Discuss Jane Austen’s presentation of the theme of marriage in Pride & Prejudice Essay

â€Å"It is the truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.† The opening sentence in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice is so important given the social context and the notion of marriage at that time: it was the one fundamental purpose of most girls to marry. Moreover, the motives and the attitudes towards marriage were far more complex in the 19th century than nowadays since love marriages were rare and marrying for ‘advantages’ were the obvious. Jane Austen explores all the different outlooks on marriage through the characters and reveals her views towards marriage by the consequence of each type of marriage. The novel is quite clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and follows the ‘love conquers all’ platitude, however- still manages to be quite enjoyable read due to all the drama and upheaval concerning marriage. The novel, which tells the story of a commonplace 19th century family whose 3 daughter came ‘of age’ and therefore were in search for a suitable husband. Furthermore, the sense of drama is heightened by the fact the aging alpha-male of the Bennet family was unfortunate to bear only daughters and could therefore not pass on his belongings- including the property he and his family lived in to either his wife or his children as the law stated woman were unable to inherit. Therefore, everything the Bennet family owned would be given to Mr. Collins- a cousin of Mr. Bennets’. Mrs. Bennet is well aware of this and therefore has made it the main business of her life to get her daughters married. She herself has married Mr. Bennet for advantages as she was born poor and managed to ensnare him with her good looks. Consequently, she believes it’s highly likely her daughters will have the same good fortune, and as Mr. Bennet was getting older, her determination to marry her daughters off to rich men became stronger. Along with Mrs. Bennet’s determination, the pressure increased for her daughters to â€Å"secure† a man sufficient enough to please Mrs. Bennets views. Jane austen presents the theme of marriage as a comprehensive one, since she presents each character with a different view of marriage. I will compare the different views towards marriage in the novel and discuss Jane Austen’s presentation of the theme of marriage in the novel Pride & Prejudice in this essay. Enhancing the amount of money, the class of social connections, security and social status seem to be the grounds on which the ill-fated marriage of Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins are established. Charlotte Lucas is introduced as an ‘intelligent, twenty-seven year old woman whom concerned her family as they were scared she would die â€Å"an old maid.† Even though Charlotte knows she will never love Mr. Collins, she would much rather marry him than be a cause of embarrassment to her family due to her life-long bachelorhood. She believes â€Å"love is not a necessity and financial ambitions should be the main priority for a woman†, as it increases not only the wealth of the woman in question- it also increases the importunacy of her voice- essentially making them more powerful and prone to change. Furthermore, there are several quotes to back up her argument including. Otherwise the other woman thought flirtatious behaviour and humongous booby muscles did the trick. Furthermore, there are several devious competitors whom love in repetition of all sorts off material find it hard to believe that there are several cases of weird and odd behaviour created by an environment of hard parents giving daughters evil looks in order to keep her in check. Also, they’ll stretch the time of their appearance downstairs in order to find that perfect balance of animism and scrim. Furthermore, they find themselves so perfect and deem their voice as an alpha voice with steps pounding with such verbosity it shakes even the soft padded couch imp sitting on! It is scary, it is wild, it is my father. He is not so nice and honest. However, I find it irrational he has to find his stay downstairs and pray downstairs because of all the trouble he has to go through going up the furthermore, there are several objects of admiration staying up at night merely to control a daughter is too cautious behaviour implying an untrustworthy presence of an ordering and a sophisticated alpha male in the presence of an untrustworthy.

Social Studies Teenage Pregnancy Questionnaire SBA

SOCIAL SUDIES SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT (SBA) 2013 CANDIDATE NAME: MITSEY STONE SCHOOL: MONTEGO-BAY E-LEARNING TITLE: An examination on Teenage Pregnancy in my community TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgement Introduction Task 1: Statement of Problem Task 2: Reason for Selecting Area of Research Task 3: Method of Investigation Task 4: Data Collection Instrument Task 5: Procedures for Data Collection Task 6: Presentation of Data Task 7: Analysis and Interpretation of Data Task 8: Statement of FindingsTask 9: Recommendations and Implementation StrategyACKNOWLEDGEMENTI have taken effort in this project; however it would not have been possible without the kind support and help of many individuals and book publishers. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of them. I am highly indebted to Modules In Social Studies by Rampersad Ramsawak and Ralph . R Umraw for providing necessary information regarding this rese- arch. I would like to express my gratitude towards my family ,friends and the the persons in my community who participated,for their kind o-operation and encouragement which help me in completion of this project, And most of all to God for making this possible.INTRODUCTION TASK 1: STATEMENT OF PROBLEMWhat factors contribute to the increasing problem of teenage Pregnancy?How does this problem impact the lives of children?What can be done to decrease the cause of teenage pregnancy?TASK 2: REASONS FOR SELECTING THIS AREA OF RESEARCHThis area of research was chosen because it is a prominent issue that could be address in a better light. Similar essay: SBA on Drug AbuseThe researcher want to explore the options or me- asures that can assist these teenagers and also what can be done to eliminate the increase of teenage pregnancy in the community of Maroon Town.TASK 3: METHOD OF INVESTIGATION The method of investigation chosen to implement data is in the form of a questionnaire that was shared randomly to persons within my community.TASK 4: DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT QUESTIONNAIRE Instructions: Please read the following questions and put a tick in the box provided or answer on the spaces.1. Sex: Male Female2. To which age group do you belong ? 9- 12 years, 13- 15 years, 16- 19 years, 20- 50 years3. How long have you been a resident of this community? 3- 5 years, 7- 10 year,s 12- 15 years, Others4. To which ethnic group do you belong? African decent, Indian decent, Chinese decent, Other5. What is your level of education? Primary, Secondary, Tertiary6. What is the highest grade you completed? 8- 9 grade, 10- 11 grade, So me college, Other7. At what age did you become sexually active? 11- 13 years, 14- 16 years, 17- 18 years, 19- 20 years8.How many children do you have? 1-2 children, 3- 4 children, Over 5 children, Others9. How did you first find out about sex? Family, Friends, School, Media, Other10. What is your main source of financial support? Own job, Spouse, Parents, Other11. Are you currently working? Yes No12. If not why?13. Do you think that peer influences affect your opinion on sex? Yes No14. What are the main causes of teenage pregnancy? Lack of parental guidance, Sexual assault or rape, Economic issues Poverty15. How does teenage pregnancy affect a teenagers education?16. What are the advantages and disadvantages or teenage pregnancy?17. What were the challenges faced during your pregnancy?18. What measures can be taken to reduce the cause of teenage pregnancy in my community?TASK 5: PROCEDURES FOR COLLECTING DATA To gather information for this project the researcher constructed a questi onnaire which consist of eighteen questions which were con- tributed to thirty teenagers in Maroon Town. The sample was selec- ted using the simple method by placing fifty names of persons in my community in a bag.The bag was shaken and the first twenty names selected were given a questionnaire to complete. The questionnaire were contributed on the 30th October and collected the 6th of November. Of the respondents 70percent were female and 30percent were male.TASK 6: PRESENTATION OF DATA Data was collected for this project using a pie chart, a histogram and a bar graph. Figure 1 Figure one is a pie chart illustrating the ages at which teenagers became sexually active in the community of Maroon Town. An estimate of 40% became pregnant at the age of 14 to 16 years

Chanakya On Military Mobilization History Essay

Chanakya On Military Mobilization History Essay Ancient India produced many philosophers and strategists, whose works contribute immensely to understand the great civilization and its religions even today. Of all the great thinkers and strategists who left their mark in Indian history, Chanakya is perhaps the most important, because it was his strategy that led to the realization of the idea of a unified India. It was his student Chandra Gupta Maurya who followed his strategy to unify India in 321 BC. Unlike many other contemporary Indian thinkers who focused on religion and thought of heavenly realms, Chanakya had his feet firmly planted on the ground and thought about the ways to make a country rich and powerful. His book on statecraft, Arthashastra, is one of the first books by any Indian author to highlight the importance of the military in the smooth functioning of the state. In other words, he was a realist who understood the power a strong standing military in sending out a clear signal to other countries and its contribut ion to bolstering national pride. It was his emphasis on military, diplomacy and covert operations and his ruthless practicality that earned him his nickname, Kautilya, the shrewd one who employed all means possible to keep the national pride intact. Although there are a lot of controversies about the identity of Chanakya, a master strategist and kingmaker, it is beyond the scope of this article. The article will only deal with his views-or what is now regarded as his view by many scholars-on military mobilization. Chanakya comes out as one of the first strategists who not only wrote on how to mobilize the military, but also how to organize it. As someone who grew up witnessing wars among the various kingdoms and republics that existed in India then, and also having witnessed Alexander’s invasion of India, he clearly saw the need for a strong unified India that would be peaceful and deal with others on its own terms. And he clearly realized that to turn his dream of a strong India, a strong military was a must. Without a strong military to back the ruler in conducting his domestic and foreign policy, he realized, the country would perish. Thus, in his book he highlights the importance of military, how to organize and mobilize it when needed. His chapters on military reads like chapters from any modern book on military science. It is hard to imagine that more than 2,000 years ago, he thought of sending a medical unit to campaigns to take care of the wounded. In Arthashastra, he clearly highlights the need to divide the military in units and battalions, with their respective flags and commanders. He also writes on the chain of command and how to maintain it. And like any modern book on military science, also mentions the importance of covert operations and psychological warfare to subdue the enemy. More than that, he clearly writes the criteria for choosing the commanders of each unit. For example, the one who heads the infantry has to have battle experie nce, know about the weapons necessary for his troops. Similarly, the one heading the cavalry should be able to choose the best horses for his unit, and know how all things about the horses. Similarly the officers heading the chariot and elephant units too should have knowledge and experience in choosing the right equipments and animals for their units.

Initiative Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Initiative Planning - Essay Example The control of health sector by the private sector dates back to the time when of development of medical sector and hence it has been difficult for the government to take full charge. (Hartman, 2007) This paper will come up with an initiative that will provide a plan that can be used by the government to change the heath care system in the country. It will review various aspects of the health care scheme including tax, insurance, government health centers, and other which can help to streamline the health sector. This heath care plan will come up with various recommendations that can be used as remedy for some of the thorny issue in the health sector. The following are the recommendations that I can make to change the health care system in America The health insurance scheme in the US has continuously become a burden for the employers. There have been various complain from employers that the cost of health insurance scheme for the workers has been having a heavy impact on the budget and therefore some of the companies have resulted either to reducing the size of the employees or to altering the terms of employment. Although there has been a massive company to encourage the companies to contribute to the health insurance scheme of their workers, the cost of this contribution and tax has reduced their profits by a large margin. Therefore my suggestion would be to reduce the amount of contribution that employer make to the insurance scheme for their workers. This can be carried out in many ways. First the amount of contribute per employee can be reduced. Second the cost of this contribution can be shard between the employer and the employee. This relieves the employer of the burden and act as incentives to employ more people. Reducing the insurance among the unemployed The list of those who are employed who are not insured has been increasing as companies take drastic measures to reduce the cost of health insurance on their budget. As such there are those who are considered employed and hence not insured since they can afford their medical expenses. However this has been contrary as most of them cannot meet their daily expense and at the same time meet their medical expense. Therefore the most important way to address this issue would be adjusting the criteria for insurance qualifications among the employed. This adjustment will see the admission of those with a lower salary scale who are not likely to meet their medical expenses. This has to be reflected in adjusted qualification criteria for children which mean there should be the same adjustment in the children health insurance scheme to admit children of those who are not insured and are employed. Changing health related licensing laws Throughout the history of the United States, there has been contribution of the government and the private sector in provision of health care for the people. As such there has been need to give the private sector strength in order to provide for health care. It has been observed that most the people in the United States purchase their insurance premiums through the private

Analyzing the American Revolution and the French Revolution Essay

Analyzing the American Revolution and the French Revolution - Essay Example At face value, it might not appear as if the American Revolution in the French Revolution shares much in common. However, as a function of analyzing the commonalities and dissimilarities that these two historical occurrences share, the focus of this brief analysis will be to highlight the core commonalities that prompted both the American and French populations to actively resist the level of control that it been placed upon them by the authorities at that time; the British Empire and the French monarchy respectively. Through such an understanding and interpretation,  it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more informed level of appreciation for the causal factors that ultimately precipitated the rise of modern democracy within the Western world. Firstly, it must be understood that both the American Revolution and the French Revolution were partially predicated upon the economic hardships that both of these stakeholders were experiencing. In the case of the American colonies, the seven years war/French Indian war had created an economic hardship that the British Empire sought to escape from (Sherman, 2001). The most logical means through which the British Empire could pay off the massive amount of debt that it had accrued during this conflict was to raise taxes upon the colonies that it administered (Brunkhorst, nd). Naturally, unaccustomed to additional duties, tariffs, and taxes, the American population became frustrated with the hardship that living a frontier life, in addition to being expected to pay for the King’s most recent war, was too much; lending these individuals to rise up against the British overlords in the hopes that the economic situation and the overall quality/liberty that an individual could have w ithin the 13 colonies could be maximized.

Open Kitchen Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Open Kitchen - Article Example The former is where all the kitchen activities and the myriad of objects usually in the kitchen is open for viewing of the general public - the consumer/s which comprised of families, couples, friends and just plain hungry people. Intuitively, we may think of the closed kitchen as a kitchen where the customers do not see the food and utensil preparation process. They have no idea of what is happening in the room separated from all other parts of the dining area of the restaurant because of the boundaries such as cement, wood or opaque glass. The question now that concerns us is whether to choose an open kitchen or not. As we will see later in this paper, both scenarios have their advantages and disadvantages for the labor side (chef and assistant cooks) and even for the consumer side (customers). However, we argue that one is more appropriate than the other. Such a claim needs backing and this is what the paper is precisely what this paper aims for - to offer points that can help the kitchen designer in deciding which is more effective, appealing, efficient and attractive for those waiting at the dining table. In the early days, cooking was mainly a public affair especially for the Greek and Roman soldiers who had their rations cooked in a large containers place over burning wood. (Harrison, 1972). However, with the amount of smoke generated and having slaves as their cooks, ensuing generations of food establishments, mostly bars and inns, progressively placed cooking in a separate room. Thus, the open kitchen now transformed to the close type. Describing Closed Kitchens Closed kitchens are spaces not open to the view of the customer. In this setting, cooks and their assistants conduct food preparations such as chopping, slicing and dicing. Stoves and ovens (which nowadays are combined in a single equipment) can be located at the sides or placed at the middle aisle which makes it more accessible to both sides thereby facilitating the cooking process and maximizing space. However, the latter configuration presents some danger especially during rush hours where accidents can occur. Refrigerators are placed at the sides as well as sinks and preparation tables. Some closed kitchens have the dishwashing area incorporated in the room while others have another connected extra room. Exhaust systems are usually placed above stoves to take out heat and smoke as fast as possible. Remember that several stoves and oven besides from blending and other equipments are emitting heat and this should be taken out as fast as possible so as not to further irritate the a lready stressed cook. (Kitchens.It, 2007) The settings in closed kitchen can get very busy and very chaotic. Nevertheless, the trained cook is expected to be able to deal with such situations. What is important to note, however, is that closed kitchens tend to get messy, noisy and smelly and the environment can sometimes get very tense. Figure 1 (a) and (b) presents two usual closed kitchen layouts. (a) (b) Figure 1: Closed kitchens where (a) food preparation is at the middle and (b) stoves occupy the middle setting Source: Google Open Kitchen Images (2007) Open Kitchen Layouts Since the kitchen is open to the public, designers make sure that there is not much dangling cooking utensils. Instead, these are arranged in the preparation table or are sometimes placed in drawers incorporated in t

To be Determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

To be Determined - Essay Example Through his interpretation of Torah, he emphasized its importance in the life of people who believed in the piety of the soul and body. Hasidism in Hebrew means pious and Besht’s followers came to be known as hasidims and the spiritual movement became popular as Hasidism. Hasidism is known for its ‘piety, humility, and kabbalistic insights which had transformed religious practices and religious authority’ (Mintz, 1992, p10). Besht’s mystical power of healing was contributed to the powers of prayers and purity of heart that is devoted to God. Hasidism spread to other parts of the world through the disciples who propagated the teachings of Besht. The persons who preached the tenets of Torah and spirituality were called Zaddik and later on, were known as Rabbe. The mystic Zaddiks were spiritual guides whose prayers could heal and people came to them in their distress. Hasidims practice simple living and have strong community feeling. Hasidism promotes peaceful co-existence and intrinsically believes in the goodness of people. The basic religious philosophy of Hasidism is centered on the study of Torah, the religious scripture and the mystical powers of prayers. Hence, spiritual leaders or Rabbe are held in high place of reverence. Hasidism primarily believes that people should develop closer relationship with God through daily prayers and good and moral living. Devotion to God is paramount. The study of Torah is essential part of hasidim’s life. Each Hasidic group is guided by the Zaddic or Rabbe who has his own court where people congregate to hear his teachings. The various festivals are important occasions for hasidims to collectively pray at synagogues and purify their soul and body. The Hasidic movement branched out into different Hasidic movement through the Zaddiks in different places. The new Hasidic movement was either named after the spiritual guide or Zaddiks or the name of the place. The

Application of Ansoff Matrix to Zara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Application of Ansoff Matrix to Zara - Essay Example The present research has identified that Ansoff Matrix is one of the tools which have been used by management for the purpose of strategic planning. Ansoff model was introduced in 1957 by H Igor Ansoff. Ansoff model helps managers to understand the barriers and opportunities in existing and new markets with existing and new products. According to Ansoff model, an organization has four strategies with two based on markets and products or services. According to this matrix, when an organization moves to next quadrant vertically or horizontally, risk increases. The image attached to the appendices section shows the Ansoff model. Ansoff matrix is commonly known as product and market expansion grid and this matrix helps managers to make decisions whether they should expand their business or penetrate in the existing market. Ansoff Matrix shows that management has four strategies and these are; 1. Market penetration 2. Market development 3. Product development 4. Diversification. All these four strategies have some risks associated with them. It is important for the management to identify and analyze risks associated with each strategy and then take the final decision. For many years different companies use this grid for strategic planning. Zara, one of the leading international fashion brands, uses this model to grow their business in different markets as well as within the existing market. For the entire process of business expansion, Ansoff model has been used. Now, this part of the report will discuss and analyze each of the quadrants of Ansoff matrix and apply it to Zara’s expansion. Market Penetration: Market penetration is when a company stays in an existing market with their existing products or services then the risk is very low. A company knows the product is already doing well in a market and market holds few surprises. Market penetration is to go further deep into the market as there are opportunities prevailing in the market but the company has no t capitalized on these opportunities. So to go deep into the market, the company penetrates and increases its market share in the market it is already operating. The company already is aware of the market and its characteristics like barriers to entry and exit or opportunities in the market etc. It is very important for Zara to maintain its market share in existing market with existing products. The company is operating in 59 countries and it is incurring the cost by operating its stores. Therefore by penetrating into the markets where it is already operating, the company can further utilize the markets and increase its market shares in these regions. Thus it can help in improving profitability. Zara has achieved competitive advantage by changing the products quickly. However, industry average to deliver products is nine months whereas Zara’s in-house team is capable to deliver the same in 4 to 6 weeks.

Leading and managing people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Leading and managing people - Essay Example In this instance Ross was an effective leader because, he was understanding in the first instance and there and therefore knew the strategies of handling conflict management. The management should understand their staff and ensure they motivated at the first place, development, get inspirations and conflict management to facilitate achievement of organizations goals. This is portrayed in the sociogram that show Ross as an motivating leader. From my understanding and the question, a critical review of leadership and management in this group would involve team building. Firstly, this group lacked the team building techniques. For instance, in a group there exists a variety of personalities with diverse and distinguishing characteristics, skills, requires different kinds of motivation for the achievement of an organizational goal as portrayed in the sociogram. This is shown in the group that portrays Ross as an effective leader. The management should, therefore, understand that they are dealing with different kind of people in the workplace, for example, some are introverts and others extroverts and both should be handled differently depending on their reactions and also try to tame them in conflict management. For our case, this is a group of individuals who are independent and with different abilities, skills, attitudes, temperament among others but they are committed towards the achievement of a common goal and objecti ve. Therefore, it is important for all group members to work for a mutual benefit and goals of an organization. In this case, a leader and not necessarily a manager are required to enable this group. Conflicts that are unavoidable in an organization as a result of various factors should be handled carefully. All the members are entitled to work collectively and collaboratively and be aware of their roles, responsibilities and accountability for their work. For instance in this group, Ross lacked the

Incident Command System; Principles and Features Part I; Mitigation Case Study

Incident Command System; Principles and Features Part I; Mitigation and Risk Reduction - Case Study Example This information will all be acquired at the city council’s office or the city building authority The other important aspect of this floor plan is to get information about the infrastructure, drainages and gutters, general slope of the land, any nearby streams and rivers, underground pipes and cables and other features that are in the area. It also helps in determining the accessibility of the whole area, type of terrain, location of the safe houses and whether they can easily be accessed â€Å"The rapid needs assessment is a description of the extent of the damage that is sustained by the community. It is the general scope of the disaster in the area† (Flood plain management, 2011). This information can be acquired in the local authorities or any disaster management officials in the city, such as the Red Cross. The rapid needs assessment contains information on: Medical needs and availability of resources – This is information on the injuries, loss of lives and the number of victims that required assistance. It also states the number of medical teams that were at the scene of rescue and the facilities that are functional in the area. The availability of adequate medical equipment and supplies and the requirement for outside assistance are also documented in this assessment. Mass care – This is the mass equipment such as shelter, food and water and relief supplies that are available for the rescued group and the community in general once they are moved from the affected areas. Effect on infrastructure – This is the assessment of the amount of damage caused to the infrastructure. This is the impact on things such as buildings, roads, sewages and drainages, power generating facilities, schools and hospitals, communication lines, water pipes and distribution facilities. Release of dangerous materials – These are the materials that may have been released and can cause harm to the

Management of Organisation Essay Example for Free

Management of Organisation Essay Change management may be defined as the planning, initiation, realization, control and the stabilization of change processes both at the corporate and personal level. Change usually may occur at the strategic level of the organization or involve the personal development of the personnel. Change is a powerful force which is often resisted by most individuals whether it occurs at the corporate or personal level. Despite the resistance, change is a good thing. In fact it is a . livelihood of business in any organization. This is so because any possible failure to see and adjust to change may lead to a spiral downward fall that may lead to reduced efficiency, productivity, band productivity. Therefore the effects of change on personalities need to be resolved effectively but the change process must go on. At no point should the change process should be stopped because of its effects on the human component of the organization (Burke, 2002: pp. 55-7). Change may be described by a number of adjectives such as confusing, fulfilling, challenging, liberating, disorienting, empowering frustrating etc depending on the magnitude of the impact it has on an individual. Employees will always view change negatively. They have a negative perception and attitude towards change. The negative attitude of employees toward change is as a result of their fear of losing their jobs, positions, statuses social security and fear of the resulting higher workload. The employees may or may not be justified to view change that way but generally, the effects of change on employees are negative but the interests of the organization should always remain higher than those of personalities. Even those who survive retrenchment that comes with change will still view change negatively because of two reasons. First, they feel guilty because retaining their jobs makes others jobless and second, the high workload that is likely to come with the change. The remnants can only be willing to the resulting workload if they are given a pay rise. These emotions that result from change may put considerable stress on the changing organization. The stress though is short-lived and after some time the employees tend to forget and move on (Kaufman,1995: p. 12). Based on the employees general view of change, implementation of change in an organization, division, department, project etc may not be easy but the management need to be strong to see the organization through the change process. There will always be casualties of change. Change should start with the managers. It is often said that leadership is a message. Whatever the manager says or doesn’t say is a message. Therefore the message needs to be clear, consistent and repetitive. This is so because it takes time for people to hear, understand and believe the change carrying message especially if they don’t like what they hear. It is human nature to resist change and this is precisely the reason why they should be prepared beforehand. Prior communication may make the transition exciting or at least satisfactory. Change implementation is a foursome affair. First, there is need for the establishment and maintenance of the organization’s vision. When you know where you are going it is rare that you can get lost. Second, there is need to establish and maintain a realistic business plan which ought to be in sync with the vision. Third, communication needs to come in time to pass the synchronized organizational vision and business plan to the organization’s personnel. Finally, there is need for action so as to put into practice what has been communicated in the bid to exercise what is in the business plan which is in sync with the organization’s ultimate vision. Successful implementation of change can thus be seen to be represented by the following equation: Leadership + Vision + Communication + Action = Successful Change. The actions need to be measured and evaluated with the results being compared and deliberated upon. It is common knowledge that what gets measured gets done and anything rewarded gets repeated over and over again (Spector etal, 2007: pp. 156-8). Change can be discerned through finding out what people out there say about the organization. What is the organizational ranking out there? Does the organization need to do something to gain a competitive edge in the market? All these questions test the inevitability of change. Another way involves the challenging of all the organization’s products, services and policies in a bid to question their relevance to the present corporate, personal and market context. It is through questioning that you get to understand when change is necessary, how it can be communicated and implemented and how can the favourable results of the change on the organization’s performance measured. Change is often expensive especially when it involves technology. Technology changes fast and thus if any organization that needs to adapt needs to learn rapidly so as to keep up with the pace. Change is often triggered fro without the organization. Linkspan for instance needs to improve technology to keep up with the changing technology. The effect of technology in market enhancement can no longer be ignored. Further, most people have become technology oriented and are likely to choose a service provider who is technologically compliant that the one who is still struggling with indecision whether to embrace technology or not (Martel,1986: pp 45-54). As stated earlier, the first step in the implementation of change is the detailed review of the organization’s vision. Linkspan management needs to question the direction they are taking whether they are in line with the company’s vision. I believe that any company will have its vision focussing somewhere close to having an advantageous edge in the market. No organization sets a vision to make losses. The target is always making huge profits that will lead to the expansion of the organization. Once the vision has been internalized, the management needs to ask itself one very important question; is the intended change necessary? If so, how is the change likely to supplement the organization’s efficiency and performance? Is the change in sync with Linkspan’s ultimate vision, objectives and goals? Once all these issues are established, then it should be officially declared that the change is inevitable and the reasons warranting the change. These reasons and the inevitability of the change need to be recorded. The next step will be an in-depth study on how the change is likely to affect both the strategic corporate and personal components of Linkspan. Study how the change is going to affect the market, the employees, the organization’s expenditure and income, the shareholders, the customers etc. In short measure and evaluate the effects of the change on every party. Once the measurement and evaluation of the effects of the change has been made, it is necessary to carry out the speculation of the cost of the change. The speculation must factor the costs of employee layoffs, the cost of pay increments for those that remain based on the skills that they will be trained on and the market rates, the cost of training and professional development processes, the cost of the technological component of the change such as the new cranes, integrated bridge systems, autopilot, refurbishments, the cost of other loading and unloading equipment updates etc. In general, the full cost of the change process need to be speculated and this needs the involvement of professionals to carry out the speculations in each sector of the change. These professional speculators need time to carry out a detailed research. Once they have all submitted there reports i. e. he personnel pay rise and lay off speculation report ( featuring effects of the change on each class of employees rating them from the most affected to the least affected by the change, the number of personnel to be laid off, and those to be retained, lay off packages based on positions of employees, pay rise for the remaining staff based on additional training and responsibilities, criteria for the layoff and retention process and its legality and the time frame for the layoffs) , the technological investment plan report (featuring the cost of the new technology equipment and the labour for the installation of new and overhaul of the old technology, refurbishments etc, the best service provider and their charges and the time the process is likely to take), projection report on how the change is likely to add the company’s profitability and efficiency and how it is likely to enhance the company’s market position. This should feature a comparative approach where the major competitors are studied and analyzed to determine the market advantage the change is likely to offer the organization (Drucker,1995: pp. 96-103). Once all the reports have been submitted, the management of Linkspan need to take time, study them and the recommendations and thus determine the total cost, legality and time span of the change process. The company’s capability of funding and sustaining the change process shall also need to be evaluated to establish a conclusive decision of whether to carry out the change or not. If the decision is yes then the management needs to go ahead and start communicating the lurking change to all the stakeholders. As stated earlier, the communication needs to be repetitive consistent and above all very clear. After a blanket communication, the specific phase of communication phase follows. This phase involves communication of the change effects to specific groups of personnel. Start with the most hit and tell them the possible effects the change is likely to have on them. The company’s plan to compensate them, train them, motivate them e. g. through pay rise etc. Give each group time to respond and let the emotions run. Change is emotional. The management needs to be keen to give convincing reasons for the inevitability of the change. State that the company’s interests are higher than any personality. State examples of other companies that have done so and the legality of the process based on the reports. Note the acceptance or denial of the layoff or pay rise packages and consider the victims proposals offered immediately or later. They might not offer the proposals immediately because the message may still be devastating especially for those to be laid off. There is need for professional counselling to enhance speed acceptance of the change process. Remember to communicate to these employees the time span of the change process to enable them feature this into their personal financial, social or even psychological schedules (Sanderson, 1995: pp. 178-190). The end of communication to all stake holders marks another session of review of all the recommendations with a committee whose members are drawn from each division of the organization harmonizing the paperwork of the change process and briefing all the stake holders of the status of the change process. The committee has the mandate of identifying the changes noted between the reports recommendations and the actual status. Harmony is then established through deliberative meetings between the management and the affected parties. The committee has to be time conscious because agreements may take time to be reached and in case agreements are not forthcoming, the management should exercise its discretionary powers (Beitler, 2006: pp. 156-9). The review ushers in the actual implementations at the expiry of the notice offered. Actions should be carried out in such a way that the organizations activities don’t grind into a halt. For example, the layoff needs strategy. Do not yet layoff personnel required before the change process is over. Start with those that are not needed immediately the change implementations start. The refurbishments and fitting of the technological equipment should start with tendering process considering the service providers recommended in the report. Consider their quotations and compare with those quoted in the reports. Consider the quality even though it is still important for the process to be cost effective quality inclusive. The tender winner needs to start working immediately. The winner needs to understand that link span need not stop operations and thus should work within the schedule given by Linkspan. The carriers need to be refurbished and fitted with the technological equipments in shifts say maybe four at a time (Spruyt, 1990: pp 200-7). Those employees belonging to the first batch of the carriers that need to be laid off, trained etc need to be subjected to the appropriate exercise as their carriers get to be worked on. After all the batches have been worked on, then Linkspan needs to communicate to the customers for the second time the completion of the upgrading process. For the second time because it is necessary that they are alerted first before the upgrading of the carriers (through a press release) about the limited services to be rendered due to the lurking upgrading. Launch the new fleet and newly trained and new packages together with a farewell party for those laid off. It is important to consider a possible increment of prices of the new services to be offered and if tenable, then communicate them at the launching party and later through a press release The workability of the change needs to be reviewed from time to time say annually. This is specifically important as a way of noting the parts of the process that are not working and the possible remedial measures to be taken. Remember that, always, the most successful companies thrive on change and Linkspan need not be an exception.

Skills for Success Essay Example for Free

Skills for Success Essay As years passed by, several events have transpired that have shaped the course of world history. Along with this, people and the society have also experienced an evolution wherein the ways and standards of living have been tremendously modified to suit the needs of the changing times. As a result, people have become more innovative and creative in dealing with changes. Because of this reaction, society was able to improve and enhance the manner people exist in their natural habitat. What is more interesting and beneficial effect of this development is the realization of people to further build up their capabilities and potentials to be better at what they do whether personally and professionally. Moreover, in order to thrive in this present social condition, one must possess the necessary skills in order to succeed. This trend is obviously manifested in the corporate world wherein sets of criteria are established to ensure that businesses profit and at the same time provide the high-quality products and services to customers. Due to the lucrative benefits and opportunities that the field of business offers, many are enticed to become a part of it making this field highly competitive. In order to excel at one’s chosen career in the corporate world, an individual must possessed fundamental skills that will help him/her to be successful. There are three things to consider when aspiring in being brilliant and outstanding in the global society. First, one must be motivated. Motivation is a vital factor in the accomplishment of one’s goals and objectives. Without this, the materialization phase of the plan will not take place. Based on my personal experiences, being motivated was the key in finishing my studies in high school. During that my phase of my life, I was faced with many temptations to stray away from my dreams. But since I was determined to be a â€Å"somebody† in the upcoming future, I productively finished my secondary education which also facilitated my success while I was in college. The second essential skill for success is the ability to easily adapt and be flexible. These two skills are interconnected because to be able to adapt to a new environment or condition, an individual must first have the capacity to be flexible which is exhibited by being open-minded and resilient. In every endeavor that people get into, they must always try to be flexible at all times so that the tasks at hand can be done without any setbacks which can minimize the time and effort put into the project or research. By doing this, the chance of forging healthy relationships with other people would be most likely which is needed in guaranteeing a spot in the corporate ladder. Furthermore, the third and last must-have skill would be critical thinking. This particular skill is essential in making significant decisions that can aid in progressing one’s career in the professional world and elevating one’s status in the society. If an individual possess this skill, he/she will definitely go along way in the corporate world because there is a saying â€Å"think first before you act. † Overall, the three mentioned skills will not be able to contribute to the success of an individual on their own. They must be combined together in order to get the best results. Motivation, flexibility and critical thinking are skills that complement one another. If one is missing, the likelihood of performing well in a global setting would be greatly reduced. So individuals should pursue trainings and education that will help them develop these skills. As mentioned, the real world is very aggressive so in order to get ahead of the pack, one should always strive to be the best in their respective fields. This can be achieved by constantly practicing these skills and continuously generating new positive skills that can be very beneficial for one’s career and personal life as well.

Introduction to Crime and Punishment

Introduction to Crime and Punishment Theories were developed to help to explain and understand certain events, behaviors and/or situations. Over the years, sociologists have created these theories in hopes of explaining why things happen in society. For instance, social conflict theories try to explain why society creates conflict due to inequalities that are present in everyday life. In Karl Marx and Engels, economic determinism, economic activity shapes and defines all political, cultural, social and technological aspects of society. It proposes that laws and norms are made in the interest of powerful members of society. This conflict theory proposes three propositions. The first proposition explains that the more inequality the more conflict. The second explains that those who receive less needed resources question the legitimacy of social order, and the third proposition says that those who are getting fewer resources will organize and expose conflict to the public. Marx and Engel saw that unjust exploitation of one social class and social solidarity could be regained if we overthrown capitalism. In the interactional theory, developed by Terrence Thornberry, suggests that delinquent behavior is a result of a relationship between an individual, peer groups, social structures, weakened bonds and learning environment. This theory is broken into three different stages in a life course. The first stage is delinquent behaviors are developed during childhood, primarily because of a dysfunctional family, school failure and association with delinquent peers. The second stage is during mid-adolescence where they are no longer influenced by family, but their peers. The third stage is during adulthood where their delinquent behaviors are shaped by their place in society and his or her own family. According to Durkheim, Punishment is an expression of social solidarity. He believed that punishment serves positive functions in society. There are three parties that help enact punishment. The controller is the person that administers the act, the controlled is the person being punished, the one who committed the crime, and the onlookers which is the general public. Durkheim saw punishment as a moral education. Punishment is an essential part of moral order in society and it helps limit the spread of deviance and disobedience. The two theories that I found interesting were Marx and Engels economic determinism and Durkheims punishment as a moral education. I agree with Marxs idea of the inequality of power in society and how it influences deviant behavior among people who cant get the resources that they need in society. When an individual seem to not have the resources, they go about getting it another way. This relates back to Robert Mertons strain theory that focused on the emphasis of the American Dream. Those who cant obtain it, find other ways, such as stealing or selling drugs. The conflict theory explains that inequality causes more conflict. Those who receive less needed resources would organize and come forth to open it up to the public. Capitalism is considered the root of conflict because it is taken to be the source of unjust inequality. I agree that we should overthrow capitalism and form a just social solidarity, like communism, as Marx and Engel suggests. This way everyone is on the same lev el of social class and has the opportunity of receiving the same resources needed in society. In Durkheims, punishment as a moral education, I agree that punishment is essential for social order. For most children, when they are born they are taught morally right from wrong, such things like, stealing, lying or fighting. This is reinforced with punishment that can range from time-outs to physical beatings. As a result it ensures that whenever the child has an urge to do something wrong, they know the consequences. Personally, for as long as I can remember I have always been reprimanded by my parents whenever I did something I knew I wasnt suppose to. So as a result at any time I felt like misbehaving I would avoid it so that I wouldnt get punished for it. The same idea relates to when an individual thinks about committing a crime, they know that punishment will be a result of that. Like many other theories they arent concrete. They are developed to make sense of why and how certain things happen in society, but there are some criticisms that can be made about them. Durkheim says that punishment is a positive function in society. It reinforces social solidarity and strengthen common values. Although I agree, I question whether he believes punishment of criminals has more of a positive function than reforming criminals? I do believe that some criminals deserve to punished for their actions, but I also believe that developing systems or policies where we can help an individual, that has committed crime, become a better person in society. There are circumstances where an individual had to commit a crime not because they wanted to but because they had to. For instance, a mother that is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her family, steals food from the grocery store because she has no money. In a technical sense she has committed a crime of stealing, but I m sure if she had the money she wouldnt steal. Instead of punishing her by putting her into a correctional institution, why not help her find a job where she can have steady income. This way she is able to provide for her family and we dont have to separate her from her kids.

Shakespeares Hamlet - The Reality of Appearances Essay examples -- Re

The Reality of Appearances in Hamlet   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Within Hamlet the notion of appearances (through apparitions and mental afflictions) lies in direct dichotomy of reality.   This becomes evident through both plot and character.   The continual demise in Hamlet’s mental state is an important issue which leads us to question his actions and motives within the play.   In this essay I shall be attempting to elucidate how the reality of appearances is a central theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The play's plot is full of incidents and events that are not what they appear to be. One such incident is Ophelia's ambiguous death. When, from the Queen, the audience first learns of her passing, the girl's death seems very peaceful, poetic and accidental. But later, during the Graveyard Scene, when the clowns are discussing her death, they classify it as a suicide. Does Ophelia, as it appears, absent-mindedly set foot too far into the murky waters and, held down by her heavy garments, meets with her untimely death? Or, does she, mad with grief caused by Hamlet's "insanity" and her father's death, willingly march to her muddy grave? Another example occurs when Laertes, Ophelia's brother, and King Claudius devise the Triple-Pronged plan. They set up a duel between Hamlet and Laertes. Since both young men are presumably using bated swords, this confrontation appears to be a simple, ordinary fencing match, no one will get hurt. Despite its h armless... ...etations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 65-86 Findlay, Alison. "Hamlet: A Document in Madness." New Essays on Hamlet. Ed. Mark Thornton Burnett and John Manning. New York: AMS Press, 1994. 189-205. Hopkins, Lisa. "Parison and the Impossible Comparison." New Essays on Hamlet. Ed. Mark Thornton Burnett and John Manning. New York: AMS Press, 1994. 153-164. Rose, Mark. "Reforming the Role." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 117-128 Wiggins, Martin. "Hamlet Within the Prince." New Essays on Hamlet. Ed. Mark Thornton Burnett and John Manning. New York: AMS Press, 1994. 209-226.   

The Turkish Pogrom of 1955 and the Elimination of the Greek Minority of

With an official statement, issued on 7 September 1955, the Menderes government expressed its deepest sorrow for the losses suffered by Greek minority in Istanbul. The Turkish Prime Minister blamed the riots on communists, underlining its commitment to the exemplary punishment of the perpetrators (Xristidis 2000). The interpretation of the pogrom as a conspiracy of international communism was repeated during the extraordinary meeting of the Grand National Assembly, which took place on September 12, 1955. However, under the force of circumstances, Adnan Menderes admitted that the government knew about the demonstration on September 6th, in advance. Also, the Turkish Prime Minister argued that, the riot was a spontaneous expression of national sentiment of the Turkish people who was stimulated by the news about the imminent massacre of Turkish Cypriots on 28 August. Moreover, he stated that the hysteria that gripped the crowd was so strong that immobilized the police forces, which foun d themselves between their quest to restore order and their commitment to the homeland, thus leaving full freedom of movement to the protesters. The claim of the Turkish government that the country suffered a severe blow because of the Communists was met with scepticism by foreign observers (Guven 2006). First of all, the number of Communists in Turkey was small and secondly, their activities were under the watchful eyes of the Turkish Intelligence Services (MIT). It seems that, only a small percentage of people who were arrested immediately after the episodes were communists. The arrest of those who had communist beliefs, such as the well-known Turkish writer Aziz Nessin, was totally unjustified, since there was no evidence for their participation i... ...itly the Christian Orthodox and Jews, which were the largest minority groups from Turkey. In addition, according to nationalist elites, these minorities were assimilable thus, were not capable of becoming part of the Turkish nation. Also, they stated that, the Non-Muslim minorities, mainly the Greek, were not composed of loyal citizens but possible traitors to the Turkish state (Guven 2006). Adnan Menderes believed that was national and extremely important responsibility of every Turk to implement the Turkification, in an attempt to establish an independent Turkish state. A corollary of this concept was the effort of assimilation of the Greek minority by force, exercising a policy of discrimination and restrictions against it. In this context, the language, culture and desires of Non-Muslim minorities had to be connected with the history and dignity of Turks.

Essay examples --

Introduction As the number of Americans covered by managed care plans grows, it becomes more important to understand how managed care organizations (MCOs) control costs and how these controls affect access, quality, and health outcomes. This paper will examine patterns in referrals from primary care physicians (PCPs) to specialists in order to evaluate physicians’ satisfaction with this inter-physician communication and to identify problems in the referral process. Prior authorizations will also be studied in order to learn the criteria considered when deciding if a treatment or medication is medically necessary and appropriate. The reasons prior authorization systems are utilized and their effectiveness in controlling costs and constraining access will also be examined. Case management as a function of utilization management and methods for measuring quality and patient satisfaction will be discussed. Historical patterns of case management will be studied in order to evaluate the effecti veness of case management in managing costs. The implications of referral and prior authorizations systems for all stakeholders, MCOs, purchasers, providers, and consumers will be considered. Background/Understanding In MCOs, there are a variety of processes that are used to influence the practice style of a PCP. The method that causes one of the most controversial and frustrating aspects of managed care for the members and their PCP is the use of referral systems (Grumbach et al, 1998). A referral system is the process in which PCPs determine whether services that are performed outside of their office are medically necessary and appropriate. These referrals are used to send members to other physicians in order to gain the excess amount of care t... ...spects of care including, rehabilitation, home care, and health education. MCOs can also utilize disease management, which is a specialized form of case management to monitor and control certain individuals with specialized needs. Like case management, disease management is targeted at specific high risk and high cost medical cases but with a focus on diseases. Disease management is unique because it offers patients access to not only physicians but also other types of health care professionals including pharmacists and dieticians. The idea behind this is to provide each patient with all available resources to help control or eliminate their disease. Pharmacists can provide specialized knowledge on medication techniques and types while dietitians can provide information on healthy eating habits that can help ease symptoms of particular diseases (Kongstvedt, 2009).

Compare the ways in which 3 poets write about relationships Essay

Introduction ‘To his coy mistress’, ‘Remember’ and ‘Since there’s no help†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ are all poems about relationships, the difference is the interpretation of the poet’s message, structure and other various aspects of the poems. ‘To his coy mistress’ by Andrew Marvell and ‘Since there’s no help’ by Michael Drayton were both written around the 16th and 17th centuries and explain very different characteristics of love. Drayton wrote a poem about the end of a relationship with a partner expressing that the love between them is dying. On the other hand Marvell writes, in a poetical way, someone’s argument to a lover trying to persuade them to have sex with them. This poem captivates your attention with the extremes a man would go to have sex with a young virgin, unlike the other poems that are about two partners love for each other. Similarly to Draytons poem, about love in a relationship, Christina Rossetti wrote a poem in the late 19th century to her partner telling him what to remember about their time together. Themes/subject The poem ‘To his coy mistress’ starts with Marvell addressing the young lady, whom he wishes to be his lover that there is no time for her to be coy. Straight away this gives the impression that he’s an intimidating and powerful man. ‘Had we but world enough, and time, this coyness, lady, were no crime’ Marvell tells the lady that being coy is alright when you have time but implies their time is limited and therefore she has no time to be coy, in effect he is pressurising her to do something that she is uncomfortable with. Through the repetition of time in the above sentences you may have guessed that it plays an important role in the poem. Marvell refers to time regularly in the poem as part of his persuasion techniques. The way in which he uses time pressurises the woman into doing what he wants. For example ‘Time’s winged chariot hurrying near’ implies that she can’t live forever so must make the most of the time she has. He uses time again in the concluding lines of the poem as a last persuasion to get his way ‘Thus, though we cannot make our sun stand still, yet we will make him run’ Here Marvell explains to the lady that they cannot make time stand still completely but they can make the most of the time they have. When you feel bored and upset your time seems to go slowly compared to when you are happy and this quote uses this to say that their time will be ‘running’ if they are together due to the good times they will have. Similarly to Marvell, personifying time, Drayton uses the same technique by personifying love ‘Now, if thou would’st, when all have given him over, from death to life thou might’st him yet recover’ Here Drayton has personified love by saying it is dying but may come back to life. I feel this is a good method by which the poet can get his message across with ease. In this case Drayton has personified love as a person on the verge of death. When comparing the two poems it becomes clear that this technique is also useful in distinguishing the message from a speech or letter into a poem. Images A positive image in the love poem ‘Remember’ is where Rossetti writes ‘Better by far you should forget and smile than you should remember and be sad’. She is expressing that she would rather be forgotten if that is the way to make her husband remain happy as she doesn’t want to be remembered if it will make him sad. Rossetti’ symbolises her love for her husband because she couldn’t bare him being sad by remembering her, therefore giving an optimistic image of their relationship. Rossetti also expresses sorrow images ‘Gone far away into the silent land. When you can no more hold me by the hand’ portrays that when she dies she will go to a silent land where she will be all alone, in comparison to when she is alive she can hold her husband’s hand, this reminding him that when she dies they will be separated forever. This is a sad image because it implies that their close bond will be split for eternity. The sadness is emphasised further because their relationship together was obviously true love yet now it is near its end. Marvell uses death in his persuasion, ‘Time’s winged chariot hurrying near’ A downbeat quote persuading the young lady that if they do not have sex that soon times winged chariot will collect them. He is implying it will be too late if they wait as eventually they will get old and die. Marvell personifies time as a chariot and I think his meaning is that a chariot collects people once they die and as they age the chariot gets nearer and so tries to put across this image to the woman. Marvell attempts to persuade the young lady that he will spend an age to admire each part of her and at the very end of the admiration she will love him back. He then says that she deserves no less than this and that he will never give her less than what she deserves. ‘An age at least to every part and the last age should show your heart: for lady, you do not deserve this state; nor would I love at lower rate’ this quote is not intimidating, like most of the poem I think he says it so the young lady thinks he is a good man. I don’t think Marvell wrote the poem because of his love for her, even though in some parts of the poem he tries to re-assure her that he does love her, instead I think he uses it to take advantage of her naivety – quote gives a pleasant image but has malicious intentions. I feel he says this only because writing about love is a good method when trying to lure her into bed and even though this quote may be deceiving she will probably not realise due to her young age. At the end of the poem Marvell tells the young lady that he would rather die than be without her ‘Rather at once our time devour than languish in its slow-chapped power’ Lines 39-40. This gives an image that he would rather all his time go, and would prefer to die than be without her because he would have to suffer in times power as his life would seem to be going slower if he wasn’t with her. As this quote is written in the concluding lines of the poem it continues to lead your thoughts to think he uses love as a means of enticing her into doing what he wants and to trick her into believing that he’d rather die than be without her. In the poem ‘Since there’s no help†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ there are a lot of negative images with few positive ones. This is due to the fact that love is dying out compared to Marvell’s poem in which the man wants the lady to believe he is in love with her, so if he expresses too many negative images then she would be less likely to believe him, different in that of Rossettis poem in which the relationship is very strong but the circumstances are of the person dying and not the love and by this she portrays how much love she has for him. In the opening lines Drayton tells the lady he wants nothing more to do with her ‘you get no more of me’ even the phrase itself gives you the image that he doesn’t want them to be together any longer. He continues to feel bitter and depressed and he reflects his mood in the negative images he gives in the poem. ‘I am glad, yea, glad with all my heart, that thus so cleanly I myself can free’ Drayton is almost trying to persuade her and himself that he doesn’t love her anymore and that he can be free of her, if their relationship ends. I don’t think Drayton does want the relationship to end but says this because he feels that he has no choice and doesn’t want to give his partner the impression that he would forgive her, whatever she does, otherwise she will take him for granted. Structure Marvell, Drayton and Rossetti all use rhyming couplets in the structure of their poems and this makes the poem easy and interesting to read. If it excluded the rhyming couplets reading the poem would be dull and the poet’s message would probably be lost in what would sound more like a speech. Drayton and Rossetti both wrote traditional love poems, the differences being that Rossetti wrote about the great amount of love between a couple and Drayton wrote about the lack of love in the relationship. Both poems include only 14 lines as opposed to the 46 of Marvell’s poem, however, all three poems work well. I felt Marvell chose to write a longer poem so he could properly express the argument and message it contained whereas I felt Rossetti and Drayton chose the shorter structure would be the most efficient way to explain what they wanted as they may have felt that choosing a longer structured poem to end a relationship or to express someone’s feelings would make the poem dull and boring. The difference between Rossetti’s and Drayton’s traditional love poems is that Rossetti split the poem into two stanzas; one with 6 lines and the other with 8 and thus uses the structure of a Petrachan sonnet whereas Drayton used the Shakespearean Iambic Pentameter which contains what would now be 10 syllables per line. Rossetti and Drayton writing a sonnet is evidence that they must love their partner. To write a sonnet to someone puts across the fact that you love them through the structure alone because of it being a traditional love poem. Language / Tone Marvell wrote his poem with persuasive and argumentative language. He tries to pressurise the person it is written for by consistently using death in his argument. At the beginning he says that there is no time to be coy but later says the opposite by saying ‘if you please, refuse till the conversion of the Jews’. As Jews are renowned for the pride they have in their religion he may feel there is not much chance of his succeeding with the young lady unless he poses this argument to change her opinion. Marvell tries to allure the young woman into having sex by using shock tactics ‘Then worms shall try that long-preserved virginity and your quaint honour turn to dust and into ashes all my lust’ Notice the language that he uses, as opposed to saying that someone else will take her virginity he gives her the image of her losing it to worms once she dies. This is a horrific image and using this destructive image it is far more effective because of the message behind it. Rather than using kindness to persuade his mistress into having sex he tries to scare her and in using such a forceful phrase on someone he claims to love further confirms his intimidation of this poor innocent girl. In comparison Rossetti wrote her poem in a more relaxed way but still with an important point to make. This is because she was writing it to someone who she has loved for most her life, however, she still wanted to persuade him not to grieve. Remember is repeated throughout the poem, this is because she wants to be remembered but doesn’t want to be mourned. Her message is expressed when she writes ‘Only remember me; you understand’ and ‘and afterwards remember, do not grieve’ both these quotes found in the second stanza of her poem prove that she doesn’t want him to forget her nor grieve. Rossetti, unlike Marvell, didn’t write on her own behalf as Rossetti wrote solely for her husband and mentioned herself rarely in the poem, I felt this was sad as she is the one dying but she didn’t want to meake her husband feel more upset so she couldn’t tell him how she was really feeling. You can tell she loved her partner and that the poem was written with good intentions. Drayton wrote his poem in such a way that it seemed that he was trying to persuade himself that he would be better off ending the relationship as well as telling his partner that their relationship had finished. Draytons intitial message to his partner is that their relationship is worth nothing, however, at the end begins to realise the love he has for her and so tells her the love may come back and as he does this the message at the end is very similar to the message expressed by Rossetti ‘when all have given him over, from death to life thou might’st him yet recover’ Drayton, talking about love personifying, hints that the love may come back to their relationship and may this happen his relationship could be similar to Rossettis loving relationship with her husband. My response to the poems My feelings about each poem differ; I feel the poem by Rossetti is sad as you can tell the relationship was strong and the poem was written to give her husband strength to go on after her death and remember the good things once she’s dead. It is effective as you know they had a good relationship because information such as their planned future together can be taken from the poem ‘no more day by day you tell me of the future that you planned’. It is also sad because she showed no self pity and so makes you feel sorry for her husband who wouldn’t know how his wife felt about her nearing death. My feelings about Marvells poem are completely different. I think this poem is quite threatening and harsh. He tells the young lady in the poem that she has to make her decision before she is old and ugly as he will no longer love her. I think he is also mean to write a poem in the persuasive language he does because she is young and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and he uses this to his advantage. The horrific images he portrays further prove that he uses love falsely because if he did love her he wouldn’t scare her into having sex against her will. ‘Then worms shall try that long-preserved virginity and your quaint honour turn to dust and into ashes all my lust’ This illustrates the extremes the speaker is prepared to go to in order to get what he wants, he is trying to give her negative thoughts of what will happen if she rejects him. As mentioned before, the poem was written in the 17th century in an era which girls normally married as virgins and usually at a very young age. Marvell uses this to his advantage by continuing to express, what I think, is false love because by getting her to believe he is in love with her he feels he stands a greater chance of her losing her virginity to him. I felt sorry for Drayton after reading his poem because I felt he wrote it after finding out about his partner’s affair and this would account for his harsh way of ending their relationship and angry tone used when ending it. However, to tell his partner that he can be free without her is surprising, especially when at the end of the poem he says the love may come back. I think Drayton wrote this poem on the back of an affair his partner had been having, ‘Now at the last gasp of loves latest breath, when, his pulse failing, passion speechless lies, when faith is kneeling by his bed of death’. The phrase speechless lies could be a reflection of the times she lied to him while having the affair and faith kneeling by deaths bed shows that along with the love, faith had also left the relationship giving further reason to think she had an affair. Aswell as this Drayton lets his partner know that the love in their relationship is dying and has nearly gone completely, by saying that it is taking its last gasp of breath. Shortly after, Drayton gives his partner the impression that the love may come back. ‘Now, if thou would’st, when all have given him over, from death to life thou might’st him yet recover’. This quote gave me the feeling that the relationship could come back giving reason to believe that the poem was written as retaliation after finding out about an affair. Understandably he would be distraught and so uses the harsh images mentioned in the early stages of the poem but finally ending by realising the amount of love he has for his partner and so says that they might be able to overcome this and love each other again. The poem I preferred Overall the poem that I most preferred was Draytons poem ‘Since theres no help†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This is because unlike Marvells poem it isn’t as long and is kept to a simple 14 line structure. I feel that this made it easier to understand as opposed to Marvells longer poem. Even though the longer length may have added more detail I found this made it far easier to lose interest. Rossettis poem, like Draytons, was short, however, I liked the way Drayton personified love throughout his poem by expressing loves life in his relationship. I disliked the overuse of ‘remember’ in Rossettis poem, even though it was obviously intentional, I thought it made the poem repetitive with Rossetti continually telling her husband what to remember and remember what not to do. However, I did think that Marvells poem was strong in its persuasiveness and thought it would probably be successful in taking advantage of the young girl, which was the purpose of him writing it. Another reason for my preference of Draytons poem is that it questions the strength of the relationship and whether feelings can be turned off so easily.

Microecnomics Exam

Intermediate Microeconomics Fall 2005 Midterm Exam Direction: This is a close book, close notes exam; there is 100 points possible, please pay attention to the weights as you allocate your time; the exam starts at 3:30 and ends at 5:00 sharp. Good luck! 1. (25 points) Consider the utility function[pic]. 1) Is the assumption that ‘more is better’ satisfied for both goods? 2) What is [pic] for this utility function? 3) Is the [pic] diminishing, constant, or increasing as the consumer substitutes [pic] for [pic] along an indifference curve? . (25 points) A consumer purchases two goods, food [pic] and clothing [pic]. Her utility function is given by [pic]. The price of food is [pic] , the price of clothing is [pic], and the consumer’s income is [pic]. 1) What is the demand function for clothing? 2) Is clothing a normal good in this case? 3. (25 points) Suppose that Natasha’s utility function is given by u(I) = I0. 5, where I represents annual income in thousand s of dollars. 1) Is Natasha risk loving, risk neutral, or risk averse? Explain. ) Suppose that Natasha is currently earning an income of $10,000 (I = 10) and can earn that income next year with certainty. She is offered a chance to take a new job that offers a . 5 probability of earning $16,000, and a . 5 probability of earning $5,000. Should she take the new job? 3) In (2), would Natasha be willing to buy insurance to protect against the variable income associated with the new job? If so, how much would she be willing to pay for that insurance? 4. (25 points) Suppose a consumer has the two period utility function: [pic][pic] here [pic]represent the amount of consumption in period 1 and 2 respectively. The consumer’s income consists just of inherited assets A in period 1, and there is no income in second period. If the remaining income is invested in an asset, it can earn a rate of interest r. 1) Interpret the economic meaning of the parameter [pic] in the utility function. 2 ) Obtain the optimal allocation of[pic], and illustrate it with the graph. 3) Explain how the optimal consumptions in periods 1 and 2 vary with A, r, and[pic].

Does Internet Increase Crime? Essay

In chapter 16, Oscar McLaren discusses how organized crime is â€Å"invading† the internet. One of Australia’s leading figures in online law enforcement says that the internet has so many opportunities for crime, and he believes that there will be a debate on the benefit of the internet at some stage. Organized crime is the biggest threat online or at least is emerging as it. The criminal gangs’ preferred weapon is referred to as botnets, which are groups of computers that have been infected with small computer programs known as malware. Malware has been effective to the point where it even infected the Sydney Opera House’s site. Malware can basically take your computer away from you. The criminal who infected your PC, will essentially own it and most of the time, steal bank account info from you. The Australian police covertly took control of a criminal online marketplace that was being run from Australia. Some even have a â€Å"delete, delete, delete† policy to any unsolicited email. Det Supt Hay says, â€Å"If everyone followed those three simple rules, that would reduce the chances of them falling victim online possibly as much as 80 per cent.† Achieving internet safety is hard. Mr. Ingram claims that you can’t just go around telling people not to click on links that you don’t know the meaning of, which makes the internet redundant. Based on what is said, it would seem that Australia has problems with internet crime quite a bit. My opinion: I believe that organized crime on the internet is pretty major. I never thought about the whole malware thing. If I were to give my opinion before I read about the topic, I would say it had no major connections with the web. But, now I believe otherwise. If any criminal desired to, they could communicate with possible members of a criminal group. They could, like said, use malware to create botnets and connect thousands of random computers to their web of crimes. All it takes is a simple click of the wrong link and your computer is as good as theirs. The internet does indeed make crime easier. Who needs robbing a bank when you can steal a bank account from a little hideout with a computer, right? Although, shutting the  internet down is not a good solution. I am not saying it was presented as a choice, but the idea was brought up. I think more people use the internet for good, than bad. If anything, programs should be capitalized on that trace the location of a sent malware to find and apprehend a criminal. Police can track phones, why not computers? Crime on the internet will definitely grow uncontrollably. Even if they make a program to fight back, the criminals can use the internet to find another way to hack into a network of computers. It is best to just be very careful what you do, and watch what you download on the internet. Always scan what you are doing to ensure the safety of your computer, and you.

The Major Profitability Ratios

The major profitability ratios are: 1. 1. 1. 1RETURN ON CAPITAL: Describes the earning capacity of the enterprise and it is measured by the following ratio: Profit before interest and taxation Average operating Assets The Return On Capital ratio measures how well the average operating assets (assets such as debtors, cash, fixed assets, stock) are generating the company s income, and is indicative of the management techniques applied by the company to utilise its assets. A poor income rate of return could indicate that valuable assets are under utilised.As a result of this problem, an enterprise, which shows a negative Return on capital could be under the influence of poor management. The earning capacity of XYZ Limited for 1998 and 1999 |Ratio|2000|1999|1998|Comments| |||||| Return on|||||| Capital|NPBT|100|88|70|| |Av. OA|(286 + 230) 2|(230 + 162) 2|(162 + 144)|Industry ave| ||100 x 100|88 x 100| 2|| ||258|196|70 x 100|| ||38, 76%|44, 9%|153|| ||||45. 7%|| |||||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : XYZ Limited s return on capital declined from 45. 7% in 1998 to 44. 9% in 1999.This decrease is mainly due to the increase in assets, but further investigation is required to analyse the extent of this decrease. The decrease continued further from 44. 9% in 1999 to 38. 76% in 2000. Again this decrease is due to an increase in assets. The question that arises therefor is: â€Å"Is this phenomena as a result of mismanagement of assets, or just because XYZ Limited is starting up and still growing? † Additional investigation would be required to analyse the extent of the decrease. 1. 1. 1. 2NET PROFIT RATIO: The primary objective of an enterprise is to make a profit.Profit is earned from sales and serves as an important measure of return of capital. The Net Profit percentage can be measured by the following ratio: Net Profit Sales This Net Profit Ratio measures the overall effectiveness of the enterprise s operations, before interest, tax and other non-â€Å"operati ng† items. The shortfall of this ratio in terms of its effectiveness is perhaps the fact that its usefulness is limited to comparisons with other companies. In addition, there is no guideline as to what the ideal absolute value should be. Changes to the Net Profit % can be influenced by one of two components, viz. – Gross Profit Percentage Operating Expenditure In addition, the percentage of sales consumed by operating expenses (i. e. Gross Profit % – Net Profit %) is often indicative of management efficiency in controlling operating costs. Disciplined management techniques, for example, by cutting costs can lead to two consequences, viz. : – A more profitable enterprise An efficiently operating enterprise The Net Profit % of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Net Profit % Margin|2000|1999|1998| Net Operating Income|100|88|70| Net Sales|900|800|700| |11. 11%|11. 00%|10. 00%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N :The Net Profit Percentage Margin increased steadily in proportion to the Gross Profit percentage during the horizon of 1998 to 1999 (10% to 11%). This improvement in the enterprise s return on capital indicates that a proportionately greater profit was earned from sales in 1999 that in 1998. The crux of the matter, however, is not yet known whether this improvement is as a result of larger Gross Profit or lower expenses. Further analysis would be required. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the Net Profit Percentage Margin increased by a further 0. 11% (11% in 1999 to 11,11% in 2000).Again this improvement can be ascribe to an improvement in the enterprise s return on capital. And as noted in the previous horizon, it cannot be determined whether this improvement is as a result of larger Gross Profit or lower expenses. Further analysis would be required. 1. 1. 1. 3Gross Profit % Margin Gross Profit % is an indication of the return of the enterprise s core business. The Gross Profit percentage can be measured by the following r atio: Gross Profit Sales The Gross Profit percentage ratio may be difficult to calculate, as many companies do not disclose their Gross Profit figures.This ratio measures the overall profit margin the enterprise is making on the goods it sells. Perhaps a weakness of this ratio is that by disclosing this type of information a company could potentially expose itself to its competitors. Changes in the Gross Profit % can be influenced by the following factors: Change in markup – changes in the selling prices of goods, or possibly trade discounts will have a direct impact on the GP margin. Sales Mix – an enterprise may deal with numerous different products, which have different mark-ups, and as a result, the sales mix will have an influence on Gross Profit % margin.A changing sales mix should be ascertainable from the segment report (if prepared) by the enterprise. Inventory theft – the theft of inventories would cause unequal quantities of inventories to be reflec ted as sales and cost of sales, and will definitely have a negative impact of the GP margin. The Gross Profit % of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Gross Profit Margin|2000|1999|1998| Gross Profit X 100%|300|256|210| Sales|900|800|700| |33. 33%|32. 00%|30. 00%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : During the period 1998 to 1999, XYZ Limited s Gross Profit percentage margin increased from 30. 3% in 1998 to 32. 9% in 1999.Changes in Gross Profit from one period to the next may be influenced by an increase in sales volume, but further analysis would be required. During the period 1999 to 2000, XYZ Limited s Gross Profit percentage margin increased by 1,1% (from 32. 0% in 1999 to 33. 3% in 1999). A closer look into the enterprise would be required to analyse the following factors: – Higher selling prices Lower purchasing prices Incorrect inventory counts Stricter prevention or loss control policies For obvious reasons, this type of analysis is only possible if the unit selli ng price and the costs are known. 1. 1. 1. Return on Equity (ROE) Return on Equity is measured by the following ratio: Net Profit After Tax Total Equity Return On Equity (ROE) is an indication of good or bad the shareholders prospered during the year. The objective of any enterprise must be to yield sufficient returns in line with the risks taken on by the owner. In addition, the Return on Equity ratio also gives the investor an idea of the sort of return of investment he/she is achieving. This can be compared with returns on alternative investment opportunities such as savings accounts, gilts, and fixed properties. The ROE of XYZ Limited is as follows: –Return on Equity200019991998 Net Profit After Tax|56|48|33| Total equity|186|154|102| |30. 11%|31. 17%|32. 35%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : During 1998 the Return on Equity ratio, as calculated above, indicated that for every rand in equity XYZ Limited generated 32. 35 cents in profit. Also noticeable is that during 19 99 and 2000 this profit was measured as 31,17 and 30. 11 respectively. Apart from the fact that there was a mediocre decline in percentage over the three-year period, nothing signifies that the company is undergoing stress in terms of the ROE figures. Thus no further analysis would be required. . 1. 1. 5Earnings Per Share Describes the earning per share of the entity and it is measured by the following ratio: Earnings Per Share Total Equity Earnings Per Share indicates the value of the company s share as perceived by the market. The higher increase in value, the higher the favourable perception of the enterprise. The EPS of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Earnings Per Share|2000|1999|1998| Net Profit After Tax|56|48|33| Number of Shares Issued|10|10|8| |R5. 60|R4. 80|R4. 13| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : XYZ Limited s earnings per share favourably increased over the three horizons from R4. 3 (1998), to R4. 80 (1999), to R5. 60 (2000). This steady increase in share value ove r the three-year period is indicative of the higher favourable perception of XYZ Limited s 1. 1. 1. 6P/E Ratio Describes Price/Earnings per share capacity of the entity and it is measured by the following ratio: Price Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Per Share indicates the internal growth of an enterprise. The P/E ratio also signifies how much investors are willing to pay per rand of current earnings. Furthermore, an increase in P/E usually indicates that an enterprise shows potential for future growth.The P/E Ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – P/E ratio|2000|1999|1998| Price per Share|28|20|16| Earnings Per Share|6|5|4| |5. 00|4. 17|3. 90| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The Price/Earnings per share for XYZ Limited steadily increased over the horizons of 1998 (3. 90) to 1999 (4. 17); an increase of 0. 27. This increase is healthy for the company as it reflects it as a growing capability. However, since XYZ Limited is in its start-up phase this increase is understandable. The Price/Earnings per share for XYZ Limited, again, steadily increased over the horizons of 1999 (4. 17) to 2000 (5. 00); an increase of 0. 3. What is interesting to note is that this internal growth suggests that perhaps it is one of the contributory factors, which influenced the negative trend in the return of capital and since the company is relative new, growth is inevitable. 1. 1. 2 Liquidity Ratios Liquidity ratios, in essence, measure the ability of the enterprise to pay its bills on time. In other words, the more liquid an enterprise possesses, the more able it would be in terms of paying its bills. In addition, Liquidity ratios also measure the management of a firm s ability to employ working capital. The major liquidity ratios are: Current Ratio Acid-test Ratio Stock Turnover days Creditors payment ratio 1. 1. 2. 1Current Ratio The Current ratio measures the amount of times the company s assets cover its liabilities. Current liabilities consist of creditors who must be paid in cash in the short term. Current assets mainly consist of stock, debtors, and cash. The calculation of the current ratio is as follows: Current Assets Current Liabilities There is no generic rule of thumb about what the figure should be, but generally speaking, an acceptable ratio usually computes between 1 and 2, even though this may vary from industry to industry.The significant thing about the current ratio is that it is used to make comparisons, rather than an absolute measure of liquidity. As a short-term ratio, it makes sense, due to the fact the company s liquidity in the short term depends upon whether it has enough current assets to pay its current liabilities. Another important aspect of the Current Ratio is that it is an important tool for creditors and bank managers (in the case of overdrafts) as signifies that the company can make the commitment to its lenders. The current ratio could also be used in terms of risk management in the event of a negative trend in t his ratio.For example, if the rate at which the company s assets are converted into cash is slower than that of the repayment of the company s creditors, there would be liquidity problems in that enterprise. The Current ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Current Ratio|2000|1999|1998| Current Assets|186|110|22| Current Liabilities|70|36|20| |2. 66 : 1. 0|3. 06:1. 0|1. 10:1. 0| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The Current ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 increased considerably from 1. 10:1. 0 to 3. 06:1. 0. The poor acid-test ratio in 1998 indicated that the company had experienced problems.This is obviously not the case due to the fact that the enterprise was just starting up. Another observation of this particular horizon is that it signifies that in 1999 the company expanded (grew) substantially since its inception – which contributed to the enormity of the gap. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the current ratio of XYZ Limited expectedly â₠¬Å"levelled-out† from (3. 06: 1. 0) to (2. 66:1. 0); and even though it is still above the industry norm (2:1). Even though this horizon indicates that XYZ Limited has the capabilities of servicing long-term debt and current liabilities, it must still be viewed with caution. 1. 1. 2. Acid Test Ratio The Acid-Test ratio (or sometimes referred to as the Quick ratio) is a more severe form of the current ratio where current assets are readily converted to cash are calculated as a proportion of the current liabilities. The calculation of the Acid-test ratio is as follows: Current Assets – Stock Current Liabilities The Acid-test ratio also compares current assets to current liabilities, but removes stock from the assets, since stock is usually the least liquid of all the assets and the most difficult to convert into cash. This ratio, in fact, gives us a more accurate assessment of the liquidity of the enterprise.A quick ratio of 1:1 would be considered as the norm , but may v ary from industry to industry. The Quick ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Acid Test Ratio|2000|1999|1998| Current assets – Stock|120|70|7| Current Liabilities|70|36|20| |1. 71:1. 0|1. 94:1. 0|0. 35:1. 0| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The Current ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 increased considerably from 0. 35:1. 0 to 1. 94:1. 0 respectively. The poor acid-test ratio in 1998 is indicative of the fact that the company was in its infancy stage and was probably committed to its lenders.XYZ Limited then somewhat leap-frogged in 1999 to a more favourable position due its debtors recovery. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the quick ratio of XYZ Limited declined marginally from (3. 06: 1. 0) to (2. 66:1. 0) respectively; and even though it is still above the industry norm (1:1). The decrease in XYZ Limited s quick ratio could be ascribed to expansion in operations and growth and even though was still able to meet its short-term commitments. 1. 1. 2. 3Stock turnover days The calculation of the stock turnover days is as follows: Average inventory X 365 Cost of salesThe inventory stock days calculates the sales an enterprise contains in its year-end inventory. The most efficient scenario would be to have no inventory holding, but is impractical, as it would make an enterprise inoperable. It would therefor be considered as a management inventory control policy. The Stock turnover days ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Stock Inventory Turnover Days|2000|1999|1998| Ave inventory X 365|66|40|15| Cost of sales|600|544|490| |40. 15|26. 84|11. 17| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : It is interesting to note that during the period 1998 and 1999 this figure for the stock turnover days seemingly increased by 25. 7 days (from 11. 17 days in 1998 to 26. 84 days in 1999). This increase in the number of days could be as a result of growth or due to stock holding. XYZ Limited showed an increase in the number of days for the horizon 1 999 (26 days) and 2000 (40 days). This negative trend over this period and the previous horizon could be misleading and potentially indicates that stock piling occurs. It is difficult to assess this condition as the company could be in the process of delivering a huge order or has over stocked in anticipation of sales projection. 1. 1. 2. 4Creditors PaymentsThe calculation of the creditors payments is as follows: Average Creditors X 365 Cost of sales The creditors payments days indicates the period an enterprise uses to pay it s trade collectors. This can potentially give rise to cash discounts by suppliers. The Creditors Payments ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Stock Inventory Turnover Days|2000|1999|1998| Ave Creditor X 365|40|26|20| Cost of sales|600|544|490| |24 days|17days|14days| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : XYZ Limited showed an increase in the number of days for the horizon 1998 (14 days) and 1999 (17 days). And again during 2000 (24 days).This, however, does n ot signify anything as the company is still able to pay its suppliers in less that 30 days, which suggests an efficient payment process. 1. 1. 3 Leverage Ratios Leverage (Gearing) ratios, in essence, gives the analyst an indication of the sort of debt an enterprise has and how the operations is financed. All leverage ratios will contain long-term debts and short-term debts. This is usually compared with the total assets of the company. Financial institutions and banks are usually keen to know the company s leverage as they are keen to find out how much an enterprise has borrowed and what it can afford to borrow.The major leverage ratios are: 1. 1. 3. 1Debt Ratio The debt ratio is an indicator of all the debt that the company has , to its total assets. The calculation of the debt ratio is as follows: Total liabilities Total assets Due to the accounting equation, it can be generally assumed that the company has financed its assets by the above proportion of â€Å"non-owner† fun ds. â€Å"Owner funds† refers to share capital and retained earnings. Lenders generally stipulate that this ratio should not exceed a certain percentage because it is usually more risky to lend to a company who lacks owners funds (i. . share capital + retained earnings) as apposed to its â€Å"non-owners† funds. Again, the desirable value of this ratio is difficult to evaluate and its usefulness lies in how it compares to the same ratio in other similar companies. The debt ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Debt ratio|2000|1999|1998| Total liabilities|100|76|60| Total assets|286|230|162| |34. 97%|33. 04%|37. 04%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The debt ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 decreased marginally from 37. 04% to 33. 04%. this was mainly due to an increase in assets.Due to this effect on leverage, the debt equity ratio caused the return on shareholder s equity to remain fairly constant even though an increase in return on capit al was encountered. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the debt ratio of XYZ Limited increased marginally, suggesting that the company did not have the same profitability as the previous horizon. 1. 1. 3. 2Long-term Debt Ratio The long-term debt ratio is an indicator of only the long-term debt that the company has, to its total assets. The calculation of the long-term debt ratio is as follows: Long-term Debt Total assetsLong term debt is fairly static. Generally lenders do not like to give long-term loans to finance short-term (current assets). They prefer to lend on a long-term basis for items such as fixed assets. The ratio therefor indicates what proportion of the assets has been financed by long-term debt. The debt ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Long-term debt ratio|2000|1999|1998| Long-term debt|30|40|40| Total assets|286|230|162| |10. 49%|17. 39%|24. 69%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The debt ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 decreased mar ginally from 24. 9% to 17. 39%. This was mainly due to an increase in total assets. Due to this effect on leverage, the debt equity ratio caused the return on shareholder s equity to remain fairly constant even though an increase in return on capital was encountered. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the debt ratio of XYZ Limited increased significantly mainly due to an increase in total assets and a decrease in long-term debt. What is noticeable in this ratio is that XYZ Limited is not particularly bad for the company. In fact, the company is seemingly doing very well.