essay Example One of the key aspects of a strategy is that it aims at achieving advantages within the changing environment with an aim of fulfilling the expectations of the shareholders. In Peytons General Supplies, our vision is to â€Å"be the leader in provision of maximum security in working places†. While our vision is â€Å"improving safety in the work place in order to make our economy grow by providing quality safety equipments†. In order for a team to be productive, it is vital for leaders to advocate for spirit of cooperation which entails a united team that works together towards achieving its goals. Three major aspects that indicate a harmonious and a team in good relationship are a sense of shared purpose, a belief in shared objectives and being committed to a group (Baumeister and Vohs, 2004). One of the major implications of a common sense of purpose in a group is that it enables the team members to be united. Additionally, it enables the members of the team to have a knowhow on the operations of their teams including the effects of their own contributions to the team. Through the unity that is brought about by a common purpose, the team members in Peytons General Supplies work towards attaining the mission and the vision of the organization. Failure to having a common purpose would lead to each employee working towards his or her own goal. Role of communication in establishing a common sense of purpose Within an organization, clear communication between the leaders and other members of the team is a major aspect that cannot be overlooked. Good leaders must be good communicators. One of the major merits of communication is that it leads to the development of a well-committed workforce that is aware of the goals and values of its organisation. A key aspect that characterizes a communication system is the source. As a team leader, one should be clear about what he or she is communicating and what they want to communicate. The second aspect that sho uld be adopted during communication is encoding. This means that in order to have a good communication, it is imperative to ensure that the information being transferred is in the correct form and the receivers are able to decode it and understand it in an easy way. Similarly, leaders who are focused at creating a sense of purpose among their followers should adopt effective channels of communication. Some of the notable channels that organizations use include face-to-face meetings, emails, memos, telephone and videoconferencing among others. Decoding is equally important to encoding. Decoding entails properly reading of the messages sent by the sender. Thus it is imperative for the receivers to have good communication skills in order to avoid making an error while decoding the message. It is also crucial for leaders to consider the receiver of their messages. During the communication process, each individual reacts in a different way that affects his or her understanding of the mes sages from the leaders. Thus, a good leader must consider the reactions or actions of his team members and act in an appropriate manner. Effectiveness of my communication skills On the basis of initiating a good communication in a team work, I am able to oversee a communication system that is all inclusive. First, I usually plan my communication. This entails understanding the objectives of my communication, understanding my audience and providing an opportunity through which

The Impact of New Media on the Design and Advertisement Industries Term Paper

The Impact of New Media on the Design and Advertisement Industries - Term Paper Example New media is a recent term that has come to be used in reference to the digital world more so with reference to computers in information and communication technology. It is a product of the twentieth century that saw its evolutionary roots from analog technology. It has characterized relations of this era by making globalization a popular topic. Trade between people and organizations in far geographical locations now takes place by just a touch of a button behind the comfort of one's personal computer via the internet. The incorporation of new media into the society inform of a globalized world tends to bring in threats into the moral social set up as indiscriminate receivership of information on the internet becomes difficult to control exposing people to different unethical practices. A research done by Millward Brown agency in the UK relayed information to prove that new media can give maximum impact to observers of its advertisements. Millward is a mobile phone marketing organization that took the first study to ascertain the significance of mobile phones in the advertisement. Advertisements were sent to mobile phone users in the UK and measure the impacts it had on the people who received them. The research came up with the findings that the branded advertisements effected 32% awareness of the people approached. It further indicated that 22% of the mobile phone users who received the advertisements were willing to buy the products should they go to the markets. The research measured these opinions from about 600 male consumers between the ages of 16 to 36 over a period of 5 weeks during the air of the advertisements. The study concluded that single advertisements strongly increase advertisement awareness and the probability of purchase. (Brown, 2008)Â  

The Main Role Of Corporate Accountability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Main Role Of Corporate Accountability - Essay Example It is emphasized that stakeholders are identified by their interests and all are considered to be intrinsically valuable. As a managerial tool, it recommends attitudes and practices and requires that attention is given to all legitimate stakeholders i.e.  government, investors, political groups, suppliers, customers, communities, trade associates and employees. When the corporation takes responsibility for decisions that earn them profits in spite of their negative impact on degenerating environment, social and ethical issues their organizations/corporate have to be accountable. S ome corporations report voluntarily while others are obliged to thorough policies and regulations; traditionally corporate use the inputs of investors; employees and supplies to convert inputs to salable outputs which customers buy and return to the firm some capital benefits. A s evident in www.wikipendia.org, scholars that include Donaldson & Preston (1995), Mitchell, Agle and Wood (1997), Philips (2003) their supportive contributions that corporations should act both morally for operation and management of corporations.

The Impact of New Media on the Design and Advertisement Industries Term Paper

The Impact of New Media on the Design and Advertisement Industries - Term Paper Example New media is a recent term that has come to be used in reference to the digital world more so with reference to computers in information and communication technology. It is a product of the twentieth century that saw its evolutionary roots from analog technology. It has characterized relations of this era by making globalization a popular topic. Trade between people and organizations in far geographical locations now takes place by just a touch of a button behind the comfort of one's personal computer via the internet. The incorporation of new media into the society inform of a globalized world tends to bring in threats into the moral social set up as indiscriminate receivership of information on the internet becomes difficult to control exposing people to different unethical practices. A research done by Millward Brown agency in the UK relayed information to prove that new media can give maximum impact to observers of its advertisements. Millward is a mobile phone marketing organization that took the first study to ascertain the significance of mobile phones in the advertisement. Advertisements were sent to mobile phone users in the UK and measure the impacts it had on the people who received them. The research came up with the findings that the branded advertisements effected 32% awareness of the people approached. It further indicated that 22% of the mobile phone users who received the advertisements were willing to buy the products should they go to the markets. The research measured these opinions from about 600 male consumers between the ages of 16 to 36 over a period of 5 weeks during the air of the advertisements. The study concluded that single advertisements strongly increase advertisement awareness and the probability of purchase. (Brown, 2008)Â  

Socialization Essay Example for Free

Socialization Essay Socialization can be defined from a dictionary as â€Å" a continuing process whereby an individual person acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior and social skills appropriate to his or her social position†. Socialization is a continuous life process, but is in general divided into two very distinct groups: primary socialization and secondary socialization. But has socialization changed over the years? If so, what has been the driving force behind this change? Could it be because of the difference in the primary socialization in the home? Or perhaps the multicultural society in which we now live? Socialization occurs throughout life but is most effective in infancy and early childhood. Primary socialization occurs in the home between the parent and child. It is a process by which a child learns the cultural norms from their parents. Primary social groups are small intimate groups which include family, close friends, work colleagues and neighbors. It is from everyday group living with the family that a child gets his or her first introduction to acceptable norms of behavior, values, and morals. Ely Chinoy, in a 1960s standard textbook on sociology, says that socialization serves two major functions: On the one hand, it prepares the individual for the roles he is to play, providing him with the necessary repertoire of habits, beliefs, and values, the appropriate patterns of emotional response and the modes of perception, the requisite skills and knowledge. On the other hand, by communicating the contents of culture from one generation to the other, it provides for its persistence and continuity. —Chinoy, 1961: 75 The parent or guardian also passes on their views on language, customs, and religion in a comfortable informal way. The family acts as an agent of social control by teaching its members right from wrong and punishing it’s members for wrongdoing. One extremely interesting point of note about socialization is the prominence that is sited on mothers and the role that mothers play in the socialization process. We are told that it is mothers who are primarily involved in the earlier unconscious stage of socialization. However has this intimate relationship changed over the years? Undoubtedly the task of primary socialization has undergone immense change in the last thirty years. The rise of the â€Å"Celtic tiger† has meant the role of primary socialization has become harder to enforce. The increase in the numbers of women returning to the work force has influenced the way that socialization had previously been structured in the home. More and more children are being cared for by child minders or in creches. Thus this means that the role of primary socialization has become an area which involves a much wider circle of people. From the beginning of the past decade, the majority of children in this state where being cared for by their mother in the home. Today life and families are not so straight-laced. Families are a complex unit that incorporates ideas that never occurred in past generations. The ideals of a family consisting of a father: breadwinner and head of household, and a mother who was involved in mainly household tasks and the rearing of the children, where soon forgotten. Instead these where to be replaced with the new concepts of blended families, one or lone parent families, foster families and adopted families. Another major change in the life of the family that would influence primary socialization is the average number of children in the family. The decrease in the number of children in the average family home has changed the environment of the home dramatically. Parents now have fewer children than past generations. This in turn leads to parents having much more time to instill values, morals, religion and other customs in their children. The rise in children attending these playschools means that a child is exposed to secondary socialization at an earlier age. Secondary socialization is another example of how our socialization patterns have changed over time. Secondary socialization occurs in groups that are usually larger and more impersonal than primary groups. Members usually see each other on an infrequent basis, and these groups are not considered to be permanent. Examples are trade union memberships, religious and ethnic groups, pressure groups, voluntary organizations and the schooling system. This form of socialization is commonly introduced when a child starts school. It is a child’s first experience of formal teaching and reinforces his or her past knowledge from primary socialization. This type of socialization has shown great distinction from previous eras. The multicultural and ethnic times we live in have changed the way this eneration socializes. The school system has had a major role to play in this. According to Christine E. Sleeted, â€Å"during the 1960s, textbooks clearly featured experiences and viewpoints of white middle class and elite people, mainly men. Over the past twenty-five years textbooks have gone through phases of active revision†. (Christine E. Sleeter 1996: 91). The world in which this generation grows is wholly different to the more guarded and constrained world of the past. The integration of different cultures and ethnicities into Irish society has made a series of changes to the way we now socialize. Children are integrated into a society that incorporates the views of different races, religions and customs. For this reason the education system has undergone immense change and as Christine E. Sleeted insists, â€Å"almost any textbook published over the last ten years appears t be well integrated. Many teachers work to make their curricula multicultural†. The implications of this multicultural curriculum are the increase in the level of understanding and acceptance in society as a whole. (Christine E. Sleeter 1996:91). Similarly Antonia Darder claims that in liberal educational American schools they â€Å"strongly incorporate the central pedagogical themes of appropriation, subjectivity, and interionality, along with a strong humanistic emphasis on the uniqueness of the individual†. (Antonia Darder 1991:8). This vital socialization enables society to combat issues such as classism, racism and sexism. The change in the socialization process is incontrovertible. In both of the distinct areas of socialization; primary socialization and secondary socialization change has certainty occurred and is evident in the socialization patterns of the past decade. The substantial transformation of the family has impacted on the aspect of primary socialization. While it is evident from research that the secondary socialization process is adjusting and amending its teaching methods to incorporate a new multicultural generation. The combination of the two reformed socialization processes has undoutedly changed the way this generation sees society. Due to the new teachings of acceptance and equality, life has changed for people in Ireland to a life that incorporates and supports a diverse society.

Management Of Urban Green Spaces Environmental Sciences Essay

Management Of Urban Green Spaces Environmental Sciences Essay In recent decades there has been an increase in urbanisation and urban sprawl, which has resulted in a decline of green spaces, especially in urban areas. Urban green spaces include parks, play areas, areas specifically intended for recreational use, private gardens, and urban woodlands. More generally, they are areas of land that consist of permeable surfaces such as grass, trees and soil (Dunnett et al 2002). Increasing urbanisation contributes towards a degradation of the natural environment, as developments are overtaking rural areas at an increasingly rapid rate. Furthermore, this will have an impact on climate change, as less green space increases the effects of global warming, and other environmental issues, such as a higher risk of flooding due to lack of green space. This causes social problems as less green space creates health problems. This leads to economic problems, for instance, it is expensive to recover from disasters such as flooding. Therefore careful and sustainab le management of urban green spaces is especially important for social, environmental and economic reasons. The aim of the following essay is to discuss critically the environmental, economic and social aspects of managing urban green spaces. In order to achieve this aim the essay will be split into three main sections. Section one will look at the characteristics of the environmental problem and who is affected by them, linking this into how environmental problems create economic problems. Section two will look at what is and what could be done to address these problems, such as new forms of green spaces. It will also look at the economic aspects of these courses of action and the economic valuation of urban green spaces. It will argue that making a city greener can increase its economic performance, and lead to sustainable economic growth. However, the final part of the essay will challenge this, arguing that creating urban green spaces may not be the best solution for economic sustainability. Finally, the conclusions reached are that there needs to be a well managed balance of green and built areas in cities for sustained economic growth. Market failures in the urban land market Today we realise that we must protect networks of open space (Benedict and McMahon 2002:3). Regarding natural resource use, market forces determine the choices people make. However, resources such as urban green spaces do not have securely enforced or defined property rights which cause a lack of markets. Therefore, environmental resources cannot be directly traded in an open market, which leads to externality problems. Thus, due to market failures the full costs of urbanisation are not represented in the private costs (Panayotou 2000). The structure of the market means the private costs of using environmental resources, such green spaces, is zero (Gwartney et al 2000). Therefore producers have no incentive to protect environmental resources (Cropper and Griffiths 1994). To illustrate this problem of environmental externalities Pigou (2009) used the example of a company who builds a factory in a residential area and thus destroys some of the amenities of the neighbouring sites. The result is that the company sells its products at a lower price than the full costs felt by th e society. Consequently, as a result of these market failures there has been a rapid increase of urbanisation and urban sprawl without efficient land-use planning, and conservation of green spaces. Nationally, urban areas consist of approximately 14% green space (Comber et al 2008). However, the United Nations in 2001 estimated that in Europe the level of urbanisation will increase to almost 80% by 2015, which will result in a further loss of urban green spaces (cited in Tzoulasa et al 2007). Environmental amenities are usually ignored by urban planners, resulting in a shrinking of urban green spaces as they have gradually been taken over by urban development (Kong et al 2007). This level of urban growth presents challenges for tackling environmental issues such as climate change and biodiversity (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Less green space increases the effects of global warming, which is especially important in cities where the mean pollution levels are higher. Urbanisation replaces green spaces with impermeable built surfaces which causes negative environmental effects as green spaces provide rainwater interception and infiltration, evaporative cooling and shading functions (Gill et al 2007). Furthermore, urban areas can be up to 7 °c hotter than the surrounding countryside (Hilliam 2010). The concentration of buildings and paved surfaces creates higher temperatures, which is known as the heat island effect (Dunnett et al 2002). Furthermore, built environments restrict wind flow which in turn restricts the dispersal of pollutants, resulting in even higher air-pollution levels (Morancho 2003). It is important to tackle these issues as in 2003, during the Eur opean summer heat wave, 35,000 lives were lost (Gill et al 2007). Moreover, tackling environmental issues in urban areas is increasingly important as in 2001 nearly eight of every ten people in the United Kingdom lived in urban areas (Pointer 2005:46). Consequently, a higher population and an increase of built surfaces, means urban areas are where climate change impacts will be mostly felt (Gill et al 2007). This also has economic impacts as a lack of green space can increase the costs of public infrastructure and services such as, flood control and storm water management (Goode 2006). Furthermore, a lack of green spaces was often seen to be the main motive for people leaving the city, as they moved to the urban fringe for more green space (Van-Herzele and Wiedemann 2003). The result is economic decline as people move out of urban areas, which creates lower property values, attracting less wealthy people. This makes it hard to secure investment or attract and retain business in the area. A lack of green space also has negative impacts on tourism as fewer people will want to visit the area (Crompton 2001). Furthermore, a lack of green space creates health issues which are costly for the economy as an unhealthy society increases the costs of health care to UK tax payers (Mell 2008). There is a shortage of green space for example; in Greater Manchester the proportion of tree cover is fairly low, with an average of 12% cover, and 16% in urbanised Greater Manchester (Gill et al 2007). The next part of the essay will discuss how to tackle these environmental and economic problems. Solution to the problem Urban green spaces have many benefits which can be divided into market benefits and non-market benefits. Non-market benefits fall into three categories: use, option and existence value. Option value occurs when the future benefits are uncertain and depletion of the resource is irreversible. Existence value refers to the knowing the resource exists, and use value is from the direct use of the resource. Total value is the sum of all three. Thus, urban green spaces have existence value, and direct use value, such as recreational use. Furthermore, urban green spaces create consumer surplus, as the cost of using urban green spaces is usually free (Goodstein 2010). These benefits highlight the need to protect urban green spaces. Moreover, the issues discussed above further raise the need for protection and allocation of urban green spaces. In 2004-2005 local authorities in the UK spent an estimated  £700 million on renovating and maintaining urban green spaces (Comber et al 2008). Furthermore, Londons draft Climate Change Adaptation Strategy in 2010 (online), proposes that there is a need to increase the citys green spaces by creating small parks, which will help to absorb rain on wet days and cool the city on hot days (Bulkeley and Betsill 2003). Urban green spaces can also help to reduce pollution and act as sinks for carbon dioxide which is a major contributor to global warming (Dunnett et al 2002). In cities, gardens and parks absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which mainly come from private vehicles (Morancho 2003). Vegetation reduces air pollution by absorbing pollutants in the air, and by intercepting particulate matter. Hence the pollution of a car driven 60 miles per day can be offset by only 20 trees. Green spaces also reduce the urban heat island effect by shading heat absorbing surfaces and through evapotranspirational (ET) cooling. Evidence has shown vegetation can lower wall surface temperatures by up to 17 °C (McPherson 1994). This will ensure economic sustainability as less money will be needed to recover from natural disasters and climate change impacts. Thus, green spaces are multifunctional, as regenerating a park may increase tourism and reduce pollution levels (Hilliam 2010, Goode 2006). In a congested environment, existence of greenery within residential zones will improve air quality. This creates social benefits from direct use such as recreation and health benefits as a higher proportion of green space and less air pollution is associated with better population health (Popham and Mitchel 2007). This results in economic sustainability as healthier communities work longer hours, take less sick days and cost less money in health benefits (Goode 2006). Bird (2004 cited in Tzoulasa et al 2007) found that if people live closer to green space then they are more likely to undertake physical activity, which would save the UKs National Health Service up to  £1.8million a year. Moreover, inactivity in children often results in inactive adults, which costs the economy approximately  £8.2billion (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Therefore, protecting and creating green spaces ensures there is economic sustainability through a healthier society (Amati and Taylor 2010). Urban green spaces can act as catalysts for wider economic benefits, such as increases in property prices, attracting and retaining businesses and attracting tourists to urban areas. This is a key part of the solution for economic growth as urban green spaces makes cities more desirable and this can result in local economic stimulation (Dunnett et al 2002). Green amenities attract the highly skilled, who pursue a higher standard of living and quality of life, Florida (2002) describes how green spaces can attract creative class workers and the businesses that hire them. Employers locate in areas where the skilled want to live and this further attracts skilled workers, high-end restaurants and retail stores. Therefore, urban green spaces can raise a citys economic growth. Cities with more skilled workers experience an increase in population, house price and wages. Additionally, people who are highly educated will also be more likely to support investments for environmental protection a nd are usually willing to pay higher prices for environmental quality. Furthermore, a greener city will also have an insurance against recessions as the city remains attractive and people still want to live there. This will pull other industries into the area over time. Therefore, it is important to protect existing urban green spaces. Londons Green Belt is an example of an attempt to reduce development in order to improve the environment by restricting housing supply (Kahn 2006). The Mayor of London has also set targets to plant 10,000 more street trees by 2012, and enhance up to 1,000 hectares of green space (Environmental Agency 2010). This will help to build a good reputation of the area, which enables the community to grow economically, without damaging the environment, and simultaneously creating a desirable place to live for present and future generations (Benedict and McMahon 2002). Additionally, new methods, such as green roofs have been developed to increase green space in urban areas. Green roofs are the roof of a building that is covered by vegetation, the most common being turf roofs. They have several purposes which are similar to urban green space in general such as cooling the heat island effect and absorbing rainwater. They also provide insulation and create habitats for wildlife. The benefits can therefore be divided into private and public benefits. Private economic benefits include saving energy cost and an increase in roof life. Public benefits include storm-water management (Dunnett and Kingsbury 2004). Green roofs are particularly useful in cities that are dense with large populations such as London or Tokyo. London now has a green roof policy and other cities and areas in the UK are developing similar approaches to developing green roofs. However, currently there is only one green roof in Manchester; therefore there is a need to create more green spaces in the form of green roofs (Carter and Fowler 2008). These trends raise the need for green space protection and allocation, which in turn requires estimation of the value of green spaces (Kong et al 2007). Due to their lack of values expressed in monetary terms, green spaces are often not considered in cost-benefit analyses of urban planning policies. Furthermore, it is the failure of the market system, as discussed above, which creates the need for economic measures to value environmental services and guide policymaking (Freeman 1993). Several methods have been developed to value non-market amenities such as the travel cost method, the contingent valuation method (CVM) and the hedonic pricing models. The hedonic pricing method uses house prices to quantify environmental amenities by how much consumers are willing to pay. The hedonic pricing model is a revealed preference method and is based actual behaviour in the market. Properties have many characteristics which reflect the selling prices such as housing structure, neighbourhood and environmental amenities. The monetary value of each characteristic is calculated by observing the differences in the market price of housing sharing the same attributes. Once all the characteristics are collected the next step is to measure the portion of the property price for each characteristic (Boyle and Kiel 2001). By using the hedonic pricing method the value of green spaces can be estimated from actual behaviour in the market (Kong et al 2007). Hedonic valuation can also be applied to retail situations as people are willing to pay about ten percent more for products in greener shopping areas (Miller and Wise 2004:90). The value of urban green spaces can also be an important factor for affecting property prices. There is evidence which suggests urban green spaces can have a positive impact on house prices. There is usually a shortage of land in urban areas, and therefore proximity to urban green spaces has a positive impact on property values, while proximity to negative impacts such as highways reduces property values, as it is desirable to live close to a park, especially in city centres where demand for land is high (Tajima 2003). The demand for a property increases which raises the price of those properties. Numerous studies have shown that property values are typically 8-20 percent more expensive if they are located near a park (Crompton 2000). Therefore, in dense urban areas the value of nearby parks and green space can be one of the key selling points and a stronger feature than lot itself (Tajima 2003). Furthermore, Morancho (2003) found in Spain that for every 100m further away from a gree n area there was a drop of approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1800 in the housing price. Therefore, to reduce the impact of urbanisation, and to ensure economic growth, allocation of new and protection of existing urban green spaces is required (Kong et al 2007). However, the value open space is contextual as it rises with increased income. Open space is considered a luxury good, as demand for open space increases as income rises. Hence, the willingness to pay for environmental quality is highly elastic with respect to income (Anderson and West 2006). Urban green spaces in isolation will not increase economic growth However, not all green spaces are equally beneficial. To ensure that urban green spaces enhance economic growth, they must be well maintained, safe and secure. In recent decades there has been a decline in the quality of urban green spaces in England. This can be linked to the declining budgets for local authorities over the past 20 to 25 years (Dunnett et al 2002). This has a negative economic effect as green spaces that are dangerous or unmanaged are likely to decrease the value of nearby homes, which would lead to economic decline (Crompton 2001). Furthermore, if green spaces are perceived to be overgrown or unmanaged this may have a negative effect on peoples well-being by increasing anxiety caused by fear of crime (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Research shows that open spaces which are most highly valued are those which enhance the qualities of urban life and offer a variety of opportunities (Burgess et al 1988). If there is a lack of facilities or the area is in poor condition then peo ple are less likely to use it. Furthermore, lower-income suburban areas usually have a larger proportion of poor-quality green space. Thus, even if green spaces are in large quantities, but are of poor quality then economic and health benefits are not felt by the population (Popham and Mitchel 2007). Additionally, if green spaces are poorly managed so that they become inaccessible, then less people will use them, especially the elderly or people with disabilities. Therefore, quality as well as quantity of green space is a key factor. Moreover, McConnell and Walls (2005) argue for the importance of distinguishing between different types of open space. The value of green spaces depends on its usage for example, whether it is a well managed park or an open field. Barker (2003) also reported that the value of open space depends strongly on its location and use, for instance, green space in the urban core was valued higher than greenbelt land. Anderson and West (2006:782) show that the v alue of open space depends on the type of open space, how far away it from the house and the neighbourhood characteristics. They found that sales price rises with proximity to the nearest golf course and falls the closer a home is to the nearest cemetery. Furthermore, the net result of restricting housing supply is that prices are driven up. This results in poverty magnets in areas with low property prices, resulting in a segregation of the poor and urban social problems. For example, Glasgow has lost population over time, and relative poverty has grown. Therefore, Londons pursuit to a greener city could further increase house prices and it could be argued that a city can become too green when economic growth is damaged. An upward pressure on house prices could have a negative impact on some residents and first time buyers as it would squeeze out the poorer renters and new immigrants (Kahn 2006). The result of this limited supply would not lead to economic sustainability as it would limit economic growth. Therefore, green spaces will not necessarily lead to a sustained economic growth nationally, but only benefits certain regions (Kahn 2006). It is often the wealthier people who benefit most, as studies have shown that vegetation and tree cover is lower in residential areas with higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation. Therefore only certain areas benefit as less wealthy areas might not be able to afford to maintain new green spaces (Pauleit et al 2005). Additionally, an increased economic wealth will also increase the values of losses; making the cost to restore damages after a disaster much greater (Shaw et al 2007). Furthermore, conserving green spaces may restrict the supply of valued goods, such as housing, shops, offices or private open space, resulting in economic decline. This results in distributional effects as those landowners who can build get an increase in their asset value, whereas those unable to develop will experience a reduction in asset values. Part of the market failure associated with urbanisation is the increase in land prices imposed on existing inhabitants by additional workers. Furthermore, policies of containment, such as greenbelts, may increase energy use as commuters move out bey ond the greenbelt which results in longer commuter journeys. Therefore, it could be argued that policy in the UK restricts urban growth which leads to higher costs and welfare losses. Hence land regulation can have adverse economic effects as it diverts resources from other growth activities. Therefore the solution maybe not regulating land markets but regulating or taxing energy markets (Cheshire 2009). Conclusion To conclude, this essay has highlighted the environmental problem of urbanisation, explaining how this is a result of market failures. It has also shown how this can lead to economic problems. This essay then goes on to argue that a solution would be preserving, maintaining and developing new green spaces in urban areas. It goes on to explain the environmental, social and economic benefits of urban green spaces. It also highlights the hedonic pricing method, which shows how urban green spaces can be valued. It also argues that green spaces create economic benefits by increasing property values. However, the latter part of the essay challenges this, arguing that not all green spaces is equally beneficial. It also argues that preserving green spaces could also have a negative impact as the cost of land increases further, resulting in large increase in house prices. Therefore, it is important to maintain urban green spaces for the many environmental, economic and social benefits. However, this cannot be in isolation as for green spaces to be beneficial they must be well maintained and managed. Furthermore if too much green space is protected then this could have negative impacts overall. Therefore, urban land policies need to ensure green space is well managed in order to achieve the maximum benefits. Furthermore, methods other than land protections could also be used, such as taxing energy use. 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Hostile Takeovers :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Hostile Takeovers A hostile takeover is defined as an acquisition of a firm despite resistance by the target firm’s management and board of directors. This occurs when a stronger business absorbs another company against the target company’s will. Hostile takeovers are most likely to occur when a firm’s stock is undervalued relative to its potential because of poor management. Generally, the managers of the targeted firm are fired. This gives managers a strong incentive to take actions designed to maximize stock prices. How do hostile takeovers impact business, government, and society? Businesses, especially the targeted company, are greatly affected by hostile takeovers. Prior to takeovers, targeted companies are chastised by customers, competitors, and the communities in which they reside because of inadequate management, low or undervalued stock prices, etc. These takeovers are most likely to occur when a firm’s stock is undervalued relative to its potential because of poor leadership of the management team. Because of this, the managers of the targeted firm are generally fired after the merger is complete. The government has been heavily involved with hostile takeovers, as well as horizontal and vertical mergers. The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was presumably the first real act of government interference regarding takeovers. This act stated the following: ïÆ'Ëœ Section 1: Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint or trade commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is hereby declared to be illegal. ïÆ'Ëœ Section 2: Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce†¦shall be deemed guilty of a felony†¦ The antitrust laws that have followed the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 are as follows: ïÆ'Ëœ Clayton Act of 1914 ïÆ'Ëœ Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 ïÆ'Ëœ Robinson-Patman Act of 1936 ïÆ'Ëœ Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976 Hostile takeovers can also affect society. People in communities often become mixed up in merger battles when a target firm is a major employer that provides a town’s economic livelihood. If the takeover of a major employer occurs, this could lead to very high unemployment, local business privation, etc. If you think that Kohlbert, Kravis and Roberts spent some cash acquiring RJR Nabisco - $24 Billion – think again.