Monday, September 30, 2019

Severe income disparity: A review of the WEF’s global risk

ABSTRACT This paper provides a discussion of one of the most persistent global risks identified by the WEF, namely severe income disparity.The report focuses on describing the systemic nature of this risk along with indicating its manifestation in both developed and emerging economies. Moreover, three distinct concepts of measuring global income inequality are presented as based on Milanovic’s research. The paper discusses numerous interconnected risks to income disparity, and provides recommendations for improvement. INTRODUCTION According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), severe income disparity between the richest and poorest citizens has become one of the most substantial risks facing the global community in the 21st century (Global Risks 2012). The WEF has emphasised the urgency to tackle income disparities because of the widening chronic gap between the rich and the poor. This aspect represents a serious threat to social stability in the global context. The risk of severe income disparity also raises concerns about persistent recession, which has an adverse effect on middle classes in developed economies (Law et al. 2014). In addition, it has been indicated that the process of globalisation has led to a polarisation of incomes in emerging and developing economies. Identified as a systemic risk, severe income disparity is defined as the unequal distribution of individual income across different participants in an economy. Income inequality also refers to the percentage of income which corresponds to the percentage of population (Armour et al. 2013). This concept is associated with the notion of fairness, and it is usually considered unfair if the rich citizens have a substantial portion of a country’s income in comparison to representatives of their population. Moreover, the causes of severe income disparity tend to vary by specific characteristics, such as region, education, and social status. It is important to explore the implications of such income disparity globally (Schneider 2013). This type of inequality is generally measured through the ‘Gini coefficient’, which provides adequate information about the way of how income distribution in a particular country deviates from the notion of perfect equity (Grabka and Goebel 2014). The objective of this paper is to explore and critically analyse the WEF risk of severe income disparity. SYSTEMIC DIMENSIONS OF THE PROBLEM OF INCOME DISPARITY The concentration of substantial economic resources in the hands of fewer individuals indicates a significant threat to stabilising global political and economic systems (Chang et al. 2013). As a result, political organisations engage in a process of addressing the demands and needs of economic elites, which are identified in different economies, both developed and developing. This occurs to the detriment of ordinary citizens, who appear adversely impacted by severe income disparity (Berveno 2014). The global financial crisis has sparked research interest in exploring the dimensions of income disparity across the world. Regardless of extensive discussions on the negative impact of income disparity in developed and emerging economies, this has not resulted in adequate solutions to the problem (Lin et al. 2014). It can be argued that world leaders and politicians unite their efforts to provide a realistic framework of how they can address the issue of income disparity (Burz and Boldea 2012). The problem of widening income inequality is systemic in nature and is linked with political influence. The poorest citizens in the world usually tend to lack access to modern economic and political systems that enforce specific laws and regulations (Pulok 2012). In developed economic systems, representatives of the low and middle classes are commonly found at the low levels of society due to unaffordable education and challenges of obtaining credit facilities. In addition, jobs with high salaries have become scarce (Chang et al. 2013). This emerges as another contributing factor to widening the gap between the richest and poorest citizens. MINIMUM QUALITY OF LIFE The discussion of a minimum quality of life has been recently initiated in the United States. The focus has been on keeping the dignity and respect of human beings intact. Yet, it can be argued that Europeans are more advanced than Americans in terms of the discussion of the issue of severe income disparity (Bergh and Nilsson 2014). The gap between the richest and poorest citizens is mostly evident in developed economies, according to the WEF report (Global Risks 2012). Although such uneven growth is considered normal in emerging markets, they are more likely to face the problem of income inequality in the near future (Shin and Shin 2013). Some may argue that income disparity is an inevitable by-product of free markets. However, there is no substantial evidence to support this claim. There is no easy solution to the issue of income inequality, but global leaders tend to suggest that balance is fundamental (Bergh and Nilsson 2014). Government intervention may appear a relevant solution to the problem. Yet, it should be considered that such intervention should not have a negative impact on market efficiency. Government intervention may be focused on increasing market access. Other individuals and groups that hold a more pessimistic view indicate that the inability to influence government policy can prevent the creation of any changes that try to alleviate the problem of severe income disparity (Global Risks 2012). DIFFERENT CONCEPTS OF INEQUALITY Branco Milanovic is one of the main researchers looking at the issue of severe income disparity. He emphasises three distinct concepts of inequality. The first concept is associated with the aspects of unweighted global inequality. It refers to the use of GDP per capita and ignores population (Milanovic 1998). This type of inequality has been progressively decreased in the last few decades. The second concept relates to population weighted global inequality where it is assumed that all people in a country receive the same income (Pulok 2012). Yet, the precise number of representative persons from each country indicates its population size. If this measure is applied, it appears that income inequality has decreased in the past several years, even though it has expanded in countries such as China and India (Bergh and Nilsson 2014). The third concept used by Milanovic is based on the principle of treating everyone in the same manner, regardless of one’s nationality. This has gradually become a global measurement of income disparity (Shin and Shin 2013). It can be suggested that by applying the proposed measure in practice, global inequality substantially increased in the period from 1988 to 1993. As a result, the poorest 5% have lost almost 25% of their actual income, whereas the richest citizens have gained approximately 12% (Milanovic 1998). ESSENTIAL FINDINGS In the United States, the sector of Accommodation and Food Services emerges as the most unequal sector in the US economy, dominated by substantial inequality within this industry (Auten et al. 2013). It has been indicated that Accommodation and Food Services demonstrated a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 543-to-1 in 2012. The ratio of compensating fast food CEOs was approximately 1,200 times more compared to the income of the average fast food employees in the same year (Ruetschlin 2014). Such income disparity can be explained with two essential factors: high payments made to CEOs and poverty-level income received by average employees in the industry (Pulok 2012). In the table below, specific information is presented about the Gini Index, which is a standard measure of family income disparity in a country. The data is provided by the CIA, according to which the country that ranks highest in terms of income inequality is South Africa with a Gini Index of 65.0, while Sweden ranks first with a Gini Index of 23.0 (Vogel 2012). These results provide important implications into the widening gap of the richest and poorest citizens around the world. Table 1: Income Disparity in Different Countries, 2012 Overall RankCountryGini Index 1Sweden23.0 5Norway25.0 13 Germany27.0 46United Kingdom34.0 58India36.8 62Japan37.6 85Russia42.0 92Iran44.5 95United States45.0 119Mexico51.7 135South Africa65.0 Furthermore, it has been argued that the wealth of the 1% richest persons in the world amounts to approximately ?60.88tn (Wearden 2014). This is almost 65 times as much as the amount of the poorest half across the world. It has been presented evidence that over the past several decades, the richest citizens have gained adequate political influence so as to turn main policies in their favour (Auten et al. 2013). According to Wearden (2014), tax rates applicable to the richest citizens have fallen in many countries. Since the 1980s, income inequality has progressively increased, as approximately 70% of the global population tend to live in countries with extensively expressed disparity in terms of income (Herzer and Nunnenkamp 2013). Opinion polls conducted in different countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, India and South Africa, showed a trend that most citizens in each country hold the belief that the wealthiest individuals exert extensive social and political influence (Xu and Garand 2010). INTERCONNECTED RISKS The global risk of severe income disparity is linked with other interconnected risks, according to the WEF report. As the WEF has indicated, the widening income gap presents a threat to the economic and social stability globally (Global Risks 2012). Therefore, it can be argued that severe income disparity is closely linked with other risks, such as inappropriate governance, persistent crime and corrupt practices, food insecurity, chronic diseases, and terrorism (Fisher et al. 2013). One of the co-authors of the Risks report has stated that if the problem of income disparity remains unresolved, this would lead to greater problems with the other interconnected risks. Cassette et al. (2012) have argued that if absolute poverty is eliminated, this would significantly help global policymakers to address the issue of severe income disparity. In this situation, wealth could be used to increase the living standards of citizens around the world. Moreover, the problem of income inequality is connected to the process of globalisation in the sense that even though the world tries to stay together, it actually is growing apart (Tregenna and Tsela 2012). This problem has become quite persistent after the global financial crisis, especially in the United States, which has been identified as 45th in the world for presenting a wide gap between the richest and poorest citizens (Vogel 2012). The minimum wages received by populations also increase the risk of such evident income divisions because of concentrating more wealth into CEOs of organisations than in the hands of average employees. When access to education and health care is limited, this obviously increases the risk of income disparity because of the gap that is created between those who can afford such services and others who cannot (Cassette et al. 2012). The lack of equal opportunities for professional development of all citizens represents another interconnected risk. It can be concluded that the risks that are mostly associated with severe income disparity are macroeconomic in nature, such as fiscal crises and structural unemployment (Chang et al. 2013). The failure of global governance structures emerges as the most central risk contributing to income inequality. These interconnections between risks provide important insights into the available transmission channels between them (Wearden 2014). SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT The leaders gathered at the WEF should support progressive taxation. They should be also encouraged to avoid any practice that may lead to a situation where they use their high income to obtain political favours (Baldil 2013). As part of the broad strategy to mitigate such global risk identified by the WEF, it is important to respect the democratic will of all other citizens who are not considered rich. Another strategy for improvement is associated with making public all investments in organisations (Leibbrandt et al. 2012). Income inequality can be lowered in situations when more opportunity and growth is created. Global leaders should work on the emergence of an equality agenda. CONCLUSION This paper has provided an exploration of the global risk of severe income disparity, as identified by the WEF. This risk has been indicated as one of the most persistent global risks threatening social and economic stability across the world (Baldil 2013). The focus of the paper was on describing systemic dimensions of the problem of income disparity. It was argued that the problem of income inequality is present in both developed and emerging economies. Another argument introduced in the paper referred to the association of income disparity with political influence. There was a discussion of minimum quality of life, which has been initiated in the United States (Cassette et al. 2012). The income disparity gap has been presented as wider in emerging economies. Moreover, the paper focused on Milanovic’s different concepts of inequality in order to provide a relevant basis for measuring income disparity globally (Milanovic 1998). Specific interconnected risks along with suggestions for improvement have been presented in this report. The major interconnected risk has been identified as the failure of global governance (Xu and Garand 2010). In conclusion, global leaders should constantly work on implementing adequate solutions to tackle the problem of severe income disparity. REFERENCES Armour, P., Burkauser, R. V. and Larrimore, J. (2013). ‘Deconstructing Income and Income Inequality Measures: A Crosswalk from Market Income to Comprehensive Income’. American Economic Review, vol. 103(3), pp. 173-177. Auten, G., Gee, G. and Turner, N. (2013). ‘New Perspectives on Income Mobility and Inequality’. National Tax Journal, vol. 66(4), pp. 893-912. Baldil, G. (2013). ‘Physical and Human Capital Accumulation and the Evolution of Income and Inequality’. Journal of Economic Development, vol. 38(3), pp. 57-83. Bergh, A. and Nilsson, T. (2014). ‘When More Poor Means Less Poverty: On Income Inequality and Purchasing Power’. Southern Economic Journal, vol. 81(1), pp. 232-246. Berveno, O. V. (2014). ‘Influence of an Extreme Inequality of Income upon the Life Quality’. Problems of Economy, (1), pp. 304-308. Burz, R. D. and Boldea, B. I. (2012). ‘Sustainability of Economic Growth and Inequality in Incomes Distribution’. Annals of the University of Oradea, Economic Science Series, vol. 21(1), pp. 249-254. Cassette, A., Fleury, N. and Petit, S. (2012). ‘Income Inequalities and International Trade in Goods and Services: Short- and Long-Run Evidence’. International Trade Journal, vol. 26(3), pp. 223-254. Chang, J., Liu, C. and Hung, H. (2013). ‘Does Performance-Based Compensation Boost Economic Growth or Lead to More Income InequalityDoes Performance-Based Compensation Boost Economic Growth or Lead to More Income Inequality?’ Economic Record, vol. 89(284), pp. 72-82. Fisher, J. D., Johnson, D. S. and Smeeding, T. M. (2013). ‘Measuring the Trends in Inequality of Individuals and Families: Income and Consumption’. American Economic Review, vol. 103(3), pp. 184-188. Global Risks 2012, Seventh Edition (2012). World Economic Forum. Geneva, Switzerland. Grabka, M. M. and Goebel, J. (2014). ‘Reduction in Income Inequality Faltering’. DIW Economic Bulletin, vol. 4(3), pp. 16-25. Herzer, D. and Nunnenkamp, P. (2013). ‘Inward and Outward FDI and Income Inequality: Evidence from Europe’. Review of World Economics, vol. 149(2), pp. 395-422. Law, S. H., Tan, H. B. and Azman-Saini, W. N. (2014). ‘Financial Development and Income Inequality at Different Levels of Institutional Quality’. Emerging Markets Finance & Trade, vol. 50, pp. 21-33. Leibbrandt, M., Finn, A. and Woolard, I. (2012). ‘Describing and Decomposing Post-Apartheid Income Inequality in South Africa’. Development South Africa, vol. 29(1), pp. 19-34. Lin, Y. C., Huang, H. C. and Yeh, C. C. (2014). ‘Inequality-Growth Nexus along the Development Process’. Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, vol. 18(3), pp. 237-252. Milanovic, B. (1998). Income, Inequality, and Poverty during the Transition from Planned to Market Economy. Washington: The World Bank. Pulok, M. H. (2012). ‘Revisiting Health and Income Inequality Relationship: Evidence from Developing Countries’. Journal of Economic Cooperation and Development, vol. 33(4), pp. 25-61. Ruetschlin, C. (2014). Fast Food Failure: How CEO-to-Worker Pay Disparity Undermines the Industry and the Overall Economy [online]. Demos Organization. Available at: http://www.demos.org/publication/fast-food-failure-how-ceo-worker-pay-disparity-undermines-industry-and-overall-economy [Accessed: 20 August 2014]. Schneider, M. P. (2013). ‘Illustrating the Implications of How Inequality is Measured: Decomposing Earnings Inequality by Race and Gender’. Journal of Labour Research, vol. 34(4), pp. 476-514. Shin, K. and Shin, D. (2013). ‘New Evidence on Determinants of Income Inequality’. Journal of Economic Theory and Econometrics, vol. 24(2), pp. 125-162. Tregenna, F. and Tsela, M. (2012). ‘Inequality in South Africa: The Distribution of Income, Expenditure and Earnings’. South African Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, vol. 29(1), pp. 35-61. Vogel, R. D. (2012). Civic Revolution: Targeting the Dictatorship of Wealth [online]. Available at: http://combatingglobalization.com/articles/Targeting_the_Dictatorship_of_Wealth.html [Accessed: 20 August 2014]. Wearden, G. (2014). Oxfam: 85 Richest People as Wealthy as Poorest Half of the World [online]. The Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/20/oxfam-85-richest-people-half-of-the-world [Accessed: 20 August 2014]. Xu, P. and Garand, J. C. (2010). ‘Economic Context and Americans’ Perceptions of Income Inequality’. Social Science Quarterly, vol. 91(5), pp. 1220-1241.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Education as a Social Institution Essay

At some point in time everyone is a recipient of some type of education. This can take the form of traditional schooling, home schooling, or mentoring by an individual. Formal schooling, within industrialized nations, typically encompasses one third of an individual’s life. This is one of the reasons sociologists have examined education as it relates to various social perspectives. This paper will explore education in regards to the Functionalist, Conflict, and Interactionist perspectives/views. (Perspective and views will be used interchangeably throughout this paper). â€Å"Two theories are considered in accounting for the increased schooling required for employment in advanced industrial society: (a) a technical-function theory, stating that educational requirements reflect the demands for greater skills on the job due to technological change; and (b) a conflict theory, stating that employment requirements reflect the efforts of competing status groups to monopolise or dominate jobs by imposing their cultural standards on the selection process† (Collins, 1971). Applying the Functionalist Theory Functionalist theory is explained by asserting that â€Å"societies function like biological systems in that they have differentiated parts that function together to ensure the smooth operation and survival of the organism as a whole† (Morrow, Torres, 1995). It is important to note that within the functionalist theory there are three different functions. â€Å"Manifest functions of institutions are open, stated, conscious functions. They involve the intended, recognized consequences of an aspect of society, such as the university’s role in certifying academic competence and excellence† (Schaefer, 2009). An example of this would be the core classes that are available to students in elementary school. Such as math, history, English, etc. While some schools, dependent on them being private or public institutions, offer various additional classes, they all predominately educate their students in core capabilities. Latent functions are those functions that â€Å"are unconscious or unintended functions that may reflect hidden purposes of an institution. One latent function of universities is to hold down unemployment. Another is to serve as a meeting ground for people seeking marital partners† (Schaefer, 2009). The third sub-function is dysfunction. In the military, dysfunction is referred to as the ten-percent. This means that for every group, unit, etc there will be ten percent of the population that does not conform to the military way of life. More simply, this can be expressed as â€Å"an element or process of a society that may actually disrupt the social system or reduce its stability† (Schaefer, 2009). Today’s educational system teaches students to become integral parts of society. Through public education, teachers are able to influence tomorrow’s workforce in societal norms, ensuring they understand how to become contributors to their society’s stability. An example of the contribution to society the education system provides is: parents that take on extra jobs to fund their child’s education. This provides revenue for the immediate family, while funding and teaching the child the importance of hard work, devotion, and self sacrifice (societal norms). This can be compared to the example in the text about Hindu’s and their devotion to cows. Just as the Hindu understand the benefit the benefits that they receive by ensuring their cows remain available to cultivate and fertilize their agricultural crops, most parents apply the same concept to educating their children. Understanding the benefits an education will provide not only their immediate family, but also their children and the community as a whole. Applying the Conflict Theory The basis of this theory is that conflict theorists assume â€Å"that social behavior is best understood in terms of tension between groups over power of the allocation of resources, including housing, money, access to services, and political representation† (Schaefer, 2009). As with the functionalist perspective, conflict theory embraces various viewpoints. These include: the Marxist view, an African American view, and the feminist view. These views while differing slightly, each embrace the concern with inequality in society, while focusing on social change and the redistribution of resources. â€Å"The main dynamic of rising educational requirements in the United States has been primarily the expansion of mobility opportunities through the school system, rather than autonomous changes in the structure of employment. It is argued that the effort to build a comprehensive theory of stratification is best advanced by viewing those effects of technological change on educational requirements that are substantiated within the basic context of a conflict theory of stratification† (Collins, 1971). An example of this theory put to use is the April, 2001 strike conducted by Hawaii’s educators. Due to an inability of the state government and the union representatives to come to an understanding approximately 15,000 school teachers, from kindergarten to university, participated in the strike, effectively bringing Hawaii’s education system to a halt. This example while relating to the conflict theory is directly related to the Marxist view. â€Å"Conflict theorists are interested in how society’s institutions―including the family, government, religion, education, and the media―may help to maintain the privileges of some groups and keep others in a subservient position† (Schaefer, 2009). The individual view from this perspective identifies how people are shaped by power, coercion and authority. Specifically, those universities that are considered to be elite provide their students with enhanced career opportunities. â€Å"While there are various criteria by which particular colleges and universities can be placed in this academic hierarchy, the most significant one sociologically is their relationship to the class structure of society. This relationship is understood in terms of the social and economic attainments of their graduates. Elite colleges and universities, therefore, are those whose alumni enjoy disproportionate access to high-status occupations, as well as to other forms of economic and cultural privilege; they are gateways to elite membership in society† (Farnum, 1997). Applying the Interactionist Theory The first two perspectives have dealt with macrosociology or society as a whole. The interactionist perspective looks at portions of society in a microsociological way. This theory can be explained as â€Å"theorists who take the interactionist perspective generalize about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole† (Schaefer, 2009). Some of the data compiled by interactionist sociologists studying the educational field include: student views/goals in relation to their grade point averages, effectiveness of school programs, and effectiveness of educator abilities. As with functionalist and conflict perspectives, the interactionist perspective incorporates additional concepts. These include symbols, nonverbal communication and face-to-face interaction. â€Å"Symbolic interactionism focuses on the role of language and symbols in the (interpretive) processes of meaning making. Young people are highly social beings deeply engaged in the processes of learning how to act within the culture of which they are a part. This cultural learning is both shaped and reflected by their use of language, dress, music and clothing, for example† (Domine, 2007). Within the education system, interactionists poll students and teachers alike, in order to determine what effect objects, actions, etc have on the subjects. This evaluation enables the sociologists to better understand everyday behaviors and relate them into quantitative or qualitative data to track social patterns. Society’s Views Regardless of your favored perspective, each of these views offers pros and cons, dependent on your topic of study. In the educational realm, the functionalist, conflict and interactionist views provide the sociologist a means to determining their ends. â€Å"Whatever the purpose of sociologists’ work, their research will always be guided by their theoretical viewpoints. For example, sociologist Elijah Anderson embraces both the interactionist perspective and the groundbreaking work of W.E.B. DuBois† (Schaefer, 2009). The works of these individuals and countless others have helped to define and more importantly to understand the how and why educational systems operate the way they do and how they can be improved. Conclusion Three distinct theoretical perspectives have been discussed throughout this paper. The overall tone to take away from the research conducted here is that regardless of the favored view, practitioners must maintain an open mind and be able to incorporate portions or be able to integrate separate perspectives into their work. When considering or examining the education field, the functionalist, conflict and interactionist views all lend themselves to providing quality feedback on the â€Å"snapshot in time† taken by the researcher, regardless of topic. This can come in the form of determining the effects of school lunches on the productivity of students to the quality of programs in relation to independent funding received by an institution. â€Å"A sociologist’s theoretical orientation influences his or her approach to a research problem in important ways―including the choice of what to study, how to study it, and what questions to pose† (Schaefer, 2009).

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Venipuncture Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Venipuncture - Case Study Example This case study focuses on venipuncture. A number of aspects emanate from this nurse’s experience. It is a good practice to talk to a patient and offer the assurance regarding the medical procedure. No evidence of this is present in the situation. Additionally, nurses ought to position the patient’s arm in the most favorable position. In venipuncture, this is supposed to be a straight line. Once again, it appears that the nurse skipped this step. A limit exists on the number of attempts that a nurse can perform on a patient. If two attempts have failed, one is meant to consult a senior practitioner for assistance. This nurse tried to do everything on her own. Caregivers need to exercise judgment when selecting the suitable vein for blood collection. It is likely that this professional did not choose the best vein to carry out the draw. She did not wait for the vein to become visible as this hampers success of the procedure. The pressure with which she inserted the needl e could also have caused the problem. This paper declares that nurses must eliminate risks that stem from the environment. They must adhere to preset standards that govern the procedures they are performing. The competency statement also states that infection control must be kept at a minimum. Nurses must use ergonomics into to protect patients and themselves from injury. Safety should be top in their priority list, and this should involve adherence to legislative procedures. The caregiver ought to provide comfort to the patient by adjusting external parameters to meet these needs. This objective must be maintained throughout the therapeutic intervention. In this case, the nurse was meant to administer a procedure in a safe and secure manner, but she fell short. According to the competency statement, the nurse is supposed to adjust medical procedures in response to a patient’s comfort requirements. Clearly, this nurse did not abide by such a principle. Furthermore, she was meant to prioritize the patient’s safety. Making four attempts in venipuncture is dangerous to a patient’s safety. It could cause health complications like tendon, nerve or arterial injury (Adams & Elliot, 2006). The gentleman may have encountered some bruising. It might even lead to excessive bleeding, fainting and even spark of an allergic reaction (Walther-Wenke, 2008). Competency statement 9.5 also states that the nurse must adhere to the principles of ergonomics in order to minimize injury. These standards were compromised in the case. Several ergonomic principles could have been ignored such as the grip of the need, the angle in which the needle was administered as well as the depth to which the nurse inserted the needle (Scales, 2008). The subject in this case study is in need of a development program for venipuncture. Therefore, the

Friday, September 27, 2019

Plan for Your Professional Development Assignment

Plan for Your Professional Development - Assignment Example It should be noted here that education is a constantly evolving field and one needs to be aware of the recent trends and changes in order to educate effectively and efficiently. Here I would like to discuss two courses that had a profound impact on me and I believe that through the knowledge and skills I have acquired while studying them it will benefit me tremendously when I apply the techniques, knowledge, methodologies to my future educational environment. The two courses belong to the Teacher Leadership program. This program helps mentors to develop critical skills, plan, prepare curriculums, motivate, educate and assist staff members, respond to recent technologies, staff and student management. Hence the two courses are EDU 568 Seminar in Teacher Leadership which I took in summer quarter 2013 and the other is EDU 562 Leadership in Global Education which I took in spring quarter 2013. Teachers are basically mentors who not only educate the masses but have positive impact on the wellbeing of the students. Their role is not only to teach and leave the classroom vicinity but to implement the teachings, have an appealing personality, to understand the needs and requirements of the child, to communicate effectively so that an active mechanism is generated which allows student and teacher interaction. Most of the times teachers forget their duties or get too busy with making money that they forget the purpose and divinity of this job. The role of seminar in teaching leadership thus arises. It is said that â€Å"This is the approach taken by teachers who lead diverse students to great academic achievements." (Farr, 2010). Teachers need to be equipped in leadership education in order to bridge the achievement gap and to relate to new techniques which can pave their way to better techniques, methods and teaching styles. Seminar in Teacher leadership aids you in various respects and provides knowledge about how to deploy leadership in diverse areas of education tha t is bringing about positive reforms in educational environment, plan out and develop curriculum, design innovative methods for assessment, finance and budget out events and educational needs, teach classroom management, teamwork, collaborate and work together for better results, integrate with recent technologies and researches and work positively for individual and collective development in all aspects. Thus by learning about all these aspects will not only benefit me as a teacher but will also help me to act as a leader and bring out positive reforms in my work environment. Leadership is very important as it helps to rejuvenate the forces and provide solution, manage and respond to any issue that might strike the productivity level. This course will not only make a better teacher but will also make me an effective trainer in various respects. My other choice of course which is somehow related to my previous course is Leadership in Global education. Global education is a very impo rtant subject having its own defined significance and importance. Global education acts like a bond which unites various races, cultures, casts and creed on a single platform showing interdependence of the human society. It not only helps to develop understanding of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Criminal law - Essay Example The most important thing that needs to be point out in respect of criminal law is that it is based upon actus reus, mens rea and the absence of defences. The element of a reasonable person is required in respect of mens rea and therefore the other element that are required for the offences would not be discussed. Mens rea has been defined as a state of mind, intention or recklessness which is required for a certain crime. There is an ongoing debate and argument in respect of subjectivists and objectivists who tend to argue in different directions. The subjectivists argue that to the minimal level of serious crimes, the mental element that should be required should be awareness of the person’s actions and perceiving the surrounding circumstances as well as the results that would flow from the actus reus. On the contrary, the objectivists the argument rests on the fact that it should be sufficient mens rea if it is proved that a reasonable person would have foreseen the circumstances as well as the results that would flow from the actus reus and would therefore not be dependent on the awareness of the defendant. There have been competing claims which have been put forward by both. In respect of the subjectivists the main argument vests on the fact that there was self governance on the part of the individual who committed the crime and went contrary to the law. The objectivists on the other hand pointed out to the fact that there should be criminal punishment if it is found that his inadvertence was in respect of a substantial and obvious risk of the proscribed harm, which should have been perceived by the defendant. Even though there have been academic opinion that ‘the torch of orthodox subjectivism carried by Glanville Williams and Smith and Hogan and then by the Law Commission should be douse’ (Ashworth, POCL, p.253) it is still what is being followed in respect of serious offences and has been reiterated in the recent case of G1 where Lord Bingham said ‘it is a salutary principle that conviction of serious crime should depend on proof not simply that the defendant caused (by act or omission) an injurious result to another but that his st ate of mind when so acting was culpable. This after all, is the meaning of the familiar rule actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea. The most obviously culpable state of mind is no doubt an intention to cause the injurious result, but knowing disregard of an appreciated and unacceptable risk of causing an injurious result or a deliberate closing of the mind to such risk would be readily accepted as culpable also. It is clearly blameworthy to do something involving a risk of injury to another...’ Despite of such an obvious favour being given to the subjectivist approach, there have been objectivist elements in respect of serious offences that have been laid down expressly by House of Parliament in particular sexual offences and certain offences related to money laundering. The element of intention are central to mens rea, however, in respect of the current situation the element of recklessness would be discussed. The situation in respect of criminal law has been that for crime s it was either intention or recklessness that would lead to construal of imposition of liability. In respect of recklessness there are two main elements that need to be construed, the first one being that of subjective recklessness and the other is that of objective recklessness. For establishing subjective recklessness the test that was laid down in Cunningham2 needs to fulfilled, which basically requires that an unjustifiable risk was taken as well as proving the fact that the defendant

How do you define success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

How do you define success - Essay Example Irrespective of the ethical value of goals, achievement is referred to as success, but only in the individual’s own viewpoint. Hence, success can be defined as attainment of objectives. However, this definition pertains only to an individual’s personal viewpoint about the results of his/her efforts. People have their own standards of rendering an individual’s attainment of his/her objectives successful. The world regards ethics and morality. Therefore, people whose achievements induce positive changes in the world in any way are considered successful by people. On the contrary, people deem an individual’s efforts as failure if the individual attains his/her goals but they cause negative changes in the world. â€Å"Hitler succeeded in storming across Europe, Napoleon succeeded too, Al Capone, Sam Giancanna, John Gotti, and others succeeded in becoming crime king pins. Stalin succeeded in murdering millions of his own people† (â€Å"Affirmations for Radical Success†). Not all of these people are considered successful

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Christianity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Christianity - Assignment Example Christianity, through the bible, defines anger as a sin of an attitude that is mental (Lester 85). Anger, as a sin, expresses exasperation, antagonism, resentment, indignation, and outrage. Anger is also an inducer of emotions, which are, however, not angry feelings. The pattern of thoughts, which caused the feeling to be produced, is what is referred to as sinful anger. Via the bible, Christianity defines a type of anger that is not of a sinful nature and calls it righteous indignation. This anger does not beget emotion. This goes to show that anger is a sin when emotions are involved. The Christian bible utilizes two words from Greek to denote anger: orge, which is referent to mental anger and thumos, which is referent to mental anger. It is a possibility to possess mental anger while at the same time not showing any emotional response. Ephesians 4:31 says that ogre and thumos are bitterness related (Lester 85). As a sin, anger causes man to sin against his fellow men. It breeds self-righteousness, gossip, complaining, and maligning. Righteous indignation and anger are reactions of a mental nature to circumstances or events (Lester 86). When the reaction cannot be justified, it turns to irrationality, irritation, and exasperation. Anger of a sinful nature has several characteristics. Gal 5:19-21 lumps it with impunity, immorality, idolatry, enmities, strife, among others. Therefore, it is a sin from the nature of sin.

Monday, September 23, 2019

The strengths and weaknesses of an entrepreneurial strategist Essay

The strengths and weaknesses of an entrepreneurial strategist - Essay Example The importance of strategic thinking leads to strategic planning and is extremely important in the opportunity identification process. Successful entrepreneurs are self confident and try to meet the heist possible standards. Most of them are hard working and energetic, enthusiastic, passionate and self-critical. They get others to do things by giving them little scope to influence decisions. Intuition is one of the most unique qualities possessed by successful entrepreneurs (Burns 2001). They use the intuitive ability to understand the dynamics of market structures, competition, customer needs, timing, synergies, and the like (Clark and Lee 2006). They have great knowledge, expertise and personal charisma. Successful entrepreneurs accept full responsibility for the achievement of the business objective and it is therefore essential for trust and co-operation from both sides to be in evidence all the time. "They welcome change because it creates opportunities that can be exploited and often create it through innovation" (Burns 2001, p. 5). Most of them have excellent communication skills which help them to find partners and investors. Successful entrepreneurs are open to new ideas and willingly accept risk. The weaknesses of entrepreneurs prevent them to achieve success and bui

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Annotated Bibliography - Outsourcing Human Resource Management Essay

Annotated Bibliography - Outsourcing Human Resource Management - Essay Example Outsourcing, human resource is a strategic move by organizations to improve the flexibility and quality of their workforce, while at the same time improving on the company’s capability, to accommodate impending change and stay way ahead of market forces (Benson & Littler 2002). Currently, a lot of organizations are outsourcing their various human personnel functions. The need to outsource affects not only employees, but also owners, human resource managers and executives. It includes benefits to access top skilled professionals, cost savings, and also advanced technology. This in the long run leads to a competitive advantage. Moreover, according to the authors, HRO will go a long way in improving an employee’s productivity and ultimate dedication to the organization (Benson & Littler 2002). HRO helps in improving the worker’s satisfaction; a number of workers get tired of being under the constant watch of their employers, and they cannot wait to be able to take c harge of their lives. The workers want to create a balance between their life and work. Southwestairlines, 2011, 2011 Southwest Airlines Annual Report, Southwest Airlines, 64-70. In this annual report by southwest airlines, the airline was able to save costs running into millions of dollars from Human Resource Outsourcing. Not only has the firm been effective in its daily operations but has been fast in improving its activities. According to the statement by the Chief Executive Officer, Human Resource Outsourcing has been one of the primary areas that the company has been able to raise more money (Southwest Airlines 2011, p.68). The other benefit has managed to obtain through outsourcing, according to the author is an efficient HR system leading to soft cost savings. The Human Resource Outsourcing organization takes over a number of tiresome administrative duties relating to employment (Southwest Airlines 2011, p.68). According to the CEO, these duties include; responding to differe nt inquiries by the employees, tax filing and payments, unemployment claims administration, workers health and benefits administration, and streamlining the Human Resource activities for an employee’s entire life cycle. Relieved from these non productive processes, management can now focus their resources on other revenue generating activities. He also states that the management should be at all times aware of the continuously changing employment legislation in HR, tax laws and benefits. Effect of company size on HR outsourcing Gupta, U. G., & Gupta, A, 1992, Outsourcing the IS function, Information Systems Management, 9(3), 44-50. The article talks in detail on how the size of an organization plays a leading role in HR outsourcing. The size can influence the critical decision for a firm to embark on HR outsourcing. The authors in the researches they have undertaken argue that small companies have a higher need of external expertise because of their limited scale (Gupta & Gup ta 1992, p.44). True to that, small companies often lack the necessary economies of scale to create an effective Human Resource mechanism using its internal mechanisms. Unlike large companies that can afford to design, develop and implement complex HR process in the organization, smaller companies with minimal resources become faced with many costs if they follow suit. According to the authors, researchers argue that small companies will outsource their Human Resource functions for them to acquire the needed expertise (Gupta & Gupta 1992, p.50). Nevertheless, outsourcing is more common in large companies that would want to reduce their organizational costs to within their functional processes.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States Essay Example for Free

Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States Essay There are two types of people in this story. They are the conquerors and the conquered. The communities that Zinn talks about in the story are the Native Americans and the English settlers that came to America. Out of those communities the conquerors were the English settlers and the conquered were the Native Americans. These two communities had similar and different views on topics. One thing that the two viewed differently was how they viewed the land. The Native Americans believed that the land did not belong to one single person, rather they believed that the land belonged to a whole tribe. The English settlers did not feel the same way. The settlers believed that each individual person had the opportunity to own his own land and that he may do whatever he wants to with it. Another difference the two communities had was their views on religion. The Native Americans did not believe in religion. They believed that there was a type of spiritual force that controlled the land. The English settlers did believe in religion. They worshipped gods and executed religious practices. The two groups did have some similarities though. One similarity was language. The two groups both used language to communicate with one another. Another similarity the two had was a law system. They both had punishments set up for the level of crime that someone within their community committed. Those are some similarities and differences between the two communities. Chapters 2 and 3 Racism is not natural. Zinn expresses this in the story. There are two things that factor into racism not being natural. Those two things are historical forces and human decisions. Historical forces are certain ideas or movements become irresistible forces that will have their way. One example of this is plantations not having enough people to work on them. The plantation owners had Caucasian slaves but they were few and far to come by. They considered using Native Americans as slaves but they were hard to capture and the owners knew that they would rebel. They eventually turned their attention to the very populous African American group. They went out and captured many African Americans and brought them into slavery. Human decision is a purposeful selection from a set of alternatives. An example of human decision is how they treated the slaves. The owners treated the African American slaves way worse than they treated the Caucasian slaves. They made the penalty for crimes committed by African American slaves far worse than those for a white man that had committed the same crime. The owners also felt that the slaves may rebel. If the plantation was attack the black slaves were not given weapons to defend themselves. This was to prevent them from every feeling in power and to prevent rebellions. These two things both factor into racism, but the main one that creates racism is human decision. Racism is not something that is guaranteed to happen. It was not set in stone that one race would hate another. It takes people to create this feeling. People themselves create this feeling and that is why it is human decision.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Overview of Translation and Translation Training

Overview of Translation and Translation Training LITERATURE REVIEW Background of translation (300w) According to Newmark (1988), translation is a process of rendering the meaning of information from a language (usually called source language) into another language (usually called target language) following the intention of the author, the purpose of the information themselves and the demand of the target languages readers. Translation, sometimes, is a definition used for both written and oral transferring; however, it is considered as written information transferring more often. Oral transferring refers to interpretation. In this research, we define translation as the transferring process of written information from a source language into another target language, which can [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] convey its original tone and message and blind the barrier of cultural and regional diversity between the two languages. There are now available two popular methods of translation: semantic translation and communicative translation. It is classified so based on the comparison in meaning and contents with the source languages texts. Semantic translation is considered as faithful translation, this translation method looks on the author, his/her words choice, structure and expression are saved carefully. Whereas, communicative translation looks on the readers, the purpose of this method is to give information, so the translator should render the meaning and the aim of the article. There are also other methods of translation, such as: word for word translation, literal translation, faithful translation, adaption, free translation, idiomatic translation, etc. The function or the nature of translation, similar to language is to communicate. As a result, a good translator should not only choose one suitable method for the text or only focus on transferring the messages from one language into another. A good translator can, however, deliver those to the readers of the target language and balance the both cultures and regions in his/her translation. To meet this demand, a translator should understand the writing of the target language thoroughly and know the socio-cultural situation of the text deeply. According to Harris Brian (1976), translation should continue to be practiced in our secondary schools and might even be extended in some places to primary school. Being a good translation, a learner has no choice but practicing to improve his/herself. Background of translation training (700w) Wu Lei (1999) defined translation training as a process where the application of translation theories is widely spread or delivered to linguistic learners. To clarify the importance of translation, Wu Lei has taken an example in China, where translation is an indispensable element in industrialization and modernization process of the country. Moreover, translation shows its influence in analyze the professional of linguistic learners. Their profession in translation reflects the abilities of them in both their mother tongue and the foreign languages because, a learner have to master at least both of the languages to ensure becoming a translator. In conclusion, people realize the roles of translation in both linguistic training and in the distribution of a country. Although translation has appeared and marked its importance for thousand years with the mission of contributing the world, motivating knowledge discovery, enhancing human life as a mean for communicating and interacting among cultures and regions; translation studies has just been recognized since the 20th century. It is no doubt that translation training is still included in the new area to study, in compare with its appearance and its undeniable roles in the development of human being. In China, translation is taught, generally, in the third year, after linguistic students of a university finish their advanced writing courses or after they finish the course about 4-basic English skills in China. In compare with Vietnam, the linguistic students can also have a chance to study translation and theories of translation in the first year like Schools of Foreign languages or Hanoi University. It is taught so because the students may cope with many difficulties in translation learning if their four basic English skills is not professional. In addition, translation training in the early year just focuses on translating materials from other languages into the translators mother tongue. Not until the development of industrialization and modernization process in some countries, particularly in asia, happens, does translating from the translators mother tongue into other languages catch more attention. Despite the awareness of people about translation roles in modern time, translation methodology and training faces many difficulties. The experts understand that translation must concentrate on the cultural difference or, in other words, it is that translation into target language should be accurate, accurate means that ensuring the whole meanings of sentences or a document, and the cultural suitability of the translated texts. A translator must make sure that they have a wide range of background knowledge about every field and area and master all the linguistic skills required. Nowadays, translation teaching is clearly illustrated in two main ways. The first way is that the lecturer first gives the piece of writing for the students to translating. After that, the students will translate it into the target language and explain the methodology they use and skill related to the exercises. The second way, theories and methodologies are delivered to the learners first, then, they will use them to translate a given text. These two methods still have their disadvantages, especially, they base on the profession of the lecturers. A lecturer should have knowledge on all aspects of the world and master all translating skill and theories to deliver them to their learners correctly and effectively; it says that, a lecturer has to be extremely hard-working and excellent. Moreover, it expresses the limitation in learning materials, self-practicing and human resources. The problem is that learners who want to improve themselves cannot just rely on their lecturers but on pr acticing itself. In terms of reference resources, students could get the information in parallel texts. Printed dictionaries, company sites and specialized press in addition to online dictionaries. These tools can be a convenient guide during translation processing, along with in-class activities, for terminology and documentation purposes. In general, due to the shortage of materials and research about translation training until now, the resources about how to learn and to teach translation at university are still limited, except for practicing and improving oneself. The roles of human in translation process is undeniable, however, writing in his research about Machine Translation over fifty years, John Hutchins (1976) said that, although internet and technology in 20th century is not developed enough to meet the need of people in translating fields, machine translation will be used more widely in the future. It leads to the fact that a translator should try harder to win the limitation of machine translation and to meet the requirements of the market. For more optimistic, John strongly highlighted on the development of technology that can play a role as a supporter for human, especially translator in the future. An Overview of ICT and e-learning (500-600w) Definition of ICT (100w Thanh) Generally, ICT or Information and Communicative Technologies are understood as technologies that support activities involving information. More specifically, according to Random House Dictionary, ICT is defined as a branch of knowledge (as cited in Khaled S. Lynne B.) that includes the combination of informatics technology with other, related technologies, specifically communication technology (Gokhe, p. 1), and as referred by Stephen Heppell, is the foundation of creativity and productivity (as cited in Megha Gokhe, p. 1). It is a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, ad to create, disseminate, store and manage information (Meenaksi, 2013) which implies to be used, applied and integrated into all activities related to life, society and particularly in education. E-learning: An application of ICT in daily life (150w Cà ´ng) ICT has been applied in many ways in daily life. Celebic and Rendulic (2011) indicate several applications of ICT, namely providing internet services such as e-commerce, e-banking and e-government; facilitating e-learning and teleworking environments; and setting up virtual communities. The concept of e-learning varies in different research studies. In the broadest sense, e-learning means any form of learning that is enabled electronically (Abbad, Morris, Nahlik, 2009; Celebic, Rendulic, 2011). Its concept, however, is narrowed down to mean any learning that is internet-enabled or web-based (LaRose, Gregg Eastin, 2003 as cited in Abbad et al., 2009). E-Learning brings about many benefits for students, teachers and educational institutions. Firstly, e-learning benefit students by improving access to education and training (Alexander, 2001; as cited in Gilbert, Morton, Rowley, 2007); giving them adaptive time, place and pace of learning; providing them with unrestricted repetition of lectures; and creating multimedia environment with video, audio and text (Celebic Rendulic, 2011). Besides, for teachers and educational institutions, it reduces costs of conducting teaching, enables educational staff to implement the respective education in a short time and allows simple upgrade of materials. (Celebic and Rendulic, 2011). Web-based Learning and Web-based Application in Translation Training (1400w) Definition and current situation of Web-based learning and Web-based Application in Translation Training (200w Thanh) Web-based learning is defined as a subset of e-learning and refers to learning using an internet browser such as the Moodle, Blackboard or Internet Explorer (Mikre, 2011, Operational definition of terms). SarÄ ±ca (2008) defines web-based learning theory as education that occurs only through the Web, that is, it does not consist of any physical learning materials issued to students or actual face to face contact (Theory of Web-Based Learning, Web-Based English Language Learning). Cook (2007) states web-based learning encompasses all educational interventions that make use of the internet (or a local intranet) (p. 37). Currently, web-based education is a promising field with the rising number of students enrolled in online classes (Su, Bonk, Magjuka, Liu, Lee, 2005). Several studies (Lewis, Alexander Farris, 1997; Waits Lewis, 2003) estimates that the number of students taking distant programs has gone up from around 750,000 to more than three million within six academic years from 1994-1995 to 2000-2001 (as cited in Su et al., 2005). This learning form requires a network like the World Wide Web which enables language learners to overcome the physical barriers in terms of time and space and quickly access materials in many foreign languages and cultures. Peter J. Yangs article mentions several advantages of learning via networks including access to authentic materials, flexible scheduling, location independence and enhanced communication (n.d., pp. 81-82). Roles of web-based learning (400w Thanh) SarÄ ±ca identifies several roles including knowledge generation, collaboration and process management. In a web-based learning setting, the learner is expected to work out solutions to problems. Also, they are responsible for viewing issues and questions of the teacher and other students. Besides, students in the web-based learning environment are recommended to work collaboratively and cooperatively so as to come up with deeper levels of understanding of the course material. They are expected to share the resources and materials that they are finding with alternative learners. As for the role of process management, students are supposed to participate with minimal guidelines, interact with one another and speak up when the discussions are moving into an uncomfortable zone (SarÄ ±ca, 2008, p. 6). Strengths and Weaknesses (300w Cà ´ng) In general, online learning environment offers many advantages in comparison with traditional classrooms. Evans and Fan (2002) suggest three main benefits of learning online, namely place independence, flexible time and adaptive pace for study (as cited in ODonoghue, Singh Green, 2004). In addition, e-learning enables learners to select proper courses and learning material that can be reviewed as many times as necessary to enhance their understanding and specific skills (Jingyu, 2014). However, the learners may face several challenges and risks during online courses. Jingyus study (2014) shows unreasonable time management may pose them to the possibility of procrastination. As a result, learners must have much self-motivation, wise organization and plan to keep up with online courses (Jingyu, 2014). Besides, another concern is the loss of face-to-face interaction. The 2011 study carried by the University of Plymouth implied that online environment reduced both student-instructor int eraction and the interaction with learners peers, which can cause feelings of isolation (as cited in ODonoghue, Singh Green, 2004). According to Micu and Sinu (2012), web-based tools has both advantages and disadvantages in terms of teaching and learning language translation. As to teaching written translation, they rely on the Internet accessibility. Regarding learning translation, Abraham indicates (2003) that students may benefit from web-based machine translation sites, online dictionaries, and language-related websites are sources that may frequently be consulted and used by foreign language learners (as cited in Micu Sinu, 2012, p. 124). However, they may misguidedly use these web-based tools due to lack of discussion and employment of such resources as part of their class activities. Another negative aspect is that resources from the Internet are not always reliable and of good quality since anyone can post information on the Web, including non-experts, and Web documents are not always subject to an editing process in the same way that printed documents usually are (Bowker, 2003 as cited in Micu Sinu, 20 12, p. 124). Constructing and Utilizing Web Applications (500w Cà ´ng) Background and construction of web applications Over the years, the World Wide Web has rapidly evolved from a delivery system for static documents to a popular platform today for programming distributed web applications. According to Stuttard and Pinto (2011), the World Wide Web formerly consisted only of information repositories that contained static documents, and the information flowed in one way, from server to browser. Nowadays, most websites are highly functional applications counting on two-way flow of information between the server and browser (Stuttard Pinto, 2011). Joshi, Aref, Ghafoor and Spafford (2001) illustrate a web application as a three-tier architecture that consists of a Web client, network servers, and a back-end information system supported by a suite of databases. (p. 38). Chlipala (2015) claims that a web application of rich functionality today must generate HTML, for document structure; CSS, for document formatting; JavaScript, a scripting language for client-side interactivity; and HTTP, a protocol for sending all of the above and more, to and from browsers. Common functions of a web app include shopping, social networking, banking and interaction information, etc. (Stuttard Pinto, 2011). Vosloo (n.d.) refers to using a Content Management System (CMS) and using a web framework as two main ways of building web applications today. CMSs, normally coming with such pre-built modules as discussion forums, FAQs and online polls, allows non-technical users with little knowledge about web development to add pages and content. A web framework, on the other hand, is intended for a more technical user. Web frameworks originate from the reusable code that is put in libraries for doing tasks repeatedly (Vosloo, n.d.). Utilizing the Web App and Interaction in online learning In her article, Sarica (2008) points out communication technologies are classified as asynchronous or synchronous. In the former one, technologies such as blogs, forum and e-mail are utilized so that people can participate and engage in the community without depending on others involvement at the same time. The later form synchronous, on the other hand, involves real-time activities of exchanging ideas and information among participants. The participants can take advantages of web-based learning because they can access resources in multiple formats anytime and anywhere as well as learn more independently and actively. Interaction is often regarded as a significant component of a successful online learning. Palloff and Pratt (1999) claim that the keys to the learning process are the interactions among students themselves, the interactions between faculty and students, and the collaboration in learning that results from these interactions (as cited in Su et al., 2005, p.1). In addition, the evidence from some other research (Irani, 1998; Zhang Fulford, 1994; Zirkin Sumler, 1995) suggests more interaction means more students satisfaction and better learning outcomes (as cited in Su et al., 2005). Moore (1989) classified interaction into three categories, namely learner-instructor, learner-learner and learner-content. Learner-instructor interactions create an environment in which students are encouraged to have better understandings about the content. Moore also indicate that learner-learner interactions take place among learners with or without the real-time presence of an instructor (as cited in Su et al., 2005). According to Garrison (1990), this type of interaction is found to motivate students and enable them to have better learning experiences (as cited in Sabry Baldwin, 2003). Sabry and Baldwin (2003) pointed out two forms of learner-learner interactions including asynchronously (non-real time) through using, for example, email or discussion boards, or synchronously (real-time) using, for example, conferencing and chat facilities (p. 445). Learner-content interaction is defined as the process of learners interacting intellectually with content, leading to changes in th eir understanding and perspective (Moore, 1989 as cited in Su et al., 2005). However, there is not much to discuss about it because interaction patterns vary on different contents (Su et al., 2005). Other types of interactions (as cited in Su et al., 2005, p.3) that are not widely discussed include vicarious interaction (Devries, 1996; Sutton, 2001) and learner-self interactions (Soo Bonk, 1998; Robertson, 2002). Su et al. (2005) suggest several technologies and instructional activities that will enhance learners understanding the subject matter and deepen their critical reflection and analysis skills. Some frequently used technologies that may be applied in online education to promote interactions include textbooks; multimedia combining texts, audio and images via the Internet or CD-ROM; streaming audio and video; as well as synchronous and asynchronous communication tools, for instance discussion boards, instant messaging and file-sharing (McGreal, 2004 as cited in Su et al., 2005). The study by Gilbert, Morton and Rowley (2007) showed that students appreciated discussion forums or threads, and that many used them as their main mode of interaction. In addition to technologies, instructional activities can also promote course interactions, thus enable students to understand the content better and improve their engagement in learning. Su et al. (2005) also cited several examples of educators employing instructional activities to enhance interactions and improve learning. Learner-instructor, for example, can be enhanced through virtual office hours (Branon Essex, 2001). Teamwork is emphasized in learner-learner interactions by Peter (2000). Likewise, Sutton (2001) stimulated students to read others discussions to learn through vicarious interactions. In respect of learner-content interactions, Kerka (1996) recommends students reply to questionnaires so that they can self-examine their views related to the content (as cited in Su et al., 2005). References Meenakshi. (2013). Importance of ICT in Education. IOSR, 1(4), 3-8. Retrieved from www.iosrjournals.org Mikre, F. (2011). The Roles of Information Communication Technologies in Education. Ethiop. J. Educ. Sc, 6(2). Retrieved from http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ejesc/article/viewFile/73521/62437 Abbad, M. M., Morris, D., Nahlik, C. d. (2009). Looking under the Bonnet: Factors Affecting Student Adoption of E-Learning Systems in Jordan. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(2), 2. Abbasi, G., zadeh, S. S., Janfaza, E., Assemi, A., Dehghan, S. S. (2012). Language, Translation, and Culture. 2012 International Conference on Language, Medias and Culture (p. 83). Singapore: IACSIT. Celebic, G., Rendulic, D. I. (2011). ITdesk.info project of computer e-education with open access. Zagreb: Open Society for Idea Exchange. Retrieved from http://www.ITdesk.info/ Chlipala, A. (2015). Ur/Web: A Simple Model for Programming the Web. Mumbai: ACM. Clavijo, B., Marà ­n, P. (2013). Identifying Translation Teaching Strategies: An Exploratory Study. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(21), 71-76. Cook, D. A. (2007). Web-based learning: pros, cons and controversies. Clinical Medicine, 7(1), 37-42. Retrieved from http://www.ncolr.org/ Gilbert, J., Morton, S., Rowley, J. (2007). e-Learning: The student experience. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(4), 560-573. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00723.x Jingyu, L. (2014). Pros and Cons: Web Based Education. International Conference on Education, Management and Computing Technology (pp. 459-461). Xinyu: Atlantis. Joshi, J. B., Aref, W. G., Ghafoor, A., Spafford, E. H. (2001). Security models for web-based applications. Communications of the ACM, 44(2), 38-44. Lei, M. (1999). Translation Teaching in China. Meta: Translators Journal, 44(1), 198-208. doi:10.7202/003677ar Micu, C. S., Sinu, R. (2012). Web-Based Methods and Tools in Teaching Translation and Interpreting. The 7 International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL 2012, (pp. 121-124). Transilvania University of Brasov. Retrieved from http://www.icvl.eu/ Newmark, P. (1988). A Textbook of Translation. Hertfordshire: Prentice HaH International vUIO. Retrieved from http://ilts.ir/Content/ilts.ir/Page/142/ContentImage/A%20Textbook%20of%20Translation%20by%20Peter%20Newmark%20(1).pdf ODonoghue, J., Singh, G., Green, C. (2004). A comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of IT based education and the implications upon students. Interactive Educational Multimedia, 63-76. Sabry, K., Baldwin, L. (2003). Web-based learning interaction and learning styles. British Journal of Educational Technology, 34(4), 443-454. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ SarÄ ±ca, G. N. (2008, May 6). WEB-BASED ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING. EskiÃ…Å ¸ehir, Turkey. Stuttard, D., Pinto, M. (2011). The Web Application Hackers Handbook: Finding and Exploiting Security Flaws. Indiana: John Wiley Sons. Su, B., Bonk, C. J., Magjuka, R. J., Liu, X., Lee, S.-h. (2005). The Importance of Interaction in Web-Based Education: A Program-level Case Study of Online MBA Courses. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 4(1), 1-5. Retrieved from http://www.ncolr.org/ Vosloo, I. (n.d.). Web-based development: Putting practice into theory. Retrieved from http://www.cs.up.ac.za/cs/sgruner/Festschrift/paper20.pdf à Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€˜Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã‚ ·Ãƒ Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ ºÃƒ Ã‚ ¾, à Ã¢â‚¬Å". (2008). THE WORLD OF INTERPRETING AND TRANSLATING. à Ã…“à Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ ºÃƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ »Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜-à Ã‚ ². SarÄ ±ca, G. N. (2008, May 6). Web-based English Language Learning. Paper presented at the 8th International Educational Technology Conference, Anadolu University, EskiÃ…Å ¸ehir, Turkey. Su, B., Bonk, C. J., Magjuka, R. J., Liu, X., Lee, S.-h. (2005). The Importance of Interaction in Web-Based Education: A Program-level Case Study of Online MBA Courses. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 4(1), 1-5. Retrieved from http://www.ncolr.org/ Yang, P. J. (n.d.). Networked Multimedia and Foreign Language Education. CALICO, 15(1-3), 80-82. Retrieved from https://calico.org/html/article_444.pdf

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Impressionism in Writing and Art Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research

Impressionism in Writing and Art Realizing that their art would be overshadowed at major art exhibitions such as the Salon in Paris, a group of artists created their own exhibition. Following the painters’ first show in 1874, critics picked up on the title of one of Claude Monet's paintings, Impression, Sunrise 1872. Between 1874 and 1886 this group, dubbed â€Å"impressionists†, put on eight shows in all. Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, and Claude Monet were three of the more well know artists of the movement (http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/ impressionism/intro1.shtml). Although not necessarily a cohesive group, impressionist paintings all contained certain characteristics. The artists used very informal techniques while capturing the light and true color of their subjects. Their paintings have a very realistic feel when looked at from a far, however when viewed close up one can clearly see the short, blotchy strokes used by the artist. The paintings of Impressionists were immediate sensations which often captured the artists’ interpretation of everyday life. Diego Martelli remarked that impressionist painters do not â€Å"fabricate their theories first and then adapt the paintings to them, but on the contrary†¦the pictures were born of the unconscious visual phenomenon of men of art (Martelli 2)† Around the same time period a group of writers also demonstrated impressionistic ideals in their writings. As is the case with impressionist painters, writers of the impressionist movement are also difficult to classify. Critics have argued that Joseph Conrad, James Joyce, Stephen Crane and others could all be considered to have impressionistic ideas in their writings. In response to scientism, a belief that scientific m... ... site on the life and work of impressionist artists, here you can browse through impressionist paintings or even ask an expert a question. They even respond to your questions too! http://assets.cambridge.org/0521791731/sample/0521791731WS.pdf Here you can read the introduction to John Peters book Conrad and Impressionism. After his introduction you will want to go out and get the whole book Works Consulted Martelli, Diego. â€Å"A Lecture on Impressionists.† Impressionism and Post-Impressionism 1874-1904. Ed Linda Nochlin. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1966. Peters, John. Conrad and Impressionism. United Kingdom: Cambridge UP, 2001. The Impressionists. History Channel. 2002 Watt, Ian. Conrad in the Nineteenth Century. Berkeley: University of California, 1979.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Catherine II and Stalin :: European History

Catherine II and Stalin Catherine II (the Great) and Joseph Stalin were both leaders of Russia that demonstrated an awareness of the West. They tried to emulate some of the elements of the West while purposely neglecting others. For this reason they were partial westernizers. Catherine the Great was very in tune with the Enlightenment and she had vast knowledge over the culture of Western Europe. Due to this she decided that her country was backward and would need to change in order for it to remain being a world power. In 1767 she assembled a Legislative Commission to help her amend the laws and government of Russia. Before this body convened, Catherine published a set of Instructions based on many of the political works of the philosophes. Other examples of her westernization exist in her plans for economic growth. She tried to halt interior barriers in trade. Also, under her reign, the exports of grain, flax, fur, and naval stores increased and she encouraged the growth of the urban middle class, which is so essential for trade. On the other hand, although it seemed as if Catherine was taking steps toward a more western future, her proposition to reform law did not occur until fifty years later. Also, she strongly supported to rights of the nobility and granted them local power over the medieval custom of serfs. Catherine never had any intention from departing from absolutism and her close rapport with the philosophes was a strategic move. She wanted them to spread the word of a progressive and modern Russia. She wanted to resemble the West but she did not want to actually be like it. Joseph Stalin was much less modern in his thought than Catherine the Great. One of the few examples of westernization under his regime was the remarkably successful Five-Year Plans. This was his vehicle for industrialization by setting goals for economic production and meeting them. Also, Stalin made peace with the Russian Orthodox Church. Although, this was more likely an attempt to gain more support during World War II than because of the kindness of his heart. However, most of Stalin's actions reflected a cruel backward mentality. Stalin's collectivization proposal made the kulaks very wealthy and also was opposed by many farmers and peasants from all social classes. First, Stalin eliminated the kulaks as a class. Then he proceeded to assassinate al dissidents and this ended up in

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Oligopoly Essay -- Business Oligopolistic Industries

An oligopoly describes a market situation in which there are limited or few sellers. Each seller knows that the other seller or sellers will react to its changes in prices and also quantities. This can cause a type of chain reaction in a market situation. In the world market there are oligopolies in steel production, automobiles, semi-conductor manufacturing, cigarettes, cereals, and also in telecommunications. Often times oligopolistic industries supply a similar or identical product. These companies tend to maximize their profits by forming a cartel and acting like a monopoly. A cartel is an association of producers in a certain industry that agree to set common prices and output quotas to prevent competition. The larger the cartel, the more likely it will be that each member will increase output and cause the price of a good to be lower. The majority of time an oligopoly is used describe a world market; however, the term oligopoly also describes conditions in smaller markets where a few gas stations, grocery stores or alternative restaurants or establishments dominate in their fields. A distinguishing characteristic of an oligopoly is the interdependence of firms. This means that any action on the part of one firm with respect to output, price, or quality will cause a reaction on the side of other firms. Many times an oligopoly leads to price leadership between many firms. A price leadership is the practice in many oligopolistic industries in which the largest firm publishes its price list ahead of its competitors. Then these competitors feel the need to match those announced prices so they lower their prices. This is also termed a parallel pricing. Oligopolies tend to be broken down into one of two distinguished groups. These groups are either a homogeneous or differentiated oligopoly. Homogeneous oligopolies have a standardized product and which include industrial, with petroleum serving as the standardized example, and also services such as banking. Differentiated oligopolies, where the products have some differences, are found in consumer goods industries, such as cars, biscuits, beer and electrical appliances. There is however another oligopoly in which the manner of the corporation or industry is quite familiar to that of a monopoly. This oligopoly is termed collusive. A collusive oligopoly has the ability to behave in the manner of a m... ...nt with the relevant demand curve of D1D1, and prices below Po are consistent with the relevant demand curve of D2D2. The kink in the demand curve occurs at the point labeled E. There is also a gap in the marginal revenue curve marked by MR1 and MR2.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many oligopolies in the world market that dominate their respective fields. They have the ability to control prices and quantities of their goods, forcing other companies in that specific industry to adjust to the oligopoly’s changes. The oligopoly has the power to do that because there are few sellers in the industry and each seller reacts to that of the other ones. This often leads to price leadership. This price leadership has a dramatic impact on consumers. Companies compete with the prices of goods and they keep lowering their prices. At the time these price decreases are beneficial for consumers; however, an oligopoly can afford to lower their prices and the smaller firms can not. As a result these smaller firms might be annihilated and enable the oligopoly to dominate the industry. If the oligopoly comes to dominate their industry they then have the ability to set prices higher, a terrible aspect for consumers. Oligopoly Essay -- Business Oligopolistic Industries An oligopoly describes a market situation in which there are limited or few sellers. Each seller knows that the other seller or sellers will react to its changes in prices and also quantities. This can cause a type of chain reaction in a market situation. In the world market there are oligopolies in steel production, automobiles, semi-conductor manufacturing, cigarettes, cereals, and also in telecommunications. Often times oligopolistic industries supply a similar or identical product. These companies tend to maximize their profits by forming a cartel and acting like a monopoly. A cartel is an association of producers in a certain industry that agree to set common prices and output quotas to prevent competition. The larger the cartel, the more likely it will be that each member will increase output and cause the price of a good to be lower. The majority of time an oligopoly is used describe a world market; however, the term oligopoly also describes conditions in smaller markets where a few gas stations, grocery stores or alternative restaurants or establishments dominate in their fields. A distinguishing characteristic of an oligopoly is the interdependence of firms. This means that any action on the part of one firm with respect to output, price, or quality will cause a reaction on the side of other firms. Many times an oligopoly leads to price leadership between many firms. A price leadership is the practice in many oligopolistic industries in which the largest firm publishes its price list ahead of its competitors. Then these competitors feel the need to match those announced prices so they lower their prices. This is also termed a parallel pricing. Oligopolies tend to be broken down into one of two distinguished groups. These groups are either a homogeneous or differentiated oligopoly. Homogeneous oligopolies have a standardized product and which include industrial, with petroleum serving as the standardized example, and also services such as banking. Differentiated oligopolies, where the products have some differences, are found in consumer goods industries, such as cars, biscuits, beer and electrical appliances. There is however another oligopoly in which the manner of the corporation or industry is quite familiar to that of a monopoly. This oligopoly is termed collusive. A collusive oligopoly has the ability to behave in the manner of a m... ...nt with the relevant demand curve of D1D1, and prices below Po are consistent with the relevant demand curve of D2D2. The kink in the demand curve occurs at the point labeled E. There is also a gap in the marginal revenue curve marked by MR1 and MR2.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many oligopolies in the world market that dominate their respective fields. They have the ability to control prices and quantities of their goods, forcing other companies in that specific industry to adjust to the oligopoly’s changes. The oligopoly has the power to do that because there are few sellers in the industry and each seller reacts to that of the other ones. This often leads to price leadership. This price leadership has a dramatic impact on consumers. Companies compete with the prices of goods and they keep lowering their prices. At the time these price decreases are beneficial for consumers; however, an oligopoly can afford to lower their prices and the smaller firms can not. As a result these smaller firms might be annihilated and enable the oligopoly to dominate the industry. If the oligopoly comes to dominate their industry they then have the ability to set prices higher, a terrible aspect for consumers.

Business law conditional acceptance Essay

Forming a contract there must be six essential elements which are acceptance, consideration, intention to be legally binding, capacity of the contract and finally legality of the promises.1To archive an agreement between the offeror and offeree there is a formula whereby offer+ acceptance=agreement.2An offer has to be created firstly. An offer means the indication by one person to another of his willingness to enter a contract with the other person on curtain terms.3An offer can either be written or oral example of an offer are email, letters, verbally offering something and internet. The purpose of this research essay is to see how the Australian contract law about acceptance must be unconditional and final. This essay also states how clear the laws are about acceptance and how the court decides the cases about conditional or qualified acceptance. Acceptance is an act performed by the offeree by the way of acceptance of the offer and which therefore creates a binding contract between the both parties.4 Besides that, there are other natures of acceptance which is counter-offer. Counter-offer is an offer that the offeree has countered the original offer by suggesting a new offer. According to the court counter-offer will automatically destroy the original offer.5Besides a counter offer an offeree can also request for more information. People tend to see this as a counter offer but the court has decided that this is a request for more information it’s a mere inquiry and not a counter offer.6The case of Stevenson Jacques & co v Mclean explains that Stevenson asked for the price but whether he can deliver the money over two months or if not the longest limit would be given, but there was no response form McLean and Stevenson cabled that he accept the offer, but McLean has sold it to someone and said that Stevenson counter of fer the offer. The court has decided that Stevenson was requesting for information not counter offering the deal.7 To reach an agreement the both parties has to have a â€Å"meeting of the minds†.8This means that for an agreement to be occur the acceptance of any offer should be unconditional and complete.9The case that develop the law that acceptance must be unconditional, clear and unequivocal is ‘Masters V Cameron’.10 The court had to decide whether the sale note was a binding contract.11 The sale note had a clause that Cameron solicitor had power to prepare the contract that in favor of Cameron demand, masters had to force to accept any demand that Cameron decides and it also was a preliminary agreement and not a conclusive document. The court held that there was no binding agreement between both of the parties only they had condition to the agreement where one party doesn’t accept it. In other words the both parties was in a negation stage. The high court of Australia had to make the same decision if any future cases arise with the similar facts.12Besides that, similar problem had surfaced in the case of ‘Souter V Shyamba Pty Ltd.13The court had to decide whether the document on 1 may 2002 was a binding contract or the parties just agreed on the price of the hotel, intending that no binding contract would come into existence until the exchange of a formal contract prepared by their solicitor. The court decided that there was a contract between both of the parties because firstly. There were formalities between both of them. Secondly, there was no reference that the document had terms like â€Å"subject to contract† or â€Å"subject to finance†. Lastly they had advice from their solicitor and they knew exactly what was happening. The court decided that the document on May 1 was a binding contract cause they had a price, the parties agreed and they had essential terms in that document.14There was a case that had an opposite decision of the court which is the case of ‘First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Brisbane as Trustee under Instrument 7020202154 v Ormlie Trading Pty Ltd’.15The court held that the parties had no intention of entering into a binding contract even though they have reached an agreement on the essential terms. The both letter had â€Å"in principle† in it. The court said that â€Å"in principle† indicates that there were no unqualified acceptance by the offeree of the offer.16This cases had strong court judgment that the first rule of acceptance that is must be clear and unequivocal and certainly not conditional.17 Conditional acceptance might also been known as qualified acceptan ce. This type of acceptance is known as when a person to whom an offer has been made tells the offeror that he or she is willing to agree to the offer provided that there are some changes are made in its terms or that some condition or event occurs. This is merely a counter offer this isn’t an acceptance.18The case that showed that conditional offer is a counter offer is ‘Hyde v Wrench’.19The story was when an offer was made to Hyde by wrench to buy the property for $1000, but then Hyde made a new offer stating that can he buy it for $950.Wrench rejected this offer then, Hyde wanted to buy the property back with the original price of $1000 and wrench refused to sell it. Then, Hyde sued wrench to enforce the original contract. The court decided that Hyde and destroyed the original offer cause he counter offered the deal with a new offer and according to the court this will destroy the original contract and can’t be done anything by the offeror.20 Curtain contract of purchase of goods or real estate there is a term ‘subject to contract’. This means that the contract will be accepted when the subject or the purchaser has the reasonable finance to purchase.21The case that develop this condition is ‘Meehan v Jones’.22 Agreement containing this phase can be indeed binding, while noting that the effect of this clause has to be ultimately decided by the both parties. The court had decided that the agreement was binding and this phase wasn’t a condition implied by one person. This has to be fully determined by the purchaser if he has suitable financial needs to accept the agreement and has the intention to be legally bound by this phase. Deciding whether he or she has enough of financial need, the purchaser had to act ‘honestly, or honestly and reasonably’. Once the finance is obtained, the contract would come legally binding. Current case like ‘Australian securities and investment commission v Fortescue Metals Group Ltd’ had no acceptance involved.23Even though, the both parties had essential agreement which had price, subject matter and scheduling. Fortescue Metals group Ltd had entered an agreement with a Chinese contractor to build an infrastructure for a mining work in South Australia. While they had an agreement between Australian securities and investment commission. The court had decided that there were no binding contract between the both parties even though, they decided with price matter and the scheduling. The court stated that there were no acceptance involved between the both parties because the party had left crucial matter in the offer and the other party didn’t accept the offer even though prices time and matter was discussed. In conclusion, the high court of Australia has made it very clear that acceptance must be clear, unconditional and unqualified.If there are condition to the agreement it means that it’s merely and counter offer not the original offer. Besides that, incomplete agreement are not acceptance but merely the both parties are in a negotiating stage. Previous cases such as Masters V Cameron, Souter V Shyamba Pty Ltd, First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Brisbane as Trustee under Instrument 7020202154 v Ormlie Trading Pty Ltd has made it very clear how the court decides on future cases regarding acceptance. In my opinion, acceptance can’t be final if the offeree doesn’t accept the offer and acceptance can’t happen when both parties doesn’t want it to be legally binding. The current case like Australian securities and investment commission v Fortescue Metals Group Ltd had made it clear they followed their precedent cases about acceptance and how it has to b e unconditional and clear24. A person can’t accept some of the agreement and discard curtain agreement this means they are not fully accepting the offer only negotiating about it.25 (1408 words)

Monday, September 16, 2019

Cop Out

White Water Rafting Site Recommendation Christopher Davis, Liquita James, and Susan Williams ACC/543 August 13, 2012 Linda Miller White Water Rafting Site Recommendation White water rafting is a new sport that has gained popularity in recent years. Because of this popularity the white water rafting business has expanded. Our client is interested in opening a white water rafting business. The client has three states in which they are interested in Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia.The client has requested that the accounting firm research to see which location would be best for their new rafting business. Research must be done of the legal ramifications of real property, personal property, business insurance and environmental issues and regulations for each location in order to make the site recommendation. Real Property and Personal Property Real Property is the land itself and any building, trees, soil, minerals, timbers, plants, and other things permanently affixed to the land.Land an d buildings are purchased and the owner may use, enjoy, and develop the property as he or she sees fit, subject to any applicable government regulation. Buildings that are constructed on the property are also real property. Personal property is tangible property such as equipment, vehicles, furniture, and jewelry, as well as intangible property such as securities, patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Determining if a mobile home can be used for the office on the new location is important to the client.Therefore we would need to know in each location if the mobile home is considered real property or personal property. In Toccoa Georgia real property can be purchased for around $150,000 for 2. 2 acres on the Toccoa River. Placing a mobile home on this land for the office would be considered real property in Georgia as long as the mobile home is titled to the same party that owns the land. The mobile home must be tied down and blocked in to be considered for commercial use.In Cahaba Ri ver City: Mountain Brook, Alabama the tax assessing official makes the differentiation between real property and personal property by considering the manner in which property is attached to or secured at the location and the purpose for which the property is used. Intangible personal property includes an owner’s representation of rights to property such as shares of stock, annuities, patents, market certificates, etc. Intangible personal property owned by businesses is not taxable under the property tax laws of this state.Business personal property is considered Class II property and is taxed at 20% of market value. Market value multiplied by twenty percent equals the assessment value, which is then multiplied by the appropriate jurisdiction’s millage rates to determine the amount of tax due. The State of Alabama publishes a personal property appraisal manual so that basic methods and procedures can be followed in the personal property appraisal process (â€Å"Persona l Property†, 2012). Land in Birmingham, Alabama is roughly around 45,000 an acre.Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg Virginia is a combination of rural and urban life. The river is located off a major highway  leading north and south of the area. It's it also located between  the capital Washington, D. C. and the capital of the state, Richmond. It's a great area for relaxing and family with  a country feel. There are major tourist’s sites such as  war battlefields,  art galleries and antique shops. The mobile home issue as an office would be considered real property in Virginia.Once the home or office t is off the truck and secured on the ground it is considered real property. Lots run from $120,000 up to $700,000. 00 Business Insurance It is also important that we research what each site location business insurance requirements are. Business Insurance will protect our client and their property from damages and any unforeseeable circumstances. For Georgia the following insurances are required for a white water rafting business in Toccoa; vehicle insurance, floater policy, on water liability, and workmen’s compensation.Vehicle insurance for the buses, vans and cars, with low premium rates are based on the seasonal nature of your business, with limits up to $5,000,000, plus Physical Damage coverage; MVR and driver selection program assistance, prompt issuance of ID cards and Certificates. Floater Policy for your rafting and canoeing equipment policies provide physical damage protection for your river equipment – Fire, theft, vandalism, collision, and much more are covered; Low rates make this an important part of your insurance protection program; Office computers and equipment can be included.On Water Liability is professional liability insurance consulting for whitewater rafting, canoe livery industries and outdoor adventure companies. New, lower minimum premiums for the smaller outfitter, along with a liability waiver des igned for you; Limits up to $5,000,000. . Finally Worker’s Compensation Offered in most states – Competitive rates. CBIZ offers professional liability insurance consulting for whitewater rafting, canoe livery industries and outdoor adventure companies.CBIZ is the Preferred Agent for the Paddle sports Industry Association. They offer liability coverage through four programs: K&K, Tudor Insurance (Sattler), the AO endorsed Great Outdoors Program (Gillingham) and Philadelphia Insurance. Additionally, they offer commercial auto through four programs in most states. With full-service professional liability insurance consulting for whitewater rafting, canoe livery industries and outdoor adventure companies from CBIZ, you’re protected while your customers enjoy their outdoor activities: 1.Vehicle Insurance: Stable markets for buses, vans, cars, and trucks; Low premium rates are based on the seasonal nature of your business; Limits up to $5,000,000, plus Physical Damage coverage; MVR and driver selection program assistance, prompt issuance of ID cards and Certificates. 2. Floater Policy for your rafting and canoeing equipment: These policies provide physical damage protection for your river equipment – Fire, theft, vandalism, collision, and much more are covered; Low rates make this an important part of your insurance protection program; Office computers and equipment can be included. . On Water Liability: Get professional liability insurance consulting for whitewater rafting, canoe livery industries and outdoor adventure companies. New, lower minimum premiums for the smaller outfitter, along with a liability waiver designed for you; Limits up to $5,000,000. 4. You also need Worker's Compensation (â€Å"Whitewater Rafting†, 2012). For Virginia liability insurance is required for rafting. Virginia requires that management must have at least three years management experience for acquire an insurance policy.There must be a General liabi lity minimum premium $2,500 for mountaineering experience and ropes courses General liability minimum premium $10,000 for equine exposures – General liability minimum premium $2,000 for water activities. As with Alabama CBIZ offers the most affordable insurance for the area and offers the same vehicle, floater, water liability and workman’s comp insurance. Environmental Issues and Regulations Environmental issues and regulations are important when deciding upon a site for our clients business.These issues and regulations can cause a major problem for our client. At the Toccoa Georgia site the environmental issues that are of concern are that the rivers are being polluted by businesses in the area. â€Å" Polluters can dump garbage into streams, developers can pave over wetlands to build strip malls, and the cops on the environmental beat can’t do a thing about it† I n April, the Environmental Protection Agency took the first major step in decades to prote ct Georgia’s rivers by setting new guidelines to prevent pollution from flowing into our waters. â€Å"Protect Our Rivers†, 2012) Fourteen Alabama environmental groups have officially filed a petition with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw Alabama's authority over the water pollution-permitting program because it does not meet the minimum requirements of the Clean Water Act (â€Å"Clean Water Network†, 2012). There are no ongoing environmental issues or regulations for Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg Virginia. Site Recommendation The site recommended for our client is the Alabama site.The insurance requirement is about the same for all three states. Therefore we need to look at the real property and environment to make our decision. The mobile home issue is that it can be used for commercial use in all three of the locations. The mobile home would be considered real property because it will be attached to the location. Land in Alabama is che aper so that makes it a better investment. Finally the environmental issues are about the same with those states having issues with polluted rivers. Alabama like other states is actively pursuing this issue.In conclusion, our client is trying to decide where would be the best location to open a new white water rafting business. First we found three ideal locations for the new business. Then after much research we looked at whether or not they could have a mobile home as an office and if this was real or personal property. Other issue that we looked into was the business insurance and environmental issues. This helped us to decide that the best location for our new white water rafting business was Cahaba River City: Mountain Brook, AL. References Clean Water Network (2012).Retrieved from http://www. cleanwaternetwork. org/news-events/news/clean-water-network-groups-call-epa-take-away-alabamas-authority-over-water-permitt Georgia. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. statues. Laws. com Georgia business license. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com Personal Property (2012). Retrieved from http://www. ador. state. al. us/advalorem/sections/personalproperty. htm Protect our Rivers. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. environmentgeorgia. org Whitewater Rafting (2012). Retrieved from http://www. cbiz. com/page. asp? pid=6384