Kingdom Fungi

Chapter 21 Notes: Kingdom Fungi! Name_________________________ 21-1: The Kingdom Fungi A. What Are Fungi? Fungi include MANY DIFFERENT types of organisms From tiny yeast cells To the one of the largest organisms in the world! Fungi are: Multicellular (except for yeasts) Eukaryotic Heterotrophic Decomposers: decompose dead and decaying material -Recyclers! -Secrete enzymes OUTSIDE bodies – Absorb digested nutrients Hyphae: long, slender, root-like filament Septa: cross-walls across hyphae (not in all hyphae) Mycelium: mat of interwoven hyphae o Large surface area = max food absorptionFruiting body: reproductive structures, like mushrooms o Many can develop from same mycelium o â€Å"fairy rings† Entire mycelium is haploid! o (1 set of chromosomes) B. Structure & Function of Fungi Fungi cells have cell walls -Contain carbohydrate â€Å"chitin† also found in exoskeletons Unlike plants: -Fungi DON’T have chlorophyll -Fungi have chitin in cell walls (plants hav e cellulose) C. Reproduction in Fungi Most fungi reproduce BOTH asexually and sexually Asexual Reproduction: Sporangia at the tip of sporangiophores produce haploid spores Fragmentation (breaking off) of hyphae can also produce new mycelia Sexual reproductionFungi form hyphae of opposite â€Å"Sex† o Called â€Å"+† & â€Å"-â€Å" The + & – hyphae fuse and form gametangia: o Makes gametes o Form a diploid zygote o Zygote undergoes meiosis: haploid once again! D. How Fungi Spread Fungal spores travel VERY easily in the air All they need is a good â€Å"landing place† with moisture & food Some fungi have special adaptations for spreading spores 21-2: Classification of Fungi A. 4 Phyla of Fungi: Zygomycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota Deuteromycota Named for their reproductive structures! B. Phylum Zygomycota â€Å"Common molds† o On bread, cheese, etc. Black bread mold: Rhizopus stoloniferReproduce asexually (spores) & sexually (zygospores) C. Phylum Ascomycota â€Å"Sac Fungi† o Conidia form spores asexually o The ascus contains diploid spores in sexual reproduction Examples: yeast, cup fungi D. Phylum Basidiomycota â€Å"Club Fungi† 16,000 species: mushrooms, puffballs, bracket fungi, morels Club-shaped reproductive structure Spores form in basidia: o On the â€Å"gills† underneath mushroom cap Many wild mushrooms are poisonous! E. Phylum Deuteromycota â€Å"Imperfect Fungi† Fungi with NO KNOWN sexual stage Reproduction only asexually Ex: Penicillium; also pathogens like ringworm, athlete’s foot 1-3: Ecology of Fungi A. Fungi as Heterotrophs Most fungi are decomposers or saprobes Others are parasites (live on/in a living host) And others are symbionts: live in symbiosis with other organisms Pleurotus ostreatus is actually a carnivore captures & eats roundworms ALL fungi, though, are heterotrophs! B. Fungi as Decomposers External digestion: Fungi decompose matter by secreting enzymes o break i t down into simple organic molecules Fungus then absorb those molecules C. Fungi as Parasites Plants and animals (humans) are subject to fungal diseases Plants: o Corn smut o Mildew o Wheat rustHumans & animals: o Athlete’s foot o Yeast infections (Candida albicans) o Ring worm o Cordyceps (kills grasshoppers) D. Symbiosis Symbiosis is a â€Å"mutualistic† relationship in which BOTH partners benefit Lichens = algae (or cyanobacteria) + fungus o On rocks, dry environments Mycorrhizae = plant roots + fungus o -80% of plants might have these o Fungi help the plants get water & minerals o Plants provide fungi w/ energy E. Fungi & Food! Many foods are made using fungi! Yeast (Saccharomyces) is used to make bread, beer, wine Cheeses (Brie, Blue, Roquefort) are made using mold (Penicillium)

A Case Study on “Managing Like a Man at Silkqueen?”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This is the case study on â€Å"Managing like a man at SilkQueen? † by Kate Hutchings of Queensland University of Technology. Here we are given a character named Sally Dawson who works for SilkQueen, which is an Australian company. She is a well skilled manager who has a huge experience for working successfully in Asia. However, working in this company as a manager, she facing some problems, which lead her to take a decision whether she leaves the company or try to make some smart changes. For this case study, we are using four questions. We answer all the four questions one by one respectively. In those, we try to figure out the problems faced by the employees and Sally, attitudes of the organization towards Sally, ways open for Sally. We also discuss about cross-cultural problems here. We also include a bibliography at the end. Company Profile SilkQueen is an Australian Company. Its’ main product is fabrics. It produces high quality fabrics and sell those throughout the world. SilkQueens’ manufacturing plants are situated in Sydney as well as in several locations throughout Asia. This company started its’ business as a family-owned company in 1910 and it started its’ international operations in 1979. The workforce of SilkQueen always female-dominated but maximum times management has been male-dominated. Sally Dawson has been working for SilkQueen for many years and most of the time she was expending her times working in Asia. It should be noted that she is quite successful in her career. Recently she has been posted to Australia and she is facing some problems with her employees. Although, the productivity is increased but the management is not quite satisfied with her work because the workers are neglected there. In this case study, we have to find out the problems faced by the employees and Sally and the probable solutions for those problems. For this purpose, we are using four questions. They are as follows: 1)From the perspective of the employees, what problems they are facing? 2)What are the problems faced by Sally and what could the organization have done to address her problems? 3)What could Sally do to improve her leadership style? )Why Sally’s leadership style is questioned in Australia and accepted in Asia? Now we are discussing the above questions with a view to analyzing the case study. Because of globalization and workforce diversity, the nature of management in an organization has considerably changed over the years. Nowadays, management is not only about exercising reasonable power using directive leadership but also about building relat ionships with employees, adapting leadership styles depending on situations, and working together with people from various cultural backgrounds. To understand the management terrain in the various areas of organizational behavior mentioned above, the objective of this paper is to analyses the case study, ‘Managing like a man at SilkQueen? ’ and provide insights on the problems encountered by Sally Dawson, the employees and the organization at SilkQueen. The paper will first focus on perception stereotyping and dominance effect to explain how the employees perceive the situation and Sally’s leadership. The problems faced by Sally will be next looked into to understand how the organization could have helped in various areas. Theories on improving leadership styles will be used to explain why Sally’s leadership approach is accepted in Asia but not in Australia. Question One: From the perspective of the employees, what problems they are facing? To recognize the problems met by the employees of SilkQueen, an analysis of their perception of the former line manager Mr. Wong will be compulsory. This is because the assessment of Sally by employees is partly based on comparison with Wong. According to the employees’ perception, Wong is an effective leader who is consultative, caring and concerned about their well-being. He is seen as valuing employees’ opinion as he always asked what the employees think before he does anything. Unlike Wong, Sally does not walk around the factory floor or show concerns for her employees. She does not ask what the employees think before she implements anything. The employees therefore perceive Sally to be a poor manager who does not care about employees’ work condition and who buries herself ‘behind a high desk with her back to the door in an office two levels above’. These perceptions however may not be true. According to organizational behavior scholars, ‘women are evaluated negatively when they adopt a stereotypically male leadership style and occupy traditionally male-dominated positions’. The employees in the case assume that Sally being a woman should be ‘nurturing and †¦ care about their workers’ suggesting preconceived notions of how women should behave. This notion of stereotyping can result in misinterpretation of information because not all people are the same, and many in the same social category may demonstrate inconsistencies with the stereotype. Question Two: What are the problems faced by Sally and what could the organization have done to address her problems? The first action by Sally in making a decision to change the work hours without consultation with the employees formed a lasting impression of her leadership, known as the primary effect the primary effect relates to a perceptual distortion which states that ‘first impressions are lasting impressions’ and once an inaccurate first impression is established, it is difficult for the perception to change even when new information contradicts the first impression. The consequence of Sally’s non-consultative management style spells the beginning of a problematic relationship with her workers. Within three months after she took over line management, Sally is faced with considerable indifference and hostility from her subordinates. In addition to his pressure, Sally also has to ‘change the focus of her work’ when she took up the role of line management in the manufacturing operations-an area which she is unfamiliar with. Because of this, she has to work long hours with very little time for social life, resulting in increased stress. Sally’s problems and stress could have been substantially reduced if the organization has played a supportive role. A good organization should first assess its manager’s strengths and weaknesses before assigning new roles. This may be done through a structured interview process or through research and information gathering with the objective to understand two areas of managerial competencies- past behavior to predict future behavior, and recent behavior to predict distant past behavior. By understanding Sally’s former experiences and roles, the organization can then decide whether to assign her to another area of to send her to a leadership development program such as the leadership grid to train her in evaluating task-oriented and people oriented leadership to work out a style best suited for her new role. Question Three: What could Sally do to improve her leadership style? Notwithstanding this fact, however, Sally should cultivate her emotional intelligence to monitor her own and others’ feeling and emotions to guide her thinking and action. According to behavioral theories by Ohio state studies and University of Michigan studies, there are primarily two categories of leadership: people oriented, and task-oriented. The behavioral studies propose a managerial grid based on a manager’s ‘concern for people’ and ‘concern for production’, which ideal grid position rates the manager as performing best when the style of leadership is high on people and task dimensions. In the case of SilkQueen, Sally could improve her leadership style by adapting a more people-oriented behavioral approach. To influence her subordinates, she could consider using contingency leadership ‘based on the idea that the most appropriate leadership style depends on the situation’. Theories of contingency leadership that Sally could use include Hersey-Blanchard situational theory, house’s path-goal theory, and Vroom-Jago leadership participation theory. The Hersey-Blanchard situational theory proposes that effective leadership is dependent on the followers. This means that regardless of what the leader does, it is the actions or acceptation of the followers that decide the effectiveness of the leader. This theory suggests that the leader should change his or her leadership style according to the maturity of the followers and the situation. Situational theory combines task and relationship behaviors and identifies four specific leadership styles: telling, selling, participating and delegating. Based on the maturity of the followers, each of the relevant four styles is used by the leader to respond to the employees by gradually declining control over activities and relationship behavior. For example, when an employee is new to the organization, the leader should use the style of telling the follower what to do, giving clear and specific directions. Depending on the maturity stage of the follower, alternative styles such as selling the leader’s ideas, participating in decision-making, or delegating responsibilities to the follower may next be used. In the case of SilkQueen, using the situational theory approach would have helped Sally understand that leadership is dependent on the followers and the way to lead followers is dependent on situations and levels of maturity. Instead of telling the employees, Sally could use the method of selling and participating in implementing the change of work hours. The path-goal theory developed by Robert House is another contingency theory model that Sally could employ in improving her leadership style. The theory suggests that an effective leader is one who can influence employee satisfaction and performance by making their need satisfaction contingent with the overall objectives of the group or organization. Four styles of effective leadership are indentified in this model: directive, supportive, participative, and achievement-oriented. A directive leader lets subordinates know what is expected, giving directions on what to do and how, while a supportive leadership shows concern for the needs of subordinates. A participative leader consults with subordinates and involves them in decision making, while an achievement-oriented leader sets the goals and expects subordinates to perform at their highest level. Using the path-goal theory, Sally could effectively change the perception of her subordinates by building a people oriented behavioral approach through the use of a more supportive and participative leadership style instead of an achievement-oriented leadership. The third model of contingency theory that could be used by Sally is the Vroom-Jago leader participation theory. This theory developed by Victor Vroom and Alfred Jago takes a contingency approach to determine the optimal level of employee involvement depending on the situation. It proposes choosing the best decision making method for any problem situation through alternatives such as individual or authority decision, consultative decision, group or consensus decision. The model considers five levels of employee participation based on a decision tree ranging from autocratic at the top to team consensus at the bottom. Following the leader-participation theory model, Sally could evaluate the level of participation required by her in choosing the optimal level of employee involvement. Instead of using the top two levels of the decision tree, that proposes autocratic decision-making. Sally could use the bottom three levels of consultative and group decision in her approach. Question Four: Why Sally’s leadership style is questioned in Australia and accepted in Asia? As can be seen in the theories discussed above, one of the traits required of an effective leader is adaptability of leadership styles in varied situations. Adapting styles to situations however is not an easy task especially in organizations today where employees are made up of people from different cultures across national and regional boundaries. In the case of SilkQueen, it is apparent that Sally’s leadership is seen as questionable in Australia, but appropriate in Asia because of cross-cultural perspectives. This underlying cultural value may be translated as power distance, uncertainty, avoidance, individualism versus collectivism, achievement versus nurturing orientation, and long-term versus short-term orientation according to Hofstede’s dimensions of national culture. Using Hofstede’s framework as the guideline to cross-cultural comparison in SilkQueen’s case study, employees in Australia may be seen as high in individualism, high on social obligations and traditions, but moderately low in power distance. This rating vastly differs from countries in Asia such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and China. In Indonesia, individual goals are seen as less important than collective goals. In Malaysia, power distance ranks high while in China the future is emphasized more than tradition or social obligations. Based on the ranking described above, it is easy to understand why Sally’s task oriented leadership style is questioned in Australia but accepted in Asia. According to Hofstede’s framework, Australia is more inclined to meeting individual goals than group goals and expects relatively equal power sharing. In Asia, power distance is generally high, which means that receiving commands from superiors are commonly accepted. Conclusion Throughout the discussion in this paper, the studies of organizational behavior have been primarily focused in four areas: perception, leadership styles, leadership assessment, and cross-cultural behaviors. The perception of leadership based on stereotype and primacy effect can present inaccuracies and incorrect information of a situation or a person. A manager who wants to be effective must cultivate emotional intelligence and be flexible to adapt different leadership styles depending on the situation. A good organization must first assess its leaders to understand past behavior to predict future behaviors and bridge the gap of its leaders through leadership grid training. To manage a global organization, the leader must understand the differences in cross-cultural values across different parts of the world. Bibliography: Robbins, P. Stephen, Judge, A. Timothy. Organizational Behavior Luthans, Fred. Organizational Behavior

Global Warming: Causes, Consequences, Solutions Essay

Since the early days of the greenhouse debate, scientists have been interested in the impacts of global warming. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency has initiated a comprehensive on the impacts of climate change for the country. The public’s increased attention to such problem is not anymore surprising as it threatens every creature with potentially devastating consequences, which has put global warming in the lime light (Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5; Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16). Nevertheless, attempts at a monetary quantification of these impacts – despite being classic application of environmental economics – have started to emerge just recently (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16). Many scientists believe that our planet has been experiencing a warming trend over the last 200 years- and that our activities are responsible for this global warming. It started with the industrial revolution, around 1750 (Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5; Kursunoglu et. al. , 2001 p. 151). People began to use machines in more and more areas of life and daily functioning, from heating, to building, and manufacturing, to transportation. The machines were powered by burning fuels, such as wood, coal, oil, and natural gas (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16; Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5). If these fuels burn, they emit carbon dioxide and other waste products into the atmosphere, which is the layer of air that covers our planet (Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5). Fossil fuels provide about 85% of the world’s energy, sustaining the world’s standard-of-living and providing the power for transportation. These fuels are inexpensive, transportable, safe, and relatively abundant. At the same time, their use contributes to problems such as air quality and acid rain that are being addressed through various control efforts and to the problem of global warming, which is now being considered by governments of the world (Kursunoglu et. al. , 2001 p. 151). Scope and Limitation The study involves mainly the issues of global warming in terms of its cause, consequences and solutions implicated. The study shall incorporate various theoretical explanations in order to address the subject criteria of the problem imposed. The scope of the study shall coincide mainly on the environmental issue of global warming. Mainly, the study shall scrutinize the details of the review of related literature patterned to the primary components imposed in the latter of the studies. Analysis and interpretation of data present shall involve clear and accurate depiction of the study utilizing the present and gathered data of the review of literatures. The following shall be the objectives of the study in this research paper: a. To be able to critically analyze the primary components imposed in the study, particularly the presenting phenomenon and the cause-effect relationships of global warming b. To be able to provide necessary data analysis and implication utilizing mainly the references, data gathered in review of literature and the analysis of latter studies proposed in order to provide primary depiction of the actual status of the environment in terms of global warming. Review of Related Literature Global Warming: Overview The basic principle of global warming can be understood by considering the radiation energy from the Sun that warms the Earth’s surface and the thermal radiation from the Earth and the atmosphere that is radiated out to space. On average, these two radiation streams must be balance. If the balance is disturbed, it can be restored by an increase in the Earth’s surface temperature (Houghton, 2004 p. 14). The gases nitrogen and oxygen that make up0 the bulk of the atmosphere neither absorb nor emit thermal radiation. It is the water vapor, carbon dioxide, and some other minor gases present in the atmosphere in much smaller quantities that absorb some of the thermal radiation and causing the difference of 21 degrees Celsius or so between the actual average surface temperatures on the Earth of about 15 degrees Celsius. Such blanketing condition is known as the natural greenhouse effects and the gases are known as greenhouse gases (Houghton, 2004 p. 16). The greenhouse gases are those gases in the atmosphere which, by absorbing thermal radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, have blanketing effect upon it. The most important of the greenhouse gases is water vapor, but its amount in the atmosphere is not changing directly because of human activities. The important greenhouse gases that are directly influenced by human activities are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and ozone (Houghton, 2004 p. 28). Normally, carbon dioxide is present in the atmosphere in small amounts-just enough to keep temperatures on Earth at a comfortable range for our planet’s living things. The burning fuels, however, has been increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Houghton, 2004 p. 28; Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5). So far, global warming has not been substantial, increasing the average temperature of Earth by only about 0. 6 degrees Celsius in the last century. This change is so small that some scientists argue that it is just a natural fluctuation and not a trend. Other scientists state that there is a great deal of evidence to support global warming: Summers are getting hotter and winters are getting milder, glaciers are melting, and sea levels are rising, but these signs are only the initial phase of global warming phenomena. The warming trend is expected to speed up and produce even greater effects (Silverstein et. al. , 2003 p. 6). Warming did not occur evenly around the world, and some scientists wondered whether the changes in observed temperature might simply be a result of the growth of cities near weather stations. Urban areas form heat islands; pavement and rooftops absorb more heat than soils and plant leaves, so cities have warmer climates than rural areas. Climatologists admit they do not fully understand Earth’s climate system. For decades, however, they have agreed that signs of global warming would be most noticeable in cold regions (Pringle, 2001 p. 17; Silverstein et. al. , 2003 p. 6) – particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, because it holds less heat-absorbing ocean water than the Southern Hemisphere. Scientists have predicted that areas such as Alaska, Canada, and Northern Russia would harm more than Earth as a whole (Pringle, 2001 p. 17). Historical Overview: Development of Agencies and Organizations It has been known for about 175 years that the presence in the atmosphere of â€Å"greenhouse gases† such as carbon dioxide that absorb in the infrared part of the spectrum leads to a warming of the Earth’s surface through the greenhouse effects. The first quantitative calculations were made by the Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius in 1896. In the 1960s, Charles Keeling and his colleagues began a regular series of accurate observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. Such studies showed increasing values as a result of human activities, mainly the burning of fossil fuels (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1; (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16). By the 1980s, as the rate of increase of carbon dioxide concentration became larger, the possible impact on the global climate became a matter of concern to politicians as well as scientists. The report of a scientific meeting held at Villach, Austria in 1985 under the auspices of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) began to alert governments and the public at large to the potential seriousness of the issue. Estimates were made that the carbon dioxide concentration could double before the end of the 21st century. In 1896, three multinational agencies, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the ICSU, who had co-sponsored the Villach conference, formed the Advisory Group of Greenhouse Gases (AGGG), a small international committee with responsibility for asserting the available scientific information about the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the likely impact (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1). After the assembly of these well-known organizations, and formations of small groups, such as the AGGG, discoveries and widely assessments have been made regarding the issues of global warming. Private and public sectors in the United States and Europe have gathered (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 27), including those from other nations such as Japan, South Korea, etc. , in order assess possible etiologies, evaluate impending causes and provide critical support-based solutions (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1). Measurements of Global Warming Even a few years ago, the acceptance of global warming was not as widespread as it is today. Global warming is difficult to prove as temperature records do no go back very far. Furthermore, the old records are primarily land based, are not representative of large areas of the world, are mostly from urban areas, and are not always collected with precision. Existing records, however, were collated, processed and standardized by P. D Jones and T. M. L Wrigley (1990), and their formulation of standardized data indicates a slow warming trend since the last century with occasional periods of cooling (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1; Gupta, 1998 p. 86). The deviations from the general trend may occur due to three reasons: sunspot cycles; volcanic eruptions producing large quantities of fine ash in the air; the occurrence of El Nino Southern Oscillation. Correcting for all such factors, Jones and Wrigley estimated that the earth has become 0. 5 degrees Kelvin warmer since the 1880s (Gupta, 1998 p. 86). Evidence of global warming also come from other sources. In recent years, glaciers on mountains, particularly tropical mountains, have melted faster than before. The temperature of the top hundred metres of sea water off the coast of California shows an increase of 0. 8 degrees Kelvin over the last forty years. The data from the ice cores of Antarctica also indicate a warming trend (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16; Gupta, 1998 p. 86). These cores through the ice indicate snowfalls of number of years in sequence, which later has turned into ice. As this happens, tiny air bubbles trapped in the ice, and these bubbles can be investigated to determine the composition of the air at the time of the snowfall and also the temperature. The latter is determined by examining the ration of the two oxygen isotopes, 16O and 18O 9 (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16; Gupta, 1998 p. 86; Houghton, 2004 p. 28). The ratios reflect the ambient global temperature. A number of very hot years, in fact eight of the hottest on record, happened between 1980 and 1992. Apart from indicating the trend, this put global warming in public’s attention. Etiologies of Global Warming Currently, there are three theories about the cause of global warming; however, most of the scientists believe that the cause is an increase of greenhouse gases. Svante Arrhenius of Sweden in 1895 demonstrated the linkage between carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and temperature (Gupta,1998 p. 86). Carbon dioxide is the prime etiology involved in global warming causation. In fact, without any carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the earth would be much colder place to live. The global mean temperature would be below 0 degrees Celsius instead of being close to a comfortable 14 degrees Celsius. Most carbon dioxide comes from the decomposition of dead plants and animals, and the respiration of living animals, including humans, and plants. For thousands of years, there has been no problem with this because the oceans absorbed much of this carbon dioxide; hence, taking it out of the atmosphere. In addition, plants carrying on photosynthesis also absorbed a great deal of the atmospheric carbon dioxide (Tomera, 2001 p. 113; Gupta,1998 p. 86). However, with the advent of modernization, auto engines, power plants, industrial mills, and home and business heating systems burn coal, oil, or natural gas (Gupta, 1998 p. 86; Houghton, 2004 p. 28; Tomera, 2001 p. 113). Such accounts for 98% of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere, while the other 2% id due to the increased deforestation and mining (Tomera, 2001 p. 113). Another theoretical issue imposed is in the use of fossil fuels and burning materials that release CFCs. The first relatively successful calculation of how much the human use of fossil fuel could warm the planet published in a paper 1896 by Arrhenius. With the conceptual framework of carbon dioxide as the primary source of global warming, various theoretical concepts have formed. In the late 1930s, G. S. Callendar, an English chemist, argued that human activities were causing an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide and that this might have already started global warming. Despite Callendar’s concern, and although the scientific community has known about the pot4ential of human-induced warming to raise the earth’s temperature since the early 19th century (Tomera, 2001 p. 113; Brown, 2002 p. 14), global warming received little attention from the scientific community during the first half of the twentieth century, which centered mainly on human causations of carbon dioxide increase (Brown, 2002 p. 14). In 1957, two scientists with the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Roger Revelle and Hans Suess, found that much of the carbon dioxide emitted to the earth’s atmosphere is not absorbed by the oceans, as some had assumed, leaving significant amounts in the atmosphere that could eventually warm the earth (Brown, 2002 p. 14). With the current advent of environmental discovery and climatic technological advancements, there are now environmental impacts of the chemical substitutes that are now being developed by industry. These factors all into two main groups: hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which have limited ozone depleting potential, and HCFCs, which have no ozone depleting potential. Unfortunately, both groups of chemicals are greenhouse gases, both groups of chemicals are greenhouse gases, not as powerful as the fully halogenated CFCs but nonetheless significant (Marks and Plewig, p. 13). Such causation has been linked to the issue of ozone depletion wherein HCFCs are the prime depletors, and the end outcome contributes to the global warming. Since the stratospheric ozone or ozone layer is almost depleted by stratospheric chlorine, which depends on, for example, CFC emissions. CFCs are greenhouse gases, which account for approximately 25% of the global warming effect. Freon 11 is given a global warming potential of 1, which indicates the characteristics of a major contributor. Because of the dangers proposed by CFC use, there is great commercial interest in replacing such materials with substances, which have less ozone depletion potential (Whelan, 1994p. 73).

Saudi Arabia unemployment citizens Research Paper

Saudi Arabia unemployment citizens - Research Paper Example The financial sector in the country is highly developed because the banks in the region do not pay taxes. The region is infertile and water resources are scarce. Thus, agronomy accounts for a small fraction of the economy, and the country is forced to import about half of its agricultural products. However, the major challenge that Saudi Arabia faces today is the high rate of unemployment in an zone that has the highest growing population in the world (Al Nisr Publishing). This paper will discuss the issue of unemployed citizens in Saudi Arabia, the problems it imposes and the appropriate solutions that the government and the private sector can impose to address the situation. Based on views raised by western diplomats, officials and ordinary Saudis, it is evident that they are shocked that such a wealth country is not capable of finding employment for its young women and men. Today, Saudi Arabia is regarded as being wealthier than ever before. The prices of oil have remained high for about three years. Since the prices of oil are set at $60 or every barrel, the country is anticipated to be earning about $480 million in a day. Approximately 40 percent of that amount is spent by the government in areas such as health, education, and man power (Adelman). If money alone was capable of solving the problem, then the issue of unemployment would not exist in the country. In fact, Saudi Arabia is anticipated to be growing at an alarming rate. The unofficial estimates reveal a 20 percent growth rate while the official estimate reveal 9 percent growth rate. It is higher among those people who are aged below 30 years, and who make up to about two thirds of the country’s population. This means that there is something that is entirely wrong in the economy (Adelman). For instance, the talk of â€Å"Saudization† of labor is one of the push factors as to why unemployment is rising in the

Social Impact of Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Impact of Business - Essay Example Translational corporations such as WTO and IMF try to establish international operations by locating industrialized plants or operations in different countries to help in cutting costs; it may also be possible to subcontract work. Globalization helps create international supply chains (IMF, 2001). It helps buy components, raw materials, or additional supplies from traders in different countries. Big Transnational Corporations identified by the UN as firms that manage resources abroad. There are around 79 thousand Transnational Corporations functions in the modern world economy. This allows them ten times the amount of affiliates such as subcontractors, suppliers, and various entities that have business connections with them. It is a fact that a few influential firms carry out most of international commerce. The first firm at the top of the list is the World Bank. Developed in 144, the World Bank offers loans of economic expansion to its member nations. They provide funds for use on p ower plants, roads, pipelines, dams and other communications projects. The World Bank also negotiates strategies of structural adjustment with countries it provides loans. It also gives the countries conditions, which some claim result to unfair load on developing countries (Aslam, 2001). Another firm is the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is a sister firm to the World Bank established at a similar time. The purpose of IMF is to ease currency exchange for countries that are members so that they have the capability to be part of global trading. It provides access to member countries for foreign exchange. World Trade Organization WTO, established in 1995, is a global body that creates ground rules for international trade (IMF, 2001). Its main goal is to encourage free trade by eliminating any potential barriers to it such as duties, quotas and tariffs. The organization performs negotiations rounds on different topics. Social Impact of Business During the end of the 1990s, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) started a sequence of efforts focused on improving the policy consistency of their relevant organizations (Aslam, 2001). The policy coherence links to encouraging trade liberalization in southern countries. The World Bank and the IMF have long constituted trade liberalization along with their various policy prescriptions connected as loan stipulations in their agreement with borrowing members. At present, there is better coordination of these efforts with the membership needs of the diverse agreements in negotiation inside the WTO. On a summit in 2001, the World Bank declared that they have 60 billion dollars to give out as loans to Latin American countries over 5 years (Cali, Ellis, & Willem, 2008). The main objective for IMF and WTO was to improve their operational purposes towards more trade liberalization. The economy of the world is growing in its integration. There is exportation of more out put share throughout national borders. Almost half of all services and goods produced globally sell in different nations, instead of domestically. This percentage is higher than that of 1960, which was mostly the export of goods. A significant current trend is service globalization such as insurance, travel, information services, and financial. What drives globalization are factors such as technological

Advanced Corporate Finance - 'Company Valuation is an art not a Essay

Advanced Corporate Finance - 'Company Valuation is an art not a Science.' - Essay Example Valuation of a company is very difficult and it takes a lot of efforts for the company to access the right price of the company. There is however never a right or wrong price for a company and the price of companies depends a lot on a number of different factors. The main aim of this essay is to understand and highlight the various aspects for valuing of a company. Also aims to evaluate and argue about the various aspects of the company. It is essential to note that any business person entering into a business should have a valid exit plan. An exit plan from the market is very essential for any business. This is mainly a consideration when a business requires leaving the markets either due to a loss or even when a business plans to dissolve. As a part of the exit plan, the most essential point to be noted that while entering into a business the business person should also consider one aspect i.e. what the business is worth. Business valuation is an industry by itself (Feechan, 2006). The valuation of business can be done by the company itself or even by professional companies that mainly deal with business valuations. The valuation of companies can be based on a number of different aspects, like the net assets, discounted cash flows, etc. These valuations however do not give the full view and story of the company (Bytestart, 2008). There are a number of different modes for companies to be valued. The correct use of the various available valuation formulae will give a better view of the company and will help also provide for the amounts that a buyer might be interested in paying for the company, however this is not necessarily the selling price as the company can only be sold at a price that the buyers will be willing to pay. It is in the case of both the parties, the sellers want to gain as much as possible and the buyers want to pay as little as possible. This however cannot be argued as both the parties are always justifiable in both the cases

Critically discuss using empirical evidence, the various reasons for Essay

Critically discuss using empirical evidence, the various reasons for Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example The effect of FDI on host economies has been the subject of extensive research. As pointed out by Hanson (2001), both theory and empirical evidence provide mixed results on the net welfare effect of inward FDI on recipient countries. The attitude towards inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has changed considerably over the last couple of decades, as most countries have liberalized their policies to attract investments from foreign multinational corporations (MNCs). In fact FDI has proved to be resilient during financial crises. For instance, in East Asian countries, such investment was remarkably stable during the global financial crisis of 1997-98. This crisis mainly involved four basic problems (CRS Report, 1998): Economists argue that the primary cause of the crisis was too much government intervention in economic activity, leading to misdirected and inefficient investments in both public and private projects. As an aftereffect of the crisis short-term capital inflows were viewed as unstable and thus dangerous; long-term capital movements were seen as stable and thus desirable. Therefore an emphasis was put on de-emphasizing short-term capital inflows and encouraging long-term capital inflows, especially FDI which was seen as directly enhancing domestic productive capabilities. There’s one school of thought which puts the blame for this crisis on FDI itself. They argue that the crisis had shown that over-reliance on FDI carried its own dangers. Rapid FDI inflows had been a major factor enabling these countries to maintain their overvalued exchange rates. No doubt such exchange rates helped keep domestic inflation under control, but they also increased East Asian vulnerability to specu lative attacks. And therefore it was the drying up of FDI, largely as a result of competition from lower wage countries (especially China) and the mobility of regional investment by

Salome opera Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Salome opera - Essay Example The modern humanity is willing to take a step forward in a quest for self actualization and realization, by daring to deny and if possible distort that which is considered to be natural, regular, decent and moral, to realize what is innate, primitive, irrepressible and essential. The plots of the Salome Opera and The Skin I Live In tend to portray such modern trends and inclinations. In Opera Salome, Salome confined in the domains of the sultry and incestuous house of Herod, tends to suffer in the depths of her soul to express something that is the natural aspect of her body and identity and which in its search for satisfaction and expression, does not need to be degraded and sullied in a garb of abject sultriness, as was being done by Herod and Herodias. Hence, in order to protect her sexuality and identity from the incestuous gaze of Herod and from the traditional constraints symbolized by squabbling Jews, she escapes into the courtyard, where she first comes across Prophet Jochanaan, who irrespective of his chastity and ascetic profile, offered a scope for an honest expression of love and sexuality (Seshadri 32). Hence surrounded in the mire of depraved and spoiled atmosphere around her, Salome opts for a rebelliously frank and naked quenching of her love and the affiliated sexual and sensual instincts, by choosing to kiss the lips of Jochanaan’s sever ed head. In a somewhat similar manner, Robert Ledgard the stylish and influential plastic surgeon in The Skin I live In, played by Antonio Banderas, though performs a sex reassignment surgery on his beautiful and volatile captive, professedly with revengeful motives, yet at a deeper level, he is engaged in a more sensual and carnal pursuit, by violating the domains of nature, to challenge that what has hitherto been considered to be unnatural, unethical and perhaps insane (French: Online). While doing so, Robert starkly resembles Salome in his modern panache

Music Listening Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Music Listening - Personal Statement Example Specifically, these include two pieces which I really like and rates high on my "exciting discovery" meter: Tswana Dance and Shizhane'e. As I am required to do so, I have also chosen the Navajo Sacred Prayer, which from the very start is unappealing and even boring to me. These three compositions are analyzed by looking at two musical elements forms, rhythm, and music culture which are especially salient in highlighting my musical preference. In terms of form, Shizhane'e can be described as having a reverting form because the piece goes back to the original phrase after a digression. Analyzing closely, it becomes apparent that the piece follows an "a-a-b-b-a-a-b-b-c-c-a-a-b-b" form. The first portion (a-a-b-b) is repeated twice before the introduction of a new melody (c-c). However, the piece reverts to the original a-a-b-b theme. I believe that having a distinct pattern enhances my listening experience than having deal with a composition with ambiguous or no form at all. On the other hand, Tswana Dance in terms of form can be musically described as iterative. It should be noted that this piece follows one melodic formula which is repeated throughout. Even though it is quite different from the form used in Shizhane'e, this form appeals to me because of the phrase used is interesting. The continuous repetition of the phrase augments its musical value because it highlights the theme of musical piece. On the other hand, the Navajo Sacred Prayer follows no distinct form. Whenever I hear it playing, it appears to be solely comprised of mutters which are sung at random without any consideration to the listener. Compared to the forms of the two selections, this highly turns me off and degrades the aesthetic value of the piece. The second musical element which highlights my musical preference is rhythm. In my selection of musical pieces, rhythm appears to be a high determinant of my musical appreciation. Shizhane'e's rhythm is characterized as isometric as emphasized by its regular rhythm. It should be noted that throughout the piece, the application of equal rhythm in the interval which makes it more orderly and organized. The presence of regular rhythm is appealing to me because it sounds more relaxing. I am apparently distracted by irregular rhythm because it tends to build up tension. Furthermore, the overall mood of the piece is upbeat as emphasized by the relatively lively tempo. Tswana Dance is also isometric having a 4/4 meter throughout the piece. Compared to Shizhane'e, Tswana Dance's is more festive because of the faster tempo. The regularity of the rhythm coupled with the lively tempo makes the pieces very interesting and appealing. In contrast, the Navajo Sacred Prayer is heterometric, giving it irregular rhythm which I find very distracting. Even though the tempo can be comparable to Tswana Dance, it does not communicate a festive nor lively atmosphere but creates a heavy and dismal feeling to the listener. My musical preference is also highly influenced by music culture. It should be noted that the two selections that I really appreciate, Shizhane'e and Tswana Dance, are both used as accompaniments for dances during festivities. On the other hand, Navajo Sacred Prayer as implied by its name is an appeal or supplication to a divine being. When discussed in the view of current

Position Arguments on Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Position Arguments on Immigration - Essay Example According to Johnson (138), however, another portion of these analysts resist the free trade point of view affirming that it is subdued by agencies and regulated by international alliances which include the International Monetary Fund in conjunction with North America Free Trade Agreement and hence resulting in greater deal of imbalance and interference in the Latin American nations economy. They assert that this economic depression results after enormous agribusiness bodies own large tracts of Mexican farming lands and hence force the destitute to relocate. The displaced individuals then end up seeking asylum in the developed nations such as United States of America. Analysts too have scrutinized the significant contributions played by emigrants’ remittances dispensed back to their own developing nations and hence take part in elevating their homeland Gross Domestic Product. However, a portion of these analysts content with this affirming that the most considerate option is to enlighten the developing nations to boost their economy through reinforcing education and generating more employment opportunities (138). Johnson (139) affirms that, analysts have evaluated the range in which the vast emigrants in the host countries should be granted the liberty to alter the authentic culture amongst the natives in the host countries. Nations such as the European Nations has emphasised on the need of adopting multicultural systems which stipulate segregation among the emigrants and natives in the host countries. Other persons including President Nicolas Sarkozy affirm that emigrants should master and absorb the prevailing heritage and customs thriving in their host nations. However, a portion of the analysts’ content with this perspective affirming that it portrays racism and intolerance. These group of analysts urge the natives to consider incorporating unity amongst the

Critically analyse how the government debt problems initially faced by Essay

Critically analyse how the government debt problems initially faced by a few relatively small economies could trigger such a wid - Essay Example The issues referring to the economies affected by the crisis shall also be discussed in this paper in order to establish the impact of sovereign debt to the euro financial crisis. This paper is being carried out in order to establish an academic and analytical discussion of the European crisis, linking its causes with its eventual impact on a larger economic region. Body The European crisis significantly impacted on the European financial market. Various elements colluded in order to cause the European crisis, with the crisis more or less unfolding in smaller economies, including Greece, Portugal, and Ireland. The money market was significantly affected by the deterioration in market conditions which started in 2007 (European Central Bank, 2012). The interbank markets are usually subjected to counterparty risk. The collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 led to lower confidence in the market, which then caused issues in financial integration (European Central Bank, 2012). Such event trig gered the increase in cross-country dispersion in overnight rates, as well as lower interbank market activity. Although measures to address market tension were implemented by the European Central Bank, the tension re-emerged in 2010 due to pressures in euro government bond markets (European Central Bank, 2012). More remedies were implemented by the ECB which helped improve the money market in the euro area. However, in 2011, more pressures on the euro sovereign bonds caused issues in market integration. Such deterioration also became apparent in the secured financial market. In 2011, the ECB once again introduced remedies to ensure liquidity support for financial institutions (European Central Bank, 2012). Price-based remedies implied deterioration in the integration of the money market, specifically for short maturities. Integration gains which were expected after the bailouts were reversed by the crisis. With longer maturities, the measures of integration seemed to be stable; howe ver in 2011, these measures actually indicated deterioration (Dadush, et.al., 2010). The sovereign bond markets went through significant tension in 2011. During the onset of the financial crisis in 2010, only three smaller countries were severely affected; however, in 2011, the larger countries were soon affected, especially in terms of their bond yields (European Central Bank, 2012). Moreover, market declines in sovereign yields could not be reached with the implementation of fiscal adjustments, as in the case of Ireland. Improvements in the sovereign bond market were evaluated based on simultaneous movements in yields. Europe for the past 2-3 years has been faced with a very serious crisis (European Commission, 2010). The bond market has already been closing to the euro-area countries, and for those who are still open, they are charging high rates of interest for any loans or investments. The increase in bond yields is based on the fact that where investors view more significant r isks associated with their investments in a country’s bonds, they would also likely need higher returns in compensation for such risks (European Commission, 2009). An unfavourable cycle often ensues from this situation as the demand for higher yields would lead to higher costs in borrowing for the country. This causes financial issues

Beauty Myth Essay Example for Free

Beauty Myth Essay The beauty myth, how what others perceive as what beauty is can, will be and has been used against women. Advertising agencies and Hollywood are portraying to young girls and women that youth, beauty and love go together to make a complete and happy existence in life. From reality television shows such as Toddlers and Tiaras, to youth clothing stores such as Justice, and Dove beauty ads geared toward women of all ages the portrayal of having to be pretty is everywhere you look. Toddlers and Tiaras is a reality television show of the behind the scenes events of child beauty pageants. The children on the show are spray tanned, wear makeup, and wear fake hair. And the thing that baffles me most about all of this is that the children are all under the age of 7. I don’t know of anyone that doesn’t remember what happened to Jon Benet who was a child beauty queen but yet there are still hundreds of parents that a dress up their children like little dolls and put them on national television for the world to see. These little kids are being told to be more beautiful or for the boys to be more handsome, and to excel at their looks at such a young age when the focus should be on teaching them fundamentals of life and to love themselves as they are. The picture above is from the show’s website on TLC online. All of the little girls are so beautiful before and look absolutely ridiculous after they are all done up. This type of show has made me shy away from watching anything of TLC because I don’t want to support a company that will exploit children in that way. TLC also has a spinoff of one of the contestants that is too old for the Toddlers and Tiaras show and she has her own show now called Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo. It is yet another show that I will not watch because it makes me angry not only towards the station but also towards the parents of all of these children. On a more personal note, I recently went shopping for my goddaughter who turned 6 years old. I went shopping for clothes for her and she is the first little girl that I have shopped for in the last ten years so it amazed me how hard it was to find clothes for her that seemed age appropriate. A lot of the stores I went to, Justice included, had very few clothes that didn’t resemble those of clothing you would find in the juniors or adult sections also. My goddaughter is a little girl who is a tomboy and she doesn’t like a lot of the clothes that are covered in glitter and words, but she is also getting older and doesn’t always want to wear the t-shirts with cartoon characters on them either. It makes me wonder what little girls clothes will look like when I have children. I would want them to look like little kids, not little kids playing dress up. Advertising agencies aren’t much better than stores, marketing, and television. My recent experiences watching television commercials and ads on you tube led me to the Dove website. There is a link on the website with their social mission, it is: Anxiety about beauty begins at an early age, and can even keep girls from doing what they love. You can change that with a conversation. Reach out to the girl in your life and talk to her about beauty, confidence and self-esteem. There is a lot about this statement that I like, and I would like it all if I had not previously seen Dove ads on you tube and television on the â€Å"evolution of beauty†. In a sixty second ad they change a plain, pretty girl into an exquisitely beautiful one with her hair done and makeup on. The mission statement on the Dove website is great; everything they say in it is spot on for young girls and even young men. But they should state that beauty comes in all forms. So many young people are trying to alter their appearances with makeup and jewelry and various hairstyles and hair colors; they need to also be told that natural is beautiful too. These days you can’t turn on the television or even the radio without hearing and seeing ads for laser hair removal or lasik eye surgery to eliminate glasses, all things that have been made to be seen as unbecoming in the looks department. In the past there was a television reality show called â€Å"The Swan† which was a makeover show where they take a woman or man that is seen as â€Å"ugly† in society and change their appearance so drastically that they are almost unrecognizable to their friends and family. Other reality television shows that I can think of off the top of my head are â€Å"What Not to Wear†, â€Å"Queer Eye for the Straight Guy† and â€Å"Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition†. So many shows that basically start with telling people how ugly they are personally or even just the clothes they choose to wear make them ugly. It all reminds me of a quote that I heard a lot growing up and that is â€Å"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder†. Just because what I think is pretty someone else may not, does not make it ugly and vice versa.

Multi-disciplinary Care Management in Orthopaedic Ward

Multi-disciplinary Care Management in Orthopaedic Ward The purpose of this assignment is to explore, discuss, and analyse multi-disciplinary care management of a patient admitted to an orthopaedic ward. It will look at how collaboration with other agencies and disciplines takes place. In addition, their role in the rehabilitation and discharge planning. It will conclude if the special needs of the patient were met which will be discussed throughout the assignment. This assignment will contain reference to Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle along with Webb (1992) who agrees it is appropriate and acceptable to write in the first person, when giving a personal opinion. The patient cared for in this assignment was a woman admitted to an orthopaedic ward after falling over in her home, with a possible fractured neck of femur. Fractured neck of femur is the most common traumatic condition requiring admission to orthopaedic wards. It is currently approaching epidemic proportions among older people, especially women (Audit Commission 1995). The names of the staff and hospital will remain anonymous to maintain confidentiality. This is in conjunction with clause 5.1 of the Nursing and Midwifery Councils Code of Professional Conduct (NMC 2002). In addition, a pseudonym of Mrs. H will be used to name the patient. Mrs. H is a fifty-seven year old woman, who has Type II diabetes controlled by tablets and diet. Since she was a child, she was diagnosed as having learning difficulties. A learning difficulty/disability is a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information (DOH 2001). Due to social issues, Mrs. H was labelled as a complex discharge from admission. Smith supports this and states discharge planning starts on admission (Smith 2002). Mrs. H was admitted to the ward after an assessment was carried out in the Accident and Emergency Department. Mrs. Hs fracture was confirmed by an x-ray, which identified an extracapsular fracture. The surgical house officer decided to book her for emergency surgery with dynamic hip screws (DHS), which are used to internally fix the fracture. DHS are designed so that the shoulder of the screw presses against the edge of the screw hole and applies pressure at the fracture site (Dandy Edwards 1998). After surgery, Mrs H was transferred onto an elective orthopaedic joint replacement ward where I was placed. The ward follows Ropers model of nursing as well as a care pathway for total hip and knee replacements. These pathways have been defined as a multidisciplinary outline of anticipated care, placed in an appropriate time frame, to help a patient with a specific condition or set of symptoms moving progressively through a clinical experience to a positive outcome (Roberts Reeves 2003). Ropers model of nursing is the most commonly used in the UK, particularly in adult nursing (Kenworthy et al 2002). This model focuses on twelve activities that people engage in to live(Roper et al 1995). It focuses on the client as an individual engaged in the living throughout his or her lifespan, moving from dependence to independence, according to different circumstances. The concepts underlying the model are the progression of a patient along a lifespan, dependence, and independence continuum, the activities of daily living and influencing factors, and lastly individuality (Roper et al 1995). However, the goals of orthopaedic nursing is to return the patient to mobilise fully and weight bear independently, hence, self-caring. Therefore, Kenworthy et al (2002) suggests that when working with patients with learning difficulties, nursing models may need adapting to cater for long-term problems. Kenworthy et al (2002) also suggest that Orems (1985) model of nursing is integrated with Ropers (1995), which is widely used in the fields of rehabilitation and community care. Despite this, this ward adheres only to Ropers (1995) model. When Mrs H initially arrived on the ward, her patterns of activities were assessed, evaluated, and documented by the nurse. The problems identified were used to formulate a plan of care. This involves referrals to other agencies and disciplines. A multidisciplinary approach to rehabilitation and discharge planning is fundamental and includes the following: A named nurse, health care assistant, physiotherapist, radiographer, catering staff, social worker, occupational therapist, dietician, and psycho geriatrician. Other health team members involved in her care were community based health professionals such as her general practitioner who would be involved after discharge. The adult nurse could facilitate health promotion for people with learning difficulties. This could involve a member of the community learning disabilities team, a learning disabilities nurse. The role of the learning disabilities nurse is to liase with hospital administration staff to plan clients care needs on admission and discharge (Simpson 2002). However, there is shortage of learning disabilities nurse in the UK (UFI limited 2000). Nevertheless, the nurse could adhere to the protocol for admission to hospital for adults with learning disabilities, which is being piloted in some hospitals at present (Robson 2000). Therefore, by using Mrs. H as an example of a learning disabilities patient, requiring specialist nursing. The ward could devise its own protocol. Similarly, by looking at the governments white paper for Learning Disabilities (LD) published in March 2001, its aims are to challenge discrimination and improve access to health and a better quality of life for people with LD (DOH 2001). The idea that nurses could discriminate against disabled patients may seem preposterous (Scullion 1996). However, some may play a part in what Miller (1995) calls hospital induced dependency. Biley (1994) suggests that far from being user-friendly, hospitals may be particularly hostile to disabled people. Hannon supports this and points out people with learning disabilities are vulnerable and frightened on admission to hospital (2003). The nurse carried out most nursing interventions, including measurement of blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and temperature. This procedure was carried out every half hour for two hours until Mrs. Hs cardiovascular observations were stable. This was increased to four hourly intervals (NHS Trust 2002). The nurse also monitored her pain score, sedation score, and pain site. She checked all intravenous drips for leakage. Wound dressings were observed for strike through. Mrs. H arrived back on the ward with a patient controlled Analgesia (PCA) pump. It is a method of pain relief, which allows patients to control their own pain by using an electronically operated pump (NHS Trust 1998). By using a pain assessment tool, nurses play a major role in assessing and managing pain (Watt-Watson et al 2001). The administration of prescribed analgesia was offered, and local policies regarding pain relief were implemented (Alexander et al 2000). However, Watt-Watson et al (2002) states many nurses distrust patients self-reporting of their pain, which suggest that they have their own benchmark of what is an accepted level before analgesic is necessary. McCaffrey disputes this and notes pain is what the patient says it is and exists when he or she says it does (McCaffrey Beebee 1989). The nurse would ask Mrs. H if she would like any pain relief and on most occasions, she replied Yes. The Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) guidelines for mental health and learning di sabilities (MH LD 2002) state it is important to devote as much time as it is necessary to explain issues to clients (nmc.org.uk 2002). This suggests that the nurse should ask if they have any pain and explain it is not always necessary to agree to accept pain relief. The NMC guidelines for MH LD also state people with learning disabilities have a fluctuating state of competence (nmc.org.uk 2002). Due to poor mobility and being a diabetic, Mrs H was at risk of developing pressure sores. Using the hip replacement care pathway as a tool, the nurse and health care assistant turned her every two hours using an immoturn. This is a metal frame to help move the patient, it elevates pressure, ensuring no discomfort or soreness is experienced (NHS 2002). Because older patients are at risk of a deep vein thrombosis following surgery, the use of an anti-coagulant clexane was used (Collins 1999), the nurse encouraged leg and circulatory exercises to be commenced post operatively. Due to a previous low blood haemoglobin, a full blood count was taken, along with urea and electrolytes and liver function tests (Collins 1999). Blood glucose monitoring was carried out and documented at appropriate times. Mrs. Hs consent was not always sought to carry out the blood glucose monitoring procedure. The NMC MH LD guidelines (nmc.org.uk 2002) suggest that certain environments force the learning disab ilities client to feel forced to make certain decisions. They go on to suggest if a person has been appointed as guardian of the client, matters of consent should be discussed with that person (nmc.org.uk 2002). The diabetic nurse was not involved as the nurses on the ward were managing Mrs Hs diabetes through tablets and monitoring of her diet. Using the wards care plan as a tool to reassess Mrs Hs problems, it was evident that by the third day post operatively her dietary intake was poor. Due to this, and the fact Mrs H was a diabetic, a referral to the dietician was made. The dietician advised both the catering staff and the nursing staff what type of diet was appropriate. The nurse would sit with Mrs. H and talk through what was available on the food menu. Mrs. H would deny that she had chosen the meal when it arrived. The NMC MH LD guidelines outline learning disabilities clients may be highly suggestive, thus most likely to agree to choices from those in positions of authority (nmc.org.uk 2002). They also suggest an advocate would promote the clients right to choose and decide for themselves (nmc.org.uk 2002). On the third day after Mrs. H operation, the physiotherapist came to teach her how to use a walking frame, which should progress to walking with two sticks. The physiotherapists play an important part in the patients rehabilitation process by encouraging limb movement (Cuthbertson et al 1999). After mobilising on the stairs with the physiotherapist, a referral to the occupational therapist was made. The role of the occupational therapist was to assess the patient and decide if any aids are needed to help the patient manage safely and independently at home. Both the physiotherapist and occupational therapist agreed that Mrs. H was fit enough to go home. The multidisciplinary team (MDT) recognised the benefit of family centred care and involved Mrs Hs family (Wright Leahey 1994). This resulted in the family expressing concern over the squalid conditions of her home. Mrs. Hs home had not been cleaned for some time; she chose to leave left over food all over the house. This resulted in an infestation of maggots and bluebottles. In addition, the house was poorly maintained, with no heating and hot running water. The main concern expressed by the MDT was hundreds of rubbish bags, which surrounded most of the house, causing blockage of the stairs and doorways. Due to Mrs. Hs learning disability, a cognitive assessment was requested, and carried out by a psycho geriatrician. The nursing admission form contradicts this decision, in which Mrs. H states that she knew why she was in hospital and what her treatment was. However, as mentioned earlier, people with learning disabilities have a fluctuating state of competence (nmc.org.uk 2002). The psycho geriatrician confirmed that Mrs. H did have the capacity to decide where she lived. Nevertheless, Mrs Hs social worker was very concerned about home circumstances. Based on these facts, the ward nurse contacted the community liaison nurse to arrange a case conference. Unfortunately, this was delayed by two weeks due to the social worker taking annual leave. The nursing staff was told that there was no other social worker available to take over this case. T his may be explained by the fact that there is currently a shortage of qualified social workers nationwide (Simpson 2002). Most days, Mrs. H would spend time sitting in her chair and would only mobilise when going to and from the toilet. Over the weekend, Mrs H did not receive any visitors. She then became tired mobilising back from the toilet. She began to shout loudly and insisted she was in pain. As it was visiting time, all the visitors stopped to stare at her. The nurses responded to this by transporting her back to her bed in a wheelchair. This behaviour continued for a couple of days. This prompted an x-ray referral, which confirmed no change. This was recorded on the care pathway as a variance. Any variance from the anticipated care pathway is recorded outlining what occurred differently, why and what was done instead (Onslow 2003). Mrs. H was encouraged to mobilise as much as she could but she would still shout in pain. The NMC guidelines for MH LD (nmc.org.uk 2002), however, suggest a lack of individual stimulation could be the reason and exacerbate the problems associated with some challenging behaviours. Eventually a case conference was arranged. The issues highlighted were although Mrs. H has the help of daily home carers visiting twice a day and belongs to a lunch club, she had a history of falls. Mrs. H was mobilising around the home with a zimmer frame, due to a right fractured neck of femur in 1999. The MDT reached a decision and the aim is to get Mrs. H to agree to a home visit. After careful negotiations with Mrs H and members of the MDT, a home visit took place. The outcome of the home visit was sheltered accommodation would be safer. Pritchard Pritchard (1994) suggests each member of the team demonstrates a clear understanding of his or own functions and recognises a common interest. This common interest was the well being of the patient. Mrs. H was asked to visit the sheltered housing available and asked to make a decision. Mrs. H decided she wanted to go home. The occupational therapist made a list of recommendations, such as rails on her front door, additional help to tend to the coal fire or alternate heating and an electrician to come and fix the light in Mrs. Hs bathroom. Unfortunately, the social worker involved with Mrs. Hs case went on annual leave for a further two weeks. Mrs. H is now still in hospital awaiting her social workers instructions on her discharge. According to the Guardian newspaper, every day across England, about 5,000 people of all ages are unnecessarily stuck in acute hospital beds because no follow up care is available in the community (Waters 2003). This is still happening in spite of in 2003, the government introduced the community care (Delayed Discharges Act). This act, effective from January 2004, stipulates social services departments will be fineable and will have to pay the NHS up to  £120 per day to cover the cost of a blocked bed (Batty 2003). On reflection, (Gibbs 1988) I felt there was evidence of good multi-disciplinary team collaboration. Mrs. H was given good care and emphasis was placed on her rehabilitation and discharge planning. However, on further analysis, utilisation of other agencies/disciplines could have been made. Due to staff shortages, and no alternative social worker being available to be Mrs. Hs advocate, then the community learning disabilities could have been involved. As this was not possible, the nurse as a health facilitator could have made herself and the multidisciplinary team aware of the government white paper, learning disabilities a strategy for the 21st century (DOH 2001). Conversely, one member of the nursing staff could have offered to participate in training courses for the care management of people with learning disabilities (NHS Careers 2000). Overall, the nursing staff implemented good care. Nevertheless, the nursing staff by using Mrs. H as an example of a complex discharge can learn from this. They could put in place policies to deal with other learning disabilities patients. Finally, the NMC (2002) clause 2.4, stipulates that as a registered nurse, you must promote the interests of your clients. This includes helping individuals and groups, including the multidisciplinary team, to gain access to health and social care. More importantly, you must respect the interests of patients irrespective of their ability (NMC 2002) clause 2.2.

Under Pricing of Initial Public Offerings

Under Pricing of Initial Public Offerings Investopedia.com defines initial public offering as the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. IPOs are often issued by smaller, younger companies seeking the capital to expand, but can also be done by large privately owned companies looking to become publicly traded. In an IPO, the issuer obtains the assistance of an underwriting firm, which helps it determine what type of security to issue (common or preferred), the best offering price and the time to bring it to market.  [1]   IPO INITIATION AND THE PHASES OF IPO TRANSFORMATION: Any IPO goes through the following stages of transformation: The pre-IPO transformation phase can be considered to be a restructuring phase where a company starts the groundwork toward becoming a publicly-traded company. Furthermore, companies should re-examine their organizational processes and policies and make necessary changes to enhance the companys corporate governance and transparency. Most importantly, the company needs to develop an effective growth and business strategy that can persuade potential investors the company is profitable and can become even more profitable. On average, this phase usually takes around two years to complete. The IPO transaction phase usually takes place right before the shares are sold and involves achieving goals that would enhance the optimal initial valuation of the firm. The key issue with this step is to maximize investor confidence and credibility to ensure that the issue will be successful. The intent of these actions is to prove to potential investors that the company is willing to spend a little extra in order to have the IPO handled promptly and correctly. The post-IPO transaction phase involves the execution of the promises and business strategies the company committed to in the preceding stages. The companies should not strive to meet expectations, but rather, beat their expectations  [2]   The marketing process of going public is marked by what is called road show.  road shows involving Issuers and key managers of the company to potential investors via presentations in major cities and face to face with the target investors (Ritter, 1998).  These presentations focus on business operations, products and services, and management.  The visit aims to assess the expected demand for the shares of the company and serves as a key input in the final determination of the initial price of the shares At the end of the road shows, and just prior to the actual first day of trading (usually days before opening day), directors and underwriters will determine the initial offering price.  This is quite important because once the price is determined there is no scope of increasing it even if there is high demand for it. This is how stocks become underpriced. By the close of the first trading day a huge difference can be seen between the actual price and listed price. The concept of under-pricing is dealt with more detail in the following section. THE CONCEPT OF UNDERPRICING Under-pricing is the difference between the initial offered price of the stock and the price at the closing of the first day of trading (Ibbotson, 1975, Ibbotson, Sindelar and Ritter, 1988 Ritter, 1998). This undervaluation is not unusual for companies to commit.   To illustrate, suppose the initial price of a firm issuing 1 million share is $100/share. This would result in a capital of $100 million for the company when all the shares are sold. Now suppose towards the closing of the day, the share is traded at $150. This would mean that the share was underpriced by 50%. This results in an available profit of $50 million for the initial investors. This phenomenon is seen universally across developed and developing countries. This trend of under-pricing can be seen as going against the concept of market efficiency and may cause distress to firms trying to collect capital for expansion. In this regard much research has been done and much literature has also been written. The theory of efficient markets suggests that the price of newly issued shares will quickly adapt to all relevant available information in the market (Fama, 1970) reflect.  However the constant undervaluation has raised questions about what happens when companies go public.  The decision to go public is one of the largest in corporate finance.  Even developed economies like the US, a number of large companies are not public. This shows that going public is not mandatory for a company but it is a choice. However there is a clear disparity between companies choosing to use the stock market and the companies that do not.  A company basically goes public to either diversify their portfolios or to raise capital to invest in future projects. Some other reasons why a company might opt for going public include overcoming debt, change of controls and to enhance opportunity. WHY ARE IPOs UNDERPRICED A LITERATURE REVIEW There are direct and indirect which are borne by the company when an IPO is issued. The indirect cost is the cost associated with information provision to the stock market and the direct costs are the numerous costs which are associated with fees and charges such as the underwriting fees, legal fees and auditing fees etc. However the most important among these and probably which affects the stock price once it is issued is the dilution associated once the shares start to change hands in the public. Often IPOs are found to be underpriced due to this dilution costs. Moreover the IPOs are often subject to the practice of book building. Book building refers to the process of generating, capturing, and recording investor demand for shares during an IPO (or other securities during their issuance process) in order to support efficient price discovery.  [3]  In the event of an issue going public, the issuer always fixes a price band and allows the investor to quote a price within this price band. The upper limit of this price band is the maximum possible price to be paid for the IPO and hence there is a chance that the issue becomes underpriced in case there is excessive demand for the stock. In this the valuation of the stock often reaches an estimate before the stock transacts in the market. As such there is a chance that the stocks get oversubscribed. A peculiar trend can be seen in case of IPOs. The returns are quite high in the initial period. But over a short period of time this return is normalized or completely minimized and the stock star ts to trade at a value close to its actual issue price. Therefore it may be wrong to assume that the stock is actually underpriced at the time of issue. Several factors can affect its high return which can include a bullish market also. Rock (1986) and Baron (1982) explained this under-pricing through their models. Baron assumed that investment bankers /underwriters possess more information on the demand of the security than the issuer. The issuer has to compensate the underwriter for this superior information set. Rock assumed that there are two groups of investors in the IPO market which are categorized as the informed investor and the uninformed investors. Systematic under-pricing is needed so that the uninformed buyers can earn a normal expected return The price formation process for IPOs may be susceptible to the existence of significant conditional price trends in the short-run aftermarket for several reasons: First the market takes time to adjust to the amount of analysis done on the announced issues and this time can extend over several months. There is a great deal of skepticism around the IPOs because of the scarcity of public information available at the time of initial offering. Thus their true value seems highly uncertain to the public. The initial return of the stock is actually the first reaction of the people and goes on to show how the people assess the stock against the initial offering. Second, the first market price may fail to reflect fully all available information because of the potentially fragmented market for IPOs. The issue size of IPOs is typically small and the underwriters, often facing excess demand, ration new issues to their regular clients, who constitute a small subset of potential investors. Initial trading in the aftermarket serves to disseminate information about the value of IPOs to other investors. While initial upward price movement of underpriced IPOs spreads favorable information, the available supply of shares is restricted because underwriters typically discourage initial subscribers from selling their allotments in the aftermarket. Investors who were unable to obtain their full subscriptions at the offering may seek to buy shares in the aftermarket, resulting in a sequence of daily positive returns. In the case of an overpriced issue, the first market price fails to reflect the available information because of price stabilization by the un derwriting syndicate. The under-pricing can be explained with the help of many hypotheses. These are discussed below: The Risk-Averse-Underwriter hypothesis: In order to mitigate the risks and costs of underwriting the underwriters usually knowingly undervalue the stocks. However the investment bankers readily do their homework and they have a fair idea of the actual value of the stock. Therefore this hypothesis only seems meaningful when there is a scope of book building and not when there is a case of fixed price offerings. Since both book building issues and seasoned equity offerings were historically underpriced, one cannot say that the main motive of under-pricing were the investment bankers desire to averse risk. The Monopsony-Power Hypothesis (Ritter, 1984): The investment banker enjoys monopsony power while analyzing common stocks of small firms. They then ration these to the most influential customers who have maintained good relations in the past. Further reasoning by different analyst suggested that this under pricing can also be targeted at earning excess income in the form of commission and fees. (Ritter, 1984) suggested that the gross under pricing might be result of the monopsony power of the investment bankers in underwriting common stocks of small speculative firms. According to Ritter, the investment bankers intentionally under price the securities and ration them to their large customers who regularly buy a variety of investment services from them. The Speculative-Bubble hypothesis: This hypothesis says that one of the reasons for stock price to boom is due to those investors who could not grab a share during the IPO (because of oversubscribing) and those who speculate that the prices of these stocks will rise in the future. This was typical during the IT boom period. The point to wonder is what determines the true value of the stock. The true valuation and the quality of the IPO can be analyzed by the following: Retained Equity Since firms can determine how much equity they will give out at the time of initial public offering. Since this figure can be obtained in advance therefore it serves as the most relevant and the most researched. Since the pre-IPO ownership of firm is determined and very unlikely to change, this becomes an extremely difficult signal to imitate. It must be noted that any change in such information prior to the IPO can dampen the enthusiasm of the investors and might have significant impact on the value of the stock. Underwriter prestige The market value can be significantly changed due to the prestige attached with the underwriter. Those investment bankers who have a good reputation in the market will signal less uncertainty about the performance and offer value of the IPO. The valuations done by these investment bankers will be considered with less speculation But even in the face of a prestigious investment banker doing the valuation, there is significant chance of under-pricing. These underwriters play with two key constituents in the IPO process. The underwriters representing the firm forms the first and the client base for whom the securities are marketed. The first constituent is the firm whose securities the underwriters represent. The second is the client base to whom the underwriters market the IPO securities. Auditor Reputation The price of the IPO can also be influenced by the auditor reputation. The auditors who are deemed as high quality will be judged with very less speculation and the investors will fairly accept the value of IPO set forth. If the auditor fails to reveal potential negative firm information, then the reputation of these high quality auditors may suffer. In some cases shareholders can also file a lawsuit. Number of Risk Factors The prospectus revealed by the issuer also details the risk factors pertaining to the company. The purpose for this is to let the investors assess the fair value of the IPO and the possible opportunity that might exist in investing in this IPO. Firms with more risk factors can be associated with higher uncertainty. Firms with greater numbers of risk factors are associated with higher uncertainty. Firm Size Larger firm size often has greater resources and more opportunity to survive in extreme situations. Thus the firm size also motivates the price of the IPO. Several studies found that there is a negative correlation between underpricing and firm size. This is consistent with the relation between large firm size and more stability. Thus potential investors trust the IPO price to be close to its fair value when large firms are at stake. Moreover the larger firms also are associated with more prestigious underwriters. Firm Age The more the age of the firm will act as a protection from the risk and this is used in valuing the price of the IPO. This is because the younger firms have less number of published financial data and hence the valuations done for these firms are often subject to uncertainty. Moreover these firms are also not analyzed by financial analyst. Firm age and performance are often related. Offer Price One of the responsibilities of the lead investment bank is to assess the pre market demand for its clients prospective IPO in an effort to set a reasonable price. Thus this initial price might also instigate some amount of under-pricing. Also it has to be known that a very modest price will signal less demand and less value or maybe both. The initial price of an IPO offering may also have value as an indicator of underpricing. In the early stages of an IPO, the lead investment bank is responsible for assessing the premarket demand for its clients prospective IPO in an effort to set the offer price. Presumably, a very modest offer price will signal little demand, little value, or both

clone wars :: essays research papers

Cloning man new friend or gods worst enemy Cloning can mean a couple of different things. In 1993, Dr. Jerry Hall and Dr. Robert Stillman, infertility researchers at George Washington University, successfully split a human zygote into two separate zygotes with the same genetic makeup, essentially the same process that occurs naturally with identical twins. They had created a clone, a second individual with the exact genetic blueprint of the first. Hall and Stillman didn't have the technology to allow their "twins" to survive full term. The birth of Dolly, though, changed all that. Dolly, the cloned lamb, was a very unique kind of twin. Her genetic double was an adult born years earlier. A team headed by Dr. Ian Wilmut, an embryologist at the Rosland Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, evacuated the genetic material from the ovum of a sheep. When the nucleus from a cell of an adult sheep was electrically fused to the egg, it developed normally into a fetus, and eventually into a lamb. What is remarkable about Dolly is that this is the first time an animal has been cloned from an adult. It is also the first mammal that has no biological father. Dolly is a time-delayed twin. Virtually all of the confusion about the morality of cloning can be clarified once we answer two very basic questions, one factual and one ethical. First, what manner of being does cloning produce? Is it human? Would it have a soul? Second, what are our moral obligations to a clone? Can we use clones to create a race of slaves or as a living warehouse of human parts? Rejuvenation, suggests that it may someday be possible to reverse the aging process because of what we learn from cloning. Human cloning technology could be used to reverse heart attacks. Many scientists believe that they may be able to treat heart attack victims by cloning their healthy heart cells and injecting them into the areas of the heart that have been damaged. Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States and several other industrialized countries. Another reason why cloning is important Is because Its a breakthrough with human stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can be grown to produce organs or tissues to repair or replace damaged ones. Skin for burn victims, brain cells for the brain damaged, spinal cord cells for quadriplegics and paraplegics, hearts, lungs, livers, and kidneys could be produced. clone wars :: essays research papers Cloning man new friend or gods worst enemy Cloning can mean a couple of different things. In 1993, Dr. Jerry Hall and Dr. Robert Stillman, infertility researchers at George Washington University, successfully split a human zygote into two separate zygotes with the same genetic makeup, essentially the same process that occurs naturally with identical twins. They had created a clone, a second individual with the exact genetic blueprint of the first. Hall and Stillman didn't have the technology to allow their "twins" to survive full term. The birth of Dolly, though, changed all that. Dolly, the cloned lamb, was a very unique kind of twin. Her genetic double was an adult born years earlier. A team headed by Dr. Ian Wilmut, an embryologist at the Rosland Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, evacuated the genetic material from the ovum of a sheep. When the nucleus from a cell of an adult sheep was electrically fused to the egg, it developed normally into a fetus, and eventually into a lamb. What is remarkable about Dolly is that this is the first time an animal has been cloned from an adult. It is also the first mammal that has no biological father. Dolly is a time-delayed twin. Virtually all of the confusion about the morality of cloning can be clarified once we answer two very basic questions, one factual and one ethical. First, what manner of being does cloning produce? Is it human? Would it have a soul? Second, what are our moral obligations to a clone? Can we use clones to create a race of slaves or as a living warehouse of human parts? Rejuvenation, suggests that it may someday be possible to reverse the aging process because of what we learn from cloning. Human cloning technology could be used to reverse heart attacks. Many scientists believe that they may be able to treat heart attack victims by cloning their healthy heart cells and injecting them into the areas of the heart that have been damaged. Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States and several other industrialized countries. Another reason why cloning is important Is because Its a breakthrough with human stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can be grown to produce organs or tissues to repair or replace damaged ones. Skin for burn victims, brain cells for the brain damaged, spinal cord cells for quadriplegics and paraplegics, hearts, lungs, livers, and kidneys could be produced.

A Tale of Two Cities :: Tale Two Cities Essays

Free A Tale of Two Cities Essays  - Sydney Carton and Charles Darney   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sydney Carton and Charles Darney were alike in certain ways but completely different in other ways.   Some of their characteristics were very similar while others were unlike.   Carton was an attorney’s assistant who lived in Paris while Darney was a teacher who lived in London.   They both had intangibles about them that you just couldn’t put your finger on.   These similarities and differences helped develop Dickens’s theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though there were some similarities between Sydney and Charles there were not that many.   The few there were in the book helped Build symmetry.   These two people both had a love for lucie though carton had a hard time expressing it.   These two people had a stunning resemblance in their physical features.   This helped acquit Darney the first time as carton pointed out their resemblance a said no one could tell them apart.   This also helped at the end of the story. These two people are both very smart, even though they don’t know it at times.   They come up with brilliant ideas between them.   These two people may look similar and have a few similar qualities they have many more differences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The differences between Carton and Darney were overwhelming.   While Carton was a disheveled, insolent, indifferent and rude man, Darney was a handsome, gentle successful, responsible human being.   When carton sees Darney he realizes what he could have done with his life.   Carton realizes he is not good enough for lucie.   Darney is rather flat and predictable, while Carton is exciting throughout the book.   Though Carton is less likeable, he is witty, entertaining and has many levels.   In the end, while Darney stays a very respectable person, Carton digs himself out of dismal, indifferent existence to become the hero of this novel.   These differences between Charles and Sydney supported his themes of resurrection and revolution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The way Dickens’s used symmetry to develop was quite interesting.   He showed that two things can be similar, but never exactly alike.   He used the symmetry to show revolution, as carton and Darney became more alike as the story went along.   Dickens’s used it also to develop resurrection.   The symmetry symbolized resurrection, as Carton resurrected Darney two times.   The first was in the trial as he convinced the jury not to kill him and proved he was innocent.   The second was when he took Darney's place at the execution because he realized Darney had everything and he had nothing.

Childrens Television Commercials: Analyzing the Representation of Fam

Children's Television Commercials: Analyzing the Representation of Family The assignment requires children’s commercials to be studied to find how these commercials are coded to give meaning to a representation of ‘the family’. However, before this can be tackled the concept of representation must be discussed as well as clarifying what exactly is meant by ‘children’s commercials’. The assignment is open to many interpretations as to what constitutes a children’s commercial. A commercial aimed at children, especially young children, must have an appeal to both child and parent alike, as it is most likely the parent who will be purchasing any of the items desired. There is a crucial interplay within commercials between selling the item to the child whilst also selling the product to the parent. When identifying children’s commercials it is advisable to look beyond the most obvious choice of toys or ‘fun’ food to all the commercials involving ‘the family’ which a child may be exp osed to. Commercials are specifically placed to gain the maximum exposure to the optimum audience for their product, so any commercial shown during children’s viewing time must have some relevance for a child. Another point to be addressed is how is a child defined. In this essay, the definition of a child from the Oxford Dictionary of Current English is taken in a modified form. The definition is a â€Å"young human being below the age of puberty† (1996, 141), but in this essay, because puberty occurs at different stages in different people, a child is taken to be of primary school age. Yet further complexity is added when personal taste is taken into account. A child of five will want very different things than a ten-year-old child, it is hard to judge wh... ...ising children, which is then used to sell the product. Bibliography Bignell, J. (1997) Media Semiotics: An Introduction. Manchester University Press: Manchester. Chandler, D. (2002) Semiotics: the Basics. Routledge: London. Goldman, R. (1998) Reading Ads Socially. Routledge: London. Gunter, B. and McAleer, J. (1997) Children and Television. Routledge: London. Johnston, R.J., Gregory, D., Pratt, G., and Watts, M. (2000) The Dictionary of Human Geography, 4th Edition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Kaufman, G. (1999) The Portrayal of Men’s Family Roles in Television Commercials. [WWW document] http:/www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m2294/1999_Sept/58469479/p1/article. jhtml?term=gender+role+advertising Spivak, G. (1988) ‘Can the Subaltern speak?’ in Nelson, C. and Grossberg, L. (eds) Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture. Macmillan: London. Children's Television Commercials: Analyzing the Representation of Fam Children's Television Commercials: Analyzing the Representation of Family The assignment requires children’s commercials to be studied to find how these commercials are coded to give meaning to a representation of ‘the family’. However, before this can be tackled the concept of representation must be discussed as well as clarifying what exactly is meant by ‘children’s commercials’. The assignment is open to many interpretations as to what constitutes a children’s commercial. A commercial aimed at children, especially young children, must have an appeal to both child and parent alike, as it is most likely the parent who will be purchasing any of the items desired. There is a crucial interplay within commercials between selling the item to the child whilst also selling the product to the parent. When identifying children’s commercials it is advisable to look beyond the most obvious choice of toys or ‘fun’ food to all the commercials involving ‘the family’ which a child may be exp osed to. Commercials are specifically placed to gain the maximum exposure to the optimum audience for their product, so any commercial shown during children’s viewing time must have some relevance for a child. Another point to be addressed is how is a child defined. In this essay, the definition of a child from the Oxford Dictionary of Current English is taken in a modified form. The definition is a â€Å"young human being below the age of puberty† (1996, 141), but in this essay, because puberty occurs at different stages in different people, a child is taken to be of primary school age. Yet further complexity is added when personal taste is taken into account. A child of five will want very different things than a ten-year-old child, it is hard to judge wh... ...ising children, which is then used to sell the product. Bibliography Bignell, J. (1997) Media Semiotics: An Introduction. Manchester University Press: Manchester. Chandler, D. (2002) Semiotics: the Basics. Routledge: London. Goldman, R. (1998) Reading Ads Socially. Routledge: London. Gunter, B. and McAleer, J. (1997) Children and Television. Routledge: London. Johnston, R.J., Gregory, D., Pratt, G., and Watts, M. (2000) The Dictionary of Human Geography, 4th Edition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Kaufman, G. (1999) The Portrayal of Men’s Family Roles in Television Commercials. [WWW document] http:/www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m2294/1999_Sept/58469479/p1/article. jhtml?term=gender+role+advertising Spivak, G. (1988) ‘Can the Subaltern speak?’ in Nelson, C. and Grossberg, L. (eds) Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture. Macmillan: London.