Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Method - Essay Example All participants were working at least part-time jobs, and had completed high school. The informed consent form will be read out loud to each participant, as well as being printed in English. All participants shall be assured of their rights to confidentiality, anonymity, and voluntary withdrawal without penalty. It was emphasized to the participants that no personal information would connect them with their responses, as code numbers would be used to de-identify all information that they provided. When each participant acknowledges that they understand the requirements of them in the study they will be asked to sign the consent form. Two booklets were designed for this study. A variety of media pertaining to the "Oklahoma Bombing" in 1995 (i.e., a "Political Terror Act"), and the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 (i.e., a "Religious Terror Act") were presented in either of an 8-page booklet. Each booklet presented media materials which emphasized the act as either "political" or "religious" in the text of the articles (e.g., "Terrorism and Religion" Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Vol. 20, November 2001).

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Corporate finance - Essay Example Market efficiency is a crucial factor in deciding the investment strategies of an investor. If the securities market is efficient, the best estimate and returns will be reflected in the price of the shares and there will be no undervalued securities that would offer higher return than expected. However, opposite could be the case in the weak efficient markets. (WOOD, DASGUPTA & POSHAKWALE, 1995) THREE FORMS OF MARKET EFFICIENCY BY FAMA (1970): In this aspect the most contributing work was presented by Fama in 1970. He formulated a market efficiency hypothesis (EMH) which discussed the three types of market efficiency that can prevail in a capital market depending on the available information in the market. These three forms of market efficiency are (1) Weak form efficiency (2) Semi-strong form efficiency (3) Strong from efficiency. 1. Weak Form Efficiency: The weak form of market efficiency hypothesis asserts that the current stock price reflects all the information related to histor ical prices or past price movements only. This information includes trading volume, rate of return and market generated information etc. This form of market efficiency assumes that the current stock prices reflect all the past information and no one can earn huge profits by knowing information which is known to everyone in the market. This implies that the future rate of return can’t be predicted by using past rate of return and can’t provide with huge abnormal returns. In order to predict the movement of prices based on the past information a technique called technical analysis is sued widely. (BHOLE. 1982; CLARKE, JANDIK & MANDELKER, 2001) 2. Semi-Strong Form Efficiency: The semi-strong form of market efficiency hypothesis explains that the current stock price reflects all the publicly available information along with the historical information. The available public information includes: stock earnings and prices, declared dividends information, political, economy an d company related news, dividend yield ratio, price earning ratios, announce merger plans, available information in company’s financial statements, financial situation of competitors and stock splits etc. The assertion behind this form of market efficiency is the same that no one can earn huge profits by knowing information which is known to everyone in the market that is the information is public. In this way the public information is already absorbed into market prices and the investors can’t yield above average profits in such investments and markets. (BHOLE, 1982; CLARKE, JANDIK & MANDELKER, 2001) 3. Strong form Efficiency: The strong form of market efficiency hypothesis explains that the currents stock price reflects all the available information including public and private information both. It encompasses both the weak and semi-strong form of markets. In this hypothesis the emphasis is on insider dealings. It implies that, when both public and private informatio n is reflected in stock price, the directors or the bunch of individuals in the company who have more knowledge of the company will not be able to benefit from the above average profits. The difference between semi-strong and strong efficiency is that in a strong efficiency market nobody will benefit from the information that

Saint Juliana of Nicodemia Essay Example for Free

Saint Juliana of Nicodemia Essay The saint I chose for Confirmation is Saint Juliana of Nicomedia. A saint is a person who lived a moral, compassionate, and holy life who can be a role model to Catholics. You are supposed to choose a saint for Confirmation because you need someone to look up to for support. During tough times, you could ask for assistance through your journey of life. Saint Juliana lived in Nicomedia during the rule of Diocletion. This ruler was inflicted much persecution on people of different religions and had ery cruel punishments established. Both of Juliana’s parent were pagans and betrothed her to the senator, Eleusius. Juliana denied strongly for she was a bride of Christ and always worshiped secretly away from her parents and fiance. Her love for Christ persisted and Eleusius at last found out about her secret faith. He constantly asked her to turn away from Christ and accept his proposal, for the government would get to her and kill her. Her parent pleaded but Juliana’s love for Christ persisted. Finally the government got involved and Juliana was tortured endlessly in all sorts of cruel ways. In the end, she got beheaded. Juliana suffered Christian martyrdom and is usually represented with a devil whom she leads by a chain. I chose Saint Juliana because of her relentless mindset. She was never ashamed of her faith. Juliana was taken to her limit in all she did for Christ. She was tortured, killed, and persecuted all for her faith. I ask her to give me courage and strength when people question my faith.

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Coach Nestled along the Massachusetts shore, lined with oaks that may have seen the arrival of the first Americans, there is a quaint baseball park, bordered only in the outfield by a thatched wooden fence and some pines. The Pawtucket Pawsox of the Cape Cod League call this unique sanctuary home. Today is a Friday evening. The sun slowly pulls the last traces of orange from the sky, and the skyscraping light towers illuminate a 6 foot 4 inch right-hander, made only taller by the Georgia clay mound. Like most in the minor leagues he is a fighter and a worker. He is far from home and at the climax of a magical journey of a career.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reaching local stardom at an early age, Aaron Knieper pitched in all of the big games. He pitched in all of the not-so-big games too. People could see the potential that this lanky kid from Saginaw, Michigan possessed. As he piled up innings in his youth, they only contributed to more to his experience but were slowly taking their toll on his meal ticket, his arm. Aaron was still careful about his health, but youth often disguises ignorance. As his body matured, it ceased to stretch in ways it had before, and his workload drastically increased upon being drafted by the Boston Red Sox out of college. Now he was playing for a job. Then, one fateful day everything changed. It was his elbow. And there it all ended.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most young athletes dream of becoming professionals, but those dreams almost always end at or before the college level. It is a major disappointment for those who are told that they are not good enough to play anymore, yet Aaron was. He had almost reached the show and it killed him inside. He wasn’t ready to let anyone tell him that his career in baseball was over. His stubborn pursuit of a dream, which had carried him this far, would now have to change with no hope of returning to professional baseball. He went back home and spent some much missed time with his mom and sister, for his father had passed away when he was young. Most of time was spent relaxing in front of the television pondering what to do next. Aaron had never had a â€Å"real† job and did not even finish college. It was then that he decided to follow his passion, baseball.

Yes Men Fix the World, Ethics of Protest and Bringing Issues to Light

AG401 Film Yes Men Fix the World, the Ethics of Protest and Bringing Issues to Light 1. What ethical/moral/philosophical constructs are the activists operating under with respect to their tactics in protest? The Yes Men use Utilitarian Ethics of Duty and Rule Consequentialism. With this mindset, they carry on pranks and hoaxes to reveal the lies of large corporations and government. In the theory of Duty-Based Ethics, people do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. These large corporate giants do nothing but take the toll on others’ misfortunes.An example of Duty-Ethics can be seen when Andy impersonates Jude Finisterra, a spokesperson for Dow Chemicals, being interviewed on BBC regarding the Bhopal Legacy catastrophe of Union Carbide and its deadly gas leaks in India. He is quoted saying, â€Å"this is the first time in history that a publicly owned company, of anything near the size of Dow, has performed an action which is significantly against its bottom lin e, simply because it’s the right thing to do. † In theory of Rule Consequentialism, it states that an action is morally right just because it is required by an optimific social rule; relating back to Duty Ethics.With the motive under Rule Consequence, the Yes Men planned to set a course of actions which might trigger a reaction so that corporate giants and government may conform to such a social rule. As long as the outcome is of a happy ending for the public, Mike and Andy will have succeeded to change and affect society in ways that money could not. To correct an action which harms society more than benefits it, sometimes ridiculing and exposing the negative aspects of it might be the only course for corrective action. 2. Do the tactics distract from the message or lend power to the message? On what ethical grounds?In theory, such pranks and hoaxes are supposed to create change as a result from negative publicity. This derives from Kantian Ethics, which actually goes against Consequentalism, kind of an oxy-moron. Although it is morally just, their actions do have negative consequences to certain parties. As far as exposure goes, their tactics seemed have to work in their favor, and the Yes Men have also defied legal repercussions in every scenario. And by bringing such important public issues into light, some objectives were achieved; transmitting the power of voice towards the public, and conveying the theory of moral duty to the companies.However, their main purpose was not accomplished, and their tactics seem to have failed again; in fact nothing significant was taken into consideration or changed by any of the targeted corporations, or even the government entities. For example, in the Catastrophic Loss Conference, Andy and Mike pose as representatives from Halliburton; which they have claimed was the top company in extracting profits from a disaster. Halliburton has made hundreds of millions of dollars off the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and now the Yes Men have arrived to presenting another invention called the SurvivaBall; again to â€Å"profit† off some disaster.Their tactic was to create the â€Å"biggest joke ever by making fun of stupid concepts with stupid ideas. † And with something as simple as the SurvivaBall being so useless, it relates to the concept of Big Corporate making money off others’ misfortunes instead of solving the problems which lay before them; the ironic part is that the SurvivaBall is actually more useful than what the government or companies like Halliburton have created for disasters. But to their shock when all was presented, their attempts of letting people know what â€Å"sucked about letting greed run our future,† was instead greeted with business cards. . What about the ethics of law enforcement in dealing with activists? If anything was taken from this documentary, it was that companies cannot learn to behave differently by themselves; government has to mak e rules to control them. To fix the world, it is going to take more than two guys, cheap suits, and fake websites; it would take millions of people. When activists begin threatening for change, law enforcement entities may only deal on legal premises; as there is a right to freedom of speech and to assemble and petition the government.If no harm and damage or rioting is caused, law enforcement may only be there to prevent incidents. An example may be observed with over two dozen people wearing SurvivaBall costumes demonstrating in the East River; where police shut down the demonstration for lack of a permit. Andy Bichlbaum was arrested on an outstanding parking ticket charge and a handful of others were served with summons and tickets for disorderly behavior and creating hazardous conditions. So they also tried this, attempting to cost HUD more money and put some out of jobs.They hope to expose to the public by making a mockery of an entity in able to stimulate a solution or action. But it never works. Mike Bonanno Andy Bichlbaum Duty-Based Ethics Jude Finisterra, faking as a spokesperson for Dow Chemicals regarding the Bhopal Legacy catastrophe of Union Barpide and its deadly gas leaks in India, quoted saying that â€Å"this is the first time in history that a publicly owned company, of anything near the size of Dow, has performed an action which is significantly against its bottom line, simply because it’s the right thing to do. However it was hilarious that he noted they were going to liquidate $12 billion in assets to provide care and compensation to the victims and their families. Halliburton #1 company in extracting profits from a disaster. Made Hundreds of millions off Katrina, and now (name) and (name) are presenting the Survivor Ball, to â€Å"profit† off a disaster. Biggest joke ever, of how to make fun of stupid ideas, well, with stupid ideas. For example, something so simple of a Survivor Ball is useless, also like the concept of mak ing money off others’ misfortune instead of solving the problem.But the ironic part of this is that the survivor ball is actually more useful than what the government or companies like Halliburton have created solutions for disasters. But what their attempts of letting people know what sucked about letting greed run our future, but instead of freaking out, they just took their business cards. Companies cannot learn to behave differently by themselves, government has to make rules to control them. So they also tried this, attempting to cost HUD more money and put some out of jobs.

Madness in Wuthering Heights

AP Literature and Composition The Maddness of Wuthering Heights What is madness? It is defined as the state of having a serious mental illness, extremely foolish behavior, according to Oxford Dictionary. To an author, however, it can be so much more. In her novel, Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte had a method behind the madness, so to speak, using it to make many main points throughout the novel. She employs this madness specifically in her character Heathcliff, whose own emotions driven him to insanity. Through what causes him to go mad, and his actions as a result, the story is develpedHeathcliff’s madness derived from multiple factors but is rooted from hate shown by Hindley. When Mr. Earnshaw founb Heathcliff in the streets and took him in (page 36), he treated him like his son, sometimes even better than his own children. This created Hindley’s resentment for Heathcliff. Hindley did not like the attention Heathcliff recived from his father, therefore wanted to make Heathcliff as miserable as possible. When Hindley makes him a servant of the family, after Mr. Earnshaw’s death (page 43), he makes his distain know, with constasnt abuse and ill-treatment.It would give reason to Heathcliff’s loathing of Hindley. No one would agreeably go through that adversity without good reason. Therefore, it would seem reasonable for Heathcliff to leave when he thought Catherine was going to leave him. All of the time he spent away, would leave time to grow rueful to Hindley, and plot revenge for his mistreatment. He became so consumed by revenge, that he became void of any previous emotion. He lost care for anything other than shaming Hindley and gaining control of the Heights. He didn’t care who got in his way, and used others for his own selfish reason.This was the reason why Heathcliff married Isabella (page 131). Isabella would not have known of his schemes, as Heathcliff kept his true character hidden; he kept his madness well hidden. After Catherine’s death, he would have no other purpose to live but to fulfill his plan, even using Cathy (Catherine’s daughter) and his own son, forcing them to marry (page 248). Therefore, there is no question that the theme that the desire for revenge can consume someone is not a question. Heathcliff’s thirst for revenge was caused by his madness, nd it is present in most of the book. Another probable cause of Heathcliff’s madness is his love and obsession with Catherine. Heathcliff is treated terribly by all but Catherine, and she becomes his solace; his only friend. Her companionship is likely what kept him sane for longer. When she distanced herself, growing closer to the Lintons after staying there for several weeks (page 52), his attitude changed. Resentment and jealousy begin to form. She was not spending as much time with him, leaving him to endure whatever punishment Hindley forced on him.He was losing the one person he had left who seemed to c are about him Therefore, when she announced she was going to marry Edgar Linton, he ran and did not return for years (page 84). While he was away, he probably lost sight of reason, of what he previously thought mattered. He was likely angry that she would leave him for someone he did not like; that she wouldn’t be with him. His madness only worsened when she died, as the thought of life without her was too much for him to bear. He caused her death by running off with Isabella. His madness led to Catherine’s lapse from reality.She lost her mind over his actions, and as a result he lost her. His madness was caused by love, as he didn’t know how to grieve. The message of spiritual love and torment that is present throughout the story is shown throught this aspect of Heathcliff’s madness. He loved Catherine desperately, and her death tormented him for the remainder of his life. His madness nearly ruined the lives of the others around him, stopped only by his own death. Was Heathcliff mad before he arrived at Wuthering Heights? It is not said, but how it developed is crucial in developing the story.

Improving Communications by Building Community At Microsoft †Communications Essay

Improving Communications by Building Community At Microsoft – Communications Essay Free Online Research Papers Improving Communications by Building Community At Microsoft Communications Essay In the early years, microsoft.com was just one of many computers tucked under a table at the end of a long hallway. It was designed to test Microsofts first 32-bit Windows implementation of TCP/IP, the software plumbing in Windows that enables Internet communications. Today, microsoft.com is the fourth-largest web site, powered by internal and external servers all over the world and visited by millions of customers daily. How the site got where it is now is a story of intelligent management decisions, especially in the area of communications. Microsoft sought out to build a strong organizational communications model to serve as the communications guiding force for all levels of Microsoft employees and customers. Some of the obvious questions to be addressed were: 1. Is the communications model currently in use adequate? 2. Do shareholders have any concerns about its communications methods? 3. How do employees communicate in the workplace? 4. Are employees allowed to communicate freely? 5. How does the public feel about communicating with Microsoft through its web portal? Is it user-friendly? This paper is a review of what the company implemented to advance managerial communications. Situation In 2006, Microsoft initiated Road to Excellence, the companys strategy was to significantly gain more World Wide Web market share, but there was a problem. The company had become a victim of its own rapid growth, mainly in its software division. A disparity in communications had arisen between key decision makers across the organization due to a simple lack of manpower. A strategy needed to be devised to address impending chaos. The strategy encompassed several initiatives and goals across divisions that focused on improving internal and external communications to boost overall performance and deliver sound growth. Microsoft Development and microsoft.com needed to align various levels of leadership and ultimately all employees with communications initiatives that could be truly measured, evaluated and improved. Strategy Implementation Recognizing the value and power of strategic change and communications to align employees with new goals, Microsoft asked CAB and Associates, a marketing consultant group, to conduct an audit of the value of its entire communications function. CAB was also asked to make recommendations for the launch of the audit as well as recommendations for sustained communications outreach. In working with the CAB team, the first step toward aligning employees to performance goals was to conduct an assessment of employees current perceptions. To determine the degree of employee understanding of the organizations vision and growth initiatives as well as the effectiveness of existing internal communications, CAB conducted qualitative research and quantitative surveys of employees perceptions and preferences (Corder, 2006, p. 21). To do so CAB created three teams to thoroughly evaluate and score Microsoft’s current communication processes, provide feedback, and suggest solutions for findings. Team I â€Å"Community Central† This team had the responsibility of â€Å"building community† within Microsoft by using any and all methods, within its reach. Paramount to this entire program was to build trust, which was vital in order to maximize unbiased results. It was their responsibility to correctly interpret, and share the mission, vision, and values of Microsoft’s communications goals. Team I initiated the process by building collaborative teams, using collective inquiry that were results, not intentions oriented, and that promoted continuous improvement (DuFour, 1998, p.25). Other responsibilities included evaluating the performance and findings of all sub communications assessment, and training communication training teams. Even though it was the command center for this communications improvement program, it was promoted to be seen as a support system available to all teams and participants, thus further reinforcing the â€Å"community† concept. Team II, Internal Communications â€Å"The Organization† The leaders of Microsoft knew they needed to transform the way in which employees thought about, measured, and managed communications within the business. After considerable research, they decided that using a computerized survey scorecard approach was the best way to align the organization with the companys communications goals. A team was designed to study all internal communications of Microsoft. For this evaluation, CABs internal communication department was particularly interested in deriving information in the areas of strategic message retention, perceptions of senior leadership, the companys vision and goals, correct communication channel selection, and evaluation of vehicle effectiveness and preferences (Munter, 2006, p.23). Additionally, they wanted to determine how employees were currently receiving and using information about Microsoft in general, and as a whole and the external marketplace. The Organizational Challenges Comprised of members from key areas of the business, Team II worked with CAB to develop a customized survey and scorecard for the company. How should the company launch their surveys and have employees understand how to transform their mental model of the business, given all of the other operational initiatives that were underway? An Integrated Solution A Survey Scorecard Knowledge Map (SSKM) was developed using multiple proprietary software packages that were deployed at random sites through one hour working sessions at various working hours and conditions (office, distribution, sales, etc.). The map was used to launch the scorecard concept, raise the participants awareness level and have each person critically think about his or her role in the business without having to worry about job responsibilities or distractions. The assessment found that while employees had positive perceptions of the companys direction and strategic initiatives, they were not retaining key messages around the new strategy. They also felt deluged with e-mail communications, liked CABs print publication but felt it to be less effective in terms of conveying information, and preferred, instead, more personal communications from senior leadership. Team III, External Communications â€Å"The Marketplace† Another leading software manufacturer and distributor faced unprecedented change. Customers were trimming internal operations that werent seen as core. Customers expected the steel vendors to offer these operations as value added services at a minimal price. In addition, the amount of business that was sold off of list price had fallen from 70% to 30% in three years and the downward pressure on pricing was increasing dramatically. This team had the privilege of evaluating Microsoft’s external communications. The team designed and implemented e-mail and print assessments, conducted telephone interviews, captured a representative sample of customer input from a base that included participants at all levels, geographies and years of experience. In total, approximately 4,520 persons were surveyed. Results The CAB internal communications team had restructured all employee communications to better focus on company performance and progress-tracking. Microsoft was now in a stronger position to support senior leadership with practical advice on implementing quarterly, cascaded employee communications forums, and have redesigned print and electronic publications to reflect growth initiatives and goals. In addition, the communications campaign, delivered through a computer delivered scorecard had enabled employees to better anticipate the level of performance required within the context of their assigned duties. Improved communications were proven to be at the heart of delivering results and winning support from every area of Microsoft that eventually improved the companys profitability, growth and market share. In fact, communications were found to be so important that they need to be strategically managed in the same way that operations, finance, administration, technology, human resources and other facets of the business were managed. There had never been a time when effective communications had been more important. Microsoft had entered a business era that had been transformed by constant change and transition, leadership challenges, evolving technologies, and global markets that were best described as unpredictable, fast-paced and unforgiving. CAB provided strategic counsel, expert guidance and implementation support on all critical communications issues. CAB’s global team of communication and business professionals helped Microsoft understand, enhance, and manage the perceptions of their company in the eyes of their critical audiences: Shareholders and the investment community The companys senior management team and Board of Directors The companys employees, at every level The media and, by extension, the public Opinion leaders who impacted corporate reputations CAB took the initiative to enhance shareholder value by fostering clearer two-way communications with the investment community, and aligning employees at all levels to ensure commitment to the Microsoft’s vision, values and communications operating Communications Strategy 8 strategy. CAB’s combination of professional expertise, geographic reach, breadth of services, and depth of resources was proven to be truly unique in the corporate communications consulting industry. Conclusion Based on the results of these assessments, Microsoft developed a comprehensive recommendation for multi-level, aligned communications that focused on the companys growth strategy. Also based on the facts, CAB provided recommendations for a communication campaign to launch an ongoing survey process to a random selection of Microsoft’s general employee audience. The launch included a celebratory event concept to further build community and promote employee buy in that offered a continuous flow of updates, available to employees and shareholders. CAB helped accomplish these tasks by delivering measurable business results. Their approach began with a careful identification and analysis of Microsoft’s key constituents, their perceptions of the company, their behaviors that resulted from those perceptions, and the drivers of information that would improve those perceptions. Experts in CAB and Microsoft’s corporate and financial communications were deployed in every major facet of the business to include the input of everyone involved with Microsoft, especially professionals with extensive backgrounds in senior communications management, journalism and marketing. With this in place, the teams had what they needed to offer the best assessments and solutions for overall communications at Microsoft. References Corder, L. (2006). The Snapshort Survey. Chicago: Dearborn Trade. DuFour, R. (1998). Professional Learning Communities at Work. Bloomington: National Educational Service. Munter, M. (2006). Guide to Managerial Communication (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. 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