Sample Essay on How to Spot School Bullying

School bullying may not seem that big a problem – after all, children are children, and any adults’ attempts at controlling and organizing their inner hierarchies are most likely doomed to failure. The main problem is that children almost universally, no matter what school we are talking about, in what country, following which legislature, belong to something that can be called another plane of existence – at least they perceive it this way. When at school, there are two sets of relationships at work: the one among children and the other between children and adults. Grown-ups are perceived as foreigners, as unwanted intruders in their world, their attempts at finding something out and influencing the inner workings of their world are treated with suspicion, derision and, sometimes, outright hostility. This is the main problem in dealing with bullying: spotting it may turn out the hardest part of the equation. Children often perceive bullying as their internal, personal problem and are very reluctant to ask adults, both teachers and their own parents, for help and advice. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that most adults find it easier that way as well, for no matter how many anti-bullying policies schools and governments introduce, bullying remains elusive, and most adults have only a very vague understanding of what they are supposed to and can do about it. Which is a shame, for bullying is very far from being a harmless horseplay though it is often depicted like that. Bullies sometimes terrorize their victims for years through anything ranging from stealing to verbal and physical abuse or public humiliation. As a result, it may lead to all kinds of psychological and emotional traumas, leaving deep scars that can run through the person’s entire life, ruining his or her chances in future and, in extreme cases, leading to murder or suicide. In other words, bullying is anything but harmless – it is this tendency to overlook and ignore it, to treat it as a fact of life that has always been and is never going anywhere that keeps bullying alive and thriving. So how does one spot bullying? There are numerous telltale signs – and if we look out for them, we will be able to notice them and make the job of bullies harder. Injuries a child has trouble to explain, lost or damaged clothing or other personal things, inexplicably declining grades, school skipping (especially if previously the child was always eager to go to school), changes in eating and sleeping habits, unsociability. Self-harm, running away from home and suicide attempts also count, of course, but when it comes to this it already becomes clear that something is very wrong – which means that it is small things that adults should look out for. But first of all we all should understand one thing and make children understand it: bullying is a serious problem. It is not a matter children should sort out among themselves. They should get used to the idea of asking the adults for help, for reporting bullying when they see it done to others. Otherwise the situation is never going to change.

Ridley Scotts Blade Runner - Ananalysis - 2682 Words

Introduction In the science of studying media and communication, there are many different ways of approaching the subject in which you are going to analyse. That is to analyse advertisements, texts, TV-series, films etc. and other media. My task for this assignment is to give an analysis of a film of my choice. A film is a quite complex medium to analyse; thus it is important to have analysis tools or some criteria to follow. In my analysis I am asked to consider the use and resolution of binary opposition and through analysis of narrative structure. In my assignment I am going to consider how the couple is represented, and how the narrative structure and binary oppositions have influence on the plot of the story. Bladerunner is a†¦show more content†¦We have got the villain in the strongest and most elegant replicant, Roy Batty. He is the arch-replicant, or head of the evil force. On the opposite side we have got Deckard, which is the hero of the story. He fights the villain and his as sociates. The helper in the story is the other blade runner is Gaff, even though he doesnt appear too often. He is still on Deckards side, and he keeps leaving small origami objects wherever he goes. The princess though is undoubtedly Rachel. The ending of BR, is like a classical one, where the hero gets the princess. The hero fights and defeats the villain. The way the audience view the events in the film, is very much decided by whose point of view that is being used (OShaugnessey, 1999, p. 113). The way Deckards voice-over is used in BR makes it easier for us to know which characters to sympathise with, and also to follow the plot. Deckards voice-over lets us in on his emotions and how he views things. It is also easier to follow the changes he is going through. In the Directors Cut -version of Blade Runner, the voice-over is let out. This detail makes this story a lot more intricate, because the protagonist is much more difficult to understand. Even though the voice-over is a very small part of the movie, it makes it a lot easier for the audience to know how

Organizational Design Research Worksheet Free Essays

Heinz-Divisional Structure-SuccessfulThe H. J. Heinz Company, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the most global of all U. We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Design Research Worksheet or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. -based food companies and one of the world’s largest food-processing companies. In more than 50 countries Heinz is considered number one or number two in the market position. Beside ketchup, Heinz also sells other products ranging from sauces, meals, snacks, and infant/nutrition. Among them are our 15 Power Brands, which comprise approximately 70% of our global sales. A divisional structure is when divisions operate as autonomous businesses under the larger corporate umbrella. Because of Heinz using the divisional structure they are able to evaluate the performance of each of their departments individually. Because divisions are relatively autonomous, Heinz can take action with little to none disruption to its remaining operations. Divisions can maintain a healthy competition among themselves by sponsoring separate campaigns, different identities, etcetera. Because Heinz chose a divisional structure they have had their divisions work well together because each area is focusing on a single product and there is not the stress of trying to conduct projects across the board. Heinz’s divisional structure has lead to a culture being formed which has contributed to higher employee morale and a better knowledge of the goals and vision that Heinz is trying to accomplish. Wal-mart-International organizational structure-SuccessfulMany businesses today manufacture, purchase, and sell abroad and that’s referred to as international organizational structure. Wal-mart has been around since 1962 with the first store being in Rogers, Arkansas. The company expanded to 276 stores in 11 states by the end of the decade. When Wal-mart expanded outside the U. S. in 1992 they put a special team in place to take care of the logistics. Because of the success they had introduced a small international department oversee the overseas expansion. By the time 2002 arrived, international operations were so important to Wal-mart that the international division was split up into other geographic areas. We all know that Wal-mart has become a powerhouse worldwide and implem enting an international structure has allowed them to stay ahead of competitors. Because of this venture Wal-mart is leading the way to a more global economy and market. Chris-Southwest Airlines-SuccessfulWhen one thinks about Southwest Airlines they often will think about the one of the company’s recent slogans, â€Å"You are now free to roam the country. † However, Southwest Airlines represents more than just a catchy phrase in the world of organizations who often dare not say that another organization is doing well much less better than them, company’s often use Southwest Airlines as a benchmark, a standard, for their own organizations. Southwest Airlines view has been that of not being the norm and shaking it up a bit. They take a different approach when it comes to organizational design. The goals of the airline were to make a good profit, retain employees and give the consumer reasonably cheap flying. Southwest’s visionary organizational design of treating everyone like a person, even their employees. Southwest has become the nation’s fourth largest carrier from a customer statics standpoint. Southwest operates nearly 2,800 flights per day. Southwest has the best on-time record for ensuring that their flights leave and arrive â€Å"on-time. In addition, Southwest Airlines has the fewest customer complaints in the airline industry. In short Southwest is the only Airline that has consistently returned a profit for it’s shareholders since the company’s inception in 1973. What is the Southwest secret? The secret for Southwest is really not a secret at all rather it is based in concepts based in organizational design. Southwest uses innovation in their offering of their pr oducts and services. Southwest is simply more innovative in it’s ability to be open to new ideas and technology and simple though processes. For instance, many airlines would not sign on to fly to the â€Å"Red-neck Riveria,† but Southwest has agreed to not only sign on but to begin flights to and from it’s major hubs Baltimore, and Love’s Field. This shows innovation in that Southwest’s history has always been create flights to what other major airlines such as American or Delta just scoff at. This increase in flexibility shown by Southwest has put them above their competitors and increased overall productivity thus they have provided great returns for investors. Southwest has also shown innovation in their concept of organizational design in their approach to where they flew. By providing low fares, southwest made it easier and affordable for more people to fly. They became known as the low fare, no frills airline. One of Southwest’s organizational concepts is based upon the principle that if the customer is satisfied the company will make money. Southwest’s additional areas for differences in organizational design are in their management. Their management believes that their people are Southwest’s greatest asset. Southwest prides itself on hiring people who are not just good in their field but experienced in their field. Their mission is to have managers do things by the book and follow company policy, while leaders follow their own intuition, which may in turn be of more benefit to the company. Southwest Airlines has in many arenas achieved the recognition as being the best airline operating within the United States; and on a more personal note it has won my recognition as being the best airplane for my family and me. Chris-Google-Successful When Google went public in 2004, their history of creativity and innovation had long been a fixture and set in place. Larry Page and Sergey Brin who were Ph. d students that worked together on the Stanford Digital Library Project who incorporated Google in 1998. Since that time of incorporation in a friend’s garage in Menlo Park, CA. Google has created a culture of â€Å"why not? † They are known for their innovative culture by allowing their employees a creative and safe place where they can create and share and exchange ideas. They foster this environment in a number of ways. One of the first ways is by looking at how they approach â€Å"failure. † Failure is not considered failure at Google rather they believe that failures are lessons learned. In fact Google specifically hires individuals who â€Å"fail fast. † According to Davila, Epstein and Shelton (2006) i. e. fail fast so that not many resources are spent on developing the new ideas and fail often so that more ideas are tried and tested to eventually come-up with a successful product or idea. An additional concept by Davila, Epstein and Shelton again comes from the â€Å"top down† methodology in that when Google is in the candidate process they include in their job recruitment description that if hired the candidate will have up to 20%-35% or more time dictated solely to one’s need to create and innovate. While most companies would relegate that time to basing it solely on what would make their company look good Google is different in that they do not specify that it has to be â€Å"related† to Google business. Rather the management team at Google believes that it is a â€Å"time to step-away† from their daily grind and just â€Å"get away. † If Sherman Computer Repair was to benchmark Google they would find that Google’s management team is what makes the difference for Google. In addition, they would be able to easily implement Google’s technique of â€Å"fast failing† and learning from their mistakes. In addition, Sherman Computer Repair would also be able to learn from Google’s example of taking time in their day of just getting away to be innovative rather than always wielding control of their employees. How to cite Organizational Design Research Worksheet, Essays

Reaction Paper on Management Principles free essay sample

The report that was presented by the reporter, Arlo Ramos was indeed very comprehensive and informative. I agreed on almost all points on the report especially on how external environment will greatly affect the trend of the business, how these external factors play a very important role in deciding the future of the business and its complexity representing both threats and challenges if not mitigated properly and even potential possibilities if handled the right way. Having said this in the report, I would like to shed more light to the emerging importance of political-legal environment as a make or break element in a competitive business firm. As stated in the report, one of the areas that is equally as significant if not more significant today is the political-legal factor affecting the business because it represents serious threats to its stability and development. In todays times for instance, terrorism has gained its serious political and hazardous standing in the international political arena. We will write a custom essay sample on Reaction Paper on Management Principles or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Uinted States along with its political counterparts had made serious efforts in battling terrorism and its adverse effects in the world as a whole, most especially in the economical way. In the history, there are a lot of terrorist attacks that had greatly affected so many big companies and countries directly and indirectly. The heart breaking September 11 attack of the US has greatly affect all of the businesses not only in the US but also around the globe. Therefore, to answer this arising and constant threat, there is a new market leader emerging to provide a worldwide book of War and Terrorism insurance cover, otherwise famous as Lloyds of London. This insurance cover will include the physical loss or damage to residential and commerical establishments, insurance cover for business interruption and terrorism third party liability and employers liability as well. This only goes to show that indeed the external environment has a say as to what and where business firms behave. As to the issue of terrorism, and the emergence of Lloyds of London as a terrorism insurance company, we can see the evolution of businesses behaviour in the light of the emerging threats that may hamper the development and progress of companies worldwide.

Unions Essays (2364 words) - Human Resource Management,

Unions Why Unions? "Unions are groups of working people who join to talk to employers about wages and conditions of work instead of workers talking to employers on an individual basis."1 Because they speak for everybody, unions can get a better deal for each worker than one employee could by negotiating with the employer. As seen in the short movie "WHY UNIONS?", non-unionized workers talks about the unfair treatment they experience in the work place. Through collective action, workers formed unions so they could have a voice in deciding wages, hours, working conditions and dealing with the many problems arises in the workplace. Unions are not just organizations trying to get more dollars and cents or better working conditions for people who hold union cards. People who don't enjoy the benefits of union protection get benefits too. "The labour movement was in the forefront of the struggles for public health care, for public education, for minimum wages, holidays and employment conditions."2 1 D. Martin, Form War To Peace, Canadian Labour Congress, Quebec, 1991, P.17 2 Notes On Unions, Canadian Labour Congress, Quebec, 1992, P.1 Union Nowadays "Unions are like businesses: their success depends upon attracting and retaining buyers (new members). Recently, one of the major problems faced by the union movement is that few Canadians understand what services unions come into public."3 The public also don't know the union is also helping Canada in other parts of areas such as economy, etc. The public think that the only time unions come into the public's eye is as a result of strike or withdrawal of services. This is because of the impressed strikes held by the union workers. The memorable one would be the strike held by the Toronto Transit Commission workers back in September 1991. The lack of transportation resulted in inconveniences among the public. The Canadian public becomes upset over conflict. The strikes make the public forget about the contributions of unions in other areas. "From a marketing perspective, the union movement has positioned itself like the nuclear industry -- it receives attention only when it is about to blow up, melt or leak."4 Five important needs for union movements are: 3 Alistair Davidson and Ian Mckinnon, "Unions need to study marketing," The Globe and Mail, May 8 1984, Business section, P.8 4 D. D. Carter, Canadian Industrial Relations In The Year 2000, Industrial Relations Centre, Kingston, 1992, P.50 1) job preservation 2) health preservation in the workplace 3) day-care 4) retraining 5) financial negotiations on behalf of members "Union leaders and members must become as sophisticated as management to support the attempt by Canadian business to survive fierce international competition."5 There are about four million members of Canadian unions and 10.5 million members of co- operatives. There are two choices: traditionally, unions have only tried to increase their members' standard of living by negotiating a higher wage, more benefits or fewer hours. "The union movement has played an important role in the past in the formation of new institutions such as credit unions. Today, new demands on the union movement will force it to examine its strategic choices."6 Above all, the union movement must structure itself to aid the survival of Canadian industry and Canadian jobs in a fiercely competitive world market. 5 Bryan D. Palmer, Solidarity: The Rise And Fall Of An Opposition In B.C., New Star Books, 1987, P.63 6 Peter Sinclair, Unemployment: Economic Theory And Evidence, Oxford Press, 1987, P.215 Canadian Labour Congress At the national level, the "organization of unions" is the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). The CLC is the central body in Canada and is composed of about 85 national and international unions representing about 2.2 million workers. Labour's Social Objectives "The social objectives of the Canadian labour movement are a reflection of the aims and desires of a large segment of the country's working population."7 In some ways, the objectives are related to the economy. The objectives are: Health Programmes - the lack of available health care to all Canadians caused the labour movement to redouble its long-standing efforts to have a national medicare plan by which needed medical services would be available to all Canadians whatever their financial means. Medicare as a system of universal health care must be regarded as a public service and not merely as an insurance programme under which only a limited number of services are available. 7 Notes On Unions, Canadian Labour Congress, Quebec, 1992, P.5 P.5 Pensions - Unions have been consistently negotiated improvements in pension plans. By statistics, only 41.4% of employed Canadians (50.1% of men and 33.7% of women) belong to company pension plans.

Free Essays on Growing Up Gay

â€Å"The unprecedented growth of the gay community in recent history has transformed our culture and consciousness, creating radically new possibilities for people to ‘come out’ and live more openly as homosexuals†(Herdt 2). Before the 1969’s Stonewall riot in New York, homosexuality was a taboo subject. Research concerning homosexuality emphasized the etiology, treatment, and psychological adjustment of homosexuals. Times have changed since 1969. Homosexuals have gained great attention in arts, entertainment, media, and politics. Yesterday’s research on homosexuality has expanded to include trying to understand the different experiences and situations of homosexuals (Ben-Ari 89-90). Despite the transition, little consideration has been given to understanding the growing population of gay adolescents. 25% of American families are likely to have a gay child (Hidalgo 24); In the United States, three million adolescents are estimated to be homosexual. Yet, American society still ignores gay adolescents. Majority of children are raised in heterosexual families, taught in heterosexual establishments, and put in heterosexual peer groups. Gay adolescents often feel forced by parents to pass as â€Å"heterosexually normal† (Herdt 2). As a result, homosexual teens hide their sexual orientation and feelings, especially from their parents. Limited research conducted on gay young adults on disclosure to parents generally suggests that disclosure is a time of familial crisis and emotional distress. Very few researchers argue that disclosure to parents results in happiness, bringing parents and children closer (Ben-Ari 90). The debate over homosexuality as nature or nurture dominates most topics about homosexuality. People often confuse the nature/nurture issue with the development of gay identity. In fact, the nature/nurture argument plays a small, insignificant role concerning gay youths (Walling 11). Homosexual identity is the view of t... Free Essays on Growing Up Gay Free Essays on Growing Up Gay â€Å"The unprecedented growth of the gay community in recent history has transformed our culture and consciousness, creating radically new possibilities for people to ‘come out’ and live more openly as homosexuals†(Herdt 2). Before the 1969’s Stonewall riot in New York, homosexuality was a taboo subject. Research concerning homosexuality emphasized the etiology, treatment, and psychological adjustment of homosexuals. Times have changed since 1969. Homosexuals have gained great attention in arts, entertainment, media, and politics. Yesterday’s research on homosexuality has expanded to include trying to understand the different experiences and situations of homosexuals (Ben-Ari 89-90). Despite the transition, little consideration has been given to understanding the growing population of gay adolescents. 25% of American families are likely to have a gay child (Hidalgo 24); In the United States, three million adolescents are estimated to be homosexual. Yet, American society still ignores gay adolescents. Majority of children are raised in heterosexual families, taught in heterosexual establishments, and put in heterosexual peer groups. Gay adolescents often feel forced by parents to pass as â€Å"heterosexually normal† (Herdt 2). As a result, homosexual teens hide their sexual orientation and feelings, especially from their parents. Limited research conducted on gay young adults on disclosure to parents generally suggests that disclosure is a time of familial crisis and emotional distress. Very few researchers argue that disclosure to parents results in happiness, bringing parents and children closer (Ben-Ari 90). The debate over homosexuality as nature or nurture dominates most topics about homosexuality. People often confuse the nature/nurture issue with the development of gay identity. In fact, the nature/nurture argument plays a small, insignificant role concerning gay youths (Walling 11). Homosexual identity is the view of t...

Radiobiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Radiobiology - Essay Example The smallest structural and functional component of protoplasm that can exist freely is the cell (Suntharalingam et al, 2005, p. 485). It is just necessary to study the effects of radiation at the cellular level to truly understand the factors that affect biological tissues. Cells are of two types - somatic cells and germ cells. Of these somatic cells have three subtypes - stem cells (cells that generate other cells through differentiation), transit cells (cells that are in the state of being transformed from one type of cell to another) and mature cells (cells that are fully differentiated and are relatively stable in that state) (Suntharalingam et al, 2005, p. 487). Somatic cells proliferate through two well-defined time periods - mitosis (M), when cell division takes place while maintaining the species chromosome number; and the period of DNA synthesis (S). (Suntharalingam et al, 2005, p. 487). Before S, there is a gap (rest period) when DNA is not yet synthesized. After S there i s another gap (when DNA is synthesized but other metabolic processes are taking place). After M takes place. Thus, the cell proliferation cycle is - S M. In time this whole process is - (1-8h) S (6-8h) (2-4h) M (>1h) (h = hours). Thus, the entire cell proliferation cycle can take between 10 to 20 hrs (Suntharalingam et al, 2005, p. 487). When there is death among non-prol... 487). It is notable that cells are the most vulnerable to radiation (radiosensitive) in the M and phases while they are the most resistant in the late S phase (Suntharalingam et al, 2005, p. 487). When there is death among non-proliferating cells (static) there is said to be loss of a specific bodily function while death of proliferating cells such as stem cells and others are taken to be loss of reproductive integrity (Suntharalingam et al, 2005, p. 487). In cases where a certain radiation-damaged cell survives and begins to proliferate indefinitely it is termed as a 'clonogenic' cell (Suntharalingam et al, 2005, p. 487) with changed cellular characteristics (the change is to the DNA components of the cell). Radiation Characteristics: When cells are exposed to radiation the usual physical effects of the radiation on the atoms and molecules of the cells is immediate. Effects on biological function may follow later. Radiation effects on biological function are most pronounced when there is structural damage to DNA - the most critical target within cells (Suntharalingam et al, 2005, p. 488). It is obvious that some physical factor defines the quality of the ionizing radiation beam that may damage biological tissue. In radiobiology and radiation protection this physical factor is the 'linear energy transfer (LET). According to the ICRU it may be defined as - "LET of charged particles in a medium is the quotient dE/dl, where dE is the average energy locally imparted to the medium by a charged particle of specified energy in traversing a distance of dl." (Suntharalingam et al, 2005, p. 486) Thus, the impact that radiated packets may have with the atoms and molecules of the biological tissues is not as important as the

Police Brutality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Police Brutality - Research Paper Example The brutality can be in verbal form where abuses and intimidation is used or even through actions. The task of police should be to maintain law and order, but surprisingly, they involve themselves in actions that defy their responsibilities. Police more often injure arrestees after they handcuff them or even when they are at the police cells or remand. Many arrestees complain of being hurt by police officers after complying with their orders. Rogue police hit, kick, or even punch arrestees leaving them with a lot of injuries and mental torture (Elicker, 2008). At times, police use excess power when arresting people who are not resistant to the police. Only such power fit to resistant and stubborn suspects but not people who are willing to comply. Some police officers use chock holds when arresting people, which is extremely intimidating and demeaning way of handling suspects since they have their human rights till proven guilty. Some police officers go to extend of hitting arrestees and other criminal suspects with harmful and dangerous instruments like guns. This exposes the victims to permanent or short-term effects. Many police brutality victims suffer brain injuries, body deformities, and spinal cord injuries while others die (Pinizzotto et al., 2012). Some police officers perceive use of electrical shock devices as a convenient way of inducing arrest of suspects. They target getting control of the arrestee without considering the effect of the shock to the individual. Consequently, many arrestees suffer from heart attacks and other personal injuries because of the electrical shock exposed to them. Through law, police officers should use guns at the last case situation, but contrary, police shootings and killings are increasing on a daily basis. As a result, many deaths result from shooting misidentified individuals, and bystanders (Fox, 2011). Due to the high numbers of firing guns, chances of stray bullets are also high. Therefore, the number of deaths of innocent people has increased. At times, police officers use a squad car to chase after a suspect. This racing event can result to an accident, which may cause deaths or even personal injuries to the suspect and the police officers. The reckless driving of a squad car can also pose a danger to pedestrians and other road users. Police officers also expose citizens to brutality by conducting illegal searches and seizures. Generally, the law stipulates that, for a police officer to search any premise, they must present a warrant from the authorities authorizing hem to exercise the search. Unfortunately, many officers bang citizens’ houses and premises without any legal document and start their operations. In most cases if the owners demand explanations or exhibit resistance, they get a thorough beating or threats. Some police officers force their way to citizens’ premises and take property claiming to be under investigation. They offer minimum explanation or none at all to the owner. This is wrong since every individual has the right to posses property and get information whenever need arises. Many arrestees complain that police officers coerce them to honour up crimes they have not committed. The torture they undergo while under law enforcers, force them to plead guilty of others crimes and get the punishment while the real culprits go unpunished. This is not right because it exposes innocent person to a lot of mental torture and physical

Environmental regulations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environmental regulations - Research Paper Example Due to the fact, the following essay explains various regulations that have come of age. Development of standards that guide the proper usage of water has been the work of the department of the pollution control with the assistance of other agencies (Rerks-Ngarm, 2009). The institute together with other agencies provides the item, the pollution center of excellence in an attempt of improving the air situation in the country. Other works include the monitoring of the air and pollution, emission inventories, and air quality teaching as the others were studying in order to work alongside other partners. Another step is the provision of technical expertise for the provision of support for groups working to reduce contaminated soil, as well as water emissions. In addition, the Thailand government prohibits direct emissions of polluted water by manufacturing companies into the environment. Other enactments ensure the limited burning of waste products such as the burning of PVCs is in an open air. Some of the direct legislation includes the conservation and enhancement of the natural environment quality act of 1992. The standard of water quality act that ensures clean waters is a consistent provision to the citizens. The noise and air quality acts of 2007 that limit the extent of noise, as well as air pollution. In addition, there is the quality of soil act of 2004 that ensures the conservation of soil. The department of labor stipulates the working conditions that articulate the holidays, the minimum wage, the severance pay and the supreme working hours. The supreme number of working time is eight hours in a day that sums up to forty-eight hours a week. The enactments are an exception of work that the law defines as hazardous. In such scenarios, the working hours are seven or forty-two hours in a working week. Employees have thirteen holidays in a year. Besides, the employees are entitled to vacations of six days after a whole year of work that has no breaks. The

Factors Causing Abusive Behaviour

Factors Causing Abusive Behaviour Discuss the pathways that lead to a child becoming an abuser Introduction Abuse can take many forms, including physical, sexual, psychological or financial[1]. It can also be verbal and emotional[2]. There are frequently difficulties associated with defining abuse[3], which exists within social, cultural and legal parameters; for example using physical chastisement with children in some cultures is considered to be the norm[4]. In the UK, while the use of implements to hit children has been made illegal[5], the debate about smacking continues; it is still permissible to use ‘reasonable chastisement’[6], although there has been criticism of this from such agencies as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) who assert that any form of physical punishment should be outlawed. Physical abuse is more comprehensively defined as: †¦hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm†¦(p. 533)[7] The definition of sexual abuse varies according to the nature of the victim (for example in relation to child sexual abuse); however a broad definition is that it involves the misuse of power, which might be combined with the use of force, to gain sexual gratification from a vulnerable person[8] Psychological and emotional abuse have some similarities, however psychological abuse is distinguishable from emotional abuse in that it results in some form of cognitive or mental impairment[9] whereas emotional abuse is, arguably, more difficult to quantify as there is a degree of subjectivity involved; however it has been described as the use of one or more of the following behaviours: humiliation, harassment, verbal abuse, demonstrating jealous and possessive behaviour, using threats, abandonment, destruction or removal of items that are important to the recipient, using controlling behaviour (for example within a relationship) and undermining someone with a view to lowering their self- esteem[10] Financial abuse is defined as: The intentional or opportunistic appropriation of the income, capital or property of a vulnerable person through theft, fraud, deception, undue influence or exploitation†¦ (p. 17).[11] Verbal abuse is frequently a component of other types of abuse; for example psychological and emotional abuse is likely to involve verbal abuse, which essentially, is the use of language which is disrespectful and hurtful to the recipient[12]. A complex form of abuse arises from Munchausen syndrome by Proxy[13]. This involves a parent or care- giver (most frequently the mother) giving an often plausible impression to health practitioners that a child is ill, by falsifying symptoms, providing false specimens, administering substances which affect the child’s health, or by inflicting wounds or interfering with existing injuries. Quite often the mother has some health care experience so is equipped with the knowledge to inform her actions, and is also able to feign concern while at the same time giving the impression of being pleasant and cooperative. Inevitably the child is likely to suffer unnecessary distress, pain and discomfort and as such the effect of this syndrome is considered to be a form of child abuse, involving as it does physical, psychological and emotional harm. Health professionals may unwittingly be complicit in the abuse by conducting investigations and invasive procedures which can cause further dis tress[14]. The mother is motivated by her own psychological needs for attention and a sense of worth. The reasons why somebody should develop this syndrome are not clear, and various theories of causation have been put forward, such as personality disorder, depressive illness, emotional disturbance and substance abuse[15]. Some sources report that the mother herself may have been abused as a child[16]. If this is the case then this could be one explanation for why a child becomes an abuser. There are various manifestations of abuse within the context of this question. Some children demonstrate abusive behaviour while still in their childhood[17]; a notorious and extreme example of this is the murder of two- year old James Bulger by two ten year old boys in 1993[18]. Other children go on to display abusive behaviour during their adolescence[19],[20],[21] while in other people, abusive behaviour does not emerge until adulthood despite it being possible to trace influential factors back to their childhood[22] The abused who becomes the abuser It is a widely held assumption that people who become abusers, were abused themselves and indeed there is evidence to support this contention[23],[24] . Children who grow up within an abusive environment are three times more likely to become abusers, however it also important to acknowledge that not all children who have been abused go on to become abusers[25]. It would appear that it is more likely for abused children to become abusers if they grow up within an environment where multifactorial influences are present such as a family history of violence, sexual abuse by a female, maternal neglect and lack of supervision[26],[27] . It is important to gain an understanding of why children who have been abused might themselves become abusers, as these factors can be addressed as part of a preventative strategy (breaking the cycle of abuse). Firstly there is evidence that there may be intergenerational transmission of parenting style, whether good or bad; the child simply goes on to prac tice what they have absorbed as a child, some of which might be on an unconscious level[28] . It is also possible that the person is left with feelings of rage, anger and resentment from having been abused and the disempowering effect that this has had on them. They might go on to project these feelings onto a more vulnerable person than they such as a child; using them to vent their feelings manifested as a form of abuse. The person who was abused as a child might feel angry if they are unable to punish or hurt the perpetrator of their abuse and instead might turn on a substitute who becomes the object of their frustrations[29],[30]. They might even use the victim of their abuse as a means of offloading the residual emotions they have as a result of their own experiences of abuse. Ward and Siegert’s pathways model[31] reflects the terminology within the title and offers some explanations for the reasons that people go on to commit sexual abuse, specifically. There are five pathways within this model: intimacy and social skills deficits; deviant sexual scripts; emotional dysregulation; anti- social cognitions and multiple dysfunctional mechanisms. These are relevant to the question because the origin of sexually abusive behaviour is linked to early life experiences within at least three of these pathways; it is the manifestation of the behaviours that varies. Intimacy and social skills deficits are associated with childhood experiences of abuse and neglect and insecure attachment relationships with adults. .Elsewhere attachment deficit has been cited as a cause of violent behaviour in adulthood towards a partner, which is associated with fear of abandonment[32]. The deviant sexual scripts pathway is explained by the experience of childhood sexual abuse; the individual’s ‘sexual script’ reflecting their past experience. Multiple dysfunctional mechanisms are said to develop from childhood experiences of sexual victimisation or early exposure to sexual behaviour and/ or material. The value of this model has been identified as offering a framework for appropriate treatment for sex offenders, as the underlying reason for the behaviour can be identified and addressed[33]. Psychosocial factors Psychosocial factors such as parental loss due to death, separation or divorce have been linked with children becoming abusers[34]; however the likelihood of this occurring is increased if there are multiple factors involved, as indicated on p. 4, para. 1. It is also possible that the child who has not been directly abused themselves, but has witnessed violence at close quarters, for example their mother being abused by their father, learns that violence is an appropriate behaviour in relation to the resolution of conflict[35]. However it could be argued that exposing children to such behaviour in itself constitutes a form of abuse, as it is distressing and can have long- term psychological effects. In relation to exposure to violence, there is a body of evidence to link the relationship between playing violent video games, and watching violent films, with an increase in aggressive behaviour[36],[37] . A link was made between the killing of James Bulger (referred to above on p. 3, pa ra. 2) and the influence of video violence, although there were also several other proposed causes for the incident[38]. There are also links made between socioeconomic factors and the incidence of abuse[39],[40], however once again there are likely to be other, interrelated contributory factors, such as unemployment and alcohol or drug abuse. Conclusion An extensive review of the literature yields a compelling argument that many abusers were themselves abused as children. However it is also clear that not all children who have been abused become abusers themselves. There are gaps in the literature in relation to examining the reasons why some individuals and not others, are able to turn away from the effects of abuse. It would appear that the reasons why a child becomes an abuser are complex and multifactorial; it has been suggested at several points in this essay that the effects of one single causative factor can be strengthened by the presence of other negative factors. In summary, the factors that might cause a child to become an abuser include: being the victim of abuse, be it physical, sexual, emotional or a combination of one or more types; being exposed to violent behaviour (for example between parents); exposure to materials that depict violence, such as magazines, films and video games; emotional deprivation leading to att achment deficit; loss of a parent; exposure to sexually explicit materials and/ or behaviour; neglect; the abuse of alcohol and/ or drugs within the home; poverty and a lack of (non- abusive) discipline and guidance. References Abuse definitions and symptoms. Verbal Abuse. http://www.nemasys.com/ghostwolf/Resources/abusedef.shtml 2004 Accessed: 1st February 2007. Adshead G and Brooke D (eds.) Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy: current issues in assessment, treatment and research. Imperial College Press 2001. Bagley C. Child Abusers: Research and Treatment. Universal Publishers. 2003. p.2 bbc.co.uk. 1993: Two boys charged with toddlers murder. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/20/newsid_2552000/2552185.stm. Accessed: 1st February 2007. bbc.co.uk. New smacking law comes into force. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4175905.stm 2005. Accessed: 1st February 2007. Boyles S. Do Sexually Abused Kids Become Abusers? WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/content/article/60/67158.htm 2003 Accessed: 31 January 2007. Brogden M and Nijhar P Crime, Abuse and the Elderly. Willan Publishing. 2000. p. 44 Brown S. Treating Sex Offenders: an introduction to sex offender treatment programmes. Willan Publishing. 2005. p. 93. Cannon M. Invited commentaries on: Cycle of child sexual abuse: links between being a victim and becoming a perpetrator. The British Journal of Psychiatry 179 2001 pp. 495-496 Cardwell M and Flanagan C Psychology A2. Nelson Thornes. 2003. p. 53 Catherall D. The Handbook of Stress, Trauma, and the Family. Routledge. 2004. p. 385. Cohle S and Byard R. Sudden Death in Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence. Cambridge University Press. 2004. p.138 Duncan K. Healing From The Trauma Of Childhood Sexual Abuse: the journey for women. Praeger/Greenwood 2004. p. 205. Elliot J and Place M. Children in Difficulty: A Guide to Understanding and Helping. Routledge 2004. pp. 110-111 Erooga M. Children and Young People Who Sexually Abuse Others: challenges and responses. Routledge 1999. Flowers R Domestic Crimes, Family Violence and Child Abuse: A Study of Contemporary American SocietyMcFarland Company. 2000. p. 14. Goodwin J. Munchausen’s Syndrome as a dissociative disorder. https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/dspace/bitstream/1794/1331/1/Diss_1_1_6_OCR.pdf Accessed: 2nd February 2007 Greer S. Territorial Politics and Health Policy: UK Health Policy in Comparative Perspective. Manchester University Press. 2005. p.59 Hagell A Jeyarajah-Dent R Children Who Commit Acts of Serious Interpersonal Violence: Messages for Practice. Jessica Kinglsey publishers. 2006. p. 75. Hill M and Lockyer A. Youth Justice and Child Protection. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 2006. p.124. Hines D and Malley- Morrison K. Family Violence in a Cultural Perspective. Sage Publications. 2004. pp. 4, 49. Horton I and Feltham C. The Sage Handbook of Counselling And Psychotherapy. Sage Publicaiotns 2006. p. 464. Itzin C. Home truths about child sexual abuse: a reader. Routledge 2000. p.222. Kandel Englander, E. Understanding violence. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 2002. p.11 Knauer S. Recovering from Sexual Abuse, Addictions, and Compulsive Behaviors: Numb Survivors. Haworth Press. 2002. pp. 146-7 Krahe B. The Social Psychology of Aggression. Psychology Press (UK). 2001. p. 161. Marshall W, O’Reilly G, Carr A and Beckett R. Handbook of Clinical Intervention with Young People Who Sexually Abuse. Psychology Press. 2004. pp. 47-50 Macleod-Brudene I. Advanced Early Years Care and Education: For Levels 4 and 5. Harcourt Heinemann. 2004. p. 397 McAuley C, Pecora P and Rose W. Enhancing the Well Being of Children And Families Through Effective Interventions. Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2006. p. 144. Mukherji P. Understanding Childrens Challenging Behaviour. Nelson Thornes 2001. p. 58. National Audit Office. protecting and promoting the financial affairs of people who lose mental capacity. The Stationery Office. 2005. p. 17. Plat- Jones J. Domestic violence: the role of health professionals. Nursing Standard. 21(14-15-16) 2006pp. 44-48 Reference.com. James Bulger. http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/James_Bulger. Accessed: 1st February 2007 Sigelman C and Rider E. Life- span Human Development. Thomson Wadsworth. 2005. p. 449 Skuse D and Bouvier P. Risk of sexually abused children becoming adult abusers lower than once thought. The Lancet February 2003. Stosny S. Treating Attachment Abuse: A Compassionate ApproachSpringer Publishing 1995. pp. 42-44. Tilley N. Handbook Of Crime Prevention And Community Safety. Willan Publishing. 2005. p. 533 Wilson R. Fabricated or induced illness in children. British Medical Journal. 323. 2001. pp. 296-297 Total word count (does not include footnotes) 2253 1 Footnotes [1]Brogden M and Nijhar P Crime, Abuse and the Elderly. Willan Publishing. 2000. p. 44 [2] Flowers R Domestic Crimes, Family Violence and Child Abuse: A Study of Contemporary American SocietyMcFarland Company. 2000. p. 14. [3],10Hines D and Malley- Morrison K. Family Violence in a Cultural Perspective. Sage Publications. 2004. pp. 4, 49 [4] Mukherji P. Understanding Childrens Challenging Behaviour. Nelson Thornes 2001. p. 58. [5] Macleod-Brudene I. Advanced Early Years Care and Education: For Levels 4 and 5. Harcourt Heinemann. 2004. p. 397. [6] bbc.co.uk. New smacking law comes into force. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4175905.stm 2005. Accessed: 1st February 2007. [7] Tilley N. Handbook Of Crime Prevention And Community Safety. Willan Publishing. 2005. p. 533. [8] Horton I and Feltham C. The Sage Handbook of Counselling And Psychotherapy. Sage Publicaiotns 2006. p. 464. [9] Krahe B. The Social Psychology of Aggression. Psychology Press (UK). 2001. p. 161. [10] [11] National Audit Office. protecting and promoting the financial affairs of people who lose mental capacity. The Stationery Office. 2005. p. 17. [12] Abuse definitions and symptoms. Verbal Abuse. http://www.nemasys.com/ghostwolf/Resources/abusedef.shtml 2004 Accessed: 1st February 2007. [13] Adshead G and Brooke D (eds.) Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy: current issues in assessment , treatment and research. Imperial College Press 2001. [14] Wilson R. Fabricated or induced illness in children. British Medical Journal. 323. 2001. pp. 296-297. [15] Cohle S and Byard R. Sudden Death in Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence. Cambridge University Press. 2004. p.138 [16] Goodwin J. Munchausen’s Syndrome as a dissociative disorder. https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/dspace/bitstream/1794/1331/1/Diss_1_1_6_OCR.pdf Accessed: 2nd February 2007 [17] Erooga M. Children and Young People Who Sexually Abuse Others: challenges and responses. Routledge 1999. [18] bbc.co.uk. 1993: Two boys charged with toddlers murder. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/20/newsid_2552000/2552185.stm. Accessed 1st February 2007. [19], 23Hagell A Jeyarajah-Dent R Children Who Commit Acts of Serious Interpersonal Violence: Messages for Practice. Jessica Kinglsey publishers. 2006. p. 75. [20] Elliot J and Place M. Children in Difficulty: A Guide to Understanding and Helping. Routledge 2004. pp. 110-111 [21] Itzin C. Home truths about child sexual abuse: a reader. Routledge 2000. p.222. [22] Bagley C. Child Abusers: Research and Treatment. Universal Publishers. 2003. p.2 [23] [24] McAuley C, Pecora P and Rose W. Enhancing the Well Being of Children And Families Through Effective Interventions. Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2006. p. 144. [25],26 Boyles S. Do Sexually Abused Kids Become Abusers? WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/content/article/60/67158.htm 2003. Accessed: 31 January 2007. [26] [27] Skuse D and Bouvier P. Risk of sexually abused children becoming adult abusers lower than once thought. The Lancet February 2003. [28] Sigelman C and Rider E. Life- span Human Development. Thomson Wadsworth. 2005. p. 449 [29] Duncan K. Healing From The Trauma Of Childhood Sexual Abuse: the journey for women. Praeger/Greenwood 2004. p. 205. [30] Knauer S. Recovering from Sexual Abuse, Addictions, and Compulsive Behaviours: Numb Survivors. Haworth Press. 2002. pp. 146-7 [31] Marshall W, O’Reilly G, Carr A and Beckett R. Handbook of Clinical Intervention with Young People Who Sexually Abuse. Psychology Press. 2004. pp. 47-50 [32] Stosny S. Treating Attachment Abuse: A Compassionate Approach. Springer Publishing 1995. pp. 42-44. [33] Brown S. Treating Sex Offenders: an introduction to sex offender treatment programmes. Willan Publishing. 2005. p. 93. [34] Cannon M. Invited commentaries on: Cycle of child sexual abuse: links between being a victim and becoming a perpetrator. The British Journal of Psychiatry 179 2001 pp. 495-496 [35] Plat- Jones J. Domestic violence: the role of health professionals. Nursing Standard. 21(14-15-16) 2006pp. 44-48 [36] Kandel Englander, E. Understanding violence. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 2002. p.11 [37] Cardwell M and Flanagan C Psychology A2. Nelson Thornes. 2003. p. 53. [38] Reference.com. James Bulger. http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/James_Bulger. Accessed: 1st February 2007. [39] Hill M and Lockyer A. Youth Justice and Child Protection. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 2006. p.124. [40] Greer S. Territorial Politics and Health Policy: UK Health Policy in Comparative Perspective. Manchester University Press. 2005. p.59.

The Role of Social Class in “The Great Gatsby” Essay -- Social Class

Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby, there is a constant theme present: social class. Fitzgerald makes a connection between the theme of social class, and the settings in the novel for example The Valley of Ashes which is described as a â€Å"desolate area of land† (p.21) and a â€Å"solemn dumping ground† (p.21) which is where the poor people live. The Valley of Ashes is situated between West Egg and New York, West Egg being the place where the aspiring classes are situated, which is the â€Å"less fashionable of the two† (p.8), this is where Gatsby lives. West Egg is the place of ‘new money’, Fitzgerald shows this by the idea of the main character Jay Gatsby, rumoured to be selling illegal alcohol (prohibition) which means he is quickly making vast amounts of money.† Who is this Gatsby anyhow? Some big bootlegger?†(p.86) Gatsby shows off the amount of wealth he has by his fabulous parties and oversized mansion. â€Å"There was musi c from my neighbour's house through those summer nights. In his enchanted gardens, men and girls came and went like moths, among the whispering and the champagne and the stars.†(p.33) Fitzgerald uses the word ‘enchanted’ to paint a visual picture of what the house and the scene looks like, a magical and enchanted castle, with elegant furniture. This is in comparison to East Egg where Tom and Daisy Buchanan live, in a house where â€Å"The windows were ajar and gleaming white against the fresh grass outside† (p.10). East Egg being the place of ‘old money’ which is made from the inheritance of their past generations, the people who live it East Egg are mainly well educated, historically wealthy and live quite elegantly, but they are also quite ‘snobbish’. Gatsby’s background does not fit into the social standards of East Egg... ...om because behind George’s back, Tom is having an affair with his wife Myrtle Wilson â€Å"thickish figure of a woman† (p.23). Within the Valley Of Ashes there is Wilson’s garage â€Å"the interior unprosperous and bare† (p.22) but also the famous Doctor T.J.Eckleburg advertisement â€Å"They look out of no face, but instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose† (p.21). The Doctor T.J.Eckleburg advertisement has a connection with the character George Wilson because, the morning after the accident the ‘sunlight lit up the billboard’, Wilson believes that this was a sign from God. The eyes of Doctor T.J.Eckleburg are through Nick’s viewpoint â€Å"the giant eyes of Doctor T.J.Eckleburg kept their vigil, but I perceived after a moment, that the other eyes were regarding us with peculiar intensity from less than twenty feet away† (p.99)

History of Beer Essay

Beer was probably discovered by accident, when some of the nomadic tribes of the Middle East decided to settle down to an agricultural life depending on the cultivation of grain. In times of plenty the excess might have been stored for a possible future period of failure. Due to the damp storage condition the grain might have sprouted and germinated in a desperate bid to salvage the crop they must have made porridge by boiling the sprouted grain with water. This must have released sugar into the liquid resulting in a sweet tasting porridge. This was probably left in open to cool allowing the natural yeast of the atmosphere to settle on the porridge forming alcohol or what was a crude wash. There is evidence that the brewing process was established in Babylon as early as 6000 B.C. The Egyptians improved upon this process, which was diffused along the trade routes by the Greeks & the Romans. The Romans started brewing on a commercial basis to provide a substitute to wine. The term bear today covers all beer drinks such as ales, lagers & stout. Beer gets it’s name from Anglo Saxon Word called â€Å"Beer† meaning â€Å"BARLEY†. Beer is the national alconolic beverage of Great Britain. Although the basic traditional method of brewing beer is still being used now the whole production process is controlled by the programme equipment so that each phase is carried out at the exact time required and can be corrected if necessary. By this centralised control, consistency of the brew from batch to batch is better.

Risk Management Strategy and Plan Document Shell

Project Selection: The first step will be to select a project that you to develop a risk management strategy and plan for. This project will be used as the basis for each of the assignments throughout the course and should conform to the following guidelines: 1. Nontrivial: The selected project candidate should reflect a real-life project that has at least the major milestones identified. 2. Domain Knowledge: You will be applying knowledge of this project to address assignments related to identifying and analyzing risks.Select a project that fits these requirements, and submit your proposal to your instructor before proceeding further with the assignments in the course. Approval should be sought within the first few days of the course. Your instructor will tell you how to submit this proposal and what notification will be given for project approval. Assignment: Your first task in this process will be to select a project to use as the basis of your Key Assignment.You will also create the shell document for the final project Key Assignment document deliverable that you will be working on throughout the course. As you proceed through each project phase, you will add content to each section of the final document to gradually complete the final project delivery, which is the Risk Management Strategy and Plan. The following project deliverables: 1. Submit project proposal to instructor for approval 2. Risk Management Strategy and Plan Document Shell * Use Microsoft Word * Title Page 1.Course number and name 2. Project name 3. Student name 4. Date * Table of Contents 1. Use auto-generated TOC 2. Separate page 3. Maximum of three levels deep 4. Be sure to update the fields of the TOC so it is up-to-date before submitting your project. 1. Section Headings (create each heading on a new page with TBD as content except for sections listed under â€Å"New Content† below) 1. Project Outline 2. Risk Management Justification 3. Project Risks Identification 4. Project Ri sks Assessment 5. Project Risks Responses Strategy . Project Risks Management Plan 7. Project Risks Monitoring & Control Plan 8. Project Risks WBS & Budget Updates 9. Project Risks Communications Plan 1. New Content to be Inserted in Above Shell * Project Outline 1. Brief description of the project. 2. The milestones and/or WBS for the project. 3. Material can be taken from approved proposal submitted to the instructor, and this will serve as the draft for the proposal. 4. Be sure this project is approved by the instructor. 1. Risk Management Justification 1.Discuss why risk management is so important to the success of the selected project in a letter to the project sponsor. 2. Describe the steps that will be used to develop the Risk Management Plan. 3. Represent this process in a flow diagram as well 1. Project Risks Identification * Start brainstorming, at a high level, on some categories where risk could occur in this project (Note: you will continue this brainstorming activity i n the next week with specifics, likelihood, and impact). Name the document yourname_MPM344_IP1. doc, and submit the document for grading.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Essay Example

Tunku Abdul Rahman Essay Example Tunku Abdul Rahman Essay Tunku Abdul Rahman Essay Essay Topic: Maus Sir Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah was the Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955 and became the countrys first Prime Minister after its Independence in 1957. Born in a royal family in Kedah, Abdul Rahman was the son of 24th Sultan of Kedah and went to become the founding father of the independent Malaysia. Before attaining independence of the country, Abdul Rahman was also a member of the United Malays National Organization, an organization struggling against Britains Malayan Union. Also known as Bapa Kemerdekaan, he became the first Prime Minister of the country after Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore merged to form Malaysia in 1963. He played a key role when the Organization of Islamic Conference was established in 1969 and served as its first Secretary-General. Childhood Early Life Abdul Rahman was born on 8 February 1903 in Istana Pelamin, Alor Star in Kedah to the 24th Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah and his sixth wife Cik Menjalara. He was the fourteenth son and twentieth child of his father. As a child Abdul Rahman was raised in Isatan, the Palace, which was built by a Chinese contractor and had a royal childhood with a number of servants around him. Prince Abdul was sent to a Malay Primary School Jalan Baharu in 1909 and was later moved to the Government English School in Alor Star, which eventually became known as the Sultan Abdul Hamid College. In 1911, little prince Abdul was sent to Debsirin School in Bangkok to study with his three brothers. He returned to Malaya in 1915 and resumed his studies at Penang Free School. After three years in 1918, he enrolled at St. Catharine’s College in Cambridge University with the Kedah State Scholarship and graduated with a bachelor degree in Arts in 1925. At that time, he drew national attention and was praised as the first student to receive a scholarship from Kedah State for studying in the United Kingdom. Early Career After finishing his graduation, Abdul Rahman served in the Kedah public service and was made the District Officer of Kulim and Sungai Petani. At that time, the colonial Malaya was totally dominated by the British officers, with the only exception of Abdul Rahman who was a Malaya and had concern for his fellow people of Malaya. The two could never come to terms and he often had to pay for it by loosing promotion to higher positions. However, the British Administration did not dare do anything against him, as he was a son of the Sultan and a price of Malaya. Few years later, Abdul went to England and stayed there briefly before finally returning to Malaya following the eruption of the World War II. He continued his law studies at Inner Temple in 1947 and after admitted to bar in 1949, he returned to Malaya where he was appointed at the Legal Officer’s office in Alor Star in the same year. Further, he was made a Deputy Public Prosecutor in Kaula Lampur and president of the session’s court. Abdul Rahman was also a member of the United Malays National Organization, an organization struggling against Britain’s Malayan Union. In 1951, a conflict surfaced within the UMNO forcing its president Datuk onn Jaafar to resign and the person replacing him was Abdul Rahman, who eventually seized the position for the next twenty years. Independence of Malaya Abdul Rahman began his campaign for Malaya’s independence in 1954. His initial efforts failed to achieve anything as the British Administration was averse to grant independence unless it was assured of the racial harmony and equality in a new independent Malaya. As President of the UMNO, Abdul Rahman consolidated a political alliance with the Malaya Chinese Association to form the Alliance Party and later the Indian community Malayan Indian Association joined them in 1955. The coalition gained huge popularity among people though the UMNO members were initially reluctant to open the party to Chinese and Indian community. Abdul Rahman became the first Chief Minister of Malaya with the Alliance Party winning the first federal general election held in the same year. In 1955, he traveled to Japan, where he negotiated the Malaya Independence and 31 August 1957 was finally decided for its independence. Premiership of Malaysia Malaya became Malaysia with the emergence of Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei in 1963. In 1961, Abdul Rahman called upon these states to form an amalgamation and was subsequently elected the first Prime Minister of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. However Singapore’s addition in the federal proved disastrous which increased the Chinese influx in the country. Abdul Rahman fearing, that Lee Kuan Yew’s Party could influence the voters in Malaya, started demanding Singapore’s exclusion from Malaysia. After endless clashes between Abdul Rahman and Lee Kuan, Singapore seceded and declared its Independence on 9 August 1965. Abdul Rahman’s regime came to downfall in 1969, when the Alliance Party lost most of its support in the general election that year. Abdul Rahman lost its support from the people within UMNO who were highly critical of his headship and eventually, an emergency committee captured the country from Abdul Rahman and declared a state of emergency leaving him with no power. On 22 November 1970 Abdul Rahman resigned from the position of Prime Minister and subsequently from UMNO in 1971. Other Activities In 1960, when he was still the Chief Minister, Abdul Rahman declared Islam the official religion of Malaysia and established the Islamic Welfare Organization (PERKIM) as a guiding body for Muslim converts. He became the president of PERKIM and served until a year before his death. As President of PERKIM, he organized the first International Quran Recital Competition in 1961. Abdul Rahman played a key role when the Organization of Islamic Conference was established in 1969 and served as its first Secretary-General. He was a co founder of the Islamic Development Bank and President of the Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of South East Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP), serving from 1982 till 1988. However he declared Islam the official religion of Malaysia, he stuck to his idea of running Malaysia as a secular country where people of different beliefs and religion lived and worked together. An enthusiastic sportsman himself, Abdul Rahman promoted many sports events in Malaysia, viewing is a medium to bring people of different race and religion together. He started an international football tournament in 1957 and was elected as the first president of Asian Football Confederation in the next year in 1958. He had a passion for horse racing and was a member of the Selangor Turf Club. Later Life Death In 1977, Abdul Rahman became the chairman of The Star, a newspaper which was banned in 1987 by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad because of its provoking columns that were harshly critical of the Malaysia’s government. Following a rift with in UMNO, he unsuccessfully tried to establish a new party UMNO Malaysia. In the general election of 1900, Abdul Rahman actively participated and widely campaigned against Mahathir Mohamad despite his worsening health. He died on 6 December 1990, aged eighty seven and his body was buried at the Langgar Royal Mausoleum in Alor Star. Family Children Abdul Rahman is believed to have at least four marriages in which only three are officially confirmed. His first wife was Meriam Ching, a Chinese woman who gave birth to two children Tunku Khadijah and Tunku Ahmad Nerang. After her death, Abdul married Violet Coulson, his former landlady in England. He divorced her and married Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah and the couple adopted four children Sulaiman, Mariam, Sharifah Hanizah and Faridah. His fourth marriage to a Chinese woman Bibi Chong remained secret with whom; he had two daughters Tunku Noor Hayati and Tunku Mastura.

Patient satisfaction from physicians' communication Essay

Patient satisfaction from physicians' communication - Essay Example To this end they emphasis on the patient care model which places great emphasis on open enquiry, reflective listening and empathy as one of the most effective and important ways of responding to the diverse patient needs. In the HCPC Standards of Proficiency   (2013 p.8) Standard 8, ‘Be able to communicate effectively’, 8.3 states that a   physiotherapist must:   â€Å"Understand how communication skills affect assessment and engagement of service users and how the means of communication   should be modified to address and take account of factors such as age,   capacity, learning ability and physical ability.† As a result, this paper attempts to establish why effective communication between the patient and doctor is crucial by examining different case scenarios and evaluating the role communication plays, not only just in the physiotherapist context, but also in the healthcare system in general. Verbal communication between doctors and their clients is r ecognized as a core part of care and in conventional scenarios it is easy to decode and analyses, and this is because it is discrete in nature and has clear endpoints. However, for doctors to be effective at it, they must have good interpersonal skills such that they can make the patient feel at ease and encourage them to open up with alarming them, sounding rude or stereotypical.  Ã‚   In their discourse, they should ensure they show empathy and attention to the patient’s situation and be capable of managing the patient’s expectations without discouraging them (Larsen and Smith 1981).

Drug and alcohol use in teens Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Drug and alcohol use in teens - Term Paper Example A good example is alcohol. It is highly important that people who are in their teens do not use drugs or alcohol as it will have a devastating effect on their bodies. This paper will examine this effect. First of all, one should point out that drugs, due to their nature, negatively affect the brain of a person – the organ which is still a mystery for the science (Scheier vii). Indeed, the nature of the drugs distorts the normal work of brain and it can hardly be restored to its fullest. In other words, it is important to keep in mind that drugs do harm to the body that can hardly be reversed, so if a person decides to take drugs, there is a little chance that one will be able to leave the path of addiction and become a normal individual once again. What is more important is that the minor harmful effects that the body might experience because of the drugs may last for a rather considerable amount of time (Hyde and Setaro 50). This means that one can not simply try drugs for on e time: the consequences which are unpleasant will keep appearing after the use. So, a person should understand that nothing is worth that. Indeed, one should acknowledge that unlike other substances, drugs influence the organism of a person on a much deeper level which makes them extremely dangerous. The â€Å"positive† effect that they drugs can be explained by the distorted functions of some organs; so, when a person takes drugs, one is deliberately tampering one’s body.

There is no hope of doing perfect research(griffiths,1998,p97) do yo Essay

There is no hope of doing perfect research(griffiths,1998,p97) do yo agree Discuss with detailed reference to at least two examples of qualative research in sc - Essay Example secular realm, people in the society desire for truth and justice and to attain the same there must be belief in attaining so and in there is belief there is hope. It would be wrong to say for example that Justices of the US Supreme Court to say they believe that there must be justice but they must not hope that just justice will be perfect. Given such perspective about hope, let us rephrase the question: Is there hope of doing perfect research? into â€Å" Is there positive optimism of doing a perfect research? This second statement seems to have taken a different meaning from the original.. That happened after using the word â€Å"hope† in a context where it could possibly be used. Proceeding therefore with the second, question, we could answer in the affirmative because the there is really positive optimism for perfect research. That seems to be an observable reality. If there is no hope or if there is no positive optimism for perfect research it would hard to believe the ever changing technology as a result of the hope of having a better product, hope of a better society. People have ideals which may include ideal for democracy, freedom and justice.. In the physical real, people want quality product and quality service. But one would readily object: how could there be a perfect research? One would say, â€Å"We are not in heaven, we are here on earth where the things the we have are imperfect. We commit errors, we bungle investigations, and we miscalculated the terrorist. We can even create something to prevent another hurricane from occurring. We cannot prevent people from dying despite the advances in technology. America could not contain the mind of the terrorist who planned the September 11 attacks. If there is perfect research we could have avoided all these things.† So those arguments appear too difficult to explain. But if we have to repeat the question again: â€Å"Is the there a positive optimism of doing a perfect research. then we could actually

Advertisement Essay- Disney Them Parks Essay Example for Free

Advertisement Essay- Disney Them Parks Essay The external environment of the theme park industry on the Gold Coast plays a significant role in determining if the industry is profitable. According to Hubbard, Rice and Beamish (2008), the external environment is the factors outside the organisation that influence strategy and is made up of two environments; the macro-environment and the industry environment. The macro-environment includes the general factors that affect growth of an industry, whereas an analysis of the industry environment determines the profitability of an industry. An analysis of the Gold Coast theme park industry environment will determine the industry’s profitability by analysing the strength of the following five forces; the threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, power of substitutes, and the intensity of industry rivals (Hubbard, Rice Beamish 2008; Porter 1980). Due to the strength of these forces being quite low, the analysis of theme park industry on the Gold Coast indicates a profitable industry. The threat of new entrants into the Gold Coast theme park industry is determined by the strength of the barriers to entry as well as the expected retaliation. Such a barrier to entry is product differentiation which means that ‘established firms have brand identification and customer loyalties, which stem from past advertising, customer service, product differences, or simply being the first into an industry’ (Porter 1980, 9). Therefore, for a new firm wanting to enter the Gold Coast theme park industry would need to invest in building a brand name as a way of trying to overcome existing customer loyalties to the other theme parks. This would require large capital requirements for up-front advertising which would be unrecoverable and along with the unknown brand name would indicate a significant barrier to entry (Hubbard, Rice Beaming 2008). The low threat of new entrants is also strengthened by the fact that all the theme parks on the Gold Coast are owned by two companies. Dreamworld and White Water World are owned by Macquarie Leisure Trust Group and Village Roadshow owns Warner Brothers Movie World, Wet ‘n’ Wild Water World, Sea World, Australian Outback Spectacular, and Paradise Country (Roller-Coaster 2008B, Online). This effectively means that any potential new entrant would be competing against two companies who have the established resources which would enable them to try and drive the new entrant out of the industry through increased advertising or by lowering their prices (Porter 1980). The strength of the possible retaliation as well as product differentiation and large capital requirements determine that the barriers to entry into the Gold Coast theme park industry are quite substantial and therefore the threat of new entrants is quite low. The bargaining power of suppliers could also have an impact on the profitability of the theme park industry on the Gold Coast (Hubbard, Rice Beamish 2008; Porter 1980). One factor that influences the power of suppliers is the supplier concentration relative to industry concentration (Hubbard, Rice Beamish 2008). In other words if there are a small number of suppliers then the suppliers are going to have the power. In terms of theme parks, the main input that needs to be supplied is the rides. These are the inputs that theme parks market their parks around and what attracts visitors to these parks. The bargaining power these roller-coaster suppliers hold over the theme park industry on the Gold Coast is quite weak due mainly to the large number of roller-coaster manufacturers that are located all around the world. If a theme park requires a roller-coaster to be designed for their park, the firm are able to choose between over 40 manufacturers to design their ride so as a result the power of the supplier is quite weak (Coaster Gallery 2008, Online). Furthermore the bargaining power of suppliers in the theme park industry is weak due to theme parks being roller-coaster manufacturers only industry in which they can sell their product. Therefore for the roller-coaster manufacturers, the theme park industry is an important customer and their fortunes are ‘closely tied to the industry and they will want to protect it through reasonable pricing and assistance’ (Porter 1980, 27). For the theme park industry on the Gold Coast this low level of power held by the roller-coaster suppliers means that any of the theme parks will be able to discuss their needs with a number of manufacturers due to the large number available to choose from and due to the suppliers reliance on the theme park industry to sell their products, prices will be reasonable which will also be helped by the fact that there is large competition between the suppliers due to their numbers. The profitability of the theme park industry on the Gold Coast can also be impacted by the bargaining power of buyers (Hubbard, Rice Beamish 2008; Porter 1980). One factor where the bargaining power of buyers is low is the industry concentration relative to buyer concentration. The theme park industry on the Gold Coast is quite large with seven theme parks located within the region; however these seven parks are owned by only two companies; Macquarie Leisure Trust Group and Village Roadshow (Roller-Coaster 2008B, Online). Therefore due to there only being two companies within the region, the amount of competition between the parks isn’t as fierce as it would be if each park had a different owner. For this reason the buyer doesn’t have as much power against each park based on price. This being said, the buyer still has the power to choose one company over another which provides the buyer some degree of power but not as much as would have been attributed to them with more than two companies. In the Gold Coast theme park industry, the decision makers’ incentives do give buyers a degree of power (Hubbard, Rice Beamish 2008; Porter 1980). Such incentives are prevalent in the industry and are aimed at enticing customers to each company’s respective theme parks. Village Warner offers â€Å"3 Park Super-passes† which provide customers unlimited entry into Movie World, Sea World and Wet ‘n’ Wild for 14 days at a discounted rate. Also Macquarie Leisure Trust Group offers a â€Å"World Pass† which provides customer’s access to both Dreamworld and White Water World at a discount rate. These incentives offered within the Gold Coast theme park industry gives buyers power to choose between the companies based on the perceived benefits of which they are offering. Therefore if one of these offers isn’t perceived to be as valuable as the other offer then the buyer has the power to choose one over the other which can have an impact on the company’s profitability either positively or negatively. The power of substitute experiences can also have an impact on the profitability of the Gold Coast theme park industry (Hubbard, Rice Beamish 2008; Porter 1980). The intensity of this power depends on a number of factors which includes the relative price/performance of the substitutes (Hubbard, Rice Beamish 2008; Porter 1980). This involves comparing the relative performance of the industry to the available substitutes as well as comparing the relative prices, both of which can impact on whether the industry in question or its substitutes better meet the needs of the potential consumer. In relation to the Gold Coast theme park industry, the performance aspect expected of their experience could be to have â€Å"fun†. Therefore, the possible substitutes of going to the beach, movies or shopping most likely wouldn’t meet the performance desired in comparison to going to a theme park. However, if the performance desired by potential customers was â€Å"thrill-seeking†, sky-diving may be a strong substitute. Along with performance, price also needs to be taken into consideration. Therefore, the substitutes of going to the beach or movies are quite cheap, which makes their price performance quite strong. However, skydiving in comparison to theme parks is quite expensive so its price performance is quite weak in comparison to attending a theme park. Overall the power of the substitutes is quite strong especially with their price performance and can therefore have an impact on the Gold Coast theme parks industry’s profitability. The level of ease in which buyers can switch from the industry product to substitutes can also impact on the Gold Coast theme park industry’s profitability (Hubbard, Rice Beamish 2008). This factor provides a lot of power to substitutes because customers within the theme park industry can easily switch to substitutes such as the beach, movies or skydiving because they can simply just experience those products rather than go to a theme park, there is nothing holding people back from doing so. Due to this fact and the favourable outcome for substitutes based upon performance and price, the power of substitutes is quite strong. The final force which impacts on an industry’s profitability according to Porter (1980) is the level of industry rivalry. Industry growth rate is a factor that impacts on the level of rivalry because if the ‘industry is growing fast, the amount of industry rivalry will be relatively low, because there will be room for most or all organisations to prosper’ (Hubbard, Rice Beaming 2008). The theme park industry on the Gold Coast is still experiencing growth mainly due to the overall Gold Coast tourism industry growing with domestic visitors increasing 6% to 3. 7 million in the year ending June 2007, and international visitors increasing 3. 5% to 858,000 in year ending June 2007 (Tourism Queensland 2007, Online). As a result Sea World, Movie World, and Wet ‘n ‘ Wild increased attendances 17%, 4. 3% and 22% respectively, while Dreamworld’s attendances decreased slightly by 2% (Roller-Coaster 2007A, Online). Due to there still being strong growth in the Gold Coast theme park industry the rivalry isn’t as intense as it would with little to no growth and will therefore have little impact on profitability. Industry profitability can also be impacted if organisations within an industry have undifferentiated products (Hubbard, Rice Beaming 2008; Porter 1980). By having undifferentiated products rivalry would be extreme due to organisations targeting the same markets, whereas if products were differentiated the organisations within the industry would target different market segments. The theme park industry on the Gold Coast has traditionally been quite differentiated with a water park, movie-themed park, thrill-ride park and a marine-life themed park. As a result the different theme parks were able to target differing market segments which meant the rivalry between the parks was evident but not that strong. Today however the rivalry between Macquarie Leisure Group Trust and Village Roadshow has intensified due to Macquarie Leisure opening a water park called White Water World which is in direct competition with Village Roadshow’s Wet ‘n’ Wild. This has lead to strong advertising campaigns and discount offers by both organisations in an attempt to gain market share. Due to the opening of the new water park which has created two undifferentiated products in the industry, the overall industry profitability could be impacted because both Macquarie Leisure and Village Roadshow are going to be competing fiercely to try and persuade potential customers to come to their respective water park which could have been avoided if they have differentiated products with different target markets. By analysing the Gold Coast theme park industry using Porter’s (1980) five forces it is evident that the industry is profitable due to an overall low level of power attributed by most forces. The low threat of new entrants is evident due to the barriers to entry of established product differentiation and the expected retaliation of Macquarie Leisure and Village Roadshow. Also the power of suppliers is low due the large number of competing roller-coaster manufacturers and their reliance on the theme park industry, furthermore the power of buyers is low due to two companies owning all the theme parks on the Gold Coast which reduces the level of competition between the parks and limits potential savings for buyers and helps the industry’s profitability. However, profitability in the industry can be impacted by the considerable strength of substitutes based upon price and the ease of which customers can switch to these substitutes. Furthermore, profitability will be further impacted by the increasing competition between the two water parks in the industry as they fight for market share. Despite the presence of these forces on industry profitability, there strength is quite weak and the Gold Coast theme park industry will remain profitable due to the other forces outweighing any negative impact on industry profitability. Reference List. Coaster Gallery 2008, ‘Roller Coaster Manufacturers’, Roller Coaster Information (online), Available: http://www. coastergallery. com/Manu. html [Accessed 13 April 2008]. Hubbard, G. , Rice, J. Beamish, P. 2008, Strategic Management: Thinking, Analysis and Action, 3rd edn, Prentice-Hall, Frenchs Forest. Porter, M. 1980, Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors, The Free Press, New York. Roller-Coaster 2007A, ‘Attendance Up Across the Board’, Roller-Coaster Theme Park News (online), Available: http://www. roller-coaster. com. au/article.php? aid=143 [Accessed 14 April 2008]. Roller-Coaster 2007B, ‘Theme Park Performance Drives Village Profits’, Roller-Coaster Theme Park News (online), Available: http://www. roller-coaster. com. au/article. php? aid=142 [Accessed 14 April 2008]. Tourism Queensland 2007, ‘Business and Leisure Drives Gold Coast’s $2. 6 Billion Domestic Tourism Industry’, Tourism Queensland News (online), Available: http://www. tq. com. au/destinations/gold-coast/news/news_home. cfm? col2Includes=infopieces. dsp_story_fullobj_uuid=0195C856-CDFC-D308-72CF-6DC3FA3B4C62 [Accessed 13 April 2008].

Share Repurchases in the US, UK, France and Germany

Share Repurchases in the US, UK, France and Germany 1. Introduction: The market system in the UK and the US has emphasized the role of the stock market in the Anglo-American capitalist system. Shares and bonds have become very common tools of investment in the capital system. Investors buy shares and bonds in the hope of getting capital gains plus income from their investments. Shares offer investors capital gains/losses and dividends, share are very attractive investment tools for people who are prepared to risk their principle and get less than the amount that they have invested. Bonds offer limited return on investments, Bonds offer investors the same principle. Financial managers usually pay off their shareholders using two methods: Dividends: dividends are share of the capital that investors receive in return for investing their money in the company.   Share repurchase/buyback: some financial managers choose to buyback the shares of the company if they feel that they company’s shares are undervalued, buying part of the shares will boost the remaining outstanding share prices. Over the last twenty five years, companies have become less prone to distribute funds to shareholders. This noticeable increase in dividends is accompanies by share repurchases in the US. Since Margaret Thatcher came to the power in the UK, the United Kingdom has adapted a very similar economic path to the US. These developments in the US have been followed by very similar developments in the UK. British companies are trying to concentrate on share buyback rather than pay dividends. In this assignment, we will try to find out why companies are heading towards share buyback. 2. What determines the payout policy of the company?: Miller and Modigliani (1961) were the first two scientists to challenge that fact that high dividends payout leads to higher value of a company. It is apparent that companies’ payout policy does not affect the value of the company. The reason that made Miller and Modigliani think that the payout policy of the firm does not affect the value of the firm is that fact that in a frictionless economy investors could make their decisions rationally with no or minimum stochastic factors. Investors will be able to see that distributing too much dividends means that the company is missing investment opportunities and that its future cash flows will be substantially less than now. While if the company retained its earnings in order to invest into projects, investors will think that the company has over invested and so that the return on its capital will be substantially less than the market average. Miller and Modigliani thought that companies could not create the impression that they are better than what they are in reality. For several reasons, there are many people nowadays that do not believe in Miller and Modigliani, one of the possible reasons for that is the fact that financial markets are not frictionless and investors are not totally rational. In the financial markets, there are many short-sighted investors that prefer to get profit as soon as possible without paying any real value to the future cash flow of the firm. But the supporter of Miller and Modigliani argue that institutional investors watch the payout policy of the firm very carefully and analyze the activities of the firm in a very good way so institutional investors do know the value of the firm exactly. Although Miller and Modigliani do not see any difference in the value of the firm no matter what payout policy the firm follows; there are many people who think that having high payout policy is much better than retaining funds because high payout policy attracts institutional investors who are able to monitor the company and give a more precise valuation to the value of the company and its credit quality. Trojanowski, G(2004) thinks that the company is really in typical type I error and type II error dilemma, if the company adapted high payout policy towards so it became cash constraint the company might miss profitable investment opportunity( type II error), but if the company retained cash and invested in unprofitable projects this will be type I error. Trojanowski, G(2004) thinks that this high payout policy is considered the price that should be paid to institutional investors in order to get things right and be able to give precise valuation to the company. There are several factors that determine the payout policy of a firm; we can summarize these factors as: Valuation of the company’s value, taxes, information asymmetries and contract incompleteness. 2.1 Valuation of the Firm’s shares: The value of the firm itself play a substantial role in the payout policy for any company, if the firm’s shares are undervalued, companies’ tend to buyback their share prices in order to make use of the undervalued share price, this will improve the share price and encourage investors to invest more in the shares of the particular company. Share buyback play the merger acquisition impact on share prices, in the case of merger and acquisition, a company comes forward to buy the shares of an undervalued company, this normally leads to a hike in the share prices of both companies. In the case of share buyback, the company itself comes forward to buy its own shares, this leads as well to a hike in the share price.   The rise in share prices resulting from share repurchases will make it more difficult to other companies to buy the shares of the undervalued company because buying the shares of the undervalued company will require additional premium. The success of the share buyback process is directly related to the number of investors who come forward to sell their shares. The number of investors who come forward to sell their shares is related to the price at which the shares were bought. If the price of the bought shares was high and then fell dramatically, the buyback process will not be enough to compensate for the full loss of the invested money; Investors will rather prefer to change the management and hold it accountable for the poor results of the company.    If the fall in the price of the shares was modest and share buyback compensated the loss that investors have incurred and/or made capital gains, many investors will prefer to sell their shares and that is how the buyback process becomes successful. 2.2 Tax: According to Miller and Modigliani (1961): dividends do not affect the value of the firm: This result is based on many assumptions: taxes,   The tax system of any country will affect the payout policy of most of the companies in the world. The research that has been done on this issue refers to two facts: The first one is that companies tend to change their payout policy if the tax law changed. The second one is that: according to Kalay (1982) and Stiglitz, J, E (1983) individual investors do rebalance their portfolios quickly enough in response to tax law changes; this school of thought thinks that investors always try to follow tax avoidance strategies in order to maximize their wealth by â€Å"dividend laundering† In other words, investors will try to put pressure on their company in order to pay them in the most tax efficient way that maximizes their wealth and the value of the company. Share repurchases are very attractive way of distributing the profits of the company because they could happen at any time of the year; investors try to put pressure on the company to choose a suitable time for most of them. Share repurchases give investors the flexibility and the choice in participations, investors might choose to participate in the share repurchase if they feel that their overall tax liabilities will become less. Investors could defer their tax payments to make their own decision of when to sell in order to maximize their total wealth. Of course, shareholders can sell their shares in the market if they want cash as a tax Advantaged substitute for either share repurchases or cash dividends. In the law, the tax paid on capital gains is deferred until the shares are sold whereas any income tax on dividends is paid annually. The deferral of the capital gains tax reduces its present value. Broadly speaking dividends in the UK enjoy a less favourable tax regime than share repurchases which may give rise to something of a Dividend Policy Puzzle. Although dividends do not enjoy the same tax treatment that share repurchases have, most of the companies in the UK are still paying dividends because most of the investors are tax-exempt and companies listen to their shareholders in the UK. This point will be researched in more detail in the coming sections 2.3 Financial Structure: When companies decide to buyback their shares, they change their financial structure. Share buyback is accompanied with significant debt/equity ratio. Share repurchase does not only reduce equity but also increases debt. The leverage ratio will increase after the buyback period. The financial structure of the company has a profound impact on the payout policy. In order to understand how the financial structure affects the payout policy we need to understand the concept pf â€Å"block holders†. Block Holders are few numbers of investors who own the majority of the shares of the company. The economic literature is increasingly enforcing the fact that block holders could play a positive role in monitoring the performance of the companies that they invest in because they have a big interest in preserving and growing the capital that they have invested. Unlike small investors, block holders power is very important in keeping the management of the company doing the best it can in order to maximize the wealth of the shareholders. When companies use share buyback, it is expected that minority shareholders will sell their shares to the issuing company and not the block holders.    When that happens, small shareholders numbers will decrease and there power will be less. This will open the door for bloke shareholders to use their power in imposing what they want without listening to the minority shareholders who have less power in the board room than bloke shareholder. In that sense, we can say that changing the financial structure of the company can have a negative impact on the minority shareholders who choose to sell some of their shares to the issuing company. In many countries such as Germany, France, Italy and Hong Kong, the volume of shares to be repurchased must not exceed 10% of total shares outstanding. Firms from such countries can therefore not use repurchase programs to increase their debt-to-capital ratio dramatically and to transfer value from debt holders to shareholders. 2.4 Cash Flow: Public companies have shares that could be traded on the stock exchange, as illustrated above; investors expect return on their investments in the shape of dividends. If the company did not meet investors’ expectations, share prices will go down. Share buyback happens when the company has cash that is in excess of the company’s needs. If the company cannot pay its investors good return on their investments, it is better to return the money to the investors in the shape of share buyback. Jagannathan, Stephens and Weisbach (2000) showed that companies with excessive operating cash flows tend to distribute dividends while companies with limited operating cash flow tend to repurchase their shares. Companies with temporary excessive cash flow tend to repurchase its shares in order to distribute the excess cash flow. Companies with temporary excess cash flow tend to distribute its excess cash because the company wants to smooth its dividends policy, it is not in the company’s best interests to increase the volatility of its dividends because dividends are very important signaling tools that the market use in valuing the shares of the company, when dividends increase because of temporary excess cash and them decrease later one, share prices will become volatile and investors will try to avoid the shares of that particular company. 2.5 Agency Problem: The industrial revolution has contributed significantly to the separation of management from ownership. There is a constant crisis of trust between management and the shareholders of any public company. Under perfect conditions, the management is supposed to be working for the best interests of the shareholders, but what happens in reality is something different, the management is constantly trying to maximize its own benefits and wealth on the expense of the shareholders. The relationship between management and shareholders is not always a cooperative relationship; the relationship might well prove to be a competitive relationship.   Managers and company directors might misuse the funds of the shareholders; directors might use the money of the shareholders in increasing their salaries, pensions and other allowances instead of paying this money to the shareholders in the form of dividends or share buyback. When company directors choose to use the excess funds that they have in buying back the shares of the investors or in other words returning their money, the trust between the investors and the company directors increases significantly. Share buyback proves that there is a wise management in that particular organization; investors will see this move as maintenance to the resources of the investors. Company directors that choose to invest the excess cash that they have in non-profitable projects will be seen in the financial markets as not reliable; investors will know that the top management of that company is not sound.  Ã‚   Some school of thoughts claim that share buybacks are bad for the minority shareholders if they are not accompanied with the selling of the shares of the directors. The reason for that is the fact that company directors own shares and share options in the company and if the company made a share buyback, the share of directors and managers in the company will increase and this will open the door for possible misuses. Many economists recommend that share buyback has to be accompanied by the selling of the shares of the directors in order to keep a sound management system in the corporation, Siu, J Weston, F(2002). Finally, Share repurchases can violate the interests of the last majority of uninformed shareholders when only inside shareholders have information about the exact timing of repurchase transactions and the amount that the issuing company will purchase. Insiders could use that knowledge to dispose of their shares at a higher price than under normal market conditions, IKENBERRY/VERMAELEN 1996. This illegal action would cause a wealth transfer from outside shareholders to inside shareholders and if anticipated by outside shareholders should lead to a negative announcement effect. 2.6 Signaling: Share buyback are used a signaling tool, dividends convey information about the future cash flow of the company. Motivations are normally in line with shareholders’ interests; this includes the attempt by management to convey to investors that the true value of their corporation’s equity exceeds its current market value. Such a signal might be based on management’s believe that the true mean of the probability distribution of the firm’s future cash flows is actually higher than perceived by the market or alternatively, that the true variance of future returns is higher than expected, holding the distribution mean constant, DANN (1981) We have two cases depending on the prices of the financial assets of the company:    In the first case, all of the firm’s risky securities appear to be undervalued. In the latter case, only equity claims appear to be undervalued, whereas claims in the form of risky debt might in fact be overvalued. Share repurchases could actually lead to a re-distribution of debt holders’ wealth to the benefit of shareholders. It is typically assumed that insiders which are the company’s management and directors know a lot more information about the company’s cash flow situation than insiders. However, any straight public announcement by the board of directors that it considers its firm’s shares to be undervalued generally lacks credibility because there might be other hidden motives to the management. Outside investors cannot distinguish between true and misleading announcements because they do not have all the information about the company. They will perceive of all undervaluation announcements as try to hide the truth about share repurchases unless the company produces evidence that undervaluation is the real motivation for share repurchases.    Share repurchase announcements cause two types of costs to overvalued firms. Firstly, firms that repurchase overvalued shares must understand that the share price will decline to its true intrinsic value as soon as possible, so that the company would have paid too much for its shares. Secondly, firms that announce to repurchase shares but then decide not to do so might see their general reputation for honest capital market communication deteriorate because the company’s public relations status with the company will be shaken. Depending on the legal and regulatory restrictions for share repurchase programs, such firms also risk that authorities initiate investigations of price manipulation. Given these potential costs, share repurchase announcements can be used as a clear signal to enhance the reputation and the credibility of an undervaluation signal. Such credible signals should then lead to an appreciation in stock price and benefit the investors who are welling to sell their shares. Share buyback will convey a message to investors that the company has few good projects (NPV Share buyback indicate that the financial situation of the company is not strong enough in order to meet the expectations of the investors. When the company chooses to pay its investors by distributing dividends, it gives the signal that it has many good projects (NPV>0), and the company believes that it could create capital gains to investors without seeking refuge to share buyback. 2.7 Employee incentive plans: The company might seek to purchase its own shares in order to finance its employee incentive plans. In the current capitalist system, many companies realized that empowering employees is the best way to align the interests of the employees with the interest of the company. Through the history, the management and the employees were always at odds and that caused many strikes and struggle within the company. Many companies found out that the future organizations of the companies should depend on giving employees the initiative and turning them into an asset rather than looking at them as a liability or an expense. This process has been triggered by the introduction of new technologies that enabled top managements to cut the middle management and give the authorities of the middle management to the employees that the technology will help them to perform their tasks in a more efficient way without the direct supervision of the middle management. This process could not be achieved without giving employees shares in the company and make them real partners in the organizations. When employees get share of the profit they will work harder than before and that will benefit the whole organization and the society. Share repurchases are one of the best ways to turn the employees into an asset since share repurchases happen when the share price is relatively cheap, share repurchases provide a very cheap way to finance the employee share scheme and create a wholly new organization that depends on mutual trust between management and employees rather than struggle between them. 2.8 Convertible bonds execution: Convertible bonds are defined as bonds that pay a regular coupon for their buyer, the price of bonds will depend on two main things: interest rates and credit quality of the issuer. Convertible bonds combine the feature of bonds and shares at the same time. We all know that companies give their investors the option to convert their bonds into common shares at any time they want in order to make their bonds more attractive to investors and give investors the flexibility in choosing the investment tools that they foresee suitable to their investment strategy. We all know that shares and bonds are two different products that offer two different profit and loss opportunities. Most of the times, shares and bonds markets work at odds. When interest rates are low share prices seem to be a better investment opportunity than bonds because they offer better return on investment. When interest rates are high bonds seem to be a better investment opportunity than shares because they offer better return on capital. Many companies encourage investors to invest with them by giving them the option( this option is called call option) to convert their bonds to shares. When the company has a shortage of shares the company will have to buy them directly from the market in order to meet its investor’s requirements of converting bonds into shares. 2.9 Trade shares: Trading shares might be the motive for share repurchases in the UK and elsewhere in the developed world. When the market is depressed and the share prices reflect less than their fair value many companies will resort to buying their own shares in order to sell them later at a higher price. When big companies believe that their shares are under-estimated, they invest the excess cash that they have in themselves in order to encourage more investors to buy their shares and when the market prices of the shares goes up the issuing companies will resell them at profit. Investors will benefit from this share repurchase by two ways: Investors will be able to sell some of their shares at higher price and make profit from that. Investors will benefit from the higher dividends that their company will pay them as a result of re-selling the shares at higher price.     Ã‚  Ã‚   Share repurchase might aim as well to reduce the volatility of the share and stabilize its price. Share trading s not as easy as it might seem, there are regulations that govern the ability of the company to buy/sell its own stocks. 2.10 Destroy shares: There are two reasons to destroying shares: The first one is to change the ownership structure and the second one is to increase the wealth of the shareholders. Change the ownership structure: When the company buys its own shares in order to destroy them, it destroy with the shares the voting right, we all know that owning one share means owning one vote, this means that destroying one share means destroying one vote. According to Pindur, D Lucke, M (no date given) the management might find it very cost effective to have homogenous shareholders rather than heterogeneous shareholders, that’s why the company offers share repurchases and destroys shares. In that case, the company will offer investors what is called a â€Å"controlled premium†, which is a premium that is paid above the market price in order to lure investors to sell their shares. Wealth creation for investors: The best measure to wealth creation is the Economic Value Added; Economic Value Added is defined as the operating after tax profit minus a charge for the opportunity cost of the invested capital. When the company wants to maximize its shareholders wealth by buying and destroying the shares directly from the market the company will resort to the following measures: Decrease the weighted average cost of capital (WACC): we all know that the weighted average cost of capital depends on two major elements which are shares and bonds: the average cost of bonds is the interest rate that is paid to the bondholder, the average cost of shares will depend on the risk premium that is required by shareholders to compensate them for the risk of losing their invested principle; when the company buys its own stock it reduces the weight of equity in the mix of capital, so the weighted average cost of capital will be less and that is how the wealth of the shareholders will increase if the company bought the shares from the market and destroyed them; reducing the weighted average cost of capital means that producing the same profits or more with less costs of capital, this is a real sign of improvement in the situation of the company, the issuing company has to be careful that reducing the number of outstanding shares might mean that share prices will go up in ord er to satisfy the demand on the shares of the company, especially when shares get less, the dividends get better, this might increase the demand on shares, that is why management is always advised to reduce the amount of shares and debt in the same percentage in order to leave prices of shares and bonds relatively stable, the opposition to share buyback comes from debt holders especially those with unsecured debt, the reason for that is the fact that when shares decreases this means that capital has decreased and this means that if the company went bankrupt there will be no enough capital to cover the value of the debt, while shareholders will be the least losers from bankruptcy, again that is another reason why companies are advised to buy shares and bonds at the same time and keep its leverage ratio stable during the time, A third and final reason for advising companies to buy shares and bonds at the same time is the reason that many companies offer convertible bonds which could b e converted at any time to certain number of shares, if the company did not buy shares and bonds at the same time and share prices went up, convertible bond investors might find it more profitable to convert their bonds to shares and in this situation the company will find itself in front of two options the first one wither buying more shares to convertible bond investors from the market and that would mean paying high prices for them or issuing new shares again and that would make share repurchases pointless. Increase the return on invested capital (ROIC): this idea is very related to what we explained before about type I error and type II error, in other words the company will take decisions regarding the best investment opportunities that are available, it is assumed that the company will select the projects that maximize the return on invested capital and return the excess cash to the investors in the shape of share repurchases, this process will maximize the return on equity to the maximum, we all know that the marginal propensity to capital will increase rapidly at the beginning of the investment and after that the amount of increase will de-accelerate until it the marginal propensity to capital reaches zero and then it starts to decline.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Increase the growth rate: when the right amount of capital has been allocated to the most profitable projects the growth rate of the company should be maximum. 2.11 Legislative reasons: Sometimes companies in a particular country find very difficult to repurchase their stocks even if there is tax benefit from repurchasing the stock rather than distributing dividends. In the US for example, companies did not repurchase their shares until after the mid-eighties. According to Grullon, G Michaely, R(2000:PDF page 5), one of the possible reasons for that is â€Å"the risk of violating the anti-manipulative provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Indeed, after the SEC adopted a safe–harbor rule (Rule 10b-18) in 1982 that guarantees that, under certain conditions, this agency will not file manipulation charges against companies repurchasing shares on the open market, repurchase activity experienced an upward structural shift†. Grullon, G Michaely, R(2000) says that one year after the change of the SEC rule the amount of earnings that have been distributed as share repurchases tripled. In Germany for example, share repurchases are still very difficult because they need the approval of the shareholders that should be got in the Annual General Meeting. We can see clearly that regulation is a very important too in encouraging and discouraging share repurchases. 2.12 Dilute earnings: Many analysts think that share options have helped in aliening the directors’ interests with the interests of the shareholders but few people investigated how stock options change the behavior and choice of directors to distributing earnings.    There is increasing evidence that executive compensation that is usually granted in the form of stock option has a lot to do with share repurchases in the UK and the US. Accounting rules make compulsory on companies to reflect the value of the stock options that are given to directors and managers. We all know that writing an option on the shares of the company is equivalent to increasing the number of the outstanding shares. When company directors want to exercise their options, there need to acquire actual shares of the company and that would make Earnings per Share less for everybody; that is called â€Å"diluting the earnings†. Earnings per Share are the total earnings divided by the number of outstanding common shares and common shares equivalents. When earnings per share become actually less; the company will try to repurchase the shares from the market. Earnings per share will not only be less but also will cause a decline in share prices later on because EPS is used in valuing the shares. The cash that is actually used to repurchase the shares will not be deducted from the total earnings and that the company will keep its total earnings unchanged after the repurchase of the shares from the market. In order to illustrate this point further, there is a difference between EPS and diluted EPS. Diluted EPS is the total earnings of the company subtracted from the cost of share options and warrants divided by the number of outstanding common shares and equivalents. When analysts value shares they look at EPS but not diluted EPS. After share repurchases, EPS will be the same as before share repurchase EPS. So companies try to repurchase their own shares because they try to hideout the cost of share option costs. If we look at the empirical studies that have been done in this area we find that most of the studies found a correlation between stock repurchases and executive’s share options. According to Lambert, Lanen, and Larcker (1989), Option grants in general are associated with increased payouts and decreased earnings retention. The larger is the executives’ holding of stock options, the more apt the firm is to retain more earnings and curtail cash distributions. This finding is consistent with Fenn and Liang (2000) that   there is a well-documented finding of negative relationship between dividends and managerial stock options and. The relationship does not appear to be explained by differe