What Makes A Good Leader - 1609 Words

Is there agreement across time and cultures as to what makes a good leader? Abstract This paper explores different cultures and past decades of prominent leaders and their leadership style. Were they good or highly unfavourable in their endeavours to move and dent the hearts of the nation or effectively obtain unanimity within their organisations? It is noted throughout history the ways in which leaders chose to exhibit their power and personality. In the following findings, it is evident that there is a vast array of styles and persona’s, but what makes a good leader? Introduction Throughout the growing new generations, countless era’s, destructive and defining crises, crucial revolutions and times of this world, we have experienced†¦show more content†¦Additionally, The U.S. military has studied leadership in depth. One of their definitions is a process by which a soldier influences others to accomplish a mission (U.S. Army, 1983). Leadership as outlined by Steve Zeitchik, (2012) is inspiring others to pursue your vision within the parameters you set, to the extent that it becomes a shared effort, a shared vision, and a shared success and according to Kruse (2013) Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal. Many might find this to be true as we delve into history’s list of leaders later on; for instance 1963’s racial crisis, looking at Martin Luther King’s potent democratic leadership, World War II’s Winston Churchill’s aggressive autocratic approach and Magaret Thathcer. I will also explore the more controversial ideologies of leadership by examining the embodiment of leadership qualities portrayed by Jesus, The Christ and Adolf Hitler. This study essentially explores cultural sentiments of what is universally seen as a good leader. Main body The years of our existing intelligence have carried particularly bold statements such as to say ‘Leaders are born, not made’. The Great person theory and Trait theory suppose that good leadership is developed or birthed by intrinsic factors which are internal. This suggests, personality characteristics such charisma, confidence, social skills and

Accounting for Business Decision Making

Question: Discuss about the Accounting for Business Decision Making. Answer: Introduction This study is based on the subject of accounting and business decision making. During the study, the focus is made on the business of Australian Agricultural Company Limited. This company is under the food and beverage industry in Australia and it is listed on the Australian Security Exchange since 2001. The company was founded in the year of 1824 and currently it is having total 500 employees. Currently, the company is operating its business in 7 million hectares of land in the Queensland (AACo 2016). In this study, the main focus is made on the financial position and performance of the company in last year that is 2015. The financial statements of the company are analyzed and comparison is made between the financial performances of the company in last two years. At the end of the study, some recommendations are provided to improve the financial position of the company. Analyzing the Statement of Financial Position Australian Agricultural Company Limited is very popular company in the food and beverage industry in Australia. It is one of the oldest organization is Australia and currently it is operating its business successfully in the Australian market. If the last years annual report of the company is analyzed, then it can be identified that the financial position of the company has improved from the previous years financial position (AACo 2016). This can be better understood if the important elements of balance sheet are checked. The important elements of balance sheet of a company are current assets, non-current assets, current liabilities, non-current liabilities and stockholders or shareholders equity. The analysis of these balance sheet elements of Australian Agricultural Company Limited is as follows: The annual report of 2015 has mentioned that the total current assets of the company were $280586000, which has increased by 9.67%. In the previous year that is in 2014, the total current assets of the company were $256093000 (AACo 2016). The elements of current assets in the balance sheet have disclosed that the current assets of the company have been increased mainly due to the increase in livestock or biological assets of the company. The livestock of the company has increased by 38% (approx) (AACo 2016). Apart from the livestock, the inventories and trade receivables of the company has also increased by large percentage. In case of inventories, the percentage increased is 39% (approx) and the percentage in creased in the trade receivable is 136% (approx) (AACo 2016). However, the company would have improved the amount of current assets if it could increase the cash and cash equivalent as well as the derivative financial instruments and other assets (Robinson et al. 2015). These t hree current assets elements of the company have decreased from 2014 to 2015. The cash and cash equivalents have decreased by significant amount and the amount of derivative financial instruments of 0. The amount of other assets of the company has also decreased by little percentage. Moreover, on overall basis, it can be said that the current assets position of the company in 2015 was more or less good (Lin et al. 2015). However, the performance of the company needs to be improved in respect to the items, in which the performance of the company has declined. The position of total assets of the company also depends on the non-current assets. There are only two items under the non-current assets of the company and these are Biological assets and property, plant and equipments (AACo 2016). However, both of the items of non-current assets of the company have increased in 2015 than 2014. The biological assets have increased by 11.26% and the PPE increased by 10.35% (AACo 2016). Therefore, it can be said that on the overall basis, the non-current assets of the company have improved. The financial position of a company not only depends on the assets, it also depends on the liabilities of the company (Kim et al. 2016). Therefore, if the total assets of the company increase, it does not mean that the financial position of the company has improved. If the increase in the total liabilities is more than the increase in total assets, then it cannot be said that financial position has improved (Dung 2016). In case of Australian Agricultural Company Limited, the current liabilities have increased by 16.09%, which is greater than the percentage increased in current assets (AACo 2016). The amount under each item of current liabilities has increased except the trade and other payables. The trade and other payables of the company have decreased by 11.80% (AACo 2016). However, as per the overall analysis of the current liabilities of the company, it can be said that the company needs to control its financial position. On the other side, the non-current liabilities of the company have also increased from 2014 to 2015. The total percentage increased in non-current liabilities of the company is 30.23% (AACo 2016). The main reason behind the increase in non-current liabilities is the increase in the interest bearing loans and borrowings. This particular item under the non-current liability has increased by 31.24% (AACo 2016). Apart from the assets and liabilities there is another important component in the balance sheet of a company and that is shareholders or stockholders equity (Cao, Chychyla and Stewar 2015). In case of Australian Agricultural Company Limited, the shareholders equity has also increased in 2015. However, the percentage of that is not so high. The shareholders equity of the company has increased by 1.94% in 2015 (AACo 2016). Therefore, from the overall analysis of the financial position of Australian Agricultural Company Limited, it can be said that the financial position of the company has improved in 2015. However, the company could have improved this more. The increase in liabilities indicates that the financial burden of the company has increased (Weygandt, Kimmel and Kieso 2015). Therefore, the financial performance needs to be controlled by the management of the company. Analyzing the Stockholders Equity The financial performance of a company is also indicated by the statement of stockholders equity or changes in equity. If the changes in equity statement of Australian Agricultural Company Limited are analyzed, then it can be identified that the contributed equity of the company in 2015 has increased than that of 2014. In the year 2014, the contributed equity of the company was increased by 8.74%, whereas in 2015, the contributed equity increased by 0.15% (AACo 2016). On the other side, the total number outstanding shares of the company in the year 2014 were 940625, which have decreased to 590625 in the year 2015 (AACo 2016). Therefore, the percentage of decrease in the number of outstanding equity shares is 59.26%. This type of financial situation indicates that the financial performance of the company has declined in respect to the equity shares of the company (Hasan 2015). On the other hand, the amount of reserves has also increased in 2015 by 1.37% (AACo 2016). This denotes that the percentage increased in the reserve amount is not so high. At the same time, if the amount of retained earnings is analyzed, then it can be said though the retained earnings of the company are negative in 2015, the negative amount has decreased, which indicates the positive movement of the financial performance (Amiram, Bozanic and Rouen 2015). However, the company needs to improve more so that the negative balance in the retained earnings can be changed into positive balance. Analyzing the Statement of Profit and Loss The financial position or performance of a company can be understood in a better way if the analysis of income statement is done along with the analysis of the balance sheet (Titman, Keown and Martin 2015). In the above section, the balance sheet of Australian Agricultural Company Limited for 2015 has been analyzed. Therefore, it is important to analyze the income statement or profit and loss statement to understand the financial performance of the company in better way. The first item that an income statement of a company discloses is the revenue of the company. In case of Australian Agricultural Company Limited, the income statement of 2015 has disclosed that the total revenue of the company has increased by 29.17% (AACo 2016). The increased percentage of the revenue is quite good. High revenue or increased amount of revenue indicates that the total unit of sales of the company has also increased. Increase in total number of unit sold denotes that the demand for the products and services of the company has increased in the market, which is good news for the company (Chen et al. 2015). If the revenue of the company increases, then the financial capacity of the company also increases. If a company earns high revenue, then the possibility of attracting more investors is also high. This is because, by checking the revenue amount or value, the investors determined that how much the company is able to sale its products in the market (Robert Knechel, Vans traelen and Zerni 2015). Therefore, the increased value of the revenue of Australian Agricultural Company Limited will also help the company to attract more investment from the market. The profitability of a company highly depends on the cost of goods sold. Cost of goods sold includes all the direct costs of the company. The cost of goods sold of Australian Agricultural Company Limited includes the cost of meat sold, cattle expenses, deemed cost for selling the cattle, expenses to feedlot cattle and cost of crop and fair value adjustment (AACo 2016). However, on the overall basis, the cost of goods sold of the company has increased by higher percentage. The percentage increased in the cost of goods sold of the company in 2015 is 160.82% (AACo 2016). This percentage indicates a critical situation for the company because increase in cost of goods sold more than 100% denotes that the efficiency level of the company has decreased. At the same time, it can also be said that the company might have not used its resources properly and waste management of the company was weak (Kim and Kim 2015). A company can improve its profitability and financial performance by controlling the expenses. At Australian Agricultural Company Limited, the expenses includes the items like, administrative expenses, operating expenses, employee expenses, overhead expenses, depreciation, finance cost and change in the propertys fair valuation (AACo 2016). However, the overall amount of these expenses before charging the income tax has increased in the year of 2015. However, the profit before tax or PBT of the company has increased in 2015. The percentage increased in the total cost of the company in 2015 is 9.61% (AACo 2016). In the year 2014, the total expenses of the company before paying the income tax were $121000000, which increased to $132628000 in 2015 (AACo 2016). This again indicates the inefficiency of the company in controlling its overall expenses. At the same time, the increase in the expenses level also limits the capacity of the company to improve its business operations. On the othe r side, increase in the expense level means decrease in the income or profit level of the (Jang and Rho 2016). Therefore, decreased profit level of Australian Agricultural Company Limited can de-motivate the investors to invest their money in the company. However, as the company became able to maintain a minimum profit level in 2015, it is very important to maintain the same in the next year and try to improve the performance more. The company has earned negative income tax benefit, which is the non-operating loss of the company. If the annual reports of the company are checked for last two consecutive years, then it can be identified that the company has earned positive income tax benefit in 2014, but in 2015, this amount became negative. Negative income tax benefit decreased the profit level of the company. However, the overall profit of the company was high in 2015 than that of 2014 (AACo 2016). Earnings per common share are the main thing that satisfies the shareholders of the company. The satisfaction level of the shareholders increases with the increase in earnings per share (Loughran and McDonald 2016). If the EPS in 2015 of the company is analyzed with the EPS of 2014, then it can be said that EPS of the company has increased by a good percentage in 2015. In the year 2014, the EPS of the company was (9.3), which increased to 1.8 cents in the year 2015 (AACo 2016). This discloses that there is huge difference between the EPS of the company in two different financial years. Therefore, from the overall discussion on the income or profit and loss statement of Australian Agricultural Company Limited, it can be said that the competency level of the company needs to be improved. However, the competency level of the company has improved from 2014 to 2015. The high expense level is the major barrier in improving the efficiency level of the company (McLaughlin 2016). Hence, it is very important for the company to improve the financial performance by controlling the cost structure. Analyzing the Statement of Cash Flow Cash flow statement is another important financial statement that states about the financial performance of the company in a particular financial year. The cash flow statement discloses the amount of net cash inflow and outflow of the company (Sotti, Rinaldi and Gavana 2015). In the cash flow statement, the cash flow from mainly three types of business activities are identified and these activities are operating activities, financing activities and investing activities (Macve 2015). As per the cash flow statement of Australian Agricultural Company Limited on 2015, the operating activities of the company has generated negative cash inflow. The net cash from operating activities of the company in 2015 is -$75881000, which was $18451000 in 2014. This is clearly indicating that the cash out flow was much higher in 2015 (AACo 2016). At the same time, the net cash out flow from the investing activities of the company was $66317000 in 2015, which was $38588000 in 2014 (AACo 2016). This indicates that the cash outflow in case of investing activities of the company has also increased in the year 2015. However, the positive cash inflow is there in case of the financing activities of the company. The net cash inflow of the company from the financing activities in 2015 is $85829000, which was $78083000 in 2014 (AACo 2016). Therefore, the cash from financing activities has increased in 2015. However, on overall basis, the company has earned negative cash inflow in 2015. The net increase in cash and cash equivalents is -$56909000 in 2015, which was positive in the previous year that is in 2014 (AACo 2016). This negative cash inflow of the company indicates that the company is failure to control its overall cash outflow in 2015, which brings the efficiency level in to a big question in 2015 (Minnis and Sutherland 2015). Higher is the cash outflow, lower is the efficiency level of the company. The negative cash inflow lowers down the capacity of the company to improve the business through further investment (Trigueiros and Sam 2016). At the same time, due to the negative cash inflow, the company may face problem in arranging the money or investment from the external sources because the creditors will not agree to provide loan or credit to the company. Moreover, the market position of the company may be affected due to this negative cash inflow. Conclusion In this study, it has been identified that the Australian Agricultural Company Limited is one of the most popular companies in the Australian food and beverage industry. The study has critically analyzed the financial performance and position of the company on the basis of 2015s annual report. At the same time, the study has also compared the 2015s financial results with the financial results of 2014. Four financial statements have been evaluated and it has been identified that the financial position of the company in respect to the balance sheet of 2015 is more or less good. The company has positive net assets; however, the liabilities of the company have increased in 2015 than that of 2014, which indicates that the financial burden is more in 2015 than 2014. This type of situation is needed to be improved as soon as possible. On the other side, the income statement of the company has shown that though the revenue has increased in 2015, the expense level of the company has also increased. The increased expense level decreased the profitability of the company. At the same time, the increased expense level may also create problem for the company in attracting more investment from the market. The loss in non-operating activity also indicates the poor financial position of the company. Moreover, the cash flow statement of 2015 also disclosed that the performance of the company needs some immediate improvements. The negative cash inflows in 2015 clearly indicated that the financial performance is weak. Therefore, it can be said that the analysis of the financial statements of a company is very important because it indicates the actual financial position of the company. The analysis of financial statement identifies in which point the company is lacking behind. The analysis of the financial statements of Australian Agricultural Company Limited helped to identify that though the company is successfully operating its business in the market, it needs rectifications to make the future secure. Recommendations The evaluations and analysis in this study has found out that the financial position of Australian Agricultural Company Limited needs some improvements. However, the company can apply the following strategies to improve the financial performance: Decrease in the current liabilities: The Company needs to decrease its current liabilities. The increased current liabilities have increased the financial burden. Therefore, if the company decreases the current liabilities, then it can reduce the financial burden. Increase the current assets: The Company can reduce the financial burden by increasing the current assets. Moreover, the company can increase its cash and cash equivalent by increasing the cash inflow. Enforce strong payment discipline: The management of the company can implement strong and strict rules for the payment system of the company. This will help the company to improve its cash inflow position by controlling the cash payment in the particular financial year. Proper budgeting: The management of the company needs to prepare proper budget so that it can prepare proper planning for the financial activities. This will help the company to improve the future financial position in a better way. Reference List AACo. 2016. Australian Agricultural Company - AACo. [online] Available at: https://aaco.com.au/ [Accessed 7 Sep. 2016]. Amiram, D., Bozanic, Z. and Rouen, E., 2015. Financial statement errors: evidence from the distributional properties of financial statement numbers.Review of Accounting Studies,20(4), pp.1540-1593. Cao, M., Chychyla, R. and Stewart, T., 2015. Big Data analytics in financial statement audits.Accounting Horizons,29(2), pp.423-429. Chen, C.W., Collins, D.W., Kravet, T.D. and Mergenthaler, R., 2015. Financial statement comparability and the efficiency of acquisition decisions.Available at SSRN 2169082. Dung, N.V., 2016. Value-relevance of financial statement information: A flexible application of modern theories to the Vietnamese stock market. Hasan, M., 2015. Financial statement analysis and performance evaluation of Farr Ceramics Limited. Jang, M.H. and Rho, J.H., 2016. IFRS adoption and financial statement readability: Korean evidence.Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting Economics,23(1), pp.22-42. Kim, J.B., Li, L., Lu, L.Y. and Yu, Y., 2016. Financial statement comparability and expected crash risk.Journal of Accounting and Economics,61(2), pp.294-312. Kim, J.H. and Kim, J.K., 2015. The Impact of IFRS Adopter on Effective Tax Rates in Korea: Analysis of Consolidated Financial Statements.Bulletin of Japanese Association for International Accounting Studies,2014(1), pp.127-138. Lin, C.C., Chiu, A.A., Huang, S.Y. and Yen, D.C., 2015. Detecting the financial statement fraud: The analysis of the differences between data mining techniques and experts judgments.Knowledge-Based Systems,89, pp.459-470. Loughran, T. and McDonald, B., 2016. Textual analysis in accounting and finance: A survey.Journal of Accounting Research. Macve, R., 2015.A Conceptual Framework for Financial Accounting and Reporting: Vision, Tool, Or Threat?. Routledge. McLaughlin, T.A., 2016.Streetsmart financial basics for nonprofit managers. John Wiley Sons. Minnis, M. and Sutherland, A., 2015. Financial statements as monitoring mechanisms: Evidence from small commercial loans.Chicago Booth Research Paper, (13-75). Robert Knechel, W., Vanstraelen, A. and Zerni, M., 2015. Does the identity of engagement partners matter? An analysis of audit partner reporting decisions.Contemporary Accounting Research,32(4), pp.1443-1478. Robinson, T.R., Henry, E., Pirie, W.L. and Broihahn, M.A., 2015.International financial statement analysis. John Wiley Sons. Sotti, F., Rinaldi, L. and Gavana, G., 2015. Measurement options for non-controlling interests and their effects on consolidated financial statements consistency.Which should the disclosure be, pp.293-302. Titman, S., Keown, A.J. and Martin, J.D., 2015.Financial management: Principles and applications. Pearson. Trigueiros, D. and Sam, C., 2016. Log-Modulus for Knowledge Discovery in Databases of Financial Reports.Proc. IMMM, pp.26-31. Weygandt, J.J., Kimmel, P.D. and Kieso, D.E., 2015.Financial Managerial Accounting. John Wiley Sons.

The Concept of Norm and Normative in the Society The Power of the Ordinary

Introduction: Through the Prism of the Social Standards The aspect of norm and normative in the modern society has become a considerably questionable issue because of the culture diversity on the one hand and the freedom of self-expression on the other one.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Concept of Norm and Normative in the Society: The Power of the Ordinary specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, I would like to bring into discussion the manner in which Butler interpreted the idea of norm and normality and the way author related it to power in her work (Butler, p. iii, para. 2). Analyzing the methods the author used to draw the line between the normal and the abnormal, as well as to determine the impact which the power had on people’s judgments concerning what is normal and what is not, one can possibly realize that there is a distinct connection between Butler’s and Foucaultâ⠂¬â„¢s ways of reasoning and see what choices Butler makes. Therefore, the question is, whether the social norms as interpreted by the genealogical concepts can be shaped and changed, as well as how they can be categorized in the society. In addition, I find it important to learn whether what is considered a norm is predetermined by the natural or the social aspects. Concerning the Methods: The Chosen Pathway Obviously relating to the archaeological concept developed by Foucault, Butler’s idea concerning the norms as the power that makes people who deviate from the â€Å"norm† to be â€Å"misrecognized or remain unrecognizable precisely because they exist at the limits of established norms for thinking embodiment and even personhood† (p. iii) touches upon the problem of what normality is and by what factors the given concept is shaped. It is obvious that Butler comprises the idea of the â€Å"normality† shaped by Foucault, yet the fact that the author bas es the issue of normality on the â€Å"powerful logics† (Butler, p. iii) of the humankind raises the question whether.Advertising Looking for critical writing on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Butler presupposes that the social values and standards can be changed by the â€Å"majority power.† Moreover, since Butler recognizes the â€Å"dynamics of power† (Butler, p. iii), I would like to know if Butler actually admits that the idea of â€Å"normality† can shape and change, bringing what used to be the lowest common denominator of morality to the golden standard of the future. On the Values: Foucault’s Vision, Butler’s Interpretation When claiming that structuralism helps to understand and recognize the forms of gender that are considered less possible than the others, as well as why they are, Butler actually gives reasons to believe that the archaeological structure o f the society can change from a certain model of behavior to diametrically opposite. Thus, it is reasonable to suppose that Butler also touches upon Foucault’s concept of â€Å"ditto† in the given excerpt. Expanding Foucault’s theory, Butler conveys the idea that the aspects of power and normality are closely intertwined in the society. Conclusion: A Norm Stretched Beyond Its Boundaries Therefore, it must be admitted that the essence of a norm shapes together with the standards of the epoch. The latter are, in their turn, shaped and enhanced by the power of the majority mentioned by Foucault. Hence, I believe that the standard and what is thought to be â€Å"unbelievable† are bound to co-exist in the society, since the former and the latter can switch places according to the power that is currently shaping the society behavior model. Works Cited Butler, Judith. Performativity, Precarity and Sexual Politics. Berkeley, CA: University of California, 2009. Pr int. This critical writing on The Concept of Norm and Normative in the Society: The Power of the Ordinary was written and submitted by user Jared Woodward to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Huck Finn Essay

Huck Finn Essay Huck Finn Essay Maddie Huckleberry Finn Essay 3/3/14 In the 1840’s society was taught that blacks were not the same as whites, not only by the color of their skin on the outside, but that they were different on the inside to. The way blacks were treated was unjust and dehumanizing. Throughout the novel Twain illustrates how poorly blacks were treated, but also shows that not every single person felt the same way towards blacks. Hucks relationship with Jim is a perfect example of how white people thought they were better than blacks, but as the novel goes on Huck seems to realize that blacks are just like whites. In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, society believes that they are not racist because it was so natural at the time to have slaves, this novel demonstrates how society can be unjust, cruel, and inhumane, but also how not everyone feels the same towards blacks. For blacks in the 1840’s they barely had any rights and if they did have a certain right white people would become angry and tr y to get that right taken away. At this point in time free black men did have a few rights and one of them was voting. White people did not like this at all, especially Hucks drunk father, Pap. He was not so popular in the town because of his bad habits when he was drunk. â€Å"It was ‘lection day† (37) and Pap â€Å"was just about to go and vote† (37) if he â€Å"warn’t too drunk†. Pap had claimed that he â€Å"drawed out† (37) because he found out â€Å"there was a state in the country where they’d let that nigger vote† (37). Pap was furious that the government would let a black person vote because no one saw them as equal, so Pap claimed that he will â€Å"never vote ag’in† (37). Even though Pap was too drunk to vote he still would not have voted because they were letting blacks have the same right as them, which was completely against society at the time. This is another way that we can prove that society has taught white people to believe that they are better and more entitled then blacks. Majority of the white population in America at this time opposed blacks having any rights because they could not see them as equal, which just proves how unjust society was in the 1840’s. All blacks were treated as if they were animals that did not have any feelings. Their punishments for anything they did would have been extremely painful. You can see how white people think that blacks are animals when they chained Jim up and only have him bread and water, because he was not a human just an animal. Instead of leaving Jim there chained up he got him â€Å"out of the chains in no time† (303), which is another way Huck defies society. Huck truly cares about Jim, which was unheard of at the time because white people never saw a point in caring about blacks. The blacks enslaved in America for the most part were uneducated and had no idea about any of the outside countries or culture because their owners preferred that they were stupid. In chapter 19, Huck and Jim got into an argument about how much Jim can understand. Huck expected Jim to understand everything without any explanation, which was unreasonable of him because Jim has never had education. Huck was trying to explain to Jim that he wouldn’t understand some things because it’s in a different language and people speak differently, but Jim could barely even understand the concept that people spoke different languages. Jim repeatedly tells Huck that â€Å"dey aint no sense in it† (90) and how it is â€Å"ridicklous† (90). Jim had questioned Huck about how cats and cows don’t talk â€Å"like a man† (90), but the point of it was that if we were all the same than why did people own other human beings? How was that even Huck Finn essay Huck Finn essay Zoe Williamson English III AP, 3rd Hour November 29, 2014 Huckleberry Finn: Good vs. Evil The nineteenth century was a time of major moral conflict for those in the United States. In the years following the Civil War, both the north and the south were conflicted about whether or not their actions were morally just or not. In his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain pointed out both the good and rather unfortunate sides of humankind and showed not only the nation, but the world what it meant to either be a good person or a bad person. He displays mankind as courageous, senseless, and selfish through the depiction of his characters Huck, Jim, Tom, the Grangerfords, Huck's father, the "King", and the "Duke". Twain displayed the courageousness of humanity through Jim and Huck Finn. Huckleberry Finn was the most courageous of all the characters because he was never afraid to embark on any of his adventures. When he and Jim discovered a crashed steamboat that held a band of murderers, Huck was brave enough to try and stop them. "But if we find their boat we can put all of 'em in a bad fix-for the Sheriff 'll get 'em" (Twain, 52-53). Huck was courageous enough to risk his life all in an attempt to put some murderers in jail. He was also courageous when he decided to help Jim escape slavery even though he thought it would meant he wouldn't go to heaven. Twain showed that Huck knew that helping to free Jim was the right thing to do, even if it would condemn him when Huck thought, "All right then, I'll go to Hell" (Twain, 162). Jim was also very brave when he decided to run from slavery because he knew that to do so would put his own life in peril. He exemplified the amount of bravery and effort he put into escaping the holds of the Phelpses with the quote, "I laid dah under de shavins all day. I 'uz hungry, but I warn't afeared: bekase I knowed ole missus en de wider wuz goin' to start to de camp-meetn" (Twain, 33). Another time Jim proved to be exceedingly courageous was when he showed that he was willing to give up his freedom to save Tom Sawyer's life. The doctor that treated Tom for his wounds pointed out this valor when he said, "I never see a nigger that was a better nuss or faithfuller" (Twain, 215). Both Huck Finn and Jim proved to be courageous and selfless, thusly portraying Twain's belief of what a good person should be like. Mark Twain portrays the flaw of senselessness in mankind through his characters Tom Sawyer and the Grangerford family. Tom's schemes are what prove him to be absolutely the most irrational and absurd characters in the novel. Huck describes Tom's plan to free Jim by saying, "every time a rat bit Jim, he would get up and write a little in his journal whilst the ink was fresh" (Twain, 201). Had Tom not come up with such a ridiculous plan, he would have saved Jim a lot of pain. Another of Tom's plans that were completely absurd was when he said, "the plan was for us to run him down the river, on the raft, and have adventures plumb to the mouth of the river, and tell him about his being free, and take him back home on a steamboat, in style, and pay him for his lost time... and then he would be a hero, and so would we"(Twain, 219). The Grangerford family was also a mere bit idiotic at times. When Huck questioned Buck Grangerford about the background of the feud between his family and the Shepardsons, Buck replied with a casual, "Laws, how do I know? It was so long ago" (Twain, 82). Though Buck acknowledged that fact that the feud was nonsense, he continued killing the Shepardsons, which proved him and his family to be irrational. Using the Grangerfords as an example, Twain was poking at the fact that during the Civil War, many people thought that the battling was pointless, yet they continued to participate in it because they were absolutely irrational. Selfishness is seen vividly through the characters of Huck's father, Pap, and the two nameless conmen who go by "King" and "Duke". Pap

How to Find Valuable References for a High-Quality Research Paper

How to Find Valuable References for a High-Quality Research Paper How to Find Valuable References for a High-Quality Research Paper Research paper two words that send panic and anxiety into the hearts of numerous students. Mostly this panics is caused by the inability to find relevant references in the needed time. Dedication of time and effort is needed when writing an extraordinary and quality research paper. However, this can be easily achieved if you have a good topic with access to credible sources of information. Let’s take a look on how to find credible sources! Evaluating Sources When searching for sources, especially websites, think about whether they are reliable or not. You would want your paper to contain sources from professional and unbiased experts, rather than from people with business interests. The information you get from the author, publisher, bias, citations, accuracy, currency, design, reproduction will help you determine if a source is reliable: Good Sources Librarian/Teacher/Specialist in m=Media Related Field. You could request one of them to lead you to where there are valuable sources as regards your research topic. There is a high probability they are aware of all ins and outs of this subject more than you are for now. In some schools, libraries are divided according to the field of the potential research. It means you can receive advice from a librarian specialized in your particular topic of interest. Academic Journals. They add some professionalism and credibility to the paper, and perform a potentially efficient way of finding amazing articles on your subject, especially in science and humanities. Most colleges have a membership to a large database of scholarly articles like JSTOR or less known EBSCO Host. Ask your librarian about the similar services and databases your school might be subscribed to. Google Scholar is good as it displays how frequently an academic article was cited – a rough numerical indicator of the influence of the research. Microsoft Academic Search works especially well for technical papers in fields of physics, biology, engineering, and mathematics. Books: These are one of the ideal ways to find valuable and credible information. Because books have more details than websites, they are preferred as sources, particularly in the humanities. Your school or public library website contains so many of them. Google Books can also help you find relevant books related to your topic. Information relating to purchase of the book or how to access it in your library is also usually provided. Websites: They should be approached with caution. While a few seasoned experts and professionals publish great information across different websites, there’s a great deal of awful information published by money-minded people as well. RefSeek and ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) are databases designed for students and researchers. They incorporate a number of related journals on topics, such as social work, psychology, and other social issues. Sources You Shouldn’t Use The Dictionary. Beginning your paper with, â€Å"According to the dictionary† renders the statement weak basically because the meaning of most words is already known to the readers. So rather than using a dictionary for definition of a complex word, use a more subject centred definition from credible sources or journals in case you’re using complex terms that readers might not be acquainted with. About.com. It has a bunch of valuable information, most of which is not relevant to your research paper, like the best new cars, and 10 places to visit before you die. These are articles written basically by people who are passionate about their interests. It is a really cool website, however, you cannot be sure of the accuracy of the information because anyone can write it. And mostly professors restrain you specifically from using Wiki and similar resources. There’s no use being panic-stricken about writing an academic research paper. You’ll be on your way to writing an awesome paper if you make use of the resources in this article. They will help you access the most credible and valuable sources to base your essay on.

A comparison of business improvement methodologies Dissertation

A comparison of business improvement methodologies - Dissertation Example 19 3.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 21 3.1 Research Philosophy 21 3.2 Research Design 21 3.3 Sampling 22 3.3.1 Sample Size 22 INTRODUCTION The world of business has become extremely competitive and survival and success of firms largely depend upon their ability to improve. The impact of globalization has made the world of business more competitive forcing them to come up with new methods and approaches to improve. The businesses today are marred by high cost of materials and services and there is an urgent need to seek new methods to make financial performance better, enhance market share and improve customer satisfaction and the contribution by employees. Technological advancements have made the customers more knowledgeable and have added to the complexity of business environment. Customers have more choice and options at their disposal and the demand for quality is increasing day by day. Because of the challenges thrown by globalization, businesses need a more scientific method to understand and analyze any information about their performances; this includes an approach that would reliably link inputs with outputs. Webb (2006) stated that in order to improve the outcomes of a process, the process itself needs to be improved; this is where business improvement methodologies like Six Sigma, TQM and BPR step in. These business improvement methodologies show the managers the precise changes they need to make in order to obtain the desired outcomes. This research study aims to evaluate the efficiency of the business improvement methodologies and the common and unique traits of each of these methodologies. The study also tends to identify if these strategies are converging towards one universal approach. 1.1 The Evolution of Improvement Methodologies: A Brief History Implementation of scientific management in businesses began in the 1900s with Frederick Taylor’s revolutionary time and motion studies to make factories more competent and resourceful. This initiated a se ries of quality management processes until in 1940 the principles of Total Quality Management were established by W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran (Webb, 2006). Deming’s statistical methods and management principles were adopted by Japanese engineers for building processes and quality control as they re-built their country after the devastating World War II. The TQM processes were so efficient and effective that by 1970s, Japan had gained control of a large portion of the US auto market, consumer electronics and camera market. This caused the US companies to become serious about improving the quality of their products and led to the promulgation of structured methods to improve the quality of products by improving the processes involved in their production. After years of research and experimentation, came the Six Sigma improvement model which was adopted by Motorola in 1986. In 1988 Motorola won the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award and the Six Sigma improvement model was adopted by other big firms including IBM, GE, Allied Signal, Xerox and Texas Instruments. This study is concerned with looking deeply into these business impr

Does Christian Salvesen's sickness absence management policy meet its Essay

Does Christian Salvesen's sickness absence management policy meet its obligations under the DDA - Essay Example What makes matters worse is that the susceptibility of disabled workers to be inflicted with further physical damages is sometimes ignored, or simply taken for granted. Legislatures outlawing discrimination exist and are updated from time to time to cater to the varying degree of needs by workers, and yet incidences are still filed to various concerned agencies. Total elimination of disability discrimination has to start from at the onset of the employment process had been advocated beside strict implementation in the workplace. One celebrated case of disability discrimination is a case that has been filed and a success in Ireland sometime in the year 2001. An employed woman who had an epilepsy had been hired temporarily and had been performing well as substantiated by her supervisor for a computer plant. When the company decided to elevate her status to permanent, she went under a medical test and although she had declared her epilepsy in her application form, the doctor called the company's personnel officer to advise regarding her epilepsy, of which was ground for her dismissal. The argument had been that the company was supposed to have been obliged to carry out safety assessment identifying the extent of danger involved on the epileptic employee's tasks. The company should have then taken steps to overcome these dangers, if any. In fact, the doctor's call was used as sufficient ground for the employee's dismissal, and that the company did not even wait for the written medical report anymore which stated that the epilepsy was no problem except when there was a need for her to tackle heavy machinery. The company defended that the dismissal was due to the medical advice that stated all workers had to be able to do all tasks and that the claimant's job involved heavy machinery. Nevertheless, it admitted that the employee was dismissed because of her epilepsy. The Labour Court surmised that the worker was not obliged to work on heavy machinery all the time and it was possible that the company could have arranged ways for her not to use machinery at all. The company was obliged to consider providing the employee with reasonable facilities which could have overcome difficulties. The employer was fined IEP (ISO currency code for the Irish Punt) 15,000 awarded to the epileptic employee (EIRO, 2006). Another case of disability discrimination had been acted on an assistant bookkeeper who worked for 30 years for her employer. She already had two back surgeries during that time and her doctor advised she would need another. She applied for a leave which was granted and she soon spent the next days training another younger employee assigned to replace her temporarily. After her successful surgery and recovery period, she called on her manager regarding her plan to resume work. Instead, her manager said her services are no longer needed and even suggested she could resign voluntarily although there had been a plan to terminate her employment. When she refused to quit, she was terminated that same week for "poor performance." Nelson filed charge alleging that she was terminated because of her disability and her age. In response, the employer disputed the fired employee's claim of disability but only back problems, and that she