Florence,Italy Essays - Renaissance Painters, Giftedness

Florence,Italy Florence is located in central Italy. Florence was built on both sides of the Arno River, which causes flooding from time to time. Florence has many hills there hills which cause a very changeable type of climate with the help of the Arno River. Summers are hot and humid, and winters cool and wet. There are many advantages to having the city where it is at. The city was about 145 miles northwest of Rome, which is an important city to trade with. The Arno river gives Italy easy access to water and trade from the river to the Meditarian sea. The hills of the city offered some protection from outside invasions. Florence started out in 59 B.C. as a colony for soldiers for the Roman armies . In the 3rd century Florence became a provincial capital of the Roman Empire and a prosperous commercial center. In the medieval centuries, Florence was occupied by outsiders, first by Ostrogoths in the 5th century, then by Byzantines in the 6th century, and then by the Langobards. From the late 10th century onward Florence prospered, and, under the rule of Countess Matilda of Tuscany (1069-1115) In 1293 Florence adopted a constitution that required frequent changes of office to make sure that no group or individual could take over it(once every two months) During the 12th and 13th century the political as well as economic powers grew. Florentine woolen cloth industry and of banking grew. Since there was a balance between the leading merchant families, Florence was ruled by its guilds, which were divided into seven major guilds and a number of minor ones. The city's podesta, or chief magistrate and police chief, could be selected only from the major guilds. Right before the middle of the 14th century, Florence had become a metropolis of about 90,000 people, which made it one of the great cities in Europe (with Paris, Venice, Milan, and Naples). But, in 1348 the Black Death struck, killing half the people. And also the bankruptcies of the Bardi and the Peruzzi a couple of years before the Black Death had also brought down the city, and it never fully recovered from these disasters. Successful merchants and bankers, such as Cosimo de' Medici and Giovanni Rucellai in the 15th century, were able to reshape politics and culture in Florence. The French Medicis, which was an Italian family that ruled Florence from 1434 to 1737, (except from 1494 till 1512 and from 1527 till 1530). they had four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leon XI) and married the royal families of Europe. There are many great universities and academies in Florence, such as The Crusca Academy, which is an Italian literary academy founded in Florence in 1582 to study Tuscan, which was the literary language of the Italian Renaissance. The Platonic Academy, started out as a group of scholars in mid-15th-century Florence who met under the leadership of Platonic philosophy Marsilio Ficino to study and discuss philosophy and the classics. And also the University of Florence dates founded around 1859. There were also many great people (artists, inventors, scientists....) that came out of Florence. One of them was Leonardo da Vinci, he was a great artist, yet was so more then just an artist, he was a painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, inventor, designer, and engineer. Among Leonardo's most famous paintings were The Mona Lisa, and The Last Supper. He made many accurate drawings and sketches of human organs. Another famous person from Florence was Michelangelo who is considered to be the greatest living artist in his lifetime and now he is one of the greatest artists of all times. A lot of his paintings, sculptures, and architecture are among the most famous in existence. He thought of himself primarily as a sculptor. He is famous for painting the Sistine Chapel and doing David. Florence was at this time regarded as the leading center of art, producing the best painters and sculptors in Europe, and there was great competition among artists The city was, however, less able than before to offer large commissions, and Florentine artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Leonardo's teacher, Verrocchio, had moved away for better opportunities in different cities.

Billie Holiday Quotes

Billie Holiday Quotes Billie Holiday, a popular and tragic figure in jazz, was a gifted singer with an amazing voice and talent whose personal life was chaotic and troubled. Selected Billie Holiday Quotations I never hurt nobody but myself and thats nobodys business but my own. Im always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where Ive been. Youve got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn bodys sermon on how to behave. Somebody once said we never know what is enough until we know whats more than enough. If I dont have friends, then I aint got nothin. Dont threaten me with love, baby. Lets just go walking in the rain. Love is like a faucet, it turns off and on. You can be up to your boobies in white satin, with gardenias in your hair and no sugar cane for miles, but you can still be working on a plantation. Sometimes its worse to win a fight than to lose. Singing songs like The Man I Love or Porgy is no more work than sitting down and eating Chinese roast duck, and I love roast duck. People dont understand the kind of fight it takes to record what you want to record the way you want to record it. I hate straight singing. I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. Thats all I know. If Im going to sing like someone else, then I dont need to sing at all. You cant copy anybody and end with anything. If you copy, it means youre working without any real feeling. No two people on earth are alike, and its got to be that way in music or it isnt music. No two people on earth are alike, and its got to be that way in music or it isnt music. I never had a chance to play with dolls like other kids. I started working when I was six years old. In this country, dont forget, a habit is no damn private hell. Theres no solitary confinement outside of jail. A habit is hell for those you love. And in this country its the worst kind of hell for those who love you. All dope can do for you is kill you... the long hard way. And it can kill the people you love right along with you. About These Quotes Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis. Each quotation page in this collection and the entire collection  © Jone Johnson Lewis. This is an informal collection assembled over many years. I regret that I am not be able to provide the original source if it is not listed with the quote.

Case 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case 3 - Assignment Example In several situations such as missing employee motivation; customers’ dissatisfaction or for that matter when a change process needs to be initiated, it becomes imperative to apply EI knowledge for favorable outcomes. EI play an important role in developing remarkable leaders because empathy, assertiveness, and interpersonal relationships are the key factors that any leader must have in order to create organizational development. Specific actions are needed to enhance the use of EI frameworks in the organization; moreover, EI can be taught and promoted within the organization. EI can be a developmental experience for all, no matter what role he or she occupies. All decision makers within the organization need to understand the importance of EI and must be trained for enhancing their effectiveness in the organization. For the reasons mentioned above, EI needs to be linked with leadership competency models because EI provides a complete roadmap so that leaders can reach to their full potential. Critique Only a couple of years back, intelligence quotient (IQ) was considered everything while measuring the leadership ability. As organizations began expanding keeping focus on customers’ needs, it was soon realized that human resource plays a pivotal role in success and failure of the organization because firms now operate in a fiercely competitive arena. Organizations need not be just efficient but effective too. It is the effectiveness that provides competitive edge over competition in the market place; moreover, certain leadership qualities are essential for making the organization effective. And EQ or EI defines how effective the leadership is in managing the organizational workforce to achieve organizational goals. Roger Pearman has rightly pointed towards certain characteristics that a manger or leader needs to demonstrate. Apart from having some of the known qualities such as integrity, a vision to see beyond, and ability to communicate, they also exhibit some of the unique traits and skills that form an integral part of their compelling leadership style. These traits are essential to deal, manage and motivate workforce in the organizational for desired outcomes. These traits are measured in terms of emotional intelligence (EI) that decide leaders' empathy towards workforce; their ability to inspire and motivate employees at all levels for achieving organizational goals; problem solving capacity; resolving intradepartmental conflicts and so on. Self regulation, motivation, social skill, empathy and self regulation are cornerstones of EI. While social skill brings persuasiveness and effectiveness in bringing change, empathy imparts cross-cultural sensitivity. Ability to motivate is an important trait found in leader but self-awareness and self-regulation are extremely important traits that speak about leader’s openness to change. It is not appropriate to define EI in terms of weaknesses and threats. If EI assessment is not a simple exercise than that is only because it is relatively a new branch of estimating human strengths and therefore, it is obvious that limited experts are available to estimate and facilitate EI processes. Similarly, any new branch of knowledge is going to make people scare for the reason of natural inertia that prevents them to explore something new; however, simply because of this reason it cannot be classified as threats. Being a proven science, it provides a sure

About positive message Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About positive message - Essay Example The grooming of the workforce is a win-win situation. It is a strategy which will not only benefit the organization but it will also help the employees to improve their market worth which can be cashed on later. There are some rules and regulation while taking any course. These rules and regulations must be followed by the employees so that they can get maximum benefits without any hindrance. Employees are entitled to receive scholarship for those courses which are related to their current job. Initially the courses are being offered for the permanent employees however we also believe that our temporary workers will try to work hard to get the status of permanent employee so that they can also make their market worth through these courses. Tuition fee is considered as one of the major chunk of any study. Therefore the organization has already made an arrangement for it and we hope that employees will make the arrangement for other expenses like books and stationary at their own expense. Grade ‘C’ will be considered as a mandatory requirement for the reimbursement of approved applications of the employees. Temporary employees can take some benefits from the scholarship after the completion of their probationary period with the company. Employees interested in under-graduate programs will be better of since the undergraduate programs are not taxed as per the rules of the taxation. There are very few organizations that care about the workforce to such an extent. However we also believe that these facilities are not only benefiting the employees but such a grooming is also enhancing the goodwill of the organization. We believe that employees should consider it as a life time opportunity and try to give maximum time to their courses after the completion of their work. Work experience can not benefit alone. Many HR managers expect that employees should keep themselves up to date with the latest developments related to their field. For example if

Andrea and Overfield, The Human Record, Sources of Global History Vol Essay

Andrea and Overfield, The Human Record, Sources of Global History Vol. II (Cengage) hereafter AO - Essay Example In the year 1789, the assembly passed the declaration of the rights of man and the citizen. This declaration was a result of the direct consequences of what was taking place in France during this period. This declaration was important during that time since it help in annulling the right of the nobles to demand tithes, taxes and labor from peasants who were working on their family land. This was a great step in the liberation of man and the fight for human rights. This declaration was partly inspired the revolution that was taking place in America at that time (Andrea and Overfield 254). Unlike the declaration in America that â€Å"all men are equal†, the declaration made in France stated, â€Å"Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. The distinction in society may be founded only upon the general good†. This declaration left room for racial prejudice to take place. It stated that despite man being free there will always be a social difference. During this time, the blacks were mistreated for social purposes and were not fully given their rights in the society. Even though they were facing mistreatment from the general French public, the black French population had the right to resist the oppressions as this was provided by the declaration. The period of revolution and declaration of the right of man was volatile/ most of the churches were closed and priests were being hunted down. Politics at this time had taken a different twist and idea of persecution of the Catholics as well as the Protestants began. Several churches were closed, and others converted to temples for fear of persecution. The church was not safe no more. In respect to human rights and dignity, there was the abolishment of the water wheel and introduction of the guillotine. It is no coincidence that the universal declarations of the rights of humans, the European Convention for the human rights protection and the first treaty of the communities in Europe have their origins

Is Class Still Relevant in a Modern Society?

Is Class Still Relevant in a Modern Society? The question of whether ‘class is still a relevant concept in the understanding of social divisions in contemporary Britain has two components to be analysed, firstly is class still and do social divisions exist in Britain? The results of this research indicate yes to both questions, that although class and the nature of its existence have changed since Marx, Weber and Durkheim’s eras, it is very difficult to get past the important and definite existence of class and social divisions within Britain today. Neo-Marxists, neo-Weberians as well as functionalists and other theorists analysing it from a post-modern, post industrialisation perspective support this opinion. Class itself is a concept that has been traditionally hard to define and continues to be so. As Bradley states in Fractured Identities (1996, p. 45), ‘class is everywhere and nowhere’. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. It has a shifting identity with few definite physical signs or markers to monitor. Part of the difficulty to define it categorically is that it involves many terms and viewpoints: class awareness; class consciousness; class imagery; class interest; class position; contradictory class location; false consciousness; middle class; petite bourgeoisie; proletariat; status; stratification; underclass; working class, the list is extensive. As Bilton et al (1987, p. 36) states: ‘Structures where economic relationships are primarily called class societies, and in these cases we refer to the different unequal groups as classes. There is considerable despite over the precise definition of this term, but we shall use class to refer to a group sharing a similar position in a structure of objective material inequalities, produced by a particular system of economic relations characteristic of a particular mode of production.’ (Bilton T, et al 1987, p. 36; Bradley 1996, pp. 45-6). Analysing class has historically formed a set of debates, emanating from the initial positions taken by theorists such as Marx and Weber, this debate has continued with neo-Marxists and neo-Weberians. In Class and Stratification. An Introduction to Current Debates, Rosemary Crompton (1998) suggests there is now a movement that involves a split between those who study class structure and mobility using statistical research and those who focus on class formation and consciousness by using historical or ethnographical approaches. This conflict has resulted in a stalemate of sorts where some sociologists have lost interest in the importance of social class. While anthropologists, historians and sociologists identify class as a social structure emerging from pre-history, the idea of social class entered the English dictionary approximately in the 1770s. It is valuable for this reason that any changes that may have been made since its induction should be evaluated. (Bradley 1996, pp. 45-6; Taylor, 1999, pp. 97-8). Marx saw class categories as relating to the ownership of property, and production relationship. He founded a revolutionary concept in social order – communism, in a communist state there would be no stratification. The two groups were the bourgeoisie who owned the means of production, and the proletariat the workers. He believed this relationship was based upon exploitation and conflict. Marx predicted a revolution in which the proletariat would defeat the bourgeoisie and share ownership of the factories equally between themselves. Although this did not occur in Britain, it did in Russia, in 1917. The proletariat revolted and all means of production fell into public ownership, forming a socialist state. This was close to Marxs ideological dream of communism. However, ownership despite being equal still existed and there was divisions still existed, some people had better, more highly respected, jobs than others. There was still inequality and competition. (Albrow, 1999, pp 155-9; Bilton T, et al 1987, pp 27-8). Weber was influenced by Marxs work but disagreed with his theory, he thought it was too deterministic. Being a structuralist, he believed people were shaped by the society in which they lived and capable of social action. He also disagreed with Marxs theory on stratification. Marx based his view of class structure on ownership of the means of production whilst Weber believed it was dependant on life chances. Life chances depended on wealth and skills; the upper class had the most advantageous life chances, and the poor (e.g. the unemployed, elderly and homeless), the least; economic situation, market situation, status and political party could determine class. Whist Marx split society into two distinct classes; Weber saw that social structure was more complex. The four main strata he identified were the upper class, the middle class, the working class and the poor/underclass. However, within these groups, were other, more subtle divisions, which depended on a number of variables incl uding differences in income, opportunities for upwards mobility, security of employment, language, life-style and social estimation of others. However, Weber perceived class as somewhat different, he believed that class consciousness was essentially conditional –that consciousness could occur depending upon circumstances. He acknowledged, as Marx believed, that classes and social groups were likely to experience conflict in attempts to gain status honour or class movement. (Taylor, 1999, pp. 99). Neo-Marxists come in many varying forms, but they share a common acknowledgement of the importance of gender/sex divisions. Nevertheless, it was still placed less important than class divisions under a capitalist society. Consequently, they thought the primary basis of exploitation in society was class, not gender. This implies that capitalists have more power over workers than men have over women, not an uncontroversial view. Issues of race and ethnicity were also viewed as less important than class. Functionalists take the view that social stratification is both essential to the running of society and inevitable. They believe that all social phenomena exist because they have a positive function to fulfil. Durkheim, a functionalist, described society as a living organism in which different organs with specific functions such as education, work, and government are inter-related. According to Bilton et al (1987), ‘the education system is a vehicle for developing the human resour ces of an industrial nation.’ (Bilton T, et al 1987, p. 308; Swingewood 2000, pp 137-140). In Class and Stratification, Crompton challenges the claim that class is dead and is in fact very much alive. In the vein of this belief, Goldthorpe and Wright critically examine ‘post-modern’ theories of ‘post-class’ societies, as well as the most recent contributions of quantitative sociological approaches. It is argued that despite their theoretical differences, the work of these two authors has been undergoing a process of convergence in recent years. Crompton analyses how the death of class is the contemporary increase in the event of social and material inequality. Definitional difficulties of class are only one aspect of the decision by many sociologists to question its relevance. Cromption explores social inequalities including gender and the feminisation of the middle classes, the significance of recent changes in work and employment, consumption and citizenship. (Bradley 1996, pp. 59-62; Crompton 1998, pp. 113-5) In most modern industrial societies, including Britain, the system of social stratification is fluid through generations or perhaps in their own lifetime, people can move up or down the social scale. A number of modern thinkers have tried to define what makes a particular ‘social class’. Is it accent, surroundings, occupation, income, wealth? If we simply spoke only about class as it was first defined and existed since Marx/Weber times we would not taking into account societal changes such as the increase in unemployment, health care crises, resulting in a concept of society that has always existed yet, become more prevent and occupied: the underclass. It seems that any social divisions that may exist stem from the pretext of social class and its restraints and the difficulty to move from one class to another is problematic. (Bilton T, et al 1987, 308). Thatcher’s Conservative Party did not believe in the concept of society, rather than society had no existence outside of individuals. Her party’s main aim was to reduce the role of the state in the economy, through various means such as the privatisation of British Rail, council houses and the introduction of poll tax in 1989. She advocated strong welfare reforms and created an adult Employment Training system that included full-time work done for the dole plus small top-up, based upon the a US workfare model, called the ‘Social Fund’ system. It placed one-off welfare payments for emergency needs under a local budgetary limit, and where possible changed them into loans, and rules for assessing jobseeking effort by the week, were breaches of social consensus unprecedented since the 1920s. All very strong and harsh steps only seeming to increase the already obvious class inequalities and difficulties in British society. By 1990, opposition to Thatchers polici es on local government taxation, her Governments perceived mishandling of the economy -especially the high interest rates which were undermining her core voting base within the home-owning, entrepreneurial and business sectors, as well as other factors finally made her and her party seem increasingly politically vulnerable. Her rein was over, yet her affect on British society remains strong and well-felt by general society. So it seems given all the variants and backgrounds that we have discussed that class divisions still exist and thus are still very relevant. The old saying the rich gets richer and the poor get poorer certainly was true of Thatcher’s era (Taylor, 1999, pp. 111-3; Albrow, 1999, pp 56-7; Margaret Thatcher: 2006). The Rowntree Report in 1995 exposed that unemployment rates in Britain were rising high and more rapidly than in any other industrial country – a very worrying finding, that unemployment, insecurity and deprivation were still very much prevalent in the working classes. Examining the existence of the underclass leads us to the question of whether it is a convenient label, and a powerful rhetorical label, as Marxists argue, or is it a post-industrial phenomenon? Considering that we are analysing British society post-industrialisation, this is an interesting question to ponder. Some theorists believe that it is a term that victimises and blames people and keeps them in their socio-economic spot without the opportunity or resources to move. (Fincher, R Saunders, P, 2001, p. 21; Bradley 1996, p 46; Taylor, 1999, pp. 113-5). To answer our original question of whether class can still be used as applicable concept in the understanding of social divisions in contemporary Britain, the answer is most definitely yes, but it has changed from the days of Marx and Weber and initial sociological conceptualisation. It seems that to analyse this process highlights the parts of society that may be disadvantaged through their social class or class immobility. Awareness is an important part of the process of changing and at the very least, compassion and societal responsibility. Bibliography Albrow, M, 1999, Sociology: The Basics. Roultedge, London Bilton T, Bennett, K, Jones, P, Stanworth, M, Sheard, K Webster, A 1987. Introductory Sociology. Macmillan Education Ltd, Hampshire. Bradley, H, 1996. Fractured Identities. Changing Patterns of Inequality. Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. Crompton, R, 1998. Class and Stratification. An Introduction to Current Debates, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. Erikson, K, 1997, Sociological Visions, Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Inc, USA. Fincher, R Saunders, P, 2001, Creating Unequal Futures? Rethinking Poverty, Inequality and Disadvantage. Allen and Unwin, Australia. Giddens, A 1993. Sociology, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK. Taylor, S, 1999, Sociology: Issues and Debates, Macmillan, Great Britain. Swingewood, A 2000. A Short History of Sociological Thought, 3rd Ed, St Martin’s Press, New York. Psychological/Sociological Paradigms, retrieved 7th April 2006, from:Â  http://webpages.marshall.edu/~carter12/eda705a5.htm. Wikipedia, April 2006, Margreat Thatcher, retrieved 11th April 2006, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher

British Settlement in American Continent and Regionalism :: Geography History Historic Essays

British Settlement in American Continent and Regionalism Describe how settlement patterns set-up the regionalisms of the United States. Throughout history, people from cultures around the world have come to America seeking a new life or a change from their current conditions. They may have come to avoid persecution, to avoid overpopulation, or to attempt to be successful in an entirely new world from the life they formerly knew. As the immigrants arrived, some found that their dreams had been attained. Conversely, some found that the New World was not as fantastic as they were led to believe. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, an influx of British citizens arrived on the shores of America. The arriving British population came from a particular area of Europe, but there was distinct individuality within the group. The diverse British immigrant population would be the first of many groups to add cultural variety to the United States population, for which America continues to be known today. After reading Albion's Seed by David Hackett Fischer, it is apparent that the four major British groups arriving from 1620 to 1776 and their patterns of settlement would shape the development of American regionalisms known throughout the country. Four major British groups immigrated to America within a span of less than two hundred years. Although they all migrated from the British Isles, each had a distinct set of standards and a very set culture carried from the other side of the Atlantic. Not only were the people of early America diverse, so were the motives for which they migrated to the New World. The Puritans arrived from 1629 to 1641. This group was a culture devoted to the Bible and following its every word. Because of their extreme beliefs, they had been persecuted in England. Their goal in America was to create a Promised Land based on their beliefs. They moved from the eastern sections of Britain known as East Anglia and settled in New England, primarily in Massachusetts. The Puritans' influence shaped the New England image to how it is known today. For example, the pattern of settlement of small towns in the New England region was carried over from those of eastern England. These towns were centralized along a main road, with a few farms or homes outside of the village. Even today, this type of town is well known throughout Massachusetts and the other New England states. Another example of well-known New England characteristics concerns their food preference.

Shareholder vs Stakeholder vs Market Failure’s Model

Business and ethics are often considered as opposite ends of a magnet, one in the means of seeking profit and other with the common assumption of refraining from profit maximization; so the question become is business ethics really an oxymoron? The usual perception of business ethics is very poor and pessimistic as many corporate executives say one thing yet do another. Although the maximization of self-interest and profit seeking is what drives the economy forward, but how should one’s actions be justified, is it ok to do as you wish as long as the law permits?Business managers along with other professionals have sets of ethical codes laid out and are to be followed. There is the bar set in place to monitor the practices of each individual lawyer; medical association for doctors as they perform medicine; and a ring to be worn to constantly remind the engineers of their professionalism and the potential consequences of their work (Heath). Managers on the other hand do not have an association to oversee the decisions they make, whether they are permissible by law or meet the moral obligations.However not having the standards on paper does not mean there aren’t any to be followed. In order to make justification for the type of behaviours business managers have and to outline the appropriate actions they should take, many ethical theories have been developed since. There are three that best represent the key perspectives in this matter; Friedman’s Shareholder theory, Freeman’s Stakeholder theory and Heath’s Market Failure Model of business ethics (Heath).Each of them is the pillars of which many other theories are based on but have very different and opposite views. The Shareholder theory suggests that manager has fiduciary duties to the shareholders only and must maximize profits as long as the law permits. The Stakeholder theory on the other hand suggests that managers have fiduciary duties to all stakeholders whom are positive ly or negatively affected by the decisions of the firm; shareholders are only of the stakeholders and their benefits cannot account for all.The making of one group’s benefits can only be made in conjunction of making all other stakeholders better too; shareholders are no more special than the suppliers, customers, employees and communities. Both the Stakeholder and Shareholder’s theories are biased towards different ends, one suggesting profits to be maximized for one group while the other stating that profits should be common good for all. Furthermore, the Market Failure Model of business ethics comes in between the two, yet containing arguments of both but in revised versions.I will argue in this paper that the Market Failure Model is the one that best describes the causes and effects of the business environment we have today and the role ethics play within it. First, an extraction and analysis of the Market Failure Model will be conducted and be used to explain why it is the best fit for the current business environment and ethics. I will then explain the shortfalls of the Shareholder and Stakeholder theories and why they lack considerations on a broader scope. Market Failure Model Market failure is the situation when the competitive market fails to provide an efficient outcome.In order for an efficient allocation of resources, there must be the absence of externalities, symmetrical information between buyers and sellers, insurance markets, and utility maximizing agents whom are rational when making decisions (Heath). However in the real world, the above conditions are rarely met and thus the idea of a perfect market becomes only ideal in theory but impractical in reality. In response to such failure in the market, two corrective phenomenons exist. The first being the creation of corporations which is organized in a system of hierarchy.Managers have fiduciary duty to follow legal as well as moral constraints to achieve profit maximization for members in the hierarchy, in this case the shareholders. Moreover, in order to achieve the highest profits for anyone in the market, they will need to compete in prices as well as product innovation. Many historical scenarios has proven that competition leads to economic advancements where without it would result in economic stagnation. China and India had been communist states in the past where there were minimum price competition and product innovations, the government had full control and attempted to effectively allocate resources.However such intervention only led to full economic stagnation and poverty for its people. By the late 80s, both the Chinese and India government returned control to the market itself where competition for profit resumed and thus the economies began to advance and has brought prosperity upon its people. This not only proved profit seeking, price competition in the market is rather healthy for the economy but also concluded that government interventions in the market can create unneeded deadweight loss.The second response to Market Failure involves preservation of the market transaction and is subject to legal and regulatory constraints (Heath). In a competing market, there are various strategies firms may take to maximize their profits. Strategies that involve only of lower prices, better quality and product innovation that would exist in perfect completion are referred to as preferred strategies whereas the ones involving pollution, misleading advertising, sale of products with hidden defects are called non-preferred strategies (Heath).From the Market Failure’s perspective, the ethical firms will refrain from using non-preferred strategies even if they are allowable by the loophole of the law and regulations. These firms seek non-preferred strategies because they bring easy and quick forms of profits, but it is also short lasting. â€Å"Misleading advertising stands to false advertising as deception does to fraud† (Heath). When firms adopt misleading advertisement for its products, it will bring short term profits before consumers realize they are being deceived.However when consumers do acknowledge the unethical behaviours of the business, they will switch products and by the word of mouth spread unfavourable comments of the firm; thus in the long run, such business behaviour is not practical as bad reputation leads to loss of sales and eventual closedown of operations. Profit seeking often bears negative conceptions due to the frequent exploitation of the market and flaws of the legal and regulatory systems.These firms fail to consider the moral obligations they must also endure. The analogy between â€Å"orporate social responsibility† and â€Å"Good sportsmanship† effectively compares and applies such concept. Having good sportsmanship does not only include not breaking the rules of the game but also refraining from exploiting the loopholes and flaws of the regulations. Taki ng basketball for example, unavoidable physical contact will occur during the game; however one should avoid purposely injuring other players just to win.Although certain teams do adopt such tactics like those firms using non-preferred strategies to make money, but most top ranked teams along with the most reputable firms still win by applying only of the preferred strategies. Attack on Shareholder’s Theory Milton Friedman’ Shareholder theory argues that there is a fiduciary relationship between the managers and shareholders; managers by all means possible and permissible by law, must maximize profits (Friedman). However recent corporate scandals proof otherwise.The case of Enron for example, where corporate CEO and president along with other top executives engaged in a sequence of deception behaviours to achieve the maximum profit, not for shareholders but for themselves. Even on the verge of bankruptcy, these top managers froze the shares held by common shareholders so they could sell out all their shares while everyone else will suffer the drop in price. This proved the willingness to break the law never mind moral obligations, in order to maximize the self-interests of the managers themselves.It is mistaken to trust the strength of the fiduciary relationship between managers and shareholders where the shareholders are without protection. One may argue that shareholders can simply fire the irresponsible manager, but as Enron proves, these managers can easily cheat shareholders without being found out until it is too late. Another shortfall of the Shareholder theory is the inconsideration for others who are also affected by the firm’s decisions. Lockean argues that shareholders are entitled to the profits as employee deserves their wages, but it is unconvincing because it only defines the legal obligations but not the moral (Heath). We have no legal obligation to give but do not mean we have no moral obligation to give to charity†( Heath) This quote from Heath suggests that even though it is not by law that we must be moral and has concerns for other, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t any moral and ethical codes to be followed. Attack on Stakeholder Theory The Stakeholder theory compared to the Shareholder theory argues that managers have fiduciary duties to everyone who are affected by decisions of the firm, including suppliers, customers, employees and many others (Freeman).It is true that consideration for these stakeholders are important when making business decisions however it doesn’t mean managers have fiduciary duties to all. Managers in corporations are trusted directly of property rights of shareholders with no alternatives and minimum protection against uncertainties. Suppliers, customers, employees and other stakeholder on the other hand have the ability to choose whether they are to be affected by the corporation.If suppliers refuse to agree to conditions and prices offered by firm, they may wish to supply to other firms instead; when customers refuse to pay for certain products or cannot agree to values (values referred to the corporate operations and its effects in the society) offered by the firm, they may choose not to purchase it’s products; and lastly employees may choose to resign from his position when conflict of interest and ethical concerns occur or may blow the whistle and expose the wrong doings of the firm to the public.Each group of stakeholders have their own alternatives in dealing with managers decisions and do not have property rights already invested and paid to managers for the outcomes of their performance thus they cannot be considered as having fiduciary relationships with managers. The major flaw of the stakeholder theory is that it assumes the stakeholders are not capable of making their own rational decisions and has left the responsibility of their wellbeing in the hands of others.The second shortfall of the Stakeholderà ¢â‚¬â„¢s theory is its short-term and narrow scope view of the matter and failed to consider the long-term strategies of the firm and wellbeing of the people. Walmart has been growing exponentially in recent years, but has also been experiencing much negative publicity like poor wages and benefits for its employees. When worker aren’t paid enough, the most common solution they seek is from the managers raising their wages.However most of these workers fail to realize they are only being paid according to their skill sets, rather than holding the managers and corporation responsible they should instead reflect on themselves and obtain higher education or more specialized skills to be worthy of their pay. If workers demand two or three dollars increase of their wage, they also need to consider the overall effects on the firm and not just themselves; it is not about a little more on one person’s pay cheque but the effect of thousands of workers and the incremental costs t hat a firm will bear.The market is competitive in nature, when firms fail to make profits, it will cease in existence in the long run. When the firm becomes bankrupt, all employees will lose their jobs and whom should be held responsible for that? Conclusion In conclusion, all three theories share different views of business ethics and the role of managers should take in it. Shareholder theory argues managers have fiduciary duty to shareholders only and should seek to maximize profits as long as it’s legally permissible; Stakeholder theory states managers have fiduciary duty to all stakeholders and must make ecisions so when certain stakeholders are made better off, the others involved must also be better than their original state. Both of these theories tries to outline what behaviours managers should take on a biased perspective yet fails to fit actual economic and market characteristics. Heath’s market failure model on the other hand suggests that managers do have f iduciary duties to shareholder only but should make decisions meeting their moral obligations as well, meaning adopting strategies that best benefit the firm and the society in the long run.Certain firms may donate to charity because they feel morally responsible or perhaps to cut taxes or simply for publicity; however in the overall wellbeing of the society, intentions matter but results matter even more. Firms that adopt non-preferred strategies will eventually break laws or be publicly criticized, will suffer losses in sale and be eliminated by firms applying preferred strategies because the market works to correct itself of its failures. Bibliography Heath, J. (n. d. ). Business ethics without stakeholders.In F. Allhoff & A. Vaidya (Eds. ), Business in Ethical Focus: An Anthology (pp. 110-126). Peterborough: Broadview. Friedman, M. F. (n. d. ). The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. In A. Allhoff & A. Vaidya (Eds. ), Business in Ethical Focus: An Antho logy(pp. 65-69). Peterborough: Broadview. Freeman, E. F. (n. d. ). A stakeholder theory of the modern corporation. In A. Allhoff & A. Vaidya (Eds. ),Business in Ethical Focus: An Anthology (pp. 69-78). Peterborough: Broadview.

buy custom The Countrywide Financial Corporation essay

buy custom The Countrywide Financial Corporation essay The Countrywide Financial Corporation was founded in 1969 by Angelo Mozilo and David Loeb. Angelo Mozilo was the founder and chairman of the corporation. He is also thought to be behind the collapse of the company. In 1969, David Loeb founded the Countrywide in New York. Its intention was to create a nationwide lending firm specializing in mortgage loans. The company proceeded to open retail branches in California and by 1980 they had 40 branches in eight states. The company grew in leaps and bounds and saw it attain a loan origination of 2.2 million totaling to $408 million with 661 branches spread in 48 states. In the year 2008, the company was acquired by Bank of America for $4 billion. Its market value rose to $24 billion in 2006, but in 2007 it rapidly fell, when it emerged that the countrywide mortgages that had been during housing boom were overly risky and was faced with the risk of default. The company set pace on reforms that protected lenders from risks related to loan default. It also led to protection of borrowers with low income from exorbitant interest rates. Was the U.S. federal governments in 1932 intervention in the market for home ownership desirable? How did the creation of Fannie Mae in 1938, Ginnie Mae in 1968, and Freddie Mac in 1970 expand homeownership and shape lending practices at banks and other mortgage lending ?rms? Basing on the achievements realized it is clear that the intervention by the U.S government in the market was desirable. The creation of the Federal Home Loan Bank, for example, gave a provision on which lending to financial institutions is short-term prompting the desire for additional funds for home mortgages. The 1934 National Housing Act promoted homeownership. This is because it provided a system of insuring loans that protected default by borrowers. The creation of Fannie Mae facilitated secondary markets for mortgages. This was issued through guidelines of FHA program. This gave an opportunity to lenders who operated privately. This enabled private lenders to come up with a large count of FHA loans. Furthermore, due to the reason that loans could be sold in the secondary market. Another reason is that the borrower did not have to hold the loan until the loan term elapses. It also meant that another new loan could be created every other time the lender sold enormous loan bundles to secondary market inventors. Fannie Mae also bought mortgages that conventionally conformed to mortgages from the lenders. The reconstituting of Fannie Mae to trade publicly as a government sponsored enterprise saw its activities wiped out from the budget of the U.S federal government and moved its government insured portfolio, FHA mortgages, to corporation, which the government kept under total control. This was later known as Ginnie Mae. However, it remained in custody of Fannie Maes balance sheet. Th chartering of Freddie Mac facilitated the pooling of conforming loans, and came up with securities that were backed by mortgages (MBSs). These were sold as pooled shares on loan to the investors. The yield on interest for these security agencies lay between the U.S Treasury and AAA corporate. This obligation reflected low security risk. The MBSs development widened the secondary market for loans meant to be mortgaged. The reason being that the investors could buy portfolio of loan share other than buy intact portfolio loan. The Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac value to capital share in the market was equivalent to the MBSs obligations and debt guarantee of implicit government of the U.S. It is also important to note that, the Federal Charter demanded that they aid the residential mortgages through the secondary markets. It also obligated them to fund families whose incomes were low or moderate. They were also required to consider mortgage funding geographic distribution. This entailed finance on mortgage for geographic sectors that seemed undeserved. Another benefit that comes along with package of MBSs is that its mandate is to appraise the credit history of the borrower, and guidelines to establish the financial capability of the borrower in meeting the obligations of debt. This is important in establishing the probability of the borrower defaulting. This facilitated the growth of market of mortgage. Also the bolstering of loan program by the Veterans Administration led to zero down payment and reduced interest rates on loans. The housing burst of bubble in the year 2007, when the economy of the United Sates started weakening with the decline in demand for housing caused prices on homes to plummet. The appreciation in prices of homes almost coming to an end saw most of their properties go down. The equity position that was negative led to mortgage balance, which in turn led to fair market value of most of properties. The intervention, therefore, was desirable. This is because most of the issues that affected lending were deliberated on. It led to streamlining of mortgage business. It went along way in ensuring that the lenders were protected from risk that may arise. The borrowers too were not left behind as this ensured that no borrower was discriminated against based on race or geographical locations. The rate on interest towards the borrowers was also fully addressed by the enactment. Why did the U.S. Congress enact the Community Reinvestment Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Depository Institution Deregulation and Monetary Control Act, and the Housing and Community Development Act? Was this legislation effective in expanding homeownership? Did the governments promotion of subprime mortgages and high loan-to-value (LTV) subprime mortgages create additional risks for lenders and the holders of mortgage backed securities (MBSs) or collateralized debt obligations (CDOs)? In order to answer why the U.S Congress enacted the Community Reinvestment Act, it is important to note the reason for enactment. Sources indicates that the CRA and HMDA were enacted after the social activists group started pointing to the statistics that showed that FHA and lenders were involved in the systematic discrimination that was of race. This was directed to minority consumers who leaved in low income neighborhood. This practice was termed as redlining. The activist mobilized the Carter administration and Congress of the United States to come up with this enactment to curb this social injustice in lending and housing. The depository Institution Deregulation and monetary control addressed the concern on lenders who showed the sign of low income redlining of neighborhoods from their disclosures. However, the lenders defended this evil by pointing to the risks associated with loans made to low income earners, employment histories that were not stable, inadequate funds to enable them to make a down payment, or high debt to income levels. The acts, therefore, were enacted to address the concern by wiping out caps on interest rate and giving the lenders the opportunity to highly charge, or subprime rates to borrowers of higher risk. The Housing and Community development act of 1981 set goals for lenders borrowers of low income and gave an opportunity to FHA borrowers with credit records that are not perfect to access loans on mortgage with 90 to 95 percent LTVs. In the year 1995, the administration of Clinton increased the LTV subprime loans causing the CRA to increase home ownership for the Americans who in one way or another were not able to acquire mortgage loans through the conventional criteria of underwriting. The subprime mortgage created an additional risk to the lender. The reason being that-: the lender did not need the borrower to demonstrate how capable he is to repay the loan. The lender granted the borrower with low credit score, a high debt to income level, or a small down payment. The increased MBSs appetite on Wall Street, the brokers of mortgage expanded their net sales to entail requirements on documentation that was relaxed and limited or impaired the history on credit. This lending technique ensured that many borrowers accessed the loan. However, this could impact negatively on the lender incase the borrower defaulted in repaying. It is also important to know that the crisis of S L facilitated mortgage business unbundling. The origination of mortgage and servicing of loans led to a split. It led to pushing of most originations of mortgages into secondary markets as debt which is collateralized known as Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs). The ability of originators of mortgage to sell mortgages that were newly recorded as MBSs led to an increase of mortgage originators. The less strict nature of lending poses a risk on the side of the lender incase of default by the borrower. Buy custom The Countrywide Financial Corporation essay

Free Essays on Personalities At The Workplace

I manage a collision/mechanic repair center for my father. After many years of trial and hardship I am proud to say we operate a very positive productive business. It was not easy to get to this point. Honestly what really helped us get to this successful point was learning my employee’s individual personality and needs, as well as finding my own. So this paper is a perfect opportunity to explain my situation. I will start by describing each employee. In our mechanic shop we employee two older men. The first man has been employed with us for just a little over ten years. He is not the better of the two mechanics. He is a little slower getting jobs done, Some of the jobs take a second time around to get them right. However h e is without a doubt the most dedicated employee we have. He comes in early and will work as late as needed. He will do whatever is asked of him. He is genuinely a very kind hearted man. Our other mechanic, how has been employed with us for almost 25 years is a perfectionist. He is fast and makes very little mistakes. He, on the other hand works from eight to five everyday, nothing more. They have a pretty good working relationship despite their different personalities. After all they have worked together for years. We have four employees working in the body shop. The first employee is our painter. He has been employed with is for eight years. He is well known in our community for his excellent painting skills. He loves to talk, joke and is very outgoing. He makes our working environment very positive and fun. The second employee is my uncle who is our body man. He very rarely talks and sticks to himself most of the time. He does only what is expected of him. He is very good at his job. The third employee is our other body man who is a longtime family friend. He works extra hard and will work on anything that is put in front of him. He is basically very easy going and easy to get along with. The third employee ... Free Essays on Personalities At The Workplace Free Essays on Personalities At The Workplace I manage a collision/mechanic repair center for my father. After many years of trial and hardship I am proud to say we operate a very positive productive business. It was not easy to get to this point. Honestly what really helped us get to this successful point was learning my employee’s individual personality and needs, as well as finding my own. So this paper is a perfect opportunity to explain my situation. I will start by describing each employee. In our mechanic shop we employee two older men. The first man has been employed with us for just a little over ten years. He is not the better of the two mechanics. He is a little slower getting jobs done, Some of the jobs take a second time around to get them right. However h e is without a doubt the most dedicated employee we have. He comes in early and will work as late as needed. He will do whatever is asked of him. He is genuinely a very kind hearted man. Our other mechanic, how has been employed with us for almost 25 years is a perfectionist. He is fast and makes very little mistakes. He, on the other hand works from eight to five everyday, nothing more. They have a pretty good working relationship despite their different personalities. After all they have worked together for years. We have four employees working in the body shop. The first employee is our painter. He has been employed with is for eight years. He is well known in our community for his excellent painting skills. He loves to talk, joke and is very outgoing. He makes our working environment very positive and fun. The second employee is my uncle who is our body man. He very rarely talks and sticks to himself most of the time. He does only what is expected of him. He is very good at his job. The third employee is our other body man who is a longtime family friend. He works extra hard and will work on anything that is put in front of him. He is basically very easy going and easy to get along with. The third employee ... Free Essays on Personalities At The Workplace I manage a collision/mechanic repair center for my father. After many years of trial and hardship I am proud to say we operate a very positive productive business. It was not easy to get to this point. Honestly what really helped us get to this successful point was learning my employee’s individual personality and needs, as well as finding my own. So this paper is a perfect opportunity to explain my situation. I will start by describing each employee. In our mechanic shop we employee two older men. The first man has been employed with us for just a little over ten years. He is not the better of the two mechanics. He is a little slower getting jobs done, Some of the jobs take a second time around to get them right. However h e is without a doubt the most dedicated employee we have. He comes in early and will work as late as needed. He will do whatever is asked of him. He is genuinely a very kind hearted man. Our other mechanic, how has been employed with us for almost 25 years is a perfectionist. He is fast and makes very little mistakes. He, on the other hand works from eight to five everyday, nothing more. They have a pretty good working relationship despite their different personalities. After all they have worked together for years. We have four employees working in the body shop. The first employee is our painter. He has been employed with is for eight years. He is well known in our community for his excellent painting skills. He loves to talk, joke and is very outgoing. He makes our working environment very positive and fun. The second employee is my uncle who is our body man. He very rarely talks and sticks to himself most of the time. He does only what is expected of him. He is very good at his job. The third employee is our other body man who is a longtime family friend. He works extra hard and will work on anything that is put in front of him. He is basically very easy going and easy to get along with. The third employee ...

Application for the Use of Human Research Participants Essay

Application for the Use of Human Research Participants - Essay Example Signed materials can be submitted by mail, fax (434-522-0506), or email (scanned document to irb@liberty.edu). Signed materials can also be submitted via regular mail or in person to our office: Campus North, Suite 1582. Please be sure to use the grey form fields to complete this document; do not change the format of the application. You are able to move quickly through the document by using the â€Å"Tab† key. Note: Applications with the following problems will be returned immediately for revisions: 1) Grammar/spelling/punctuation errors, 2) A lack of professionalism (lack of consistency/clarity) on the application itself or any supporting documents, 3) Incomplete applications. Failure to minimize these errors will cause delays in your processing time. II. BASIC PROTOCOL INFORMATION Protocol Title:  ?UNDERSTANDING THE EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO DID NOT COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL  Principal Investigator (PI): Richard Warner Wieringo Professional Title:  Sch ool/Department: Liberty University School of Education Mailing Address: 125 Woodgate Court APT 2C, Charlottesville, VA 22901 Telephone: (434) 251-2255 LU Email: rwweringo@liberty.edu Check all that apply:  Faculty  Graduate Student  Undergraduate Student  Staff This research is for:  Class Project  Master’s Thesis  Doctoral Dissertation  Faculty Research  Other (describe):  Have you defended and passed your dissertation proposal?  Yes  No  N/A If no, what is your defense date?  Faculty Advisor: Verlyn Evans, Ed.D, Chair  School/Department: Liberty University School of Education Telephone:  LU Email:  Non-key Personnel: Name and Title:  School/Department:  Telephone:  LU Email:  Consultants: Name and Title: Dr. Russ Yocum School/Department: Graduate School of Education Telephone: (434) 592-5462 LU Email: ryocum@liberty.edu Liberty University Participants: Do you intend to use LU students, staff, or faculty as participants in your study? If you do not intend to use LU participants in your study, please indicate â€Å"no† and proceed to the section titled â€Å"Funding Source.† If yes, please list the department and classes you hope to enlist, and the number of participants you would like to enroll.  No  Yes   Department Class(es) In order to process your request to use LU participants, we must ensure that you have contacted the appropriate department and gained permission to collect data from them. Please obtain the original signature of the department chair in order to verify this. Signature of Department Chair Date Funding Source: If research is funded please provide the following: Grant Name (or name of the funding source):  Funding Period (month/year):  Grant Number:  Anticipated start and completion dates for collecting and analyzing data:  III. OTHER STUDY MATERIALS AND CONSIDERATIONS Does this project call for (more detail will be required later): Use of voice, video, digit al, or image recordings?  Yes  No Participant compensation?  Yes  No Advertising for participants?  Yes  No More than minimal

Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Relationship - Essay Example on to jobs as service crew at two ice cream parlors and later on transferred to a travel agency as an accounting assistant and travel agent at the same time. I did all this to help my mother who is the only close family member with me here in America. My father passed away some years ago and all my determined efforts are both to help out my mother and prove to myself and perhaps to my late father that I can make it out on my own. My job at the travel company entailed a lot of accounting work and was happy this is so because it closely correlated with my college degree. My fluency with both Chinese and English together with a third language was really a big help in my job with this casino-related travel company where I got to meet lots of people, greatly improved my marketing and selling abilities, enhanced my people skills and most importantly, gave the needed practice to boost my self-confidence. This job also gave me the much-needed work experience which was all more valuable as it related to what I am pursuing in college. Hardships I had encountered made me a stronger person and I hope this will help make me realize my full potentials. I am ambitious and totally focused on my life goals; probably also because I am a woman. If a person will ask me why I strive so hard, I will perhaps answer it is because I am a woman and I need to prove to myself and everybody that I can do the same job even better; that I can also accomplish great things when given the chance. I consider this opportunity to study in the United States as a rare once-in-a-lifetime chance which I will obviously not just squander away doing inconsequential things. I dream big and aspire for bigger things to come. At the moment, I had temporarily given up my job to concentrate on my studies and I intend to fully achieve my dreams by totally focusing on it for the time being. I also know that sometimes it is harder for a woman to get ahead in this society despite some progress towards gender