Othello Essay

William Shakespeare’s Othello is essentially a play about human passions, which, when unleashed, can be blind and destructive. Iago can be considered the most important character in the text, as it is him who manages to manipulate all the characters in the play by making use of their own weaknesses, so as to make them serve his own purpose of revenge. Iago’s motivations are multiple. He repeatedly states his hate for â€Å"the Moor†, and sets to destroy him and the other characters in the play. To achieve this, Iago makes use of the passions that he intuitively perceives as very prominent in the other characters: he uses Othello’s love for Desdemona and manages to drive him to believe she is unfaithful, he uses Desdemona’s generosity to determine her to speak to Othello in behalf of Cassio and so on. Thus, love and hate are the main human passions, but, from both of these, a third passion is often born: jealousy. Iago triggers Othello’s jealousy, and as he does so, he is motivated by his own jealousy. In Othello, Shakespeare shows how jealousy drives men to acts normally unconscionable. Jealousy motivates Iago to lie, cheat and steal his way to the chief lieutenant’s position. Without jealousy, men would be content in their environments and no conniving would occur. Jealousy is the strongest and the most powerful emotion in man. The most important feature of Iago is his permanent dissembling and his distortion of reality. This is the tool that he uses to deceive the others and to make them comply to his plan. Iago’s permanent dissembling is very important for understanding the motivations behind his acts. Even from the first scene of Act I, Iago declares that he acts so as to reach his own goals, and he is not devoted to any other person or sentiment than to himself. Thus, as Iago emphasizes, he only dissembles that he â€Å"follows† Othello as a servant, but in fact, only follows himself and is only faithful to his own motivations: â€Å"Others there are/ Who, trimm’d in forms and visages of duty,/ Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,/ And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,/Do well thrive by them and when they have lined/ their coats/ Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul;/And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir,/ It is as sure as you are Roderigo,/Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago:/In following him, I follow but myself;† (I. i. 49-59) Iago is motivated by his own designs and plans to destroy the Moor. Whatever the motivations that lie behind his hate for Othello, Iago makes it clear that he is only faithful to himself, and disregards any other feelings or principles that might stand in the way. At first sight, his almost diabolic plans seem to make of Iago a very cold and calculated character, since he manages to dissemble everything and to deceive everyone, while hiding his true nature and motivations. Iago is indeed Machiavellic in pursuing his purposes, and he states this himself, when he says that he will wear his heart upon his sleeve- a phrase that has a double meaning: firstly, he implies that he will play the others as he pleases, always taking the advantages as in a game of cards, and then that he will do this without any feeling or â€Å"heart†: â€Å"But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve/ For daws to peck at: I am not what I am. †(I. i. 65-66) However, as it shall be seen, Iago can not be considered as a mere cold blooded and Machiavellic character that acts only to reach his own abstract goals. Although his first motivation is to serve his own purposes and ensure his own comfort and pleasure, Shakespeare actually lets the reader see that Iago is motivated by his own passions, and most of all by jealousy, in his actions. The first hint in the play that corroborates this assumption is the fact that Iago’s manipulation of the other characters seems to spring from his own knowledge of the passions that impulse them. Iago’s is jealous of everyone else, and thus knows this feeling better that everyone and is able to use his knowledge to drive Othello to mad jealousy. He manipulates all the other characters as well, by using their own passions and a subtle distortion of truth: he uses Desdemona’s good heart to make her plead for Cassio in front of Othello, and thus drives her to perdition through her own actions, then he uses Cassio’s admiration for Desdemona and his desire to get his position back as a lieutenant to make him ask Desdemona for help, and so on. Even to achieve smaller purposes he always makes sure that the other characters are driven by some passion, so as to play them as he likes (as when he calls Barbantio, Desdemona’s father, and makes Roderigo tell him about his daughter’s corruption by Othello, and thus drives him into a rage). As such, Iago is a true Janus figure, a double faced character who dissimulates his own jealousy and passions to manipulate the other’s feelings: â€Å"Iago is like Janus, the two-faced god by whom he swears (â€Å"By Janus, I think no† [1. 2. 32]), in that he speaks with a double tongue. He alters his version of the truth to suit the occasion. To Roderigo he presents a Desdemona who is sexually susceptible, while to Cassio he offers a jaundiced view of â€Å"good name† — no longer the â€Å"jewel† of the soul that he praises to Othello (3. 3. 156) — when he asserts that â€Å"reputation† is an â€Å"idle and most false imposition† (2. 3. 267-68). Although Iago does tell a few direct lies, such as the presumably fabricated â€Å"dream† of Cassio, his speciality is more often â€Å"false interpretations of factual data† or the manipulation of empirical data to his advantage. †(Hall, 73) Some of Iago’s main motivations for his plans can be plainly read in his own statements and soliloquies in the text. Thus, the first motivation that comes into sight even at the beginning of the play is his jealousy of Cassio’s promotion as Othello’s lieutenant. Iago’s rancor drives him to call Cassio an incompetent lieutenant and to state that the place should have been his. He thus evinces the first sign of his over powering jealousy- he desires another man’s position and cannot stand to feel left aside: â€Å"As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practice/ Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election/ And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof/ At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds/ Christian and heathen must be be-lee’d and calm’d/ By debitor and creditor: this counter-caster,/ He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,/ And I–God bless the mark! –his Moorship’s ancient. †(I. i. 25-32) The second important motivation to determine Iago’s actions is again jealously. This time, it is jealousy of Othello, as he thinks that the latter has engaged in an adulterous relationship with his own wife, Emilia. The statement appears twice in the play, and Iago emphasizes that his revenge will be the â€Å"wife for wife†, that is, he will make Othello pay with Desdemona wife for taking his own wife Emilia: â€Å"I hate the Moor, / And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets / [He’s] done my office. † (I. iii. 386-88) I do suspect the lusty Moor/ Hath leap’d into my seat; the thought whereof /Doth (like a poisonous mineral) gnaw my inwards; /And nothing can or shall content my soul /Till I am evened with him, wife for wife. † (II. i. 295-99) The jealousy that Iago feels in both cases, for Cassio’s promotion over him and for Othello’s affair with Desdemona is unfounded as such. Emilia herself declines later in the play having had any kind of adventure with Othello. Therefore, it becomes obvious that these reasons that Iago takes up to pursue his revenge are more or less fabricated. He is indeed jealous both of Cassio and Othello, but his jealousy springs from an even deeper fountain than what that to which he admits: he is in fact eaten by envy for all the other character that is more successful than him or has more advantages than he does. Iago’s main motivation for his actions arises from an almost chronic jealousy of everyone and everything that main constitute a threat to his own ego: â€Å"Audiences accept the sincerity of his explosive â€Å"I hate the Moor† (1. 3. 377), his resentment at being passed over for promotion to lieutenant despite his being senior to Cassio (1. 1. 32-33), and his fear of being cuckolded (1. 3. , 378-79; 2. 1. 307). At the same time, they probably intuit other motives that drive his campaign of hatred: an underlying racial animosity toward Othello and bitterness at â€Å"class privilege,† a pervasive envy of anyone who is more successful than he is, and a need to assert himself through exercising power over the people who threaten his ego. †(Hall, 74) The love for his own self and his egocentrism are recurrent elements in Iago’s speech. This does not mean merely that he tries to preserve himself from harm and injury or that he always pursues his interests and ambitions. As already seen, Iago is indeed a character that always seeks his own interest. This can be easily inferred from the fact that he seems to act, as he himself states, to protect what is of his own right: his wife, and the position of lieutenant that, as he implies, should be rightfully his. However, Iago acts out of jealousy and a desire to possess everything that others possess, and not to protect his property. His idea is that the love for oneself should always come first, and annihilate any other principles, and this is one of the crucial reasons for his villainous actions: â€Å"[†¦] and since I could distinguish/ betwixt a benefit and an injury, I never found man/ that knew how to love himself. Ere I would say, I would drown myself for the love of a guinea-hen, /I would change my humanity with a baboon. † Since Iago’s love for himself drives him to jealousy of everyone else, he has no moral principles of his own. He mocks at love, virtue and honesty, reputation, and believes that the only true motivation for action should be that of pursuing one’s strict interests. In his conversation with Cassio, Iago advocates that reputation does not count for anything, and that a bodily injury would have been much more serious a wound: As I am an honest man, I thought you had received/ some bodily wound; there is more sense in that that/ in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false/ imposition: oft got without merit, and lost without/ deserving: you have lost no reputation at all,/ unless you repute yourself such a loser. (II. iii. 270-275) Not only does Iago despise any moral principle or value, but he is jealous of them when he sees that the others have them. Another motivation for his actions is thus the jealousy that he feels at the beauty he sees in the others’ lives. This is his case against Cassio who has a â€Å"daily beauty in his life† that makes Iago â€Å"ugly†: [†¦ ] if Cassio do remain,/ He hath a daily beauty in his life/ That makes me ugly; and, besides, the Moor May unfold me to him; there stand I in much peril:/ No, he must die. But so: I hear him coming. (V. i. 18-22) Thus, most of Iago’s motivations are determined by jealousy and envy. His jealousy is not limited to Othello’s taking of his wife or to Cassio’s taking of his position as a lieutenant, as he woul d have us believe. He is jealous of all the things or persons that are good or beautiful. As such, Iago has been many times seen as the personification of evil. He is almost a devil, who tempts the passions and weaknesses of other people, a true artist of evil. As Joan Lord Hall affirms, Iago seems at time to act as the principle of pure evil that does not need motives: â€Å"Whereas the original Vice sporting his â€Å"self-proclaimed, ebullient villainy† does not need motives, Iago is not wholly convincing when he provides them. †(Hall, 78) Iago himself, after having devised his diabolic plan, proclaims himself the author of the evil that shall follow: â€Å" I have’t. It is engender’d. Hell and night/ Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light. † (I. iii. 424-425) Although it is clear that Iago is evil, it is still obvious that he has his reasons for being evil, and that these are almost pathologic. He hates everyone else and is jealous of everything, and these are the main things that make him be evil. As Hall observes, Iago is indeed a passionate character, and he is animated by a pathological form of jealousy: â€Å"His intrigues thus serve to shore up the terrible emptiness of his â€Å"inner abyss. † The actor of Iago, though, may prefer to portray him as a smoldering volcano of aggression and pathological jealousy rather than as an emotionally dead human being. (Hall, 79) Thus, Iago denigrates both love and virtue in his conversation with Roderigo, trying to persuade him that Desdemona could be his in spite of her seeming love for Othello and of Othello’s love for her. Love is but a â€Å"sect or scion†, something that arises in the senses and that can be controlled with the help of the will. This crude and naturalistic definition of love that Iago gives, is certainly rooted into his own jealousy at not being able to partake of this feeling or of any other: but we have reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal/ stings, our unbitted lusts, whereof I take this that/ you call love to be a sect or scion. (I. iii. 354-356) Iago cannot feel anything else except his own jealousy. This is why he imitates the feelings of Othello, and states that one of his reasons for his acts is his own lust for Desdemona. The position is however obviously false, as he only feels jealous of Othello and Desdemona’ love: Now, I do love her too;/ Not out of absolute lust, though peradventure/ I stand accountant for as great a sin, But partly led to diet my revenge,/ For that I do suspect the lusty Moor/ Hath leap’d into my seat; the thought whereof/ Doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards;† ( II. i. 312- 319) As Hall proposes, the ultimate reasons for Iago’s behavior can be rooted in his acute jealousy, which obviously is almost paranoid. He does not feel jealousy for his wife as such, but for every man that might be happy with a woman: â€Å"If we find in Iago’s soliloquies interior development rather than casual motive-hunting, then the character is suffering from acute jealousy and sexual paranoia. He appears to distrust his wife intensely. Resentful of Cassio’s attentions to Emilia at the harbor, he later wonders if Cassio has usurped his â€Å"nightcap† (his place in bed). In his very first soliloquy, he broods on the rumor that Emilia has slept with Othello. †(Hall, 79) The most interesting part in the play for this point is Iago’s conversation with Othello, and his â€Å"advice† to the latter against jealousy. Thus, Iago induces Othello’s jealousy by denigrating jealousy in front of him in such a way that it becomes obvious that he speaks from personal experience, and that he knows the feeling all too well. Thus, Iago appears as a character who acts out of extreme jealousy, while he manages to target the jealousy of Othello and make him be the one that actually performs the evil: â€Å"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;/ It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock/ The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss/ Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;/ But, O, what damned minutes tells he o’er/ Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves! † (III. iii. 188-193) Iago’s ultimate silence at the end of the play helps the conclusion. He has been trying to manipulate everyone through his speech and lying and to reach his goals, but at the end he is silenced by Desdemona’s last speech of love. His jealousy is thus smothered by the power of true love: â€Å"Thus defeated a second time, what further silence can Iago seek to impose, except upon himself? His characteristic movement, from awareness of inadequacy to anger to denial, here reaches its logical conclusion, in a denial so complete that it blocks access even to a language formed from pain or anger. †(Zender, 328)

Public Policy Making in Zimbabwe

For the past ten years, Zimbabwe has been riddled with economic stagnation as well as being the subject of political instability, thus that been the reason  why many companies and countries have turned a blind eye as concerns investing. Once known as the bread basket of Africa, Zimbabwe has the ability to rise up again especially with the internationally accepted new government of Unity were the two major political parties, ZANU PF and MDC have come together to work as one for the betterment of the country and to fulfil the needs of the people. There has been little to no investment in Zimbabwe as many pulled out during the past decade. Foreign investment is when a company invests financially in a country abroad, whether in the form of portfolio investments which include shares, stock and bonds, or in the form of direct investment where locally based operations are owned and controlled by the foreign investing corporation. Such investments are controlled by laws known as International trade laws. International Trade law includes the appropriate rules and customs for handling trade between countries or between private companies across country borders. Most countries are part of a body that has made an agreement for trading internationally. Zimbabwe is part of several including UNICTRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law), BIPPA (the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement) and COMESA (the common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa). Zimbabwe’s local body, governing foreign investment is the Zimbabwe Investment Authority with approval necessary from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Registrar of companies. The extract below shows the depths to which the Zimbabwean economy had fallen. Foreign Direct Investment Statistics 52. Zimbabwe Net Investment Flows 1998-2007 (US$ million) |1998 |1999 |2000 |2001 |2002 |2003 |2004 |2005 |2006 |2007 | |Direct Investment |436 |50 |16 |0 |23 |4 |9 |103 |40 |69 | |Portfolio Investment |11 |21 |-1 |-68 |-2 |4 |2 | | | | |Source: IMF, UNCTAD, Ministry of Finance However, what is common is that Africa is the one continent that most global capitalist powers compete for due to its vast resources and wealth, examples eing of Nigeria and its oil, The Congo, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana for their diamonds and precious stones as well as many other aspects such as Tourism. Zimbabwe to one of the Wonders of the world, and some people like investing in tourism, but over the past decade they decided not to. Countries would have loved to do that for reasons such as the 2010 world cup but in as much as opportunities arise, if a country is not politically and e conomically stable, it becomes almost obsolete to even the most interested investors. Zimbabwe economic situation was is dismal, having the â€Å"largest peacetime drop [in GDP] ever recorded† (http://www. state. gov/e/eeb/rls/othr/ics/2009/117167. html) at roughly 50%. The Economist Intelligence Unit (in the USA) estimates that 12. 8% of the GDP dropped in just one year- 2008. The inflation rate is the highest in the world, officially estimated at about 231 million percent in July last year. Unofficially however, inflation rates of the Zimbabwean dollar are said to be hundreds of billions if not quadrillions; and this is only the tip of the ice berg. The reasons why foreigners had pulled out were because of: the instability that was brought about after the land return programme †¢ political instability – divisions between the two parties and how that affected the country †¢ Economic sanctions – these can cripple a whole economy and country †¢ the breakdown of the stock exchange †¢ the non transparency of the companies and thei r involvement with government †¢ high taxes †¢ unprofitable economic environment †¢ inflation that started in the thousands and ended in the millions †¢ the laws and regulations governing foreign investment †¢ limited protection for foreign investors in some cases †¢ corruption The biggest problem the country was facing is that the rule of law no longer exists in the country. Instead, numerous government policies were ill formed and passed. Some that totally nullifies the power of law and order and in some cases, human rights. Currency exchange is a crucial part of foreign trade, the government’s Conversion and Transfer Policies were uncertain and changed unexpectedly several times. This has put a constraint on business planning and operations and most companies would much rather not risk making great losses because of a sudden adverse change in policies. The government of Zimbabwe had been known to disregard any judgments passed against them by international arbitrators, making the country a place full of lawlessness, dangerous and too risky to invest in. For example in 2005 â€Å"a group of Dutch farmers whose farms were seized under the land reform program took their case to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), demanding that the Zimbabwean government honour the BIPPA between the Netherlands and Zimbabwe. Although the government â€Å"acknowledged that the farmers had been deprived of their land without payment of compensation† they disputed the US$30million claim by the farmers. A decision is yet to be reached. A policy amendment Constitutional Amendment 17, enacted in 2005, removed the right of landowners whose land had been acquired by the government to challenge the acquisition in court. To increase foreign investment the government’s priority should be to restore the rule of la w and order. Restore the people’s faith in the power and fairness of the judicial administrations and government of Zimbabwe. They can do this by honouring their agreements with other countries and renouncing past policies that contradict initial agreements. It would be messy but the country itself is already in a bad state. Righting the wrongs is therefore being an important part of reviving the nation’s economy. Nepotism, favouritism, victimization, and discrimination would have to be seen as no longer existent in the country to make investors feel once again confident and safe investing Zimbabwe. According to the ‘best available surveys’ â€Å"only 7% [700 000 people] of the nations population is employed in the formal sector,† otherwise there is 80% unemployment in the formal sector. Most qualified workers have fled the country in search of greener pastures. The government rightly expects foreign investors to maximize use of local managerial and technical personnel. But in my opinion it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that such personnel are available. Their policy making should therefore first focus on educating and catering for its people so they are available and up to international standard when foreigners come to invest and need workers. The government should make policies that direct a lot more funding into the Educational sector of the country – which was once very well respected and recognised. Those way investors would find more ready, capable and qualified locals to employ. The government should improve the health sector by injecting funds to pay doctors and nurses well. Qualified health workers flee Zimbabwe as soon as they get the chance in search of better, more consistent work environments. With well paid doctors and health personnel the country could avoid crises like the cholera outbreak in 2008 and ensure a safe physical environment. In all this however, Zimbabwe’s government has made efforts to improve foreign investment. They have created foreign trade zones and processing ports. Benefits include 5 year tax holiday, duty free importation of raw materials and capital equipment for use in the EPZ. There is a requirement to export 80% of production in these zones however so this makes the offer less attractive to foreign investors. The government should consider reducing the stipulation in order to attract more investors. After the formation of the Government of National Unity, there was increased support from the international world on how to come up with a sound political framework and policy formulation that could encourage foreign investors, and true to form, the two parties have been trying to work with each other so as to do so. South Africa and Botswana, although closer to home than the usual British and American investors, have already started investing in the mining and farming sectors, with notable billionaires such as Patrice Motsepe of South Africa playing a crucial part in the field. The goals business sector itself is pushing for: 1. Transparency in business and transactions 2. Sustainable taxes for investors 3. Regulatory laws that also work favourably for foreigners 4. Strict function and control of the 49% foreign ownership and 51% Zimbabwean ownership – where even those that are foreigners and own 49% are allowed to make Zimbabwean colleagues, their managers and CEO's for the sole issue of trust among many things. Such partnerships are being encouraged. The stock market for one is back on track, especially with the use of the US dollar and South African rand which is making the market stable and opening up the incentive of investing as there is no longer inflation after the current none use of the Zimbabwean dollar. For the mean while, it is not being used although it has not been eradicated as it will be back in use once the environment is permitting. The policies government makes should firstly, show that the country is serious about attracting foreign investment – at the moment, it looks like South Africa, Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria are the only serious ones. Countries like Botswana, Uganda and Kenya are countries that are coming up and under observation in the mean time. Secondly the policies should market Zimbabwe as aggressively as other regions of the world – because as of now there is need for a supportive business framework such as transportation and communications infrastructures, trained or trainable human resources, and equitable trade and employment practices. Thirdly they should be aimed at demonstrating to investors the opportunity cost of not investing in Zimbabwe. Previously the government has certain policies in place, formed and implemented under a dictator regime; In 2008 the government introduced an Indigenization Act that mandates, over time, 51 percent indigenous ownership of businesses. The government reserves several sectors for local investors. Under current laws, foreign investors wishing to participate in these sectors may only do so by entering into joint venture arrangements with local partners. The foreign investors are allowed to own 35 percent of the operation. The following industries face these restrictions; †¢ Agriculture/Forestry; Primary production of food and cash crops , Primary horticulture , Game, wildlife ranching and livestock, Forestry , Fishing and fish farming, Poultry farming , Grain milling , Sugar refining. Transportation; Road haulage, Passenger bus, taxis and car hire services of any kind, Tourist Transportation, Rail operations. †¢ Retail/wholesale trade; including distribution, Barber shops, hairdressing and beauty salons, Commercial photography, Employment agencies, Estate agencies, Valet services, Manufacturing, marketing and distribution of armaments, Water provision for domestic and industrial purposes, Bakery and confecti onary, Tobacco packaging and grading post auction, Cigarette manufacturing. Source: (www. nationsenclclopedia. om/economies/africa/zimbabwe/foreign-investment). . The government needs to recognise that this may not be adequate enough incentive for investors. They should therefore revaluate and review their policies in some areas to encourage foreigners to invest. The percentages given to foreigners may prove unprofitable to a large conglomerate looking to run a company based in Zimbabwe. They would rather invest in a place where returns can be maximized, and the government should therefore allow foreigners a larger percentage of the business. he Government of National Unity has taken this into consideration and opened its door to all country stakeholders in 2009 to be part of the new policy making process, this included miners, lawyers, pastors, NGO’s and many other diverse groups. This reflected the positive determination of Zimbabweans and the government to get back on rein vest itself bigger and better. Our president was quoted at a mining conference to attract foreign investors who are sceptical about Zimbabwe's respect for property rights following the disruptions on commercial farms and a raft of controversial indigenisation laws; Because it is capital intensive, the mining sector requires regional and international partners who can bring in the necessary capital,   mining technology and management expertise to complement local resources,† Mr Mugabe told about 200 foreign investors. â€Å"On its part, the government is committed to ensuring that the policy environment is stable, predictable and sufficiently attractive to guarantee investors good returns on their investment. â€Å" Investors and locals alike look forward to the growth our economy will experience because of the new policies being put in place and the effort of our Government of National Unity is making to involve all stakeholders and uphold those laws. References: ? http://allafrica. com/stories/200909180530. html ? http://www. allbusiness. com/trade-development/trade-development- ? NationsEncyclopedia. com ? www. zimtrade. co. zw ? www. zia. co. zw ? http://www. state. gov/e/eeb/rls/othr/ics/2009/117167 ? www. hg. org/trade. html ? en. wikipedia. org/wiki/United_Nations_Commision_on_International_Trade_Law

How Race Becomes Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How Race Becomes Biology - Essay Example This measure prevents them from being too dependent and in need of constant help and attention. Feeding babies in schedules basically attempt to inculcate in them good and healthy feeding habits – a value they feel these children will need when they are of age. Letting the child cry it out is essentially practiced in order to teach the child about the realities of life and not to expect everything to go their way. Basically, these practices are aimed at inculcating cultural values such as independence, strength, discipline, and perseverance which are important virtues in the modern day world. Breastfeeding is both essential to the mother and the child. To the child, among other things, it reduces constipation, reduces incidences of ear infections, respiratory illnesses, allergies, diarrhea, vomiting, reduces the smell of stool and also reduces cases of sudden infant death syndrome and other ailments. To the mother, it reduces risks of postpartum hemorrhage, reduces chances of osteoporosis and cervical cancer, and also economically cushions her. Breastfeeding also enhances the bond between mother and child. According to Katherine Dettwyler, the natural minimum and maximum ages of weaning in humans range between 5.5 and 6.0 years. This is when their first premolars occur. The major reason most American women do not breastfeed is that breasts are perceived purely as objects of sexual attention. There is also inadequate breastfeeding support in the community. Nipple or breast pains also undermine breastfeeding.

Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Accounting - Assignment Example b) If we were to compare the 2013 Income Statement with the 2013 Statement, we would find that Helen Harris Handbags had a decline in profitability of  £69127. Various reasons can be outlined for this decline in profits. Some reasons can be identified through an Income Statement others may be issues affecting the business such as increase in competition, recession in the markets etc. However, looking at the Income statement alone, we can see a sharp increase in Marketing Expenses of the year 2013, as well as a slight fall in Total Sales. Other expenses have increased as well, but marginally. As total sales have fallen, inventory has gone up. The fall total Sales might be matter of concern for the business, especially since Marketing Expenses have increased. a) The Balance Sheet of a business is used to show the â€Å"net worth† of a company at a given point of time. (e-conomic(UK), 2014). It is particularly useful in monitoring the health of the company that is what the business owes and what it is owed. The Assets and Liabilities are the two main sections in a Balance Sheet and are always equal. The Balance Sheet is divided into two parts as mentioned above, and into various sub parts which include Fixed Assets, Working Capital, Current Assets, Equity or Shareholders Stake (which includes any profit/loss and drawings) b) In the case of Helen Harris Handbags, Inventory has increased, that has been the result of fall in Sales (discussed earlier). However, a matter of concern is a huge increase in Bank Overdrafts from 2012, in 2013. This tells us that business has increased its debts considerably since last year. There is an increase in the Debtors as well. a) The purpose of the Cash Flow Statement is to evaluate the cash inflows and outflows of a business during a financial period. (e-conomic(UK), 2014). The main avenues of Cash Inflows and Outflows can be described in

Sex versus Gender Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sex versus Gender - Assignment Example One culture will define an actual man who beats up his wife; while another culture will consider a person a man considering his height and voice. Some cultures define a woman as a person bearing children; while, others will define a woman as individuals with delicate stature. These are all the gender roles that every culture assigns to men and women, thus associating these roles with one gender. Feminist theories have arisen because of distinction in gender because â€Å"most feminists differentiate sex from gender† (Nfah-Abbenyi 16). Generally speaking as in all cultures, male gender is associated with roles like going out for jobs, playing games, joining clubs, and becoming politicians; while, female gender is associated with roles like running a house, bearing children and raising them up, doing grocery, serving the family, and the like. Thus, we assign specific roles to one gender and call it man or woman. However, we do not have that liability for the biological category of sex. Sex is defined by Nature: sex with smaller gametes (sperms) and Y-chromosomes is male; while sex with larger gametes (ova) and X-chromosomes is female. Sex is defined at the time of fertilization of the egg. If a Y-chromosome from the male fertilizes an X-chromosome from the female, then the resulting sex is male. When an X from the male fertilizes an X from the female, the resulting sex is female. These and some other features like the structure of the reproductive system define which one is male sex and which is female. Hence, the distinction of sex is defined by the Nature depending upon certain physical features; while the distinction of gender is defined by the society depending upon the societal roles (Powell 4).

Global diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global diversity - Essay Example art of the legal environment in the Human Resource Department that involves training, conflict resolution, advising, and punishing of the workforce as desired. It also involves management and team building within the organization. In this case, Gladys’s harassment from a senior partner should have been reported immediately to the Human Resource authorities through her line manager to validate her case in court. The manner in which Gladys’s channels her anger towards the company is uncalled for as no relevant authorities were informed. There would have been a conflict resolution committee to deliberate on her case before resigning and suing her former employer. In my opinion, the case Jennifer has filed against her employer will not materialize for him, as she is likely to lose it. This is because firstly, she is no longer part of the workforce in the company and secondly, there is no concrete evidence of her harassment reported to the authorities before leaving the comp any. Thirdly, her reasons for resigning are unclear to the management even though she claims the sexual harassments from the senior partner instigated her exit from the company even after six months of enduring through this harrowing

What are the environmental consequences of offshore drilling Research Proposal

What are the environmental consequences of offshore drilling - Research Proposal Example ost difficult and more than for land-based fitting and much of the improvement in the offshore petroleum sector revolves around overcoming these challenges. This includes a significant necessity of â€Å"Manned facilities have to to be kept above sea-level.† This can be only achieved with vast constructions with their foundations on the sea bed, like â€Å"the Troll† – A platform stationed on a depth of 300 meter. With height of 472 meter, it can be acknowledged as the biggest man-made movable construction. Type of other platforms including floating types only anchored to the sea-floor. These floating platforms trim down the construction costs but the additional security measures are required as well as apparatus for nulling out heave due to strong waves. In both of oil ridges, the ocean adds numerous hundred meters to the liquefied column in the drill string increasing â€Å"bottom hole pressure† as well as escalating the required amount of energy to lift sand and cuttings for oil-sand separation on the platform. as of modern times the emphasis of oil companies is to conduct maximum production subsea for instance amenities to split sand from oil and re-inject sand prior to pumping up to the platform. In this proces s there are no installations visible above the sea-level. Subsea installations enhance the goal of the petroleum industry of exploiting natural resources at gradually deep waters that have been inaccessible in the past. It also evades several challenges related to sea ice as in the Barents Sea. An offshore oil ridge can also be defined more or less as a small world with support utilities like cafeteria, resting quarters and administration located offshore. In the North Sea, the employees are transported on the platform by helicopter for a 2-week shift. This in turn means higher air pollution. Materials and wastes are transported by the means of ship and it is required to be delicately maneuvered due to the inadequate floor area on the platform. As of

Event management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Event management - Coursework Example Event Management in Hotels Hotels cater to a specific set of events, mostly wedding, social and corporate related, which is why they all have ballrooms and seminar/conference halls, meeting rooms and boardrooms with office supplies to cater to this audience. Hotels today also have event planners specifically to take care of the needs of their customers’ events. There are very many organizations that operate within the events sectors that hotels would need to liaison with. From production houses to sound and light technicians, to suppliers of various products like florists, bakers, printers to DJs or musicians and entertainers, anything can be required at an event. People today look not only at convenience, but they know what they want. What they really need is the friendly event planner that will ensure their event flows smoothly and will cater to all their needs. There are various types of organizations that work within the event sector. ... Next come Suppliers. ‘Suppliers’ is a very broad term to describe the various items that an event may require. Right from decorations to party favors, there are companies that specialize in producing custom made items for every type of event, such as Wright Event Supplies and Event Supplies. These are the two main industries within the event industry spectrum. It may also involve the need for entertainers and other service suppliers based on the type of event. Other organizations hosting events There are various other organizations that host events, such as parks and schools. These differ from hotels in hosting events, in various ways. For starters, the clientele is completely different, and so, the planning execution must be too. Hosting events involves a lot of ‘Plan B’ arrangements, or Crisis Management. You never know what will go wrong and it is essential that arrangements be made for almost any accident or unfortunate occurrence. Especially in places l ike schools and parks, where the clientele may as well be children, over stiff corporate form the hotels, event managers must always be prepared. Trends in Event Management A major development in the Event industry is that of use of better technology. Be it in the production or printing, people are using new developments in technology for all sorts of events. New technology may also be used in entertainment, communication and connectivity, not to mention ticketing and innovations in cashless payment. (Etherlive to present future technologies) Event Management is not what it used to be. It is more professional and a team effort, whether it is a small event or a big one. Events are a bigger deal today than they were last decade. They no longer are

Morality the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Morality the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay For example, throughout the novel Huckleberry Finn , Mark Twain depicts society as a structure that has become little more than a collection of degraded rules and precepts that defy logic. This faulty logic manifests itself early, when the new judge in town allows Pap to keep custody of Huck. The law backs that Judge Thatcher up and helps him to keep me out o my property. The judge privileges Paps rights to his son over Hucks welfare. Clearly, this decision comments on a system that puts a white mans rights to his propertyhis slavesover the welfare and freedom of a black man. Whereas a reader in the 1880s might have overlooked the moral absurdity of giving a man custody of another man, however, the mirroring of this situation in the granting of rights to the immoral Pap over the lovable Huck forces the reader to think more closely about the meaning of slavery. In implicitly comparing the plight of slaves to the plight of Huck at the hands of Pap, Twain demonstrates how impossible it is for a society that owns slaves to be just, no matter how civilized that society believes and proclaims itself to be. In addition, childhood has been described by the author, as an important factor in the theme of moral education: only a child is open-minded enough to undergo the kind of development that Huck does. It was a close place. I tookup [the letter Id written to Miss Watson], and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because Id got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I know it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: All right then, Ill go to hellEm dash intended here? and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reformingIt, describes the moral climax of the novel. Jim has been sold by the Duke and Dauphin, and is being held by the Phelpses spending his  return to his rightful owner. Thinking that being at home in St. Petersburg, even if it means Jim will still be a slave and Huck will be a captive of the Widow, would be better than being in his current state of peril far from home, Huck composes a letter to Miss Watson, telling her where Jim is. When Huck thinks of his friendship with Jim, however, and realizes that Jim will be sold down the river anyway, he decides to tear up the letter. The logical consequences of his action, rather than the lessons society has taught him, drive Huck. Huck decides that going to hell, if it means following his gut and not societys hypocritical and cruel principles, is a better option than going to everyone elses heaven. This is Hucks true break with the world around him. At this point he decides to help Jim escape slavery once and for all, and he realizes that he, Huck, will not be re-entering the civilized world: he has moved beyond it morally. Since Huck and Tom are young, their age lends a sense of play to their actions, which excuses them in certain ways and also heightens the profundity of the novels commentary on slavery and society. Huck and Tom know better than the adults around them, but they lack the guidance that a proper family and community should have offered them. Furthermore, Huck and Tom encounter individuals who seem good (Sally Phelps, for example), but Twain takes care to show us that person as a prejudiced slave-owner. Preacher be hanged, hes a fraud and a liar. The shakiness of the justice systems that Huck encounters lies at the heart of societys problems: terrible acts go unpunished, yet frivolous crimes, such as drunkenly shouting insults, lead to executions Sherburns speech to the mob that has come to lynch him accurately summarizes the view of society given in this book: rather than maintaining collective welfare, society is marked by cowardice, a lack of logic, and profound selfishness.

Nature of Poverty Essay Example for Free

Nature of Poverty Essay The nature of poverty can be described in many ways. The obvious way to explain poverty is the lack of income. However, in the deeper meaning, poverty also includes those who lack of security, healthcare, power, and other basic necessities. Poverty can be categorised in terms of absolute poverty and relative poverty. Absolute poverty is household based measure by income per year under a statistic developed by government which will aid those who are poor by giving them money depending on the number of members in the family on a yearly basis. While, relative poverty focus on people’s living with no statistic. For instance, if a family has 10 members but they have only 3 cars, they can be regarded as poor. Nevertheless, there are three common methods that use to measure the level of poverty. The first method defines poverty as a lack of income, which can be measured by World Bank. The absolute poverty for this case is a cut up point above or below the certain amount of income. Yet, this method has a major drawback. Since it focuses solely on income and ignoring other important factors such as social well-being or the general welfare of people, this method fails to provide the whole aspect of poverty. Secondly, UNDP measures poverty in terms of the lack of capability. It is known as Human Poverty Index that indicates the standard of living of the people in the country, which are life expectancy, life satisfaction, and footprint. This method provide not only deeper but also broader ways of measuring and assessing poverty. It looks pass the income factor and takes into consideration the non-monetary aspects, which generate the more well-rounded information and results. However, there are some critics that this method cannot truly measure the level of the poor since statistics and numerals are unable to measure people’s feelings. It is said that we cannot know how others feel unless we walk in their shoes, therefore, in order to get the accurate result, living with the poor is required. Lastly, poverty as a social exclusion is mentioned by Robert Chambers about the nature of poverty. Chambers introduces the bottom-up theory, which suggests that people should actually work with the rural poor who lack of power to speak out, security, and live with fears. Therefore, the approach is carried out to get an in depth understanding of what are the real meanings of poverty by associating directly with the poor. By this view, Chambers tends to provide qualitative method while other methods are quantitative based. Although this method  provides useful information of the poor, there are few flaws to be considered. Because the outcome is mainly based on qualitative methods such as verbal communication, there is a high tendency that the outcome will be bias. Moreover, snapshot may occur. For example, the interview conducted during the harvest season might get a better result than the actual reality. Therefore, the long-term picture should be taking into account in order for the outcome to be more anthological and longitudinal. Another problem is that people may not be honest, which is called courtesy bias. This way people will only answer what the researchers want to hear and leave the truth out. Thus, sometimes researchers may ask them to draw the picture of their life, which turns out to be a better way to get the real answer. Chambers talks more about vulnerability and isolation of people. For example, the poor cannot transport to sell the goods. In conclusion, there are several ways to measure the level of poverty. Three most common methods are the lack of income, HPI by UNDP (lack of capability) and social exclusion by Robert Chambers. Each method uses different viable and factors to indicate the level of poverty, all have their own advantages and criticisms. Therefore, each one is suitable and appropriate in different situations and purposes. However, in my opinion, even though, the lack of income method might be easier to measure and assess, the social exclusion theory by Robert Chambers could provide the real well-being of people since it includes the important of non-monetary factors that are crucial for the welfare of people.

Change Resistance In Bureaucratic Organizations In Jordan Management Essay

Change Resistance In Bureaucratic Organizations In Jordan Management Essay A method of appraising managerial employees that has received a great deal of attention in recent years is 360-degree appraisal (also known as multi-rater feedback), whereby rating are given not just by the next manager up in the organisational hierarchy, but also by peers and subordinates. Appropriate customer ratings are also included, along with an element of self-appraisal. Once gathered in, the assessment from the various quarters are compared with one another and the result communicated to the manager concerned. The idea itself is nothing new. Management writers, particularly in the United States, have long advocated the use of upward and peer appraisal as a means of evaluating management performance., but such views have taken a good deal of time to become generally acceptable. The past few years have seen the publication of the major studies of practice in this area, allowing us to reach judgement about the processes involved on the basis of solid evidence. Redman (2001, p65) quotes surveys that show around 40 per cent of major UK companies use it, and 75 per cent of companies in the United States. However, usage in smaller organisation appears to be less common. The recent CIPD survey into performance management practices found that only 14 per cent of respondents worked in organisation that used 360 degree approaches (Armstrong and Baron 2005, p65). Change Resistance in Bureaucratic Organizations in Jordan In this case writer tries to understand why employees resist to accept something new introduced to them, Khassawneh (2005) highlights the reasons and causes behind employees resistance to administrative and hierarchal change in several bureaucratic organizations in Jordan. There were eleven factors, were identified as being major causes of change resistance in bureaucratic agencies. These factors include: inadequate financial and non-financial incentives offered to government employees, lack of employees participation and involvement in the change process, distrust between employees and higher management, expectation of more control and supervision from higher management, expectation of additional job demands and requirements, comfort with status quo, disruption of stable work standards and social relations, lack of goal clarity, lack of employees conviction in the goals of change, fear of loosing job and/or job prerogatives, and the sudden and confused manner in which change is introduced (Khassawneh, 2005) According to Khassawneh (2005) the most significant reason of resistance to change was found out to be lack of employees participation in the change process. This factor was assessed on the basis of two parameters: seniority in organization and number of training programs attended by employees. Senior employees who were part of the organization for five years or less resisted strongly due to lack of participation in the change process than their seniors who had served in the organization for periods ranging from 6-20 years. Employees who had served for five years or less in such government institutions made up 32% of the sample (133 respondents). These individuals were involved in activities concerning of an executive nature and therefore played a significant role in the running of the bureaucratic organizations. Employees who had not attended any training program felt that lack of involvement led to resistance to adopt to new processes/ systems. Therefore this attitude goes to show what an important role the training programmes play, boosting employee morale and involvement as training enables individuals to discover their strengths and weaknesses and also instill in them a sense of belonging in their organization. Therefore the respondents who did not get an opportunity to participate in any training programs claimed to have low sense of involvement with the organization treated the management with greater suspicion, than those who took part in certain training programmes for their career development. Another major cause of resistance to change was as found out by Khassawneh (2005) was lack of proper incentives. This lack of proper incentives was correlated to five of background characteristics of respondents which were namely; seniority, administrative rank, number of training programs attended, age and level of education (Khassawneh, 2005). Younger, low level ranking employees resisted more due to lack of proper incentives. Employees who have served for longer periods of time tend to receive greater incentives as the longer they remain in a government organization. Resistance to adopt a new system also came about when the employees viewed the management with suspicion and distrust (Khassawneh, 2005). Younger employees working at a low level position who did not get adequate decision making authority or those who did not attend enough training programs were mainly the individuals who highly resisted any sort of newly introduced change. Khassawneh (2005) states that if such low ranking employees are also not given enough information regarding the change process, then such employees would always create issues in the organization. The IBM Making Change Work Global Study IBMs (2008) research department addressed the issues as to why most organizations cannot bring about a change successfully in an organization. IBMs research was conducted using a sample size of more than 1,500 key practitioners through surveys and detailed interviews. The purpose of the research was to find out why implementing a change program was met with resistance by the employees and why the program failed to be implemented in most organizations successfully. The study revealed that 44% the projects failed to be completed on deadlines, or within budget or without decided quality of end goals, while 15 percent either ceased or failed to meet any of the objectives. The reasons cited for these failures range from lack of clarity of goals, failure to execute the project successfully from the perspective of the top management and lack of employee involvement, age factor, educational level and fear of new change from the perspective of the employees. The major challenges to change were divided on two parameters; soft factors and hard factors. The soft factors of resistance to change included: changing mindsets and attitudes, corporate culture, complex nature of the change process, lack of dedication from the side of upper level management, and deficiency of motivation of employees involved. While the hard factors of resistance to change included: shortage of resources, lack of change information, not much transparency because of incomplete or unreliable information, change of process change of IT systems, technology barriers. It is was found out from this study that while the hard factors play an important part in hindering the process of change, surprisingly it was the soft factors that was harder to get right. Altering thinking, behaviours and norms of an entity typically need different methods and skills that are applied time after time and over the time. Sometimes they require being applied over a series of consecutive assign ments and even some of them often continue after the project has been finished formally. (IBM, 2008). In order to overcome these resistances, the study then focused on the parameters that made a change successful. While leadership, employee engagement and honest communication were cited as the major areas providing impetus for change; again the list was divided into hard and soft factors that made a change process successful. The soft factors comprised of: higher managements commitment and support, employee motivation and participation, open and accurate communication on timely basis, organization environment and culture that motivates and promotes change. The hard factors included: efficient training programs, adjustment of performance measures, efficient organization structure and monetary and non-monetary incentives. The major responsibility of implementing the change was that of the top management. The results of the research revealed that Practitioners firmly place key responsibility for the fate of change projects in the executive suite, an overwhelming 92 percent named top man agement sponsorship as the most important factor for successful change (IBM, 2008). Therefore it can be concluded from this study that while employees would always be suspicious of any kind of change and would resist the efforts of the management out of this fear and suspicion. It depends upon the top management to ensure timely communication, encouragement of employee involvement and appointing of professional change agents would pave the way for a successful change processes for any organization. Factors Affecting Resistance to Change: A Case Study of Two North Texas Police Departments Gaylor (2001), tried to explore the issues that affect conflict with change. For this purpose a law enforcement agency was chosen as the case in point i.e. two North Texas Police departments where the police consequence of mature education and expectation on the police teams level of opposition to change and the results of contribution and mutual understanding on reliance were examined. There were 5 factors that were identified as very influential on organizational change. These factors were: 1) Employee participation in resistance to change, 2) Trust in management, 3) Communication process, 4) Quality of information available and 5) Education (Kent, 2001) Research resulted that factors that affect resistance from employee side are involvement in the process, believe in management, processes of communication within organization, and exchange of information. The synopsis by Kent (2001) states that employee involvement in the process of change encourages him to feel to be owner for the new system and therefore, boosts the level of comfort and trust between employees and the management. Secondly, the organization needs to have a proper system of communication for employee remedy and support. This also increases the level of trust between the two stakeholders. Third, employees must be provided with accurate and timely information so as to reduce the level of chaos that is normally created at the time of change in any organization. And finally, to feel secure about their jobs and statuses and other issues of change process, employees have to have a high level of trust in management. Leading and Coping with Change Woodword Hendry in 2004 undertook 2 surveys to look at different perspectives in research on how change is being managed in financial services institutions of Londons. These involved representatives of senior management personnel who were responsible for initiation of change in the organizational and all other employees inclusive of managers experiencing change while serving at different levels. The aims of the study were: To define the skills and attitudes required to lead change and those needed effectively to cope with change and To develop a model to show how change is absorbed within the organization They organized their findings in five parts as described below, which have been arranged in the following manner. In the 1st section, as people keep on seeking to explore that what is going on in their organization, states what the employees and employers consider as the main pressures for change, their formal boss responses, and in what ways these changes have impacted their careers. Then, as conventional ways of working are tempered, in parts two and three they show how people cope and what different resources are required in terms of skills and competencies to perform well in this new changed environment. Then in part four they describe specific qualities required by the change managers to cultivate with respect to employee needs. Finally, they state what the organizations do in order to support their employees throughout the change process, and how senior management and employees perceive this. The results of this research provide the researchers with reasons behind the failure of many initiatives of change process and how failures may be managed successfully. Woodword Hendry (2004) then investigated what various employee coping strategies were adopted during the change process. They told employees to indicate the level of their readiness in responding to any further changes in their job or work. A considerably large fraction of those who were surveyed were seen to be ready for the change and considered it a part of life with a positive feel about it. As coping is about creating a balance between demands and living within the limitation of the system, employees were told to specify main hindrances they had to handle with in the new environment. Five factors that were extracted from this exercise were: Increased accountability but reduced resources. A focus on tasks with a corresponding neglect of employees. Feelings of insecurity and uncertainty in roles and direction. Other employees not coping and lacking skills to adapt. Managers themselves failing to cope, and employing poor coping strategies. On a question of most helpful personal coping strategies, employees listed several strategies, which included from proactive approach to denial or avoidance. The researchers also studied the various competencies that are required for coping with the change. Adapting to negative or positive coping strategies is affected by the way in which employees perceive demands and resources balance in the new employee-to-work relationship in changed environment. Hence, coping strategies are influenced by the availability of resources. Skills and competencies are a major personal resource. Employees specified a number of skills and competencies they found especially helpful in absorbing and coping with change: Communicating with others holding different perspectives (since nowadays people work in teams for many activities). Organizing work and managing time effectively (in response to increased job scope and the need to meet a variety of objectives). Assimilating and interpreting information (to identify significant information and filter out irrelevancies). Dealing with people (since financial and professional service organizations deliver many of their services through people). Innovative problem solving. Also specifying the above mentioned skills, employees rated many other personal abilities, skills and qualities as very important. These include motivation; judgment accuracy; customer need understanding; commercial awareness; ability of influencing and negotiation; lively mind; and positive attitude towards change. Senior managers were of the view that key personal skills or capabilities of performing well in a dynamic environment should also contain a dedication to change, acceptance of the changing situation, an ability to gel in the changed environment, and a variety of personality traits. Woodword Hendry (2004) then go on to discuss how important is it to for the change managers to lead change in a competent manner. However, this important part is still overlooked by a considerable minority level, with 33 percent of senior managers claiming that human aspects were ignored in the change initiatives. Only 20 percent employees rated the concerned management as very able enough to implement changes in the organization. Almost all the rest had equally divided responses, ranging from average to poor. In spite of the low rating, employees were observed have a sense of sympathy and appreciation for difficulties faced my management in leading and managing the change. Employees were inquired as to when and how sometimes it becomes difficult or hard for employees to absorb change or adopt it. These key areas were classified into six categories, as follows: Communicating (not being kept informed, receiving conflicting messages, wanting to understand but not being given explanations); The change process itself (when change is perceived as happening too slowly or too fast, when leaders are seen to hold unrealistic expectations, or when change is managed with incorrect sequencing); Relationships (including situations when change leaders seem remote and isolated from employees, do not exhibit constructive attitudes and behaviours, or behave in an autocratic fashion); Consultation (when employees do not feel they are informed or consulted, and when staff needs and ideas are disregarded); Skills and experience (when change leaders are seen as lacking the required skills, abilities and experience, and when the change leader lacks credibility); Motivation for change (when there appears a lack of involvement or motivation for change at the top, or among senior managers elsewhere in the organization). The employees were also inquired about how managers, actions could be was most helpful to them to cope with changes in the organization. Out of 19 objects gathered from the traditional change management literature, each except one was rated very helpful or quite helpful. Senior managers identified the competencies such as strong leadership, purpose/mission clarity, enthusiasm, participative employees, and improved communication. These were somehow similar with then ones identified by the employees. Again this is not applicable to conventional behaviours and with top-down attitude. Finally, employees were told to express their feelings on the extent they received support while the implementation of change in the organization with the statement: employees are provided with adequate problem prevention and support to cope with organization changes. While a majority of the senior management staff agreed with this statement, less than 25 percent of employees did. There is, therefore, a gap in how each looks at the quantity of support provided. For example, a majority of employees said that their employer entity let them have sufficient authority to get their work done in an effective manner, and hence, there existed better professional relationships but for other factors, only a minority reported availability of support. On the other hand, the most common mechanisms of support that senior managers report included detailed career development counseling with their employees so that they could be skilled enough to be ready their new job responsibilities; skills enhance ment; telling them as to where the organization is heading, and what would be the roles and responsibilities of employees; measures to make sure that there is an alignment between structures and systems and improved salary and perks packages through career management programmes. Comparing this with what employees report, Woodword Hendry (2004) state that employees and managers do agree on some of the important points, but show disagreement on how adequately the provision of these is. Managers also rely on comparatively few major sources of support. Eventually, organization employees emphasize more or less entirely on those things that give them a sense of control and autonomy, while managers rely on the things which they control as managers. This then continues in the pattern where senior managers exhibit a traditional leadership model, while employees be able to get a wide variety of behaviours that are useful for them.

Atmosphere in The Hound of the Baskervilles Essay -- English Literatur

The Hound of the Baskervilles How does Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle develop and maintain an eerie atmosphere throughout his novel The Hound of the Baskervilles? Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle’s novel, the Hound of the Baskervilles, was originally published as a novel in 1902. This was an age when many people were interested in historical matters to do with things like ancient documents and there ancestors. Many of the popular books were in the supernatural and detective genres. These books were particularly popular with male readers and this is often due to the amount of main characters being male. The Hound of the Baskervilles was originally published episodically in the Strand magazine from August 1901 through to April 1902. Each month the chapter would end with a cliff-hanger, this was mainly so people would buy the next issue to find out what happens subsequently in the story. After the serialised version of the story it was then published as a novel buy George Newnes Ltd in London, 1902. Not only was The Hound of the Baskervilles popular as book, it was also popular as a film. In 1939 the Hound of the Baskervilles was released for the first time as a film. The film was directed by Sidney Lanfield and starred Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. It was then filmed again and released in 1959 when it was directed by Terrence Fisher with Peter Cushing and Andre Morell starring. Most recently the story was filmed for the BBC as a ‘Christmas Special’ in 2002 for its centenary year. Even The Hound of the Baskervilles is over 100 years old it is still a popular book, it is the only one of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle’s books not to be out of print and this is why it is regarded as his best novel. In Chapter 2 the curse ... ...his adds to the eeriness. When the dog is finally unleashed Conan Doyle describes it as ‘In mere size and strength it was a terrible creature which was lying stretched before us. It was not a pure bloodhound and it was not a pure mastiff; but it appeared to be a combination of the two -- gaunt, savage, and as large as a small lioness. Even now in the stillness of death, the huge jaws seemed to be dripping with a bluish flame and the small, deep-set, cruel eyes were ringed with fire. I placed my hand upon the glowing muzzle.’ This description and similar ones add to the eeriness. To conclude Conan Doyle uses several features to maintain an eerie feeling. He uses an ancient family ghost story, a mysterious house inhabited by a strange butler and his wife, treacherous moorland with ‘living’ weather and an escaped convict along with the threat of the hound.

Serial Killer :: Serial Killer Essays

Serial killer is a person who kills three or more people with a cooling off period between murders and these murders may go on for a period of months or years. The murders that this person commits may have similar fashion or the victims may have something in common, for example, occupation, race, appearance, sex, or age group. Psychology is the science and study of human behavior and mental processes. Moreover, it is the study of human minds and its function. Krafft-Ebing (1886) found that the serial killer had been through cruelty of animal; enjoy the torture and the pain of their victim during his or her childhood period. Moreover, the mothers of these serial killers were most of time working or doing other things and usually the father were absent. These children experience rejection and lack of attention, therefore, this child grows up having low self-esteem. Research show that adults that gone through abuse and violent behavior during their childhood were three times more likely to become violent as adult more than the non abused adults (Dutton & Hart, 1992). Freud (1940) was the first to do the link between sexual abuses during the childhood and adult abnormal behavior. As a result of that serial killer uses sex as a way to let out his or her anger and aggression. The sexually acts of the serial killer is not only about sex, but it is about revenge, power, and control. â€Å"Serial killers are unconsciously trying to kill off their repressed sexual pain and powerlessness. Every stab into the victim’s flesh is a stab against their own childhood sexual terror and pain, and the rage that accompanies it is a rage against those who tormented and terrorized† (Knight, 2006, p. 1199-1200). To take off the aggression and need to compensate the horrible memories of the childhood explain the reason why serial killers abuse animals during their childhood. When they were children they control pets and they can harm them knowing that the animals can fight back. Therefore, they feel themselves as if they were in absolute power. This animal torture later will turn in to human victim torture. Charister Clause and Lars Lidberg (1999) used five characteristics from Shahriar disorder that are common among serial killers.

Fashion Boutique Industry of Kathmandu

Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Business Administration. This proposal writing assignment was guided by our course instructor Mr.. Parka's C. Battier and with his help and my interest I selected the topic: An Overview of the Fashion Boutique Industry of Nepal. I have always been interested in fashion. When I was given this opportunity to do a project work on the interest of my choice, I had no doubt it was going to be related with the fashion industry of Nepal. The fashion industry worldwide seems to be at its glamorous eight, having its reach from New York to Paris to London and Tokyo.All over the globe the latest trends travel so fast that designers are busy making forecasts for each and every season and occasion they can think of. The modern technologies, media, and the entertainment industry have propelled fashion into new, unforeseeable heights. People everywhere are becoming more and more fashion conscious and the Naples are n ot behind. The increasing number of trendy boutiques in Nepal and almost every major street being lined up with fashion and clothing stores show there is a rising demand for high fashion among the modern Naples.The fashion industry is very lucrative and its scope is unlimited. Nepal, being such a culturally and naturally diverse country, has a lot of inspiration for the fashion industry. If this diversity can be converted into creativity and be sustainable entrenched in the fashion industry of Nepal through the fashion boutiques, this industry would ultimately have a very unique image, so much so that Nepal should also consider it as a potential forte. To understand the current Naples fashion boutiques industry and see the area of potential in it, who better to ask than boutique owners?These are the people who are in the industry; who know about fashion, designs, and trends ultimately shaping the Naples fashion industry into new forms. They are the people who are learning about what is happening in the industry right now and what will or should happen in the future of the fashion industry of Nepal. So, I have decided to survey the boutique owners of the Splendor area of Paten since that seems to be the centre point of the boutique industry of Katmandu valley. With this research, I hope to understand the current market of fashion boutiques in Nepal and discover its constraints as well as potential scope.I have always been fascinated by the fashion industry. It is a mixture of art, pop culture, ideas and creativity. The fashion industries everywhere in the world are on new levels while the Naples fashion industry is still in its infancy. One of the major components of the total fashion industry of Nepal is the fashion boutique industry. Being a business student, I see considerable scope in this industry since it has a constantly growing market and it has the ability to revive itself with the changing times because of the creativity of the designers involved.I ch ose to research about he fashion boutique industry to see where the boutiques stand in the Naples fashion industry at the moment, to examine the constraints imposed for its growth and to assess its possible scope. As a result, I want to find out whether there is a possibility that it will stand and even compete in the same level with the imported ready-to-wear industry of Nepal in the future. The questions that I would like to address in this study are: 1. What is the current state of fashion boutique industry in Nepal? 2. What are the factors that are hindering the growth of the boutiques of Nepal? . What is the scope of the fashion boutique industry in Nepal? 4. What should be done to propel the fashion boutique industry into an established and respected industry in the country? 1. 3 Objectives of the Study 1. 3. 1 General Objective The main objective of this research is to find out the actual state of the boutique industry of Katmandu I. E. The present state, constraints and the future scope of the industry. 1. 3. 2 Specific objectives 1. To understand the current state of the fashion boutiques in Katmandu. 2. To identify the constraints faced by the fashion boutiques 3.To identify the scope and opportunities for the fashion boutique industry 1. 4 Importance of the study Fashion is important to almost everyone. Gone are the days where clothes were only used to hide your body or protect it. These days, clothing and style plays a huge role in peoples' lives. Every day, we see hundreds of people. Whether we see them on the street, at work, at school, or on television, people pass through our visual field. It may be intentional or unintentional but we form opinions about people based on their style of dress.This study will be useful in understanding the current state of fashion boutique industry of Nepal. It will help to determine, as well as, understand the obstacles and constraints faced by the boutique owners of Nepal. It will even help to understand about t he state of mind of the Naples in terms of the connection between fashion and boutiques, and also about the influences of international fashion in Nepal. With the completion of this research, areas of potential or scope of the boutique industry or where this industry should be heading will be clear and the possibility of generation of market in fashion will be illustrated.This research will be helpful to anyone who wants a glimpse of the fashion boutique industry of Nepal. It will also be helpful to those people who will want to go in the boutique industry in the future, for creative or business purposes, as the project will illuminate where this industry is heading. 1. 5. Limitations of the study This study is not absolutely free from limitations; the limitations that may be observed are as follows: a. Since the study use primary and secondary data in order to prepare report, the data collection might be influenced by social crisis and personal influence of the data collector. . As the study is to be conducted by the students themselves, many opportunities to conduct a detailed market research may e lost due to budget and time constraints. C. The primary data used in this research will be from only a random sample of boutiques, which may not reflect the opinions of the boutique owners of the entire industry. D. The secondary data used in this research is limited as no such research has been done in Nepal in the past. E. The study may lack exact information because it is based on the opinions and information provided by the surveyed boutique owners. F.Certain information may be based on approximation. G. Many of the respondents may not answer the questions provided in the questionnaire. Fashion, design and clothing can incorporate a wide range of different activities: These days, almost everything is related to fashion, from cars to architecture to stationery (AS Consultation y Formica ¶n, 2008). However, in this report, when we refer to the fashion sector w e will be using the term in its most traditional sense – as the original fashion sector that has expanded to incorporate other parts of our life – the clothing sector and fashion in terms of the way people dress.Apparel products are typically classified into broad categories, such as basic commodity products (knit underwear and socks), fashion-basic products (dress shirts, casual slacks, and knit sportswear), â€Å"better† fashion (moderately priced dresses and suits), â€Å"bridge† fashions (higher priced ready-to-wear fashion products), designer collections (high quality and expensive ready-to-wear fashion products) and custom-made haute couture (Abernathy, et al. , 1999).These fashion categories are often portrayed in a â€Å"fashion pyramid† in which products are arrayed according to factors such as fashion content, length of product life cycle, quality, and price (see Figure 1). The Fashion Pyramid More Fashion Content More Product Differentia tion Designer Greater Demand Uncertainty Collections Higher Quality Fabric Higher Price Shorter Product Cycles Shorter Production Runs Diagram 2: The Fashion Pyramid (Derringer & Cretan, 2006). The boutiques of Nepal fall in the category of Better Fashions or Bridge Fashion collections.A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and Jewelry. In terms of Nepal, boutiques are a small shopping outlets specializing in fashionable ready-to wear items, as well as a home to the boutique owner's creations. Dozens of boutiques and fashion designing companies lining up from Bagman Bridge to Himalayan Hotel in Expandable is enough to indicate that fashion has already grown up as an entrepreneurship in Katmandu. Youth have started to see a good prospect in fashion as entrepreneurship.National Institute of Art and Fashion Designing, India Education Center, Unman College of Fashion Technology, Alkaloid Institute of Fashion Designing and Lord Buddha Education Foundation are some of the institute offering fashion education in Nepal. The scene in the Nepal fashion industry is not quite bleak indeed. Fashion boutiques are growing in Katmandu and in other cities like Dharma, Pokka, Butyl, and Bipartisan, too (Timpanist, 2009). Small fashion boutiques remain to have certain advantages over larger retail formats.It is found that find that small fashion boutiques excel in relational marketing and store branding. Small boutiques operators invest their effort in relational marketing by developing friendship with a group of core customers and supplying accurate fashion information to all customers. Although small fashion retailers cannot afford to have specialized marketing staff or a budget for mass media advertisements, their mall size put them in a position to develop relational marketing with their customers much more thoroughly and deeply than large fashion retailers.Also, small fashion boutiques effective ly gain store brand equity through flexible visual merchandising and cultivating a charismatic image for the operator. (Chew, 2009) The marketing of boutique follows the conventional marketing patterns, which is dependent on selection of venue of the outlets and the product mix (designs and sizes), as well as the promotional strategy. Furthermore, the boutique owner has to marketing techniques like: -Displaying and distributing it as proper places Usage of electronic media: I. E. Rejection of the boutique in fashion programs, advertisement on television, and provision of dresses to various television plays and films. -Even arrangement: like fashion shows and photo-shoots Moreover, in order to keep abreast with the emerging trends and client tastes, surveys regarding customer satisfaction/needs should be regular feature of the project. As this project deals in designer women wear, therefore the product mix will comprise of different styles of the female dresses in different sizes. Fa shion is in an era of change driven by designers, consumers and brands.The fashion industry today, in Nepal like in India, is a mixture of influences due to globalization resulting in a shift in the socio-cultural, economic, demographic and cryptographic make up of the country; these directly and indirectly have an impact on fashion (Insight Inshore, 2011). From the many fashion schools, institutes and other small scale institutes, there has been a birth of a new breed of experimental designers with no reservations about any mode of self expression. There is a rise of new target groups across the diverse sub-continent.Further, there is an increased awareness of fashion accelerated by advances in technology and media proliferation (Insight Inshore, 2011). Boutiques currently have a high potential market, but something missing. There is a shallow awareness of diverse target segments; there isn't an in-depth understanding to identify diverse requirements & new segments. There is an abi lity to predict the effect of regular media influences on existing target groups, dependence on western trend adaptations; there isn't an ability to forecast fashion adaptations across a diverse map (Insight Inshore, 2011).There is a traditional static, consumer-research eased approach to design & strategy; there isn't a dynamic approach driven by an understanding of trends, and shoppers along with traditional consumer research. There is mostly independent design and business strategies; there isn't a cohesive design and business strategy that is borne out of trend, consumer & shopper research. 1. 7 Conceptual framework In Nepal, small fashion boutiques that provide its clients with custom-made as well as ready-made innovative designs of clothing.They are becoming increasingly popular, as seen by their presence in every major street of the Katmandu valley. It is essential to analyze their current state so that the future or scope of the boutique industry can be accurately predicted. Purpose of boutiques Cost Customers Socio-economic changes Political scenario Area of expertise Regulations Resource management Competition Diagram 1: Conceptual Framework In this context, this study has made the framework given below to get a glimpse of the fashion boutique industry of Nepal.Here, by getting an idea of the purpose of boutiques, cost and their customers, we can get a pretty good idea about the current state of fashion boutiques of Nepal. From the current state, the future of this industry can be illuminated by exploring the opportunities of this industry such as changes in the socio-economy of the country, finding particular areas of expertise or niche, and expanding resource base. But the growth of the industry is hindered to a certain extent by factors such as competition, regulations of governments, and the political scenario of the country.All this is illustrated in the framework above. 1. 8 Research Methods 1. 8. 1 Study Area The study was conducted by surveyi ng the boutique owners of Katmandu valley, primarily of the Splendor area of Paten. The boutiques were randomly selected and surveyed. I chose this particular location for my study because it is one of the thriving places for boutiques and fashion in Nepal right now, as seen with the entire road being lined up with boutiques on either side. 1. 8. 2 Research Design The main purpose of this study is to give more information about fashion industry of Nepal.Hence, with the help of this study, we come to know about the current state of fashion boutique industry and find its potential scope that is very important for the people who have an interest in this industry, for personal or professional purposes. Therefore, the research design is descriptive in nature. 1. 8. 3 Nature and Source of Data Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. Since the study use both sources of information, both qualitative and quantitative data were utilized for the study. To get information on th is study about the current state of fashion boutique industry, various published articles were used.And in order to learn about the future scope of the fashion industry and current market as well, primary data was viewed. Primary data was collected from the randomly selected boutique owners of Splendor and secondary data and information was collected from various published articles and reports, though very little secondary data was used. 1. 8. 4 Data Collection Techniques The structured questionnaire was used to collect the primary data for the study is attached in Annex 2. A set of structured questionnaire was developed to conduct interviews with owners of fashion boutiques.All the information that includes the current market, constraints and scope of the fashion industry was asked with the help of the closed questionnaire. For the sampling procedure, 20 boutiques were elected and the owners of those boutiques were asked questions about their understandings and opinions of the bout ique and fashion industry of Nepal. The convenience sampling technique was made use of in the study area. 1. 8. 5 Data Analysis and Report Writing All the collected data has been properly processed by entering the collected data in the computer software SIPS.In SIPS, through the use of various mathematical and statistical tools, the collected data has been refined and analyzed. Different tables, charts, diagrams and graphs have been used as applicable. All these findings have en presented well in the summer project report. CHAPTER – II DATA ANALYSIS AND MAJOR FINDINGS This chapter is the heart of the report. The questionnaires filled by participants are tabulated and analyzed in order to come closer to our objectives. That very analysis is mainly presented in this chapter with the help of figures and charts.Questionnaire brief 20 boutique owners of Splendor had filled out the questionnaire (prototype in Annex) I had provided them with. Below, the answers provided by them are analyzed in order to understand the fashion boutique industry of Nepal and explore its scopes and threats. Note: The words â€Å"boutique owner† and â€Å"designer† are used interchangeably as in case of this report, they both are the same person. In some of the charts and graphs, the total response has come to more than 20 because some respondents have treated the question as multi-response questions.Data Presentation and Analysis 1 . Current state of fashion boutique industry The current state of the boutique fashion industry largely depends on the character, nature, and skill levels of the ones who control the industry I. E. The boutique owners. Presented below is a graph illustrating the basic demography (education level and ender) of those very owners. Figure 1: Education and gender of boutique owners Field study, 2011 As we can see here, 90% of the boutique owners are female while only 10% of them are male.This isn't a big surprise because it is usually women who are more interested in fashion and trends in general in most societies. Also, all of the owners have completed their bachelor level and some have even achieved their masters' degree. From the surveys filled out by them, it is seen that all of them have done some kind of course or training related to fashion or design such as Diploma in Fashion Designing, Bachelor in Fashion Design, etc. Some have even gone abroad for their trainings, such as Sunlit Martha Sahara, owner of Jaeger who studied in Metro Design Institute of North Carolina, USA.We can clearly see from the study that currently, all the boutique owners of Katmandu are highly trained professionals with extensive knowledge and training in their fields. 1. 1 Purpose When the boutique owners were asked why they had decided to open a boutique and Join the industry, the results were as follows: Figure 2: Purpose of opening boutiques A staggering 90% of the boutique owners claim to have opened a boutique because hey have a passio n for designing and creating new things.Only 10% have chosen this field for other reasons. In the questionnaire, these 10% of the owners have mentioned that they chose this field because they wanted to â€Å"earn money with [their] creativity and skills that [they] possessed as designers†. We see that most boutique owners have chosen to be in this field because they followed their heart. As we have already established in the introduction part of this project that fashion boutiques are small shopping outlets specializing in fashionable ready-to wear items and custom-

Introduction Fundamental Analysis

Fundamental analysis involves examining the economic, financial and other qualitative and quantitative factors related to a security in order to determine its intrinsic value. It attempts to study everything that can affect the security’s value, including macroeconomic factors (like the overall economy and industry conditions) and individually specific factors (like the financial condition and management of companies). Fundamental analysis, which is also known as quantitative analysis, involves delving into a company’s financial statements (such as profit and loss account and balance sheet) in order to study various financial indicators (such as revenues, earnings, liabilities, expenses, and assets). Such analysis is usually carried out by analysts, brokers and savvy investors. Many analysts and investors focus on a single number – net income (or earnings) – to evaluate performance. When investors attempt to forecast the market value of firm, they frequently rely on earnings. Many institutional investors, analysts and regulators believe earnings are not as relevant as they once were. Due to nonrecurring events, disparities in measuring risk and management ability to disguise fundamental earnings problems, other measures beyond net income can assist in predicting future firm earnings. Two approaches of fundamental analysis: * The top-down investor starts his or her analysis with global economics, including both international and national economic indicators, such as GDP growth rates, inflation, interest rates, exchange rates, productivity, and energy prices. He or she narrows his or her search down to regional/industry analysis of total sales, price levels, the effects of competing products, foreign competition, and entry or exit from the industry. Only then does he or she narrow his or her search to the best business in that area. * The bottom-up investor starts with specific businesses, regardless of their industry/region. How does fundamental analysis works ? The analysis of a business' health starts with financial statement analysis that includes ratios. It looks at dividends paid, operating cash flow, new equity issues and capital financing. The earnings estimates and growth rate projections published widely by Thomson Reuters and others can be considered either ‘fundamental' (they are facts) or ‘technical' (they are investor sentiment) based on your perception of their validity. The determined growth rates (of income and cash) and risk levels (to determine the discount rate) are used in various valuation models. The foremost is the discounted cash flow model, which calculates the present value of the future * Dividends received by the investor, along with the eventual sale price. Gordon model) * earnings of the company, or * Cash flows of the company. The amount of debt is also a major consideration in determining a company's health. It can be quickly assessed using the debt-to-equity ratio and the current ratio (current assets/current liabilities). The simple model commonly used is the Price/Earnings ratio. Implicit in this model of a perpetual annuity (Time value of money) is that the ‘flip' of the P /E is the discount rate appropriate to the risk of the business. The multiple accepted is adjusted for expected growth (that is not built into the model). Growth estimates are incorporated into the PEG ratio, but the math does not hold up to analysis. Its validity depends on the length of time you think the growth will continue. IGAR models can be used to impute expected changes in growth from current P/E and historical growth rates for the stocks relative to a comparison index. Computer modelling of stock prices has now replaced much of the subjective interpretation of fundamental data (along with technical data) in the industry. Since about year 2000, with the power of computers to crunch vast quantities of data, a new career has been invented. At some funds (called Quant Funds) the manager's decisions have been replaced by proprietary mathematical models. Benefits of fundamental analysis: * Identifying the intrinsic value of a security. * Identifying long term investment opportunities since it involves real time data. Drawbacks of fundamental analysis: * Too many economic indicators and extensive macroeconomic data can confuse novice investors. * The same set of information on, macroeconomic indicators can have varied effects on the same currencies at different times. It is beneficial only for long term investments. Fundamental Analysis Tools These are the most popular tools of fundamental analysis. They focus on earnings, growth, and value in the market. For convenience, I have broken them into separate articles. Each article discusses related ratios. There are links in each article to the other articles and back to this article. The articles are: * Earnings per Share – EPS * Price to Earnings Ratio – P/E * Projected Earnings Growth – PEG * Price to Sales – P/S * Price to Book – P/B * Dividend Payout Ratio * Dividend Yield Book Value * Return on Equity Ratio Analysis: Financial ratios are tools for interpreting financial statements to provide a basis for valuing securities and appraising financial and management performance. A good financial analyst will build in financial ratio calculations extensively in a financial modelling exercise to enable robust analysis. Financial ratios allow a financial analyst to: * Standardize information from financial statements across multiple financial years to allow comparison of a firm’s performance over time in a financial model. Standardize information from financial statements from different companies to allow an apples to apples comparison between firms of differing size in a financial model. * Measure key relationships by relating inputs (costs) with outputs (benefits) and facilities comparison of these relationships over time and across firms in a financial mode. In general, there are 4 kinds of financial ratios that a financial analyst will use most frequently, these are: 1. Performance ratio 2. Working capital ratio 3. Liquidity ratio 4. Solvency ratio These 4 financial ratios allow a good financial analyst to quickly and efficiently address the following questions or concerns: 1. Performance ratio: * What return is the company making on its capital investments? * What are its profit margins? 2. Working capital ratios: * How quickly are debts paid? * How many times is inventory turned? 3. Liquidity ratio: * Can company continue to pay its liabilities and debts? 4. Solvency ratios: * What is the level of debt in relation to other assets and debt to equity? * Is the level of interest payable out of profits? Why conduct fundamental analysis? Fundamental analysis helps you determine if a company is a good or poor investment choice. Imagine you’re a venture capitalist or a bank, who must decide if that company is worthy of a loan or equity investment. How can you evaluate whether this particular company deserves your investable capital? Fundamental analysts consider the following in making their decision to invest (or not): * Is the company making a profit consistently? (While this is naturally the most important question for investors, it’s important to consider the answer in a bigger context. A single profitable quarter for a new company might be a fluke. In the same regard, a drop in profitability for an established blue-chip company might just be a temporary setback. ) * Is that profit growing or declining over time? * Is the company holding its own relative to the competition? Is it a leader in its sector? Is that sector growing or declining in importance to the overall economy? * Can the company pay its bills adequately? If you were to dismantle the company’s operations today, what would be the intrinsic value of its assets versus the value of its debts? What information do we need to perform fundamental analysis? We can think of fundamental analysis as â€Å"investing by the numbers,† since much of the work involves evaluating financial statements issued by the company. Here are a few key statements you should learn to read and understand. All publicly traded companies in the United States are required to file statements of financial condition on a regular basis. These include the 10-Q, a quarterly statement, and the 10-K, an annual statement. Each statement follows a prescribed form to include certain basic information. Publicly traded companies are also subject to audits by government agencies that oversee their given industry. Those audits may be either scheduled or random events. The results of a regulatory audit may also be published–interesting reading for a would-be investor. The 10-Q and 10-K are good places to start your fundamental research, but you’ll likely want to dig deeper into the specifics. For that you’ll need to understand three interrelated types of statements: the balance sheet, the income statement and the cash flow statement. Reading a balance sheet: Assets As the name suggests, a â€Å"balance sheet† presents a picture of how the company’s assets – the value a company takes in – are â€Å"balanced out† against its liabilities – what the company must pay out. When Assets equals Liabilities plus Equity, that’s when the statement is said to be in balance. You can look up a balance sheet for any publicly traded U. S. stock on the TradeKing website under Quotes + Research > Quotes + News + Research. Just enter the company’s ticker symbol and you’ll be on your way. In most cases, balance sheets are presented in left and right side format. You'll find Assets on the left, and on the right side of the page are the Liabilities and Equity. (Sometimes these items are listed from top to bottom instead of left to right. ) Assets include resources the company has that are worth something. Many of these are self-explanatory, like Cash & Investments. Others are less familiar, like Current Assets, which refers to the value of assets that are readily converted into cash, such as Inventory or Receivables. Longer-term assets vary depending on business type, but may include such things as property or equipment values. Since long-term assets gradually decrease in value over time, Accumulated Depreciation is subtracted from this. Note that depreciated assets may show up as having little or no value on the balance sheet but may have a much greater market value if sold. Reading a balance sheet: Liabilities Liabilities are obligations the company has made to outside parties who have provided resources. In essence, these outside parties may have lent money or other supplies to the company and therefore are owed repayment. It’s important to note these outside parties do not have ownership in the company; they are creditors. Items under Liabilities include Accounts Payable, the amount the company may owe suppliers, and Income Taxes Payable, which is self-explanatory. Note that Current Liabilities, which are short-term, are listed separately just as Current Assets are. This section may also contain long-term debt obligations: for example, if the company has taken out bank loans to finance equipment or real estate, or if the company has issued corporate bonds to investors. A figure called the Quick Ratio helps investors determine if a company’s assets and liabilities are in a healthy balance. The quick ratio measures a company's ability to meet its short-term obligations with its most liquid assets. The higher the quick ratio, the better the financial position of the company. It’s calculated as follows: Note that the Quick Ratio is more conservative than some other liquidity measures, like the Current Ratio, because it excludes inventory from current assets. If you believe the company might have difficulty turning their inventory into cash, then the Quick Ratio might give a more accurate picture of the company’s short-term financial strength. Reading a cash flow statement: The cash flow statement helps investors answer questions like: Is the company generating enough cash needed to fund growth? Is growth outpacing cash generation, requiring additional financing? Is the company generating enough cash to cover its short-term needs? In times of easy credit, companies may be able to patch over cash flow interruptions with interim financing; during tighter credit markets, though, such financing may not be as readily available. In those situations, steady cash-flow generated by the company’s operations becomes especially important. There are three big categories of cash flow to pay attention to here. Word of warning: it’s not always crystal-clear from just glancing at a cash flow statement which line items represent cash flowing IN versus cash flowing OUT. Cash generated by and used by the company’s operations is summarized in the Net Cash Flow – Operating Activities line. That line includes cash flowing in as well as cash-out. The company’s long-term investing of cash is detailed in the Net Cash Flow – Investing line. That consists of cash flowing out. The third and last part, the â€Å"Net Cash Flow – Financing† line, shows the cash a company raised through from financing activities. That’s cash that came in. The very bottom line shows the net change in the company’s cash position. If you add the line to the cash on the balance sheet from the previous year, you’ll get the current cash position on the current year’s balance sheet.