Chapter #43 Detroit Diesel Electronic Control System Flashcard

Chapter #43 Detroit Diesel Electronic Control System

The Rise of El Chapo Professor Ramos Blog

The Rise of El Chapo On January 8th, 2016, the world watched in awe as news broke out that Joaquà ­n â€Å"El Chapo† Guzmn, the worlds most powerful drug kingpin, had finally been recaptured by Mexican marines in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. His final capture had occurred six months after he had escaped from a maximum security prison in Mexico through a mile-long underground passage. Today, Guzman awaits trial in a maximum security prison in New York. How did a young rancher from the mountains of Sinaloa become one of the most wanted billionaire drug lords in the world? What caused him to be transformed into a ruthless monster? Born on April 4, 1957, Joaquà ­n Guzmn was from a poor family in the small Mexican town of Badiraguato. His father was very abusive and supported the family by growing marijuana for the drug trade. His father would send his sons to the top of the mountains to harvest their crops.   At fifteen years old, he began growing, harvesting, and distributing   poppy, a plant used to make heroin, and marijuana. He and his cousins managed an entire plantation for marijuana. Little by little he increased his profits to fully support his family. His deeply rooted family background in the drug trade was a major cause for his transformation into a monster. Another major cause in the creation of his monstrosity is his close ties to powerful kingpins. He discovered that his profits can be greatly increased with the distribution from cocaine. He found himself working for the largest cartel at the time, the Guadalajara cartel, and legendary Colombian kingpin, Miguel ngel Fà ©lix Gallardo. Guzmn would started to control his business with brutality and force by putting a bullet through any of his smugglers who were late upon delivery. Recognized by Gallardo for his talent in the business, Guzmn is promoted to Gallardo’s right hand man to manage multiple shipments to be distributed into the United States. After the arrest of Miguel ngel Fà ©lix Gallardo, the Guadalajara Cartel broke up, leaving conflict in the drug trade business. Finally, after many altercations with other drug lords, Guzman had gained some control over Sinaloa. This allowed him to push his aggressive and genius business tactics to new heights. Guzman founded the Sinaloa Cartel, making him a billionaire. These â€Å"achievements†   have made El Chapo to be of a mythical, godlike status among the Mexican people. In Sinaloa, he is considered their savior because he supports the local cities by buying churches, gyms, paving roads. Etc. The townspeople believe that he is everything that the government wasn’t. The townspeople loved and respected him to the point that they would alert him when the authorities were near. He is also honored through folk-songs, or narco corridos. In Los Tucanes de Tijuanas song, El Papa de los Pollitos, El Chapo is perceived as the absolute ruler. The songs talks about how he rules with an iron fist and anyone who crosses him will be dealt with. The title is roughly translated to the father of the baby chicks, which means boss of all the bosses.   This fully supports his comeuppance as a monster because not only does he do terrible things but he has a large group of people that support and praise him. According to thesis one of Jeffrey Cohen’s Seven Theses of Monster Culture, the â€Å" Monster’s body is a Cultural Body (Cohen).† This means that the monster is a result of the current cultural movement or ideas. I believe that Joaquà ­n â€Å"El Chapo† Guzmn and every other cartel member are monsters in modern society because of the War on Drugs.   In 1969 the term â€Å"war on drugs† was used by Richard Nixon to enforce a set of laws that would discourage the use, distribution, and consumption of drugs. It resulted in an effort to eliminate the recreational use of any drug deemed illegal and the incarceration of one million citizens every year. The â€Å"War on Drugs† is a very big political and social issue today. El Chapo would not have been a successful criminal if drugs did not need to be obtained illegally. El Chapo and other cartel members are a result of the culture because the war on Drugs has been a major political focus. The major cause in creation of this monster is his own creation. The Sinaloa Cartel is the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the western hemisphere. The organization brings in roughly three billion dollars a year (Drug Lords). The organizations control and networking reaches every single major city in the United States, and operates in seventeen Mexican states and over fifty countries.   The success and power of the Sinaloa Cartel is owed to the genius strategies of El Chapo making it his biggest cause in the creation of his monstrosity. Today, El Chapo is an media icon and the face of the war on drugs. He is the face of one of the most dangerous and powerful drug trafficking organization in the world that continues to be a threat to the U.S. national security today.   He has given a cause to support the end of allowing immigrants to our country and fear the cartel and gang members that come out of Mexico. A huge part of President Donald Trumps agenda was immigration security by building a wall. This wall is said to keep out dangerous criminals, such as El Chapo, from Mexico. Another effect he has today is his representation in the media.   A song titled, â€Å"El Chapo† by hip-hop artist, The Game, gives the impression that he is godlike and absolute by continuously repeating the lines, â€Å" El Chapo. I am the God.† He is name-dropped in various hip-hop songs to represent absolute power, wealth and ruthlessness. There are many causes for the creation of Joaquin Guzman. From his family history, to his genius business strategies to his ruthless way, he was destined to be what we fear. He is merely a face to put on the countless other monsters that are still roaming free in world of the cartel. Fortunately, this monster will be locked up for a very long time. Annotated Bibliography Cohen, Jeffery J.  Monster Theory: Reading Culture. 1st ed., Univ Of Minnesota Press, 1996. This source tells about the seven theses of monster culture. It is used to analyse the monster and give a better understanding as to why I chose this monster. This source was a given in class, so I assume it is credible. â€Å"El Chapo.† Drug Lords, season 2, episode 1,   ITN Productions, 19 January 2018. Netflix,  https://www.netflix.com/watch/80177679?trackId=14277283tctx=0%2C0%2Cdcec3928-a618-4c19-b7b0-b693c4c02b60-123704365%2C%2C Heinle, Kimberly. Drug Violence in Mexico. Department of Political Science International Relations University of San Diego, 2017. This source tells about the drug violence in Mexico. I plan to use this source to give information more of a background on the topic. I assume this source is credible because it comes from a library database and it is from the university of San Diego. â€Å"Guzmn, Joaquà ­n.† Gale Biographies: Popular People, edited by Gale Cengage Learning, 1st edition, 2018. Credo Reference,  https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galegbpp/guzman_joaquin/0?institutionId=5312. Accessed 18 Jul. 2018. This source gives a brief history on Joaquà ­n â€Å"El Chapo† Guzmn’s life leading up to his capture in 2016. It also provides related information on this subject and its references. I will use this formation to introduce my â€Å"monster† and for further information from the sources it provides. I assume this source is credible because it is from a Library Database reference. Los Tucanes de Tijuana â€Å"El Pap De Los Pollitos.†Ã‚  El Pap De Los Pollitos,  Master Q Music, 2014. Schroth, et al. â€Å"â€Å"War on Drugs†Ã¢â‚¬  Encyclopedia of Drug Policy: â€Å"The War on Drugs† Past, Present, and Future, edited by Mark Kleiman, and James Hawdon, Sage Publications, 1st edition, 2011. Credo Reference,  https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/war_on_drugs?institutionId=5312. Accessed 29 Jul. 2018. â€Å"Sinaloa Cartel.†Ã‚  InSight Crime, 30 Jan. 2018, insightcrime.org/mexico-organized-crime-news/sinaloa-cartel-profile/.This source was used to give information on the Sinaloa Drug organization. The sources website is a used to give information on various topics related to crime. The Game. â€Å"El Chapo.† 9 Oct. 2015.

Poor employee motivation and compensation at Walmart Stores Inc Research Paper

Poor employee motivation and compensation at Walmart Stores Inc - Research Paper Example Formerly Wal-Mart Stores Incorporation, the multinational was rebranded Walmart Stores, Incorporation since 2008. The organization is an American multinational corporation in the retail industry, owning and managing thousands of large discount department outlets in form of stores and warehouses. Currently, the corporation occupies the third position globally in the private sector. Walmart is also the biggest private organization employing more than two million workers across the world. The organization occupies the first position within the retail industry in the world. The organization is owned by Walton family, who control 48 percent of the shares. Additionally, Walmart is apparently one of the most profitable corporations in the world. Barely a decade after being founded by Sam Walton in 1962, Walmart was incorporated in late 1969 and later traded publicly at the New York Stock Exchange. With its headquarters situated in Bentonville, Arkansas, the multinational is also the biggest retailer of grocery in America. Three years ago, the corporation generated more than half of its income from grocery sales in the United States market. The Corporation also owns and manages the Sam's Club warehouses situated in North America; the store falls within Walmart’s retail business. Walmart boasts more than 8,500 outlets in 15 countries.These branches are, however, existing under different names. The organization operates under the popular Walmart name in the native United States and Canadian market, and also in Latin American states. such as Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Argentina (Agren, Ogier, & Bamrud, 2011). The organization serves Mexicans under Walmex name, Britons as

Discuss how The Heart of Darkness reflects the paradoxes of Essay

Discuss how The Heart of Darkness reflects the paradoxes of imperialism in the late 19th century - Essay Example The first paradox of Heart of Darkness refers to how the civilising mission of imperialism resulted to the dehumanisation of the colonisers. When waging imperialism, Europeans asserted their moral, social, and intellectual ascendancy, as they aimed to civilise all that is brute and different from their culture. Conrad shows, however, that the Western imperialist man has lost his heart to the darkness of imperialism. Maritime Hennard Dutcheil De La Rochere argues that Conrad uses the body of Africa as a trope for the ironic effects of European civilisation on colonised countries. De La Rochere asserts: â€Å"†¦[the] central idea†¦ the civilising mission [is] a spiritual and moral cure, is radically undermined through an ironic literalisation of the trope†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (186). Imperialism sees itself as a cure, which must be directly applied to the heart of Africa to cure it of its backwardness. The paradox is that the cure harmed the â€Å"doctors† too. In the case of Kurtz, he became consumed of his desire for wealth, so that he would be worthy of his Intended. Imperialism, nevertheless, does not cure the uncivilised, but destroys the civilised and their notion of morality. Kurtz engages in immoral acts of waging wars with other tribes to acquire their ivories. Ivories are expensive; they are the symbols of wealth and power. The concept of a new life whets Marlow’s appetite for adventure and fortune too. Despite the skirmish with the natives, he desires to see Kurtz to find out the truth. When he learns the truth, he regrets it. Imperialism stains people’s very core, their very soul. William Atkinson argues the horror of imperialism (374) that Conrad criticises. Wealth and power consumes Kurtz’s humanity. He is sick, not only because of living in a strange land, but more so because of the sickness of being an imperialist tool for human exploitation. The horror that captivates his last moments on earth is his horror and the horror of every European who sets foot on foreign lands to abuse the natives and their resources. The second paradox is that imperialism do not truly civilise the natives, but produces the counter-effect of large-scale dehumanisation that mars both native and Western civilisations. Dehumanisation occurs because of racial prejudice. Hunt Hawkins believes that Conrad criticises imperialism’s goals and means. When Marlow gets the first glimpse of the company's chief accountant’s clean appearance, he appreciates it as a â€Å"miracle† (Conrad 15). The miracle is an unsound image because miracles are holy. Later, as the accountant makes â€Å"correct entries of perfectly correct transactions† (Conrad 16), with the sick agent on his bed and a few feet away, Africans suffer in â€Å"grove of death† (Conrad 16), Conrad is disgusted. A clean outer experience does not have meaning when inside it is a cold soul. Another form of dehumanisation can be seen in t he effects of imperialism. Instead of curing people, Europeans impregnated them with capitalist ideas that destroyed their collectivist way of life. De La Rochere underscores that the â€Å"†¦embodiment of the jungle emphasises the human suffering this ‘civilising mission’ inflicts† (186). Instead of developing the minds and virtues of the natives, the whites only corrupted them with their materialistic and individualistic concerns

Literature review Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literature review - Research Proposal Example 1243). Alsaif (2011) considered the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents and recognized the problem as an epidemic. Dehgan (2011, p. 2) confirmed these findings. This study conducted quantitative research throughout the United States and established that one in every six children aged 6 to 18 years old are obese. Reilly (2010, p. 205) conducted a comprehensive examination of recent systematic reviews and clinical guidelines regarding childhood and adolescent obesity. One of the predominant findings in this study was the recognition that many parents failed to recognize obesity in their child or adolescent. Additionally, the study recognized that many medical professionals under-diagnosed obesity in children and adolescents, and did implement a uniform means of diagnosis. There are a number of considerations that link obesity to specific factors. These specific factor considerations are notable as they further establish the means through which the eventual structured i nterview questions can be established. Additionally, they factor into the qualitative portion of the analysis. Barnes (2011) examined recent statistical trends among childhood obesity. This investigation revealed that childhood and adolescent obesity greatly contributed to the potential for adult obesity. O’Connor (2011, p. ... Liou, Liou, & Chang (2010, p. 1246) examined the causes of adolescent obesity between 2007 and 2008 among 40 middle high schools with 384 classes, implementing a three-stage systematic sampling design. Among the participants 7.2% were identified as obese and 16.1% overweight. These results were correlated with findings that demonstrated individuals with obese parents were at a high risk of obesity. There are a number of notable concerns related to potential treatment methods and avenues for progress. These elements are highly significant to the qualitative portion of the research investigation. The challenge of treating childhood obesity has heightened as studies such as Lawrence et al. (2010) indicate there is no single determinant of adolescent obesity. This study recommends then that treating adolescent obesity necessarily involve a multi-dimensional approach. Stevens (2010, p. 233) studied obesity in middle school students and confirmed the perspective that it must be treated wit h a multi-dimensional approach. Still, this study indicated that the combination of diet and physical activity directly contributed to weight modification. Swain (2009, p. 22) considered these perspectives. This studied specifically presented an exercise program, referred to as ‘Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It!’ (MEND). This program would involve repeated consultations for parents and children with physicians. These consultations would then work to establish goals and overall lifestyle change. Doak (2009, p. 111) considered many of the specific intervention elements the previous studies examined with varying degrees of accord. This study argued that nearly three quarters of school-based obesity interventions are effective. Still,

The Concept Of The Value Chain

The Concept Of The Value Chain The concept of the value chain encompasses the activities that companies perform to achieve that competitive advantage, where the competitive advantage is having the ability to create superior value to its customers and at the same time superior value to themselves. Value chain analysis together with supply and demand chain analysis are staples of Modern Business Management. An effective business strategy must encompass all parts of the value chain configuration which includes both primary and secondary activities. The value chain concept was first developed by Michael Porter (1958) in his work on Competitive Advantage in which he analyses the basis for competitive advantage and presents the value chain as a framework for diagnosing and enhancing it. However since then there has been a considerable amount of work done to expand on Porters original concept. Today more and more Managers are using value chain analysis part of strategic planning. The process of globalisation incorporates the interaction and integration amongst people, companies and governments of different nations. According to Black 2002 globalisation is defined as:- ..process by which the whole world becomes a single market. This means that goods and services, capital and labour are traded on a world wide basis and information and the results of research flow readily between countriesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Through globalisation economies both domestically and internationally have been opened up. Governments have adopted a free market economics systems whereby increasing their own productive potential in addition to creating opportunities for international trade and involvement. There is also the controversial aspect of globalisation where proponents argue that through globalisation poor countries and their citizens are allowed to grow economically. On the other hand opponents of globalisation claim that multinationals of the western world benefits at the expense of local enterprises, cultures and the common people. BP BP is a multinational oil company with it headquarters based in the United Kingdom, London. It is one of the worlds top 10 private sector energy corporations in the world today. BP is engaged in oil, natural gas and alternative fuel exploration in addition to the marketing and sale of petroleum products. They are also at the forefront of delivering diverse, material and real solutions to meet the worlds needs for more, cleaner and affordable energy. Bp operates worldwide with branches in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Australasia, Europe, North America and South America with operations in over 80 countries. Their largest division is BP America, which is the biggest producer of oil and gas in the United States of America. BPs operating income in 2009 was USD $ 26.43 billion with a revenue of USD $ 246.1 billion. As at Dec 2009 they employed 80,600. In 2000 BP Amoco changed their name to BP and introduced a new slogan Beyond Petroleum. They also replaced their Green Shield logo with the Helios symbol, a green and yellow sunflower pattern representing energy in its many forms. (Wikipedia 2010) BPs rapid growth in world trade and investment is a direct result of the globalisation process in which multinational companies increasingly target parts of the globe as their domestic market. Since value chain is utilised to develop an organisations sustainable competitive advantage, it has become a powerful tool for Managers. The ability of any organisation to identify key activities and by extension perform activities along the line of value chain would create that competitive advantage that Michael porter spoke about. Through its history Bp has invested in countries abroad such as the US, Middle East, Iraq Egypt, Indonesia and Trinidad and Tobago. In doing so they have been able to secure large oil reserves and be identified as one of the largest oil and gas exploration company ion the world today. Being true to their values of being progressive, innovative and performance driven they have integrated the key activities of the value chain to the benefit of their customers BPs global strategy in their operations has assisted in their objective for being cost competitive through the securing of various economies of scale. Their heavy investment in the U.S. is testimony to this, since the U.S. remains one of the most lucrative markets in the world for energy and energy related resources. They consume over 1.2 billion litters of oil per year an this figure is constantly growing. This together with political stability, infrastructure and transport mechanisms are vital ingredients towards BPs investments there. Through mergers and acquisitions over the years, Bp has managed to receive that competitive advantage. With the acquisition of Valdes oil terminal in the late 60s, Standard Oil of Ohio in the 70s and the merging of Amoco in 2000 they captured most of the US. market share. By maintained this by continuing to sell Amoco branded products through their service stations although they were already converted to reflect the BP brand, as Amoco was rated best petroleum by consumers. Today BP continues to seek mergers and acquisition s worldwide in an effort to bring in additional revenue, increased profits, foreign assets and Human resources. Using an appraisal system based on the porters five forces which key elements include Threat of potential entrants,(2) substitutes, (3) bargaining power of suppliers and (40 power of buyers, together with an exploration of (5) degree of competitive rivalry, BOP appears to be highly competitive in their area of production. Through increased exploration in new territorities such as Asia Pacific, Azerbaijan, Angola, Trinidad Gulf of Mexico and in more recent times Russia, BP is able to increase assets and by extension establish leadership position in these areas. With the liberalisation of markets, advancement of technology and new regulatory regimes that stress greater competition international competition has increased. As a result Multinationals are forced to become more efficient in areas of production and marketing to achieve that sustainable competitive advantage. All organisations consist of activities that link together to develop the value of its business. Together these activities form the organisations value chain. Bps value chain over the years has become more complex. One of the ways they have addressed this is by diversifying their operations of petroleum exploration and refining system into retailing in cafes, bakeries and convenience stores. Their aim is not only to ensure customer satisfaction but also to be an attraction to prospective customers by marketing differentiated products, consequently creating a competitive edge and becoming more effectively aligned to its customers needs. As mentioned earlier all organisations consist of activities that when linked together develop the value of the business and form the value chain. These activities are referred to as the primary and secondary activities, where primary is related to production inclusive of inbound and outbound logistics, operations, marketing and sales and service. The secondary or support activities assist in the effectiveness and efficiency of the company. Bp to date has effectively utilised both logistical and value chain strategies in its overseas operations. In doing so, they have achieved competitive strengths and core competencies in the market place, ultimately creating value for the customer. Inbound logistics A substantial part BPs production is derived from a number of oil and gas fields worldwide. The oil and gas are transported via a series of pipelines and ships to various conversion facilities like refineries, power stations and industrial facilities at different locations. The use of BP shipping, a subsidiary of the BP group also provides the logistics to move oil and gas cargoes. The BP management fleet consists of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers and coasters. Bp has also shifted some of their exploration activities from Alaska and the North Sea since leaks were discovered in the pipelines and posed a threat to the environment. Explorations are now concentrated in the Soviet Union, Rumaila and The Gulf of Mexico. Through pioneering new technologies such as digital imaging of reservoirs there is also the potential to discover additional oil and gas out of some of their mature fields. BPs interest in the Canadian Oil sands also provides a unique opportunity for creating a balance in upstream production and downstream conversion. Operations The operation of BP is spread over six continents. As at 2004 there were 23 refineries of which 5 are in the US, 12 in Europe and 6 in other parts of the world. At the refineries crude oil is refined through a process called cracking during which it is cleaned and purified, separating gasoline, fuel oil and other hydro carbons. Over the years the demands for energy has been on the increase and as a result Bp has invested heavily in the promotion of alternative energy in addition to improving energy efficiency in their operations. Safety has also become a top priority In BPs operation and is viewed as fundamental to their success. Consequently, they are constantly upgrading their refineries to improve safety. This has resulted in injury rates reducing by close to 75%. Outbound logistics BPs transport network criss-crosses the globe. They control an international tanker fleet of more than thirty-five vessels, either fully owned or on long-term charter . Finished products such as fuel lubricants and chemical products are transported to various destinations through different methods. Fuels, for example are transported domestically through a vast truck and rail system, which is then stored in tanks at service stations to be retailed to the consumer. For the international market the finished product is transported via carriers which are then loaded onto trucks and rail cars for distribution. In the case of natural gas, depending on the location of the field it is transported through pipes to local distribution companies (LDC), or shipped using LNG carriers. Marketing and Sales This departments main strategy is to operate in markets where they can get the largest share and ensuring that it is kept well supplied at all times by supply advantage. The introduction of retail sites with convenient stores is one of the strategies adopted to achieve this Environmental issues such as global warming have forced BP to address the issue of climate change. Their initial step was the changing of its brand image and logo. Being true to their values, BP is continuously seeking to increase energy efficiency throughout their operations. They also work alongside vehicle and equipment manufacturers, towards improving overall efficiency in the use of their fuel and lubricants. Bp has also differentiated themselves from their competitors by playing a leading role in the growing low carbon energy sector, focusing on bio fuels, wind and solar energy and carbon capture and storage. Services The dependence of oil, gas and energy related industries from unstable and or difficult parts of the world have always been a concern for many countries. Although the price volatility over the past few years has softened some of these concerns, they continue to exist. Terrorism in particular has become a top priority since September 11 20011. Consequently, Bp has taken steps in securing all activities along its value chain. Additionally, it is quite evident that BPs commitment towards safety and climate change is constantly growing.

Two Former Tyco Executives Found Guilty

The past three years have witnessed stunning financial collapses in many companies that were ranked among the most admired companies in America. Sunbeam, Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, and HealthSouth were lauded, imitated, and studied for their stunning performances. Now they are studied for their failures. What went wrong? How could so much go so wrong? And, the inevitable question, where were the auditors and the accountants as these financial statements of well-being were released? Tyco International CEO Dennis Kozlowski, former CFO Mark Swartz, and former general counsel Mark Belnick were all indicted on charges that Kozlowski and Swartz, among others, stole $170 million from the company and pocketing $430 million from the fraudulent sale of Tyco stock. Belnick was charged with hiding $14 million in loans to himself. Tyco's management fired back as well. It filed a lawsuit against Kozlowski looking to recoup $244 million in pay and benefits. Tyco, over the period between 1964 and 2001, went from a small research firm based in New Hampshire to a conglomerate with a presence in over 100 countries and over 250,000 employees. Between 1991 and 2001, then-CEO Dennis Kozlowski took Tyco from $3 billion in annual sales to $36 billion in 2001 with over 200 acquisitions at a cost of $60 billion. It was through its expansive acquisition program that Tyco's accounting pushed the envelope. Tyco made its acquisitions look as anemic as possible. Called â€Å"spring-loading,† the goal was to have the acquired company seem to be a nonperformer in terms of earnings, much below its actual performance. However, if the acquired company then simply performs normally the following year, Tyco enjoys a boost to both its growth as well as respect for its management ability. Spring-loading is easily accomplished by, for example, having the acquired company pay all bills for the acquisition, even if that bill is not due, and also pay all other bills, whether they are due and owing. Raychem's treasurer sent out the following email when Tyco was acquiring Raychem: At Tyco's request, all major Raychem sites will pay all pending payables, whether they are due or not †¦ I understand from Ray [Raychem's CFO] that we have agreed to do this, even though we will be spending the money for no tangible benefit either to Raychem or Tyco. A report completed by David Boies, at the direction of Tyco's board, included an interview with an employee of another Tyco acquisition in which the employee indicates that a Tyco executive asked: â€Å"How high can we get these things? How can we justify getting this higher?† (Ackroyd & Thompson, 1999). The Boies report indicates that Tyco executives used both incentives and pressure on executives in order to get them to push the envelope on accounting rules in the acquisition process. The SEC has begun an investigation into Tyco's accounting in its acquisition of U.S. Surgical in 1998. Documents in the case include memoranda between Tyco financial executives proposing ways to slow U.S. Surgical's growth between the Tyco acquisition announcement and actual transfers of the assets. The memos refer to their ideas as â€Å"financial engineering†. Just prior to final closure, U.S. Surgical took a one-time hit of $322 million in miscellaneous charges. Beginning in the last quarter of 2001, Tyco's shares began to drop in price as shareholders realized the extent of the accounting creativity. By the summer of 2002, when Kozlowski was indicted for sales tax evasion on transactions involving his personal art collection, shareholder trust was dissipated and Tyco's shares had fallen 80 percent, from over $50 per share to just above $10. For purposes of examining ethics instruction for accountants, auditors, and managers, there are two common factors in these case studies. First, the financial pictures painted of the companies were grossly distorted. Only the level of sophistication in terms of masking the true financial condition varies among the companies. Enron used the slightly more nuanced SPEs while WorldCom used the less glitzy sleight of hand in turning ordinary expenses into capital expenses. Sunbeam relied on quantitative materiality standards to evade detection of its management of numbers, and HealthSouth seemed to start with the numbers it wanted for results and work backward. Second, these were also companies trying to maintain exponential growth. There were continuing pledges from their CEOs to keep the double-digit growth going. That pressure to maintain numbers increased with each passing quarter as the economy took a downturn and as their once unique strategies for growth fell victim to competition or the realities of economic cycles. The distortions were a function of their goals of maintaining an unrealistic pace of earnings growth. In short, individuals in the companies felt pressure and succumbed to deceit to satisfy increasing demands. These companies and those responsible for their financial reports were not dabbling in gray areas. The issues in these cases are clear and the conduct plainly wrong. With all the training in ethics and professional responsibility, the question that arises is as follows: How could so much go so wrong for so long in such large companies with no one raising an effective objection to halt the juggernauts of creative financial reporting and accounting? That this question must be posed in the wake of such staggering failures actually provides the answer. The answer is that those who were engaged in the creative and, often, not-so-creative but fraudulent accounting were trained in schools of business in which the curriculum (including ethics courses) is misguided in terms of training ethical leaders. The senior officer group of Enron included M.B.A.s who were trained during the financial wizardry era of M.B.A. programs in the 1980s. Mark Schwartz, the CFO of Tyco, held an M.B.A. Jeffrey K. Skilling, the former CEO of Enron, held an M.B.A. from Harvard. Andrew Fastow, then CFO, graduated from the Kellogg School at Northwestern. Clifford Baxter, another member of Enron's senior executive team, graduated from NYU's M.B.A. program. Tragically, Mr. Baxter took his own life following the collapse of Enron and during the period of daily revelations about its activities and the pending Congressional hearings. Mr. Baxter clearly saw the accounting issues within the company because Sherron Watkins, considered the whistleblower in the case, references him in her internal memo as someone who understood the accounting improprieties. Mr. Baxter left the company in the final months prior to its collapse. The M.B.A. curriculum has, since the time of the Milken and Boesky era, trained students in the importance of smoothing out earnings so as to maximize shareholder value, the often-stated role of business. While the role of business in society and the issues surrounding maximizing shareholder wealth are typical topics of coverage in ethics courses and modules in business schools, very little in textbooks and mandates from the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) focuses on moral absolutes or â€Å"bright line† virtue ethics such as honesty, fairness, or even false impressions in financial disclosures. The AACSB guidelines contain no mandates or references to these issues of honesty or training students in resolution of dilemmas involving honesty, disclosure, and false impression. The typical topics for business ethics textbooks, indeed for the literature in the field, center around social responsibility, and include a plethora of materials and cases on environmental issues, health and safety issues, sweatshops, diversity, and corporate philanthropy. The officers of all of the companies examined here and the companies themselves were all heavily involved in community and philanthropic work. Because of the focus of business schools on social responsibility as ethics, many of these officers and, to a large extent, the cultures of these companies, felt comfortable with deceptions in the name of shareholder value because they were accomplishing what they were trained to do in business school and they had ethics derived from their dedication to philanthropy, diversity, and environmentalism. These were all â€Å"soft† companies in the sense that they were not involved in those types of activities that are the targets of environmental protesters or labor activists. These were not companies running sweatshops or producing chemicals. Their perception of being â€Å"good† derived from the definition of good touted and taught by business ethicists in schools of business. The split, in their minds, between right and wrong did not lie along the lines of virtue ethics, but, rather, along the lines of social responsibility. Enron's CFO, Andrew Fastow, was beloved in Houston's Jewish community for his fund-raising for the city's proposed Holocaust museum. He was also involved in the city's art museum and virtually every other philanthropic cause related to the arts in the Houston area. Even those who worked with these officers in community projects and fund-raising had equated social responsibility with ethics, and were consistently shocked when Enron's financial conduct and reports were revealed. All of the companies noted here, as well as Charles Keating's American Continental and Finova Capital (the 7th-largest bankruptcy in the history of the United States), were widely known for their dedication to philanthropic activity, social responsibility, environmental activism, and dedication to community generosity. The curricula at business schools had permitted them the luxury of rationalization when it came to accounting and financial reporting because, in their minds, they had reached the conclusion Jeffrey Skilling touted in nearly every interview he gave, which was, â€Å"We are on the side of angels†. The behavior of executives in these companies reflects their grounding in any one of the three currently used models of business school ethics training: (1) the social responsibility model; (2) the code model; and (3) the stakeholder/normative model. Under the social responsibility model, students are educated in the importance of environmentalism, diversity, human rights, and philanthropy. Included in this approach may also be extensive discussions of product liability issues. Deficiencies in this approach are characterized in the previous section. The most descriptive list of this approach to ethics is found in the screens used by social responsibility investment funds, listed as follows: 1. The hiring of women and minorities; 3. Equity interest and ownership of South African operations (this screen is now dated because of the elimination of apartheid); 5. No layoffs and the hiring and promotion of those with disabilities; 6. No generation of revenue from weapons production; 7. Donations and the use of economically disadvantaged contractors and suppliers; and So long as stock prices are cranking up, it seems the CEO can be â€Å"cellophane man† for all anyone cares. But CEO divas are still quite an item in the business press. One thing is clear: Credibility and character count. Post-Enron, integrity and fair play matter more than the old gung-ho. Press reports about the lack of executive integrity are everywhere. One notable media story exposed the rise of companies conducting extensive background checks, complete with credit reports and neighbor interviews, for prospective CEOs. Ronald Zarrella, Bausch and Lomb's chief executive, was found to have shaded the truth about his credentials, saying he had an M.B.A. from New York University. Actually, he left prior to graduating. The board responded by cutting him out of a $1.1 million year-end bonus. Today CEOs are getting slammed for hoarding huge bonuses as they terminate legions of mid-level managers and production workers in the face of recession fears. Dennis Koslowski, CEO of Tyco, siphoned off millions from the firm by granting and forgiving employee relocation loans. He used the wealth for such essentials as a $15,000 umbrella. A guilty plea by one auditor and the criminal conviction of his audit firm have resulted in statutory reform, new policies on financial reporting, and stricter regulatory requirements for audit firms. When all the reform dust settles, however, and the new statutes, regulations, and rules are implemented, auditors and those who educate them will still be left with the same question: why were auditors willing to allow the types of financial reports and reporting decisions that produced fundamentally unfair and inaccurate portraits of the companies they were auditing? The answer to this question requires exploration of ethics education in both business schools and schools of accountancy. While there are voids in that training, there are also seminal works that could be used to help future accountants and auditors understand the dilemmas they will face and how to resolve such dilemmas. The Israeli bank-shares fiasco, the Enron affair, and, in its wake now, the WorldCom and Tyco scandals clearly demonstrate that unethical managers are a liability not only to their own organizations, but to the general public. The problem is that the formulation and publication of codes of ethics alone do not guarantee that managers and employees will behave ethically. Moreover, it is evident that managerial ethical behavior has a great deal of influence on the ethical climate and culture of the organization. Walking the talk is the name of the game, managers must not only be familiar with the ethical culture and accept it, but must serve as examples to the rest of the corporation. Any disparity between the declared ideology of the organization and managers' behavior has a deleterious effect. To establish a reputation of ethical leadership, managers must adhere to a high moral ground and ensure that their actions are perceived to be ethical. When ethical dilemmas are not confronted and when ethical aspects of daily managerial life are ignored, employees quickly perceive that ethical considerations do not constitute an integral component of the organization. They may rightly observe that bottom line and profits, not integrity and accountability, are core values. Consequently, when employees are faced with an ethical dilemma, the almighty dollar is most likely to rule the day.

The Issue Of Reflection Education Essay

Contemplation as defined by the Oxford English lexicon ( 1993 ) means ‘idea originating in the head ‘ and head means ‘seat of consciousness, thought, will, and experiencing ‘ . It seems therefore that contemplation, in an every twenty-four hours term is about believing that involves will and feeling, therefore contemplation is really personal as we are all alone persons. So, if contemplation is believing why are we being assessed on it, and how can it be assessed as certainly we all think otherwise. Are brooding model theoretical accounts, an assistance to assist me believe or an assistance to assist the assessor ‘s buttockss me? Am I being misanthropic or is cynicism accurate observation? Have we bury how to believe? Are we populating in an age where the gait of life is so fast that people do n't hold clip to believe any more? Is that why contemplation is now being incorporated into course of studies or is it to heighten acquisition and the forming of constructs and connexions? Is it to do me gain what my ain thoughts are, and which are person else ‘s? Or is it as King and Kitchener ( 1994 cited Moon 2001, p.8 ) propose to dispute my acquisition and thereby better my cognitive ability? At first I thought that contemplation was a complicated issue, but so I learnt that it was about thought. When I foremost received this assignment I ‘thought ‘ that I would truly bask it, as I would be able to be originative but whilst reflecting during the action of roll uping my portfolio, and researching for my brooding essay, I have become resentful, non because I am immune to alter but because I feel that it is intrusive and a small patronising to give me person else ‘s theoretical account or formula of how to believe. It seems that Moon ( 2001, p.16 ) would hold with me as she suggests Are pupils told to reflect when really they will merely follow a formula ( e.g. set inquiries ; rigorous attachment to the Kolb rhythm ( Kolb, 1984 ) ) ? Make pupils have their contemplations as kids own their drama? From my personal experience I would implore to differ as when I used the brooding theoretical account of Price ( 2002 ) to reflect upon my unit A assignments I found it smothering and found myself over-inflating my beliefs of segregation so that I would hold something to compose about in that portion of the model. Bolton ( 1998 ) would propose that my defensive attitude is ‘a get bying scheme ‘ and that I am defying ‘change and development ‘ . Whereas Lifton ( 1961 cited Atherton 2003 ) describes the procedure of idea reform as ‘brainwashing ‘ . For me these theoretical accounts are common sense and hence I have been resentful towards them. During one of our lessons we were given a sheet of paper with brooding theoretical accounts on it and asked to take one to reflect upon our presentation. Personally, I had already reflected upon my presentation briefly instantly after I had finished it, so once more in more deepness in my auto on the manner place and so once more in even more deepness when I discussed it with my hubby, read all the presentation press releases, and compared my presentation with everyone else ‘s. Therefore personally I do n't experience that I learnt anything by utilizing Price ‘s ( 2002 ) reflective model theoretical account. However I have since learnt upon reflecting on my acquisition manner that the bulk of my acquisition features are that of the ‘dreamer ‘ ( Cottrell 2003, p.63 ) . One of the strengths of the ‘dreamer ‘ is to reflect and measure good. Therefore I can appreciate that Price ‘s ( 2002 ) reflective model theoretical account may be more good to possibly, the leaner with ‘logician ‘ features as Cottrell ( 2003, p.63 ) proposes that their learning country to be developed is ‘personal contemplation ‘ . However I do non experience that pupils can be pigeon-holed into certain learning types, although I must acknowledge that most of my features were spot on with Cottrell ‘s ( 2003 ) dreamer larning manner. It would look that contemplation has been good to me after all, as it has made me cognizant of my learning manner or manners and made me gain that the usage of brooding models are smothering for me, hence I have thought approximately, ‘reflected upon ‘ and learnt something from ‘the experience ‘ . It seems that my learning experience is related to Boud et Al ‘s ( 1985 ) defini tion of contemplation as they defines it as A generic term for those rational and effectual activities in which persons engage to research their experiences in order to take to a new apprehension and grasp ( Draper 1999 ) . It seems that Boud et al view contemplation from the scholar ‘s point of position, underscoring the relationship of the brooding procedure and the learning experience. For illustration I have learnt from the experience of utilizing brooding model theoretical accounts that I find them smothering. Whereas Dewey ( 1993 ) defines contemplation as An active persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed signifier of cognition in the visible radiation of the evidences that support it and the farther decision to which it tends ( Draper 1999 ) . Dewey positions contemplation as experiential acquisition and that each experience influences future experiences. For illustration Dewey may hold that from the racial bias that I discussed in subdivision two that I take this experience with me to future experiences. For illustration through seeing some of the black citizens of Africa deformed via non being inoculated against infantile paralysis I have non hesitated to inoculate my kids against diseases such as infantile paralysis, epidemic parotitiss, rubeolas and German measles. Therefore a past experience can inform a present experience, such as whether I should let my adolescents to be inoculated against meningitis. Sch & A ; ouml ; n ( 1993, 1987 cited Moon 2001, p. 3 ) focal points on contemplation in professional cognition and its development. He has identified two types of contemplation. These are ‘reflection in action ‘ and ‘reflection on action ‘ . Sch & A ; ouml ; n proposes that these types of contemplations are used in alone state of affairss, where the practician is unable to use ‘theories or techniques antecedently learnt through formal instruction ‘ ( Moon 2001, p.4 ) . It would therefore look that ‘reflection in action ‘ and ‘reflection on action ‘ are extremely good to the attention and educational industries as practicians are working with persons who are more frequently than non, text book illustrations. Reflection is a cardinal portion of my child care pattern as I work with kids and households who are persons with alone qualities. This means that every clip I do an activity I may necessitate to make it otherwise as I w ill necessitate to see the person demands of the child/children and that of their parents. For illustration, if you were a mill worker and you packed bars your contemplation in action would n't take as long, because you would be working with inanimate objects. Therefore your contemplations may be more matter-of-fact whereas in my occupation I am covering with babies, yearlings, kids and grownups, hence my contemplations are changeless and are more likely to be based upon emotions, as I am working with persons who have emotions excessively. As the chief ethos of my pattern is to handle each kid and household member as persons, I therefore reflect ‘in action ‘ throughout my on the job twenty-four hours and reflect ‘on action ‘ , sometimes instantly after an action, and sometimes subsequently in the eventide. For illustration when a parent arrives they may inform me of the feverish weekend that they have had. This information that I am provided with affects my contemplation in action. For illustration if I have been informed that a kid is likely to be really tired today and I have planned a feverish twenty-four hours, I would be believing on my toes and accommodate the yearss activities to suit a slumber in for that kid. It would look that contemplation is a paradox as there are many different significances and types of contemplation, the above being merely a few. What is evident though is that contemplation is really complicated which is dry sing that thought is really easy. Possibly so it is non the procedure of contemplation that is difficult, ‘the thought ‘ but, it is covering with the emotions that reflection brings. Possibly I am being assessed on my contemplation abilities as they are of import to my holistic personal, instruction and pattern development. Possibly my cynicism in the debut is healthy as, No adult male who worships instruction has got the best out of instruction†¦ Without a soft disdain for instruction no adult male ‘s instruction is complete.Gilbert K. ChestertonI surely feel that I have got my initial disdain for contemplation out of my system as I have realised that contemplation has helped me do connexions such as the nexus between my learning manner and seting the practical authorship of assignments off for every bit long as possible. Contemplation has as King and Kitchener proposed ‘improved my cognitive ability ‘ , as I now have a better apprehension of contemplation and myself. I besides feel that pupils do have their contemplations as they own their yesteryear experiences which they draw upon during contemplation. Personally I do non like brooding model theoretical accounts but I appreciate that they can be really good for pupils who find contemplation hard.

Analysis of Organizational Behavior Example

Analysis of Organizational Behavior Example Analysis of Organizational Behavior – Assignment Example ï » ¿Analysis of Organizational Behavior Introduction Teamwork  represents the mutual actions conducted by a group of workers in order to achieve a common goal. However, almost every team from time to time goes through difficult conditions, which usually result in conflict. Conflict in the work place can negatively influence an efficiency of the whole company’s activity. Usually, it’s wrong communication strategies and  inadequate teamwork arrangement  that lead to the conflict. Team members can’t come to the mutual agreement on the main goals of their work and the ways to achieve these goals. It usually happens due to the lack of the communicating skills and cross-cultural differences (Loeb 2003). The consequences of teamwork conflicts Some conflicts also can be beneficial for the company because they help personal development and sometimes result in organizational change. However, they can be beneficial only if they are successfully resolved. Left unsolved, disagreements inside of the team can lead to many problems.  The company may undergo serious looses.   The possible influence of the conflict is different and usually unwanted. In one case several workers may raise the common level of anxiety in their team and decrease work efficiency to some extend. More serious conflicts can lead to the decrease of the whole company’s productivity, and conflicts among team of leaders usually come to lack of supervision in the company that usually results in fail (Loeb 2003). The benefits of teamwork Though the conflicts inside of the team happen very often they do not usually lead to the company manager’s refusal from teamwork, because it is very beneficial for any company. Successfully resolved, the conflicts also can be beneficial for the organization in some cases. Moreover, it is managers who is responsible and can be accused of the conflict of the team. Also they hold responsibility for their successful resolution (Loeb 2003). Teamwork has a lot of benefits. The first is that teamwork makes any work more creative providing the opportunity to use the creativity of many people. The second benefit is employees’ satisfaction. People are usually more enthusiastic working in a team. The next benefit is the opportunity to use the skills of different people. The speed of project implementation is also higher in a team, because the tasks are divided. Teamwork also stimulates employees to support each other, because they have a common goal (Loeb 2003). Conclusion and recommendations As teamwork appears to be so beneficial, the conflict that arises inside can’t make employers refuse from it. Moreover, it was already mentioned that it is manages who can be accused of the appearance of conflicts due to the wrong supervision of the company. Conflicts in teams are not always unavoidable. They can and should be prevented. The different purposes and opinions lead to conflict and competition between members.  Every manager must know the tactic of conflict resolution and prevention. Efficient conflict resolution tactic concentrates on employees' cultural differences and assists the team in its main projects implementation (Loeb 2003). WORKS CITED Loeb, Sarah. (2003) â€Å"The Ways to Avoid Conflict†. New York: Nerd Press,. Effective team building and development avoids or eliminates these team conflict problems. This is central to effective conflict resolution strategies in teams.   It is a common tendency in the U.S. business world that when people come together for a project or task they immediately get to work â€Å"tackling the problem at hand." After all, "that is what they are being paid to do." Devoting time to anything else "just delays the solution." This thinking frequently leads to the problems identified above. Teams must  address three aspects of their work: Build their skills at working with people having different perspectives, ideas, approaches to doing their work, and communication styles. Decide how they will discuss issues, include everyone’s input, and make decisions. Reaching a common understanding of the issue being addressed  and the needed business outcome.

History of American Television Essay Sample

History of American Television Essay Sample History of American Television Reflection Essay Example History of American Television Reflection Essay Example Historical Development of the Medium Television was invented in the twentieth century. Nowadays, it occupies a great part of American culture. As for me, now I am sixty years old and from my childhood a lot of things have changed on television. But the one thing is the most important for me. In the late 1950th and the beginning of 1960th, television at home was not such an ordinary thing as it is nowadays. Description of concrete experience: When I was a child, our family did not have it. Newspapers were the main source of information for my parents. Once, my father brought home a big box. It was Christmas time, and all my family members were very curious about the box and its contents. When my father finally opened it, everybody was shocked and happy. There was TV in the box. That time I was 8. I heard a lot about television before. Our neighbors had one and it was a great joy for me to have a TV. In such a way, it was a time when the history of American television started for me. Later, the 1960th became the years of discovering television for me. A lot of things were happening in the world, and television was the main source of information about them. In the 1970th, television was quite popular. News programs became an influential matter. The 1980th became the years of many key world events that were observed on television. In the 1990th and 2000th, the television continued to develop. Reflections: I understood that it was quite difficult for my father to make such a gift. My family was not rich, but my father loved us so much that he had been saving money for a long time to make such a surprise for us. From this experience, I have learned a lot about family relationships. Generalizations, principles and theories: Family values are very important in a person`s life. Everybody should esteem and support a family unit. It is not easy for people to live together. A person has to work hard to have a good family and be happy with it. All problems can be solved with good attitude. Testing and application: Many times in my adult life I recollected the described situation and lesson that I have learned from it. I will never forget that Christmas present from my father. I always try to do the best for my family and teach my children to do the same. Now I have a good family with its values and traditions. Role of the Medium as an Expression of the Storytelling Tradition Description of concrete experience: Television is a great invention of the humanity. There are many entertainment programs such as talk shows, series shows, movies, and so on. On the other hand, for me television means the source of information. Due to television, American people have got the possibility to learn about the most important events from all over the world. It gives people a huge opportunity to be informed and developed intellectually. For me, the first strong impression from television was the coverage of the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. It was a huge tragedy for the American nation. Summer 1972 Olympic Games were also covered by television. I liked to watch sports competitions, especially swimming. At the same time, I was shocked about the taking Israeli athletes into hostage and then killing them. It was significant and cruel event that was covered by television live. The failed attempt to kill the President Ronald Reagan in 1981 also was also covered by television. Other breaking news I l earnt from television and the one that influenced me much was the suppression of protests in Beijing`s Tiananmen Square in 1989. On the one hand, I saw the longing of people for freedom. On the other hand, I saw a great violence of government striving to put an end to this longing. In 1989, due to the existence of television I watched the fall of the Berlin wall. The symbol of epoch and communism had fallen. It was a great event for Germans and other nations all over the world. The country had been separated into two parts for a long time. People of common history and traditions had other political systems, ideology, educational priorities, and so on. People lived other lives. Some people were living in wealth, others in poverty. But they had common roots, were thinking about one another and had a desire to be together. It was a big happiness for both parts of Germany to be connected and finally live in one country. I know that West Germans still pay some taxes for the renovation of the Eastern part of the country. They are still helping each other. In 1991, I was impressed much by reports about the war in Iraqi. American television covered it in details, showing the bombing in real time. It shocked me deeply. People’s cruelty was enormous. Reflections: My father always told that news programs are not independent and are ruled by governance. Over the years, I have understood his words. I know the meaning and importance of independent mass media for the civil society. From that time, many things have changed. Nowadays, I can watch television and obtain true information about many events from all over the world. I can receive news from independent news programs which I can rely on. I think this is very important for me personally and all American people. At the same time, watching news I was afraid about the future. The President could be killed. There is no stability. Ordinary people are not safe. I had these thoughts at that time. When I was watching reports about mentioned events, I had thoughts about people’s destiny. As for Tiananmen Square, I have understood that Chinese people were struggling for things I already have from the birth – for freedom and democracy. There were people in American history who struggled for these things too. In its turn, the fall of Berlin Wall gave me the hope that the world will become better and barriers between people will break with time. Generalizations, principles and theories: Television shows that there is a huge need for security and stability in the society. This will help people to start valuing things they have. The freedom and democracy are among these things. The brotherhood is another. For me, the events in Beijing`s Tiananmen Square in 1989 was the destroy of everything. But the fall of Berlin Wall was the victory of democracy and freedom. Testing and application: Television has a great influence on the society. Television brings not only good but a lot of bad things to our homes. At the same time, TV news about cruel events taught me to respect the main American values – freedom and democracy. I am proud to be American and I am a patriot of my country. Characteristics of Genre Description of concrete experience: Television is a mixture of everything. Each person can find there what he/she is especially interested in. First time when television entered our family, we were watching a popular comedy series The Andy Griffin Show. It came to an end in 1968. From 1969 until 1971, all my family was watching The Bill Cosby Show. It was a situational comedy consisting two seasons. This comedy, which was about an average high school teacher, described real life situations and provided solutions to many problems. It was useful and really life learned. When I was a child, every morning my parents watched Good Morning America. There were much interesting information, news and many host guests. Usually, I had my breakfast at that time and it was accompanied by this show. Thus, it made my day and until the lunch I heard in my mind its main melody. Besides, my father liked westerns and talk shows very much, especially The Phil Donahue Show. My mother preferred soap operas that were shown daytime. The soap D ays of our Lives was her favourite one. As for me, being a child I enjoyed watching PBS Sesame Street, Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones. Muppets, animation, and games were widely used there. In 1970th, drama programs such as Charlie`s Angels, Columbo and Dallas were commonly watched and popular in America. Besides, television also offered Lou Grant, Little House on the Prairie, and Quincy. My family, neighbors and friends were regularly watching at least one of these programs. In my family, we usually watched Columbo and Dallas. Columbo was about a smart detective Lieutenant Columbo who had a specific way to investigate crimes. At first, the series described the crime and its commitment in detail. The main question was in the way of how a detective would find a murderer. In its turn, Dallas described a love story based on the plot of Romeo and Juliette. In the 1980th, I started watching series themes about the life of rich people. The whole America was watching Dynasty, Dallas and Rich and Famous. I was not an exception and watched Dynasty. This epic series theme showed the life and love of rich oil tycoon and his family. It was full of glamour, wealth and fashion. There were a lot of other interesting TV programs. Magnum P.I. show with Tom Selleck was telling me about important and hard work of American Police. The Oprah Winfrey Show was the source of information and new emotions for me. I liked Oprah. Her charism and charm gave me additional energy. In the 1990th, I watched Law Order and X-Files. Law Order had been popular for a long time. I have watched it from 1990 until 2010. Detectives, investigations, prosecution of the offenders – all of this made the series interesting and dynamic. Moreover, it was based on real cases. In its turn, X-Files was mysterious and unbelievable television series that was broadcasted on television from 1983 until 2002. Two FBI agents investigated abnormal events. The most intrigue thing here was the endlessness. With the problem solving, new questions arose and they were not answered fully. It gave additional charm to this television series. The Rosie O`Donnell Show made my evenings. In 2000, I started watching a television series Sopranos about a criminal Tony Soprano and his family. I am watching it until now. In the 1990th, I saw a reality television show for the first time. It was The Real World by MTV. This long series show was something new on television. I was surprised to watch people`s ordinary life in real time. Reflections: As a child, from Sesame Street I eagerly learned a lot of information that is valuable for a child. Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones were so funny and fascinating that I could not leave my place until the final scenes were shown. Later, Columbo was interesting for me because while watching it I could develop my logical thinking and intelligence. A great number of psychological aspects of human behavior, various puzzles and tasks for solving gave my brain additional stimuli for active work. From Dynasty, I have learned new things about the life other than mine and that I could hardly ever have. It was interesting to look at these people, see their luxurious things, dresses and houses. When watching Dynasty, I was thinking about people. The main discovery for me was the fact that people are the same in their wishes, attitudes and desires disregarding their status. Everybody needs such things as love, friendship, and kindness. From Law Order I learned a lot about police work and various aspects of detectives’ life. While watching Sopranos, I was thinking about the difficulties in life. Despite Soprano is a criminal, he is always between the two worlds – his home and his criminal activity. Generalizations, principles and theories: Programs for children shown on television develop a young person in the process of entertainment. Programs for adults make people think about some vital issues. In television shows, a lot of controversial and topical themes are discussed. It allows a person to form his/her own opinion on the topic. As for me, I generalized the following conclusions. No wealth could automatically give happiness to a person. The American Dream can be achieved by everybody. The main thing is to study and work hard. At the same time, there are always moral dilemmas in life how to act and what to choose. Every person faces these dilemmas. From television series I learned that there are no right or wrong things for anybody. There is moral choice of a definite person. Testing and application: During my life, I used lessons learned from television. I try to be tolerant and show love and kindness. I understand that no wealth can bring happiness and I try to be good person in any situation. Effect of Corporate Ownership on Trends in the Medium Description of concrete experience: When I was a child, I was influenced much by the governmental ban on cigarettes advertisement on television and radio. My mother supported it. She did not smoke and thought that such advertisement promotes nicotine addiction and influences a lot of young people. My mother did not want to see me smoking. This situation and my mother’s words about it made me think that smoking was a bad thing. From that time, I do not smoke. By the end of the 1970th, the cable television has entered our home. Cable television proposed new interesting channels on various themes. After the domination of only three networks, the introduction of a new one seemed like a mystery. It changed a lot in the industry. People obtained new opportunities to develop and were given a range of channels to choose from. For instance, as a child I liked Nickelodeon. It was oriented on children and young people as I was. Nickelodeon proposed a lot of animation, movies and shows for people of my age. Many new cable networks were introduced to American people in the 1980th. As I was young and curious, I preferred Music Television, Discovery Channel and Arts Entertainment. Later, I have discovered for myself The History Channel. All my life I was interested in history, and this channel was especially valuable for me. I watched programs about ancient times, middle ages, and modern history. I learned a lot about people’s life in different countries in other time periods. I was interested in things related to the First and Second World Wars that influenced much a world order and were connected almost with every country in the civil world. Reflections: In my opinion, my mother was right saying that smoking is bad. The governmental decision to ban cigarettes’ advertisement was a good decision for the society. As for additional channels, I was happy about it. For instance, while watching Nickelodeon, I was happy to see the same young people as I was, listen to discussions on questions and problems which I was thinking about. Moreover, there were a lot of jokes and funny things in the scenes. Thus, this channel taught me a lot about things topical for me. I found a lot of useful information and answers to various questions that I hardly could ask my parents. Music channel gave me additional energy, I liked to sing and dance while watching it. Discovery channel gave me a lot of new interesting information about various sides of life – from bacteria to universe. The Arts Entertainment helped me to be in a good mood and gave me positive emotions. These things were important for me. I learned to live and be happy in life. From The History Channel, I learned about traditions, culture and behaviors of various nations. I have obtained much useful information. Generalizations, principles and theories: I have learned that television has a great influence on people, their minds, habits and attitudes. Corporate ownership plays its own role. It can use television as a means for achieving goals, like in the case with a ban of cigarettes’ advertisement. Government banned it. It was good for people, but bad for big corporations. Simultaneously, the development of television led to the introduction of new cable networks that was a good thing for both people and corporations. Testing and application: Ban of cigarettes prevented many young people from smoking. For instance, due to such bans, I am not smoking. The variety of television channels helps me in real life, including cases of communication with people of others nationalities and religions. Influence of the Medium on a Particular Culture Description of concrete experience: During my life, I was always impressed by talents shows that were offered by various TV channels. There were shows like Showtime at the Apollo, Solid Gold, and others. I think these TV shows influence the American culture to a great extent. In such shows, Americans were dancing, singing and doing many other tremendous things. I am waiting for every season of America`s Got Talent, worrying about participants and following the course of the competitions. In 2014, I was for Mat Franco. I was happy when this talented person had won a competition. In 2015, the winner of 10th season Paul Zerdin also won honestly and fairly. Among others, series themes have a huge influence on culture. For instance, such series as Sex and the City boomed America. This series was cult for many American women including me. The story about four middle age women turned my world. It was the first time that the television described the life of adult women, their problems and desires. Many topical themes were also discussed in this project. This series theme dictated people the fashion and the way of living in the society. My children watched series Friends and Beverly Hills 90210. Despite the fact that I was an adult, I also liked it very much. It showed young people`s everyday life. They were solving problems and living a life with humor and ease. It was useful series for my children because everyday problems and situations of youth were discussed there. Besides, I watched Murphy Brown, the television comedy about life and the creation of the television series. I liked the main character Murphy Brown, a smart and talented fem ale reporter. Many people wanted to be like her. News and talk shows also have huge influence on culture. For instance, these days I have been watching The Tonight Show. Many interesting themes are discussed there. I am listening to different opinions and forming my own point of view regarding the main topics. Reflections: The number of talented Americans impressed me the most. While walking through the streets, sitting in restaurants and living an ordinary life I have never thought that there are so many talented people around me. Earlier while communicating with them I looked only at their appearance but not their internal side. These talents shows push me to think more about it and try to something good and exceptional in everyone. Generalizations, principles and theories: Television has a huge influence on culture. It dictates fashion, the way of dressing and behavior. To a great extent, popular culture is made by television. Due to television, I know that each person is genius. From that time I think that each person is talented in one or another field of activity. The most important thing is the ability to discern and estimate it. Testing and application: I know that many things I am doing I do in a way television has showed me. It concerns many things in my life including dressing and behaving in the society. Due to talents shows, I acquired a different attitude to people around. I started looking for something good and interesting in everybody. Influence of a Particular Culture on the Medium Description of concrete experience: In 1976, it was the first time that I saw a woman in news program. It was Barbara Walters who was the co-anchor in evening news on ABC channel. It was discussed much. In the evening, my family watched the comedy All in the Family. It was shown in the prime time, and all my family were sitting, laughing and discussing it. A lot of controversial questions were raised in the comedy. Relationships in the ordinary American family, between Archie Bunker, Edith, Mike Stivic and others, were diverse and complicated. Situations, problems and their solutions were different. Themes were topical. All in the Family showed social inequality in the society. In 1977, we watched Roots. It was miniseries about the life of African-American family. Race relationships, sex, romantic relations, violence and many other things were discussed there. It was topical for that time. Besides, from 1984 my Thursday evenings were accompanied by Cosby Show. This show was about an African-American family of the upper -middle-class. I liked the soundtrack to it very much. It was almost like jazz. A lot of humor and real family situations made this show interesting and easy. The main issue of the show was the fact that it raised themes of inequality in America. Reflections: For me to see a woman as a co-anchor was not so crucial, but I had a real feeling that the priorities in the society are changing. The power of men was shacked, and women began to declare their rights. As for All in the Family, in this series social inequality in the society was also showed. I was a child and did not understand the question on the whole, but I still have in my mind the main things. It is about the injustice and cruelty of inequality. This issue should be eradicated from life. At the same time, while watching The Cosby Show, I learned that disregarding the race or other matters Americans can achieve certain status in the society, have good profession and be equal. Generalizations, principles and theories: The Movement for Woman Rights, as well as African-American Civil Rights Movement had a considerable impact on television. That is the case when television was influenced by culture, began to count with it and offer connected programs and materials to people. It helped to break the inequality barrier in the country. Testing and application: I saw many controversial things in my real life and could not find right answers for my questions. But civil movements changed the American culture and influenced television as well. In its turn, television gave me necessary answers and taught me to be tolerant and understanding.

Insurance Industry and Global Climax Change Research Paper

Insurance Industry and Global Climax Change - Research Paper Example However, the level of human consumption and the consequential degradation of the natural environment have reached a level of mutual destruction and dire consequences for both human inhabitants and the nature. Thus, the greatest environmental concern facing the planet is excessive carbon footprints left by the people on the planet. Carbon is a vital element for both human beings and the natural environment (Mills et al, 2006). Climate Change A. Data about how frequency of disaster due to climate changes Climate change has negative impact in the sense that landslides and floods, tsunamis and hurricanes are common phenomenon. For instance, landslides and floods have claimed more than one thousands lives in Brazil. Further, climate change has seen the sea ice in countries such as Canada take long time to appear during the months of winter, which in turn negatively affects the polar bear this is because the polar bear are spending too much time on land decreasing the time they spend hunti ng in the sea ice. Polar bear can hunt effectively in sea ice not on land, and as a result, the population of this creature is rapidly decreasing. In addition, climate change has led to increase in extra tropical cyclones, hailstorms, bush fires, droughts and heat waves. More extensive destruction, social, environmental, and economical impacts from weather related tragedies. Transformations in atmospheric process will negative influence the health, property and lives of many people in the world (Mills, 2005). B. Data about damage climate change every year The increase in temperatures causes large boulders of ice to melt and form water, which flows to large water bodies. As a result, there is a rise in sea level all over the globe. This reduces the area of land under settlement and is posing a threat to human existence. The human being who had caused the warming, with or without their knowledge, is now being punished by nature. The Antarctic regions is a good example, as the melted i ce masses causes displacement of people and the consequence is causing a strain on land space (Jacobs, 2012). C. Direct Impact on human and properties a. Health Impacts a. Weather-related Mortality Climate change that took place since 1970s has claimed over 150,000 excess lives yearly by the year 2004. The number of weather related tragedies has increased since 1960s. Each year, these tragedies lead to more than 55,000 deaths particularly in developing nations. b. Infectious Diseases Global climate change influence the environmental and social determinants of health in the sense that human beings are exposed to unclean air, unsafe drinking water, lack of sufficient food and poor shelter. This in turn leads to many infectious diseases such as diarrhea, malaria, dengue and malnutrition which worsen as the climate transforms. c. Air Quality- Respiratory Illnesses Global increase in the respiratory diseases such as allergies and asthma results from global warming such as depletion of oz one layers, spread of communicable illnesses because of earth heats, and rising temperatures. 2. Agriculture Impacts a. Crop Yields i. Food shortage The increasing precipitation and rising temper

Animal Right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Animal Right - Essay Example This is the reason why there are so many animal rights activists. The basis for animal rights therefore rests upon the idea that animals, just like humans, deserve to be treated humanely. Does this make sense and how does the subject of animal rights fare in ethics? Utilitarianism somehow sheds light on the validity of animal rights, especially the ideas of 19th century British philosopher John Stuart Mill. As utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism, then it follows that utilitarian ethics teaches that the ends justify the moral worth of an action regardless of the means. If we were to defend animal rights on the basis of this principle, then we are to accept the fact that protection of animal rights will produce a good outcome and is therefore good. One benefit that can be derived from this is that â€Å"animal rights teach us that certain things are wrong as a matter of principle† (â€Å"Animal Rights,† BBC). This means that by recognizing animal rights, the society is taught that the virtues of respect, kindness and compassion are indeed existent and are universal, in that one is not supposed to limit the expression of these virtues to humans but also to animals. Moreover, the protection of animal rights will somehow force people to seek more human ways of treating them and to seek other alternatives to the task at hand before resorting to animal use. These sentim ents are echoed in the following statement by German scientist Frank Gannon: Nevertheless, if one simply uses the idea â€Å"the ends justify the means† in defending utilitarian ethics vis-à  -vis human rights, then one would be forced to recognize that animal rights somehow contradict the idea of human rights – especially the human right to eat animals. This means that if one takes the view of utilitarianism, then he would advocate the happiness of the greatest number of people; and if what can help bring about this happiness is the killing of animals for food, then animals