Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Company Report (on KPMG) Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Company Report (on KPMG) - Coursework Example After the merge, there were disagreements on the name of the firm but in 1990 it was agreed to name the firm as KPMG Peat Marwick McLintock. This name was changed later in 1991 to KPMG Peat Marwick and remained so up to 1999 when the name was reduced to KPMG. The company has presence in various countries in the world. Every national KPMG firm is a separate independent legal entity and is a member of KPMG international cooperative (KPMG PEAT MARWICK, 1980). KPMG offers its services to various markets and industries. Its markets are classified into financial services; where advisory services are offered. It majors in capital management, credit crisis and balance sheet management. Second are Consumer and Industrial Markets; the company works in helping industries to solve challenges associated with changing business and industrial environment. Information, communications and entertainment marker is another great sector. The rapid changes in these sectors require rapid response. As a result, KPMG offer adequate advisory services on ways to cope with these changes. Governments provide the other market (KPMG, 1998). Every government in the globe works toward spurring economic growth. The company provides financial advice, performance improvement and programme management services to governments. KPMG is an international company with its international headquarters in Amstelveen, Netherlands. It has branches in various countries with more than 156 countries around the globe. The company’s global employee’s number total to more than 152000 exceptional professionals. The company’s chairman is in Hong Kong. KPMG offers various products to its clients. First, is auditing services; it offers auditing services to various companies over the globe. They provide audited financial reports and other attestations reports. Second are taxation services; in the current economic world companies outsource taxation services.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Factors Affecting Essay Example for Free

Factors Affecting Essay Few markets avoid change, which involves new products or new ways of making existing products. Some industries are more likely to undergo substantial changes brought about by new technologies and new adaptations of existing technologies. The IT, computer and mobile phone markets are experiencing more innovation than most. How do businesses benefit from introducing radical new products and what factors influence the range and pace of innovation? Spending on research and development (RD) is growing globally and in most industrial sectors. The benefits to a country of encouraging RD spending include: †¢creation of high-tech jobs †¢creation of high-added-value products that may then be manufactured in that country †¢prestige – a country being linked to scientific and technological breakthroughs †¢Attraction of investment by multinational corporations. Several factors may influence the level of research and development (RD) and innovation by a business: †¢The nature of the industry. Rapidly changing technologies – and consumer expectations – in pharmaceutical products, defense, computer and software products and motor vehicles lead to the need for substantial investment in RD by leading firms. Other businesses, such as hotels and hairdressing, would need to spend much less as the scope for innovation is more limited. †¢The RD and innovation spending plans of competitors. In most markets, it is essential to innovate as much as or more than competitors if market share and technical leadership are to be maintained. However, a monopoly may limit RD spending if it believes that the risk of a more technically advanced competitor entering the market is limited. On the other hand, profits from a monopoly could be used to finance research into innovative products if the risk of competitor entry into the industry is high. †¢Business expectations. If business managers are optimistic about the future state of the economy and the rate of economic growth and consumer demand, then they are more likely to agree to substantial budgets for RD and aim to introduce more innovative products. †¢The risk profile or culture of the business. The attitude of the management to risk and whether shareholders are prepared to invest for the long term will have a significant effect on the sums that businesses can inject into RD programmes. ‘Short-termism’ is an accusation made towards many major UK financial institutions and the need to satisfy these investors could discourage managers from investing in RD. Government policy towards grants to businesses and universities for RD programmes and the range and scope of tax allowances for such expenditure will influence decisions by businesses. †¢Finance is needed for effective RD. In many firms this may be limited and will restrict the number of new innovations that could be made. Reference: http://classof1.com/homework-help/operations-management-homework-help View as multi-pages

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Comparing Hurricane Hits England and Blessing :: English Literature

Comparing Hurricane Hits England and Blessing The narrator in Hurricane Hits England is Grace Nichols who was born in the Carrribean and the narrator in Blessing is perhaps a person in a country suffering drought, probably in Central Africa. I know this by the way that she describes the conditions â€Å"‘silver’ crashes to the ground† and â€Å"the sudden rush of fortune† this suggests that water is given value (silver) And she or her friends or family must know and may have experienced these conditions earlier in her life. Hurricane Hits England has seven stanzas of variously numbered lines. They are very short therefore snappy and add impact to the piece. It keeps you drawn to the poem as it does not have long lines which sometimes have less meaning than these short lines in the poem. Blessing has four stanzas of medium length lines. The poem is laid out so that it carries on flowing; like water. Lots of devices attract you to the poem including: sibilance, alteration, personification, metaphors and onomatopoeia. These can appeal to the reader’s five senses and add impact to keep the reader interested in the piece. There are lots of rhetorical questions in Hurricane Hits England, as if the narrator is asking or pleading to Huracan, Oya, Hattie and Shango (Gods of wind, thunder. Hattie: A famous Caribbean hurricane. The language in both poems is very different; Blessing uses lots of devices and techniques to add imagery to the poem. Such as onomatopoeia: â€Å"The small splash† â€Å"Imagine the drip of it† â€Å"Silver crashes to the ground.† Blessing also uses similes â€Å"The skin cracks like a pod† personification â€Å"as the blessing sings† and a few times alliteration â€Å"flow has found† â€Å"sometimes, the sudden rush† â€Å"polished to perfection.† A metaphor is used in the middle of the poem â€Å"silver crashes to the ground† this is a good line as it also includes onomatopoeia. There is also sibilance â€Å"small splash† and some ambiguous lines. There are a few cases of enjambment and lots of cases of imagery in both poems. However, Hurricane Hits England uses a different approach, using carefully crafted pairs of adjectives to create lots of imagery and appeal to the reader’s senses. â€Å"howling ship† â€Å"gathering rage† There is lots of strong adjectives â€Å"reaping, ancestral, crusted, craving† There is also a simile â€Å"falling heavy as whales† Lots of rhetorical questions are asked â€Å"Tell me why you visit an English coast?† â€Å"Even as you short circuit us into further darkness?† What is the meaning of reaping havoc in new places?† These make you wonder who the narrator is talking to. She talks to Gods in the poem

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Fin 4100 Essay

Financial Management 1. Happy Valley, Inc. stock is valued at $51. 40 a share. The company pays a constant dividend of $3. 80. What is the required return on this stock? Po = D/Rs $51. 40 = $3. 80/Rs Rs = 7. 39% 2. The Francis Company is expected to pay a dividend of D1 = $1. 25 per share at the end of the year, and that dividend is expected to grow at a constant rate of 6. 00% per year in the future. The company’s beta is 1. 15, the market risk premium is 5. 50%, and the risk-free rate is 4. 00%. What is the company’s current stock price? Po = D1/(Rs-g)Rs = 4% + (5. 5%)1. 15 = 10. 325% Po = 1. 25/(. 10325-. 06) Po = 28. 90 3. Nachman Industries just paid a dividend of $1. 32. Analysts expect the company’s dividend to grow by 30% this year, by 10% in Year 2, and at a constant rate of 5% in Year 3 and thereafter. The required return on this low-risk stock is 9. 00%. What is the stock’s current market value? D1 = 1. 716 D2 = 1. 8876 D3 = 1. 98198 P2 = 1. 98198/(. 09-. 05) = 49. 5495 Po = 1. 716/(1. 09) + (1. 8876+49. 5495)/(1. 09)^2 Po = 44. 87 4. A firm has the following sales: 008200920102011 $1,248,311$1,542,661$1,821,962$2,048,725 Use the compound average growth rate to forecast 2012 sales. g = [(2048725/1248311)^ . 3333] -1 g = 17. 956069% 2012 sales = 2048725 (1+. 17956069) 2012 sales = 2416595. 469 5. A firm is considering two projects, and it requires a 12% return on its projects. Their minimum payback period is 2. 5 years. Assuming the projects are independent (not mutually exclusive), which would you choose based on the payback method? The NPV? The IRR? Project AProject B Initial outlay $200,000Initial outlay $180,000 Cash flows Year 1$70,000Year 1$80,000 Year 2$80,000Year 2$90,000 Year 3$90,000Year 3$30,000 Year 4$90,000Year 4$40,000 Year 5$100,000Year 5$40,000 Payback for A: 2. 55 years (reject) NPV for A: $104,275. 05 (accept) IRR for A: 30. 15% (accept) Payback for B: 2. 33 years (accept) NPV for B: $32,647. 23 (accept) IRR for B: 20. 57% (accept) If the projects were mutually exclusive, then based off of Payback, only B is accepted; off of NPV, A is accepted; and off of IRR, A is accepted. 6. A firm has a capital structure containing 40% debt, 20% preferred tock, and 40% common stock equity. The firm’s debt has a yield to maturity of 8. 1%, its annual preferred stock dividend is $3. 10, and the preferred stock’s current market price is $50 per share. The firm’s common stock has a beta of 0. 9, and the risk free rate and the market return are currently 4% and 13. 5% respectively. The firm is subject to a 40% tax rate. What is the firm’s WACC? WACC = . 40 (8. 1%) (1- . 40) + . 20 (6. 2%) + . 40 (12. 55%) = 8. 204% 7. A firm has 1 million shares of outstanding common stock which currently trades at $50 per share. The firm’s stockholders require a 15% return on their investment. The firm also has $47. 1 million (par value) in 5 year, fixed rate notes with an after tax yield to maturity of 7% . The current market value of the five year notes is $49 million. The firm also has 200,000 outstanding shares of preferred stock which pay an annual dividend of $8 and currently trade at their $80 per share par value. What is the firm’s WACC? Market cap for common stock: $50M Market cap for debt: $49M Market cap for preferred stock: $16M WACC = . 15 (. 43478) + . 07 (. 42609) + . 10 (. 13913) = 10. 90%

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Examine Shakespeare’s presentation of Ophelia Essay

Throughout the play, Ophelia is treated as an inferior by the men in her life. She is instructed and also used by them to achieve their own selfish goals. As Rex Gibson states, Shakespearean women were ‘virtually helpless pawns in the power games of their main relatives. ‘ Her tone towards them is most often submissive and accepting of their commands, although the audience is given occasional glimpses of the seemingly intelligent and opinionated young woman beneath her clichi d exterior. In the play, she is merely a side story. She has no particular role in the play rather than to reflect the traits of other characters, and this secondary importance to the plot reflects Shakespeare’s presentation of her. Upon Ophelia’s first appearance in the play, it becomes obvious that she and her brother have a close relationship. Laertes tells Ophelia, ‘let me hear from you’, to which she replies ‘Do you doubt that? ‘ Laertes mentions Hamlet as a cause for concern, ‘weigh what loss your honour may sustain, If with too credent ear you list his songs, Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open To his unmastered importunity. ‘ He believes that Hamlet’s intentions are dishonourable. He is quick to form this opinion, and as he feels he knows Hamlet’s true motives, this suggests that men of the era shared this abusive attitude towards women. While he may be expressing a genuine concern for his sister’s well-being, there is a tone of authority in his voice. He is not her father, but as a male he talks down to her. His primary concern may be more for the honour of his family, which Ophelia would destroy should she conduct a relationship with Hamlet. She does however retort defensively with, ‘Do not as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, Whiles like a puffed and reckless libertine Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads’. Here she is warning him against hypocrisy and recognising that some men (‘ungracious pastors’) are promiscuous while expecting women to be virtuous. In seeing that society has double standards, the audience is shown that there is a side to Ophelia deeper than is obvious in most of her appearances in the play. A modern audience would feel that her reply is justified, and would respect her for standing up for herself. She has a more relaxed attitude to verbalisation of her thoughts when she is in the presence of her brother, but still respects and accepts his will. In conversation with Polonius for the first time in the play, the audience sees the submissive side to Ophelia. Polonius is also quick to suspect Hamlet’s motives, reinforcing the suggestion that all men of this time have a common view of women. Polonius’ treatment of her reflects the double standards of Shakespeare’s society, as he at first seems disgruntled that she acts like an inexperienced ‘green girl | Unsifted in such perilous circumstance’ and then goes on to say ‘think yourself a baby’, enforcing her inexperience. Ophelia implies her own inability to form an opinion – ‘I do not know my lord what I should think’. This seemingly ‘air-headed’ behaviour could cause much annoyance to a modern audience, whether she simply cannot think for herself or has an opinion and is too intimidated to voice it. Polonius’ perception of his daughter becomes clear with the statement ‘you have ta’en these tenders for true pay | Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly’. The financial references here show that these ‘tenders’ are worth nothing to Polonius unless they become cash, or ‘stirling’, in his hand. The acquisition of wealth comprises all of Ophelia’s uses to him. She is a possession and a tool to him. This is noted by Gibson, ‘women were regarded as possessions, as capital to be exploited. ‘ He also harbours selfish concerns about his own social standing, and that Ophelia will ‘tender’ him ‘a fool’, as her behaviour reflects upon him as a father. Ophelia concludes by submitting yet again, ‘I shall obey, my lord. ‘ Despite the fact that Ophelia has firstly rebelled against expectations by meeting with a man without the permission of her father, or has ‘gone against social mores’ (Pitt), she continues to treat her father as her superior and conform to his wishes. Again the audience witnesses the dual personality of Ophelia. This could leave an audience confused, and unsure of exactly what to think of her as a character, as her true identity remains a mystery until her death. After Hamlet advances upon her looking like ‘he had been loosed out of hell’, Ophelia runs to her father, seeking protection and comfort. She enters the room saying ‘O my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted’. Modern audiences may draw comparisons between this and the behaviour of a small child. Not only is she treated like one by men, but at this point she proves their treatment to be right. This might anger a modern audience who could perceive her to be lacking common sense and therefore totally unable to deal with a hostile situation. To increase the antagonism of a post-feminist audience, she then goes on to relate that she was ‘sewing’ in her ‘closet’ at the time of incident – while to a Shakespearean audience sewing was part of life for women, a modern audience would see this as a stereotypically effeminate activity being used by Ophelia to play up her helplessness. As stated by A. C. Bradley in the Victorian era, ‘a large number of readers feel a personal kind of irritation against Ophelia; they seem unable to forgive her for not having been a heroine. ‘ While this does not represent the viewpoint of today’s audience, it shows that even in Victorian times when women were still much less free than they are now, Ophelia’s helplessness is exaggerated to the point of irritation. We witness Ophelia’s utter submissiveness yet again, and her acting as if she has no thoughts of her own – ‘I do not know, | But truly I do fear it. ‘ Ophelia incessantly addresses her father submissively as ‘my lord’. It can be presumed that Ophelia has been taught to address him thusly, reflecting on Polonius as a father, who is an example of men at the time of the play. Polonius sees Ophelia as being far inferior to him. He speaks to her in short commands – ‘Come, go with me’, rather than asking her to do things. He also seems to think that she is untrustworthy, as he questions her, ‘Have you given him any hard words of late? ‘ suspecting that she has not done what he told her to do. As Ophelia’s letters are read aloud, she stands on the stage in silence to endure this harsh and humiliating experience. She is utterly powerless as her most intimate secrets are exposed to the King and Queen. Her father has granted her no right to privacy, to the point that he publicly proclaims and meddles in her affairs. Polonius says ‘I have a daughter – have while she is mine’, this bluntly suggests his intentions to ‘sell’ her, and continues ‘Who in her duty and obedience, mark, | Hath given me this’. Here, it is as if he is marketing her, making her ‘good’ qualities known to the King and Queen, telling them to ‘mark’, possibly in the hopes that they approve of her as a wife to Hamlet. In this situation Polonius’ social standing would vastly improve. She is certainly seen by him as ‘capital to be exploited’. Upon the King’s questioning Ophelia’s chastity, Polonius asks him ‘What do you think of me? ‘ This shows that in a Shakespearean society, the behaviour of a daughter was seen to be an indication of how honourable her father was, again proving that women were taught ‘chastity, modesty, obedience and faithfulness to their husbands’ (Gibson), to be used as social and financial tools. Elaine Showalter accurately describes Ophelia as ‘that piece of bait’. She is used to confirm whether or not Hamlet’s separation from her is the cause of his madness. Before the first conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia (which is held under surveillance by Polonius and the King), Ophelia is not even given a greeting, but is spoken to only by the Queen, and exclusively about Hamlet – ‘And for your part Ophelia, I do wish That your good beauties be the happy cause Of Hamlet’s wildness’. Their main concern is Hamlet’s return to his prior sane state and hope to be able to use Ophelia as a way of bringing it about. Ophelia herself has absolutely no control over events relating to her. She speaks briefly, only when spoken to, and to express her desire to see Hamlet well again – ‘Madam, I wish it may. ‘ Her father again talks to her commandingly, as if she were a dog, ‘Ophelia, walk you here’. When she is at first left with Hamlet, she remains silent onstage throughout his long monologue, until he mentions her. A conversation begins with Ophelia’s greeting Hamlet, ‘Good my lord’, and hereafter she uses the words ‘my lord’ repetitively. When she mentions ‘rememberances’ that she as ‘longed long to re-deliver’, she is shunned by Hamlet, as he says ‘I never gave you aught’. Ophelia further shows the audience that she is an intelligent young woman rather than a girl who is full of nonsense. She elaborates on her feelings for Hamlet with the words: ‘My honoured lord, you know right well you did, And with them words of so sweet breath composed As made these things more rich. Their perfume lost, Take these again, for to the noble mind Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind. There my lord. ‘ The audience sees here through her passionate statement that these ‘words’ held great importance to Ophelia and that she is expressing the depth of her emotion. With Hamlet she gives the first indications of her true feelings, things that she would not share with her father. She is however belittled and mocked by Hamlet (‘Ha, ha, are you honest? ‘). Her clever response to Hamlet’s mad ramblings gives us another insight into the more hidden side of Ophelia. Fundamentally, however, Ophelia is a side story, and is of secondary importance to the main plot and ‘has no story without Hamlet’. ‘She appears in only five of the play’s twenty scenes’ (Showalter) and is used to inform the audience of what Hamlet was like before his descent into madness. As stated by Angela Pitt, ‘Ophelia’s main function in the play is to illuminate a particular facet of Hamlet’s decline. She has known him in both friendship and gallant devotion’. She fulfils this role: ‘O what a noble mind is here o’erthrown! The courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s, eye, tongue, sword, Th’ expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion, and the mould of form’. While we see here that she is articulate, is underestimated by Polonius and does have something of value to say, it is quite tragic that this outburst of expression is not of herself, but of Hamlet’s personality prior to his father’s death. As she is used throughout the play by men, here Shakespeare uses her as a way of imparting information to the audience. At this point in the play, the audience can sympathise with Ophelia, as the pain of rejection by a lover exists outside of time. By proving to the audience that she is intelligent and educated, she wins respect, as modern society values these qualities highly in both men and women. Just before the play, Hamlet initiates a tirade of sexual references directed toward Ophelia. It begins with ‘here’s metal more attractive’, a mocking reference to her looks. He goes on to say to Ophelia ‘Lady, shall I lie in your lap? ‘ to which she replies ‘No my lord’. He persists in trying to humiliate Ophelia with phrases such as ‘Do you think I meant country matters? ‘ and ‘That’s a fair thought to lie between maid’s legs’. Ophelia’s responses are short and she again repeats ‘my lord’ – ‘No my lord’, ‘Ay my lord’, ‘I think nothing, my lord’. Her words are sharp and brief as she denies Hamlet the pleasure of provoking an outburst from her. While this repetition could show her merely being weak and submissive, as she is forced to take his insults, it can also be argued that she knows here exactly what she is doing, as she later goes on to retaliate, ‘You are naught, you are naught’ – ‘Ophelia’s naivety must be assumed and not genuine, because later she gives as good as she gets’ (Pitt): ‘Ophelia. You are keen my lord, you are keen. Hamlet. It would cost you a groaning to take off mine edge. Ophelia. Still better, and worse’. Here she neglects to say ‘my lord’, which shows that her tone has changed, and she has given up trying to be tolerant of Hamlet. Ophelia’s descent into madness portrays her in an ironic and rather tragic light. Her condition has caused her to be more vocal and to reject authority. Now people notice that Ophelia is speaking, and try to understand what she says, when her mind is not her own – nothing she says makes sense. Even though she is louder, her position is still largely unchanged – her madness expresses itself through her, but does not allow her to express her own true thoughts. At the time, women who were vocal and opinionated, who challenged authority or sought freedom were often portrayed as being insane. This overly emotional, nonsensical state was also thought to be womanhood in its purest, unsuppressed form – ‘Ophelia might confirm the impossibility of representing the feminine in patriarchal discourse as other than madness, incoherence, fluidity, or silence †¦ Ophelia represents the strong emotions that the Elizabethans as well as the Freudians thought womanish and unmanly. ‘ (Showalter). The themes of her songs are death and true love – the two issues that have most recently affected her. Firstly, her exploitation by Hamlet: ‘And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine. Then up he rose, and donned his clothes, And dupped the chamber door, Let in the maid, that out a maid, Never departed more. ‘ In Shakespearean times, it was extremely important that a woman maintained her chastity – it is implied quite obviously by these songs that Ophelia did engage in sexual relations with Hamlet. This would have meant the loss of her reputation altogether. People will now take notice of these open declarations, as a woman her promiscuity is condemned, whereas a man’s promiscuity (Hamlet’s) will be overlooked. This exposes Shakespearean society’s double standards. A woman of high social standing such as Ophelia was expected even more so to exhibit virtue, and so was very vulnerable and open to condemnation, with every relationship putting her in a potentially life-destroying position. Now, when the relationship has dissolved, she is in a difficult position. Her imprisonment is particularly distressing to a modern audience, who are very used to seeing women with much more freedom. While today’s morals are not quite as tight as Shakespearean morals, a modern audience will still feel a lot of sympathy for the poor abused and abandoned Ophelia. As well as being an issue of chastity, it also involves trust. She trusted Hamlet with her love and her reputation – wrongly. Secondly, she sings about her father’s death: ‘At his head a grass-green turf, At his heels a stone. ‘ His death has marked the loss of two of the men in her life who, while they were controlling and dictating, were all that she had, and both of whom she loved dearly. When Ophelia falls into the river where she eventually perishes, she does nothing to save herself. She is as passive at the moment of her death as she was throughout life, doing nothing to save herself. Gertrude is able to describe Ophelia’s death in detail, down to the exact type of flowers Ophelia had decked herself with (‘crowflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples’). This may be seen as Gertrude’s expression of genuine sympathy for her fellow woman. Ophelia’s death can be seen as a suicide, but Gertrude, perhaps to prevent Ophelia from being denied a Christian burial, which would have deepened Laertes’ grief, describes her as having been ‘one incapable of her own distress’, suggesting that she fell in and simply did not care enough to get out. Ophelia’s last influence in the play is her funeral, where Laertes jumps into her grave in grief. Hamlet however jumps in after him, and they begin to grapple irreverently, arguing over who loved her more: ‘Hamlet. I loved Ophelia, forty thousand brothers Could not, with all their quantity of love, Make up my sum – what wilt thou do for her? Hamlet persists in trying to out-do Laertes in his love for his sister, to the point of ridiculousness – ‘Woo’t drink up eisel, eat a crocodile? | I’ll do’t. ‘ This sudden display of affection for Ophelia from Hamlet contrasts hugely with his treatment of her during her life, and seems unrealistic. Laertes’ grief for Ophelia is overshadowed by his desire for revenge as Hamlet has destroyed his family. The two use their ‘love’ for Ophelia as an excuse to let private rivalries surface, even at her funeral. This is symbolic of how she has been used throughout the play, by Polonius to get closer to the king and by Hamlet to portray his insanity. To a Shakespearean audience, people’s treatment of Ophelia would have been typical of the way in which women were treated. Her silence and oppression would have been met with sympathy, as well the empathy of women of the time. While her situation with regards to Hamlet and his cold rejection of her still holds poignancy with a modern audience, people today may question more why she made little attempt to defend herself in certain situations, and why she so blankly followed the instructions of her father and brother at the expense of her own mental and emotional well-being. Bibliography Shakespeare, William, ‘Hamlet’, Heinemann, 1996 Pitt, Angela, ‘Shakespeare’s Women’, David and Charles, 1981 Gibson, Rex, Cambridge Student Guide: ‘Hamlet’, Cambridge University Press, 2002 A. C. Bradley, Shakespearean Tragedy, 1904 Showalter, Elaine, ‘Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism. ‘ in ‘New Casebooks: Hamlet’, Macmillan, 1992 Eleanor Crossey Malone L6G.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Essay on Public Policy Social

Essay on Public Policy Social Essay on Public Policy Social Essay on Public Policy SocialPublic policies are developed based on the issues that trouble the members of society to the point that there is a necessity to take an action. According to Larry N. Gerston (2010), â€Å"issues preceding those policies develop when individuals with similar problems are forced to cope, without solution, for an unacceptable period of time†(p. 22). Public policy problems can be solved by means of effective public policy making. Illegal immigration has become a public policy problem. The problem is becoming more and more acute because of indecisiveness on the part of policy-makers. Thesis statement: Illegal immigration has become a public policy problem, which requires the proper solutions by means of effective public policymaking process, supported by public and political awareness of the significance of the policy for economic, political and cultural development of the nation.Outline of the major points The scope and nature of the public policy pro blemThe scope of the public policy problem like immigration or illegal immigration is large and expanding. According to James Hollifield and colleagues, â€Å"Illegal immigration also drew attention as a prominent public policy problem†(p.102). The statistical data shows that in 2008, there were about 11.9 million of illegal immigrants in the United States (Illegal Immigration Facts Statistics, 2014). According to the research conducted by the center of Immigration Studies, if immigration continues to grow at current levels, the population of the United States will increase â€Å"from 301 million today to 468 million in 2060 a 167 million, or 56% increase† (Illegal Immigration Facts Statistics, 2014). The nature of the public policy problem in concluded in the fact that illegal immigrants have no rights in the United States, but at the same time, they have negative impact on the development of the U.S. economy. Illegal immigration leads to increased unemployment. As a result, current immigration policy is ineffective.How the problem came to public and political awarenessThe problem of illegal immigration came to public and political awareness because of considerable changes in social, political and economic life of the country. Public awareness of the problem like illegal immigration is supported by certain concerns over national security. Ideological pressures influence public interpretation of current immigration laws (Koven Gà ¶tzke, 2010). Americans who oppose immigration policy explain their negative attitude to policy implementation by the threat to unemployment, the threat to cultural identity, and national security. Political awareness of the problem is caused by the functioning of interest groups, such as human rights groups and business groups. As the United States in the nation of immigrants, political parties are aware of the significance of the issue in the political development of the nation (Koven Gà ¶tzke, 2010).The evoluti on of the related public policyThe evolution of the related public policy is connected with considerable changes in decision making of policy-makers. The problem of illegal immigration begins as an individual issue, although it is closely connected with â€Å"the evolution of personal topics into widely shared aggravation that makes such dilemmas suddenly political and, therefore, candidates for public policy activity† (Gerston, 2010, p. 22).Level of government and the actors involvedThe level of government involved in public policy making to address the public policy problem of illegal immigration include central and district levels of government. Both central and district levels of government have opportunities for involvement in decision making regarding immigration issues. The actors involved in policy making process concerning illegal immigration include civil society, business community, public and private institutions. These actors have access to the resources that may affect the policy making process.The intergovernmental structure and political concernsThe intergovernmental structure plays an important role in policy making process in the United States. Certain political concerns regarding immigration policy should be taken into consideration by policy makers. According to researchers, â€Å"concerns about integration into a cohesive national identity have been enhanced by fears about Islamic fundamentalism following September 11, 2001 attacks†(Koven Gà ¶tzke, 2010, p.178). As the effectiveness of immigration policy depends on ideologies of immigrants, certain political concerns may be connected with the concept of citizenship or human rights issues.Conflicting public opinion and impact on policy solutionsThere are conflicting public opinions regarding immigration policy. The majority of American citizens have positive views on immigrants. They consider that â€Å"immigrant benefit the U.S. economically and culturally†. However, there are many Americans who state that â€Å"they are a net burden on the state† (Albertson Gadarian, 2013, p. 288). It is known that recent immigration policies were aimed at preventing the spread of clandestine immigration in the United States, as well as guaranteed a â€Å"minimum level of rights to immigrants, even to those without a residence permit† (De Montis et al., 2012, p. 1227). Nevertheless, many Americans opposed these policies, explaining the significant role of diversifications in human society, which lead to conflicts between cultures.The approaches to policy formulation, adoption, and evaluationThe approaches to policy formulation, adoption, and evaluation play an important role in policy making process. Policy formulation process requires high level of political diplomacy and effective negotiation as this process takes place within a large political arena. Policy approaches to address immigration issues require public involvement. The rational appr oach is the most appropriate for finding solutions to immigration policy problems as it reflect real-world goals. It is necessity to define the problem, social values and policy goals in order to explore the major policy alternative solutions. Policy adoption process is based on the awareness of the significance of the issue. Policy evaluation should be focused on design, explanation and testing of various methods to address policy evaluation issues, including case study evaluation, needs analysis, realistic analysis and other methods.The suggested policy direction (continuation, change or termination) and future impactThe brief overview of immigration public policy problem shows that illegal immigration influences practically every area of public concern. As a result, the suggested policy direction should be based on change of current public policy decisions. It is necessary to make certain changes in order to accelerate the economic development of the nation. Generally speaking, t oday’s immigration law in the United States requires reformation. According to Briggs, it is necessary to make â€Å"labor-market-oriented changes to immigration policy†, which could form a solid foundation for such reformation (qtd. in Peach, 2010, p. 111). Although changes in immigration law cannot have significant impact on the causes of illegal immigration, they may contribute to finding the ways to improve economic development.Conclusion Thus, it is necessary to conclude that the public policy problem like illegal immigration is really serious. As public policy problem affect public policy implementation, it is necessary to find the proper solutions to the problem of illegal immigration. The public response to existing problems and the solutions to these problems should be based on positive public experience.

Monday, October 21, 2019

7 Common Body Language Mistakes People Make During Interviews

7 Common Body Language Mistakes People Make During Interviews You may talk a big game, but you might be surprised to know that talking makes up a small part of human communication. Some people are great listeners, but by nature, we receive more information from our eyes than from our ears. When it comes to job interviews, even with the perfect outfit, amazing credentials, and a fantastic introduction, if your body language is poor, you’re damaging your chances of landing the job! Here are seven body language mistakes to avoid.1. SlouchingIt doesn’t matter how comfortable the chair is- sinking into it will  give a bad impression. Sit and stand upright, and hold your shoulders back. If you look too relaxed, your interviewer may get the impression that you aren’t taking the interview seriously, and in turn, won’t take the job seriously.2. Getting fidgetyFidgeting is a nervous habit for many of us. Interviews are very trying on your nerves, especially if you’re particularly excited about the prospective job. Ref rain from fidgeting- no jittery, nervous hands or bouncing legs. Keep yourself calm.3. Forgetting to make eye contactEye contact and trustworthiness go hand in hand. When establishing a connection with your interviewer, you should make eye contact. On the other hand, staring into someone’s eyes without taking a break can read as creepy and make your interviewer uncomfortable, so just make eye contact for a few seconds here and there while you’re speaking.4. Nodding excessivelyYou may want to seem agreeable, but constantly nodding while someone is speaking can actually give them the impression you’re merely waiting for them to finish talking because you have something to say. If your interviewer feels like you’re rushing them through, they’ll get the impression you don’t care about the current conversation. Listen attentively without moving around. Just focus on the information being relayed to you.5. Crossing your armsIf the chair youâ€℠¢re sitting in doesn’t have armrest, it can be difficult to figure out where to put your arms. Crossing them may translate as hostile, as you’re metaphorically closing yourself off from the situation. Fold your hands and place them in your lap, or better yet, carry a notepad and a pen so you can jot down important things. Give your hands something to do that isn’t distracting.6. Not showing  expressionWhen someone’s meeting you for the first time, they may not be familiar with your subtleties. A  quick wit and  clever jokes are usually appreciated in most social settings, but it’s important that the person you’re talking to knows how to interpret your humor. Your facial expressions need to match your desired intention- this means smiling, raising your eyebrows, or making other emotive gestures that match your  dialogue.7. Breaking the bubble of personal spaceThere are certain formalities that involve people being close, such as hands hakes, or even high fives, depending on the culture of the company you’re interviewing for. What’s important is that physical closeness is limited only to these occasions. Never lean over the desk or stand too close to your interviewer. You might think you’re coming across as friendly, but you could be making someone  uncomfortable.When you’re running through your example interview questions and preparing your answers, try delivering them in front of a mirror as you watch your body language. If you want to hit home with your delivery, you need to present yourself as the complete package.Kelly Smith is an experienced writer and tutor working at Career FAQs. She’s keen on new motivational tools and productivity hacks. She’s also interested in the new media.