Ratio And Performance Analysis Of Kamdar Group Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1932 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Kamdar Sdn Bhd was established in Malaysia since 1972, and has since achieved a dominant position in the garment and textile departmental store industry. The Kamdar brand stands for quality of service, history and value for money. Kamdar stores specialize in textile fabric, furnishing fabric, in-house designed garments for ladies, men and childrens clothes, Indian clothing and school uniforms. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Ratio And Performance Analysis Of Kamdar Group Finance Essay" essay for you Create order In 2004, Kamdar Group (M) Berhad was established as the holding company for the group in order to facilitate its listing on the main board of the KLSE. After more than 50 years of growth, Kamdar has 21 outlets around Malaysia and employs about 1,200 staff. Ratio Analysis What is Ratios Analysis? Ratio analysis is a tool used by individuals to compute a quantitative analysis of information in a companys financial statements and evaluate the performance of company. According to Groppelli, Angelico A., In finance, a financial ratio or accounting ratio is a ratio of two selected numerical values taken from an enterprises financial statements. There are many standard ratios used to try to evaluate the overall financial condition of a corporation or other organization. Comparison Ratio analysis is generally calculated from current year numbers and then used to compare the performance or position of a single company with other companies or with an industry. Trend analysis is compared the companys current performance with previous years or even current performance against the budget. It is use to identify the companys strength and weakness with financial situation. Besides that, it acts as a guide for manager to improving with proper action. Industry comparison is compared the companys performance with the competitors companies which is similar nature companies or with the industry average. It is helps to point out deviation from norms in industry. The users of ratios analysis are group of people which related with company such as investors, employees, lender, suppliers, customers, government and public. Financial ratios can be divided into 5 categories: Profitability Ratios Measure the overall effectiveness of the company. It can help an organization manage the funds such as increase the return with control the expenses. Liquidity Ratios Measure how quickly an organization can obtain the cash to meet its short-term requirements. Which means ability of an organization generates revenues to cover the obligations. Capital Structure Ratios Analyses how assets financed. Means assess the firms long-run ability to meet its obligation. Asset Management Ratios Measure efficiently and intensively a firm uses its assets to generate sales. Market Value Ratios Measure the market value for companys stock compared with accounting values. But it can only calculate for shares that are traded in the market. Ratio Analysis for the Kamdar Group (M) Berhad: Formula: 2008 2007 Profitability Ratios :- Gross Profit Margin = Gross Profit ÃÆ'Æ’-100% Sales = 68,343,838 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 182,416,634 = 37.47% = 62,576,977 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 177,442,850 = 35.27% Operating Profit Margin = Earnings Before Interest Tax ÃÆ'Æ’-100% Sales = 19,683,440 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 182,416,634 = 10.79% = 18,544,992 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 177,442,850 = 10.45% Net Profit Margin = Net Earnings Available to Common Stockholders ÃÆ'Æ’-100% Sales = 8,481,844 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 182,416,634 = 4.65% = 7,918,897 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 177,442,850 = 4.46% Return on Assets (ROA) = Net Earnings Available to Common Stockholders ÃÆ'Æ’-1 00% Total Assets = 8,481,844 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 295,336,768 = 2.87% = 7,918,897 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 289,549,467 = 2.73% Return on Equity (ROE) = Net Earnings Available to Common Stockholders ÃÆ'Æ’-100% Common Stockholders Equity = 8,481,844 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 151,992,341 = 5.58% = 7,918,897 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 143,510,497 = 5.52% Return on Capital Employed = Operating Profit ÃÆ'Æ’-100% Capital Employed (*Capital Employed = Total Assets Current Liabilities) = 19,683,440 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 174,741,198 = 11.26% = 18,544,992 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 229,418,962 = 8.08% Liquidity Ratios :- Current Ratio = Current Assets Current Liabilities = 127,341,176 120,595,570 = 1.06 times = 123,842,363 60,130,505 = 2.06 times Quick Ratio = Current Assets less Inventory Current Liabilities = 28,978,154 120,595,570 = 0.24 times = 35,171,965 60,130,505 = 0.58 times Capital Structure Ratio s :- Total Debt to Total Asset Ratio = Total Long-Term Debt + Current Liabilities ÃÆ'Æ’-100% Total Asset = 143,344,427 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 295,336,768 = 48.54% = 146,038,970 ÃÆ'Æ’-100% 289,549,467 = 50.44% Long Term Debt to Equity Ratio = Long-Term Debt ÃÆ'Æ’-100% Total Shareholders Equity = 22,748,857 x 100% 151,992,341 = 14.97% = 85,908,465 x 100% 143,510,497 = 59.86% Times Interest Earned = Earnings Before Interest Tax Interest Expense = 19,683,440 4,630,469 = 4.25 times = 18,544,992 5,192,861 = 3.57times Asset Management Ratios :- Average Collection Period = Account Receivable ÃÆ'Æ’- 365 days Credit Sales = 7,218,271 ÃÆ'Æ’- 365days 182,416,634 = 14.44 days = 8,347,582 ÃÆ'Æ’- 365days 177,442,850 = 17.17 days Inventory Turnover = Inventory ÃÆ'Æ’- 365 days Cost of Sales = 98,363,022 ÃÆ'Æ’- 365days 114,072,796 = 314.73 days = 88,670,398 ÃÆ'Æ’- 365days 114,865,873 = 281.76 days Average Payment Period = Creditor ÃÆ'Æ’- 365 days Purchases (*Purchases = Cost of goods sold) = 5,124,727 ÃÆ'Æ’-365days 114,072,796 = 16.40 days = 7,547,495 ÃÆ'Æ’-365days 114,865,873 = 23.98 days Total Asset Turnover = Sales Total Assets (*Total Assets = Capital Employed) = 182,416,634 295,336,768 = 0.62 times = 177,442,850 289,549,467 = 0.61 times Market Value Ratios :- Earnings per Share (EPS) = Earnings Available to Shareholders Number of Ordinary Shares (*units) (*given by notes 25.b) = 8,771,828 198,049,026 = 4.4 sen / share = 8,348,542 197,990,002 = 4.2 sen / share Dividend per Share = Dividend Paid Number of Ordinary Shares (*units) (*given by notes 26) = nil (*did not declare dividend) = 4 sen Dividend Cover = Earnings per Share (EPS) Dividend per Share = nil (*did not decla re dividend) = 4.2 sen 4.0 sen = 1.05 times Price Earning (P/E) Ratio = Market Price per Share Earnings per Share (EPS) = RM 0.200 RM 0.044 = 4.55 times (*Market Price as at 31/12/08) = RM 0.530 RM 0.042 = 12.62 times (*Market Price as at 2/1/08) Dividend Yield (% return of invest) = Dividend per share ÃÆ'Æ’- 100% Market Price / Share = nil (*did not declare dividend) = RM 0.040 ÃÆ'Æ’- 100% RM 0.530 = 7.55% Performance Evaluation Profitability Ratios In order to analyze the profitability of the Kamdar Group (M) Berhad, we will look into several profitability ratios. The gross profit margin at year 2008 is at 37.47% higher compare to year 2007 is at 35.27%. This could be either at year 2008 has selling the product at a higher price or the purchasing cost at year 2008 is lower than year 2007. The operating profit margin for year 2008 is at 10.79% however for year 2007 is at 10.45%. This is indicated that the company has control the expenses at reasonable level, selling has increase with higher rate than expenses. Return on total assets ratio (ROA) for year 2007 is 2.73% increasing to 2.87% at year 2008. It is represents management has use assets efficiently and effectively ways to generate their profit and sales compare with year 2007. Return on equity (ROE) for year 2007 is 5.58% increasing to 5.52% at year 2008. It is represents the company has use the investors money to generate profit with more efficie ncy. Liquidity Ratios The current ratio and the quick ratio help to access the liquidity position of the company. The current ratio at year 2008 is lower at 1.06 times compare to year 2007 at 2.06 times. The quick ratio for year 2008 is 0.24 times comparing to year 2007 at 0.58 times. Both this ratios indicate that year 2007 has a better liquidity position compare to year 2008, because at year 2008 the increasing in current assets is less than increasing in current liabilities Thus, ability to handle their short-term obligation of year 2008 are poor than year 2007. Capital Structure Ratios The total debts to total assets ratio is lower for year 2008 at 48.54% compare to year 2007 which is at 50.44%.The long-term debts to equity ratio is 14.97% comparing to year 2007 at 59.86%. This indicate that year 2007 is more highly geared which means that quite a high proportion of a financing come from debts. In other words, Kamdar Group has improving the financing at year 2008. Th e time interest earns is higher for year 2008 at 4.25 times compare to year 2007 which is at 3.57 times. This indicates that there are more earnings available to meet interest payment and business is more stable to reduce the interest rate. Asset Management Ratios The average collection period for year 2008 is 14.44 days compare to year 2007 which is at 17.17 days. The ratios indicate that the year 2008 has strong credit management compare to year 2007. The stock turnover period for year 2008 is 314.73 days for year 2007 is 281.76 days. We can assume the Kamdar Group has estimated that the sales volume will increase at following year. The creditor payment period is shorter for year 2008 at 16.40 days compare to year 2007 which is at 23.98 days. This ratio indicates that company has sufficient cash to settling debts in time. At year 2008, company generates a higher sale at 0.62 times for every Ringgit invested in assets however at year 2007 only generate 0.61 times. Company has improving the efficiency to uses of its assets to generate revenue. Market Value Ratios The earnings per share of year 2008 is at 4.4 sen compare to year 2007 which is at 4.2 sen. Year 2008 earns a higher return per share. When we look at dividend per share, at year 2007 paid out RM0.04 for every share but at year 2008 company did not declare any dividend for every share. The dividend shown the dividend cover at year 2007 is 1.05 times but year 2008 never have dividend cover because company did not declare dividend. Therefore, the P/E ratio for year 2007 is 12.62 times but year 2008 is only at 4.55 times. Limitation of Ratio Different Accounting Policies Since the ratios are based on the figures taken from the financial statements, the results of the ratio analysis are dependent on the quality of the underlying statements. The choices of accounting policies may distort intercompany comparisons. For example, different company may use different depreciation method such strait-line method or reducing balance method, it may affected the figure in financial statement. Creative accounting The financial statement is very easy to manipulating. Company may manipulate the financial statement and trying to show the better financial performance or position which can be misleading to the users of financial accounting. Interpretation of the ratios Ratios need to be interpreted carefully and take time to understand it. It is difficult to generalize about a performance condition of particular ratio. It should not be considered in isolation. It is meaningless without making comparison with others. Rat ios are not definitive measures Ratios can provide clues to the companys performance or financial situation. Ratios cannot show whether performance is good or bad. It is just only guides for the users to estimate condition of company in future date. Historical or outdated information in financial statement The figures in a set of accounts are likely to be out of date, and so might not give a proper indication of the companys current financial position. It was represented in the conditions that ignore the economics issue. Different financial and business risk profile No two companies are the same, even when they are competitors in the same industry or market. Using ratios to compare one company with another could provide misleading information. Businesses may be within the same industry but having different financial and business risk. One company may be able to obtain bank loans at reduced rates and may show high gearing levels while as another may not be successful i n obtaining cheap rates and it may show that it is operating at low gearing level. To uninformed analyst he may feel like company two is better when in fact its low gearing level is because it cannot be able to secure further funding. Different capital structures and size Different size of companies may have different capital structures. Make comparison of performance when one is all equity financed and another is a geared company it may not be a good analysis. Conclusion Ratio analysis is useful, but analysts should be aware of these problems and make adjustments as necessary. Kamdar Groups ratio analysis shown it is growth in stable and health condition. The revenue earned by group has increased over the year. Companys total short-term debt has increasing because the company was converted part of long-term borrowing to short-term borrowing in order to reduce the total long-term debt. It can be help to survive in long run business especially economic slowdown period, but company will facing high gearing level in following year. It may affect investors to continue investing in the company. Based on the P/E ratio, the current investors will start to lose their confidence in the share of the company and choose to reduce the amount of investment in the company. Due to the continuously decreasing in the P/E ratio, it will be difficult to attract the new investors and it may cause the share price to be decreased. A slowdown in the stock exchange will affect the overall sales of the company. Therefore, the profit that earned by the company will be reducing. As a result, the dividends that paid to the stockholders will decrease. This will cause the current investors does not have confidence in the stocks and also make the stocks to be unattractive to the new investors.

A Break Down On The Break - 1499 Words

A Break Down on the Break-In Mesquite High Schools pronounced football team practiced tirelessly one November day in 2015, working around the clock to ensure a spot in the state play-offs. Although the football team gave everything they had to offer for their school, Mesquite did not give their all back for their team. During the intense practice, two young men slipped in through the gym doors by simply bypassing the school s poor exterior locks. With one swift yank, they were able to pop open the locker room door, giving them access to all the players’ personal items and equipment. Once the players returned to the athletic facility, they came to discover that their bags and lockers had been picked clean. Thousands of dollars in cell†¦show more content†¦This lack of security is unacceptable. Replacing the current door handles with cup handles will lead to higher quality security and benefit all teachers, students, and faculty. Choosing to install these new handles wo uld ensure better safety in emergency situations and prevent future thefts for the school. Part Two: Current Efforts The school s main defenses consist of the doors and locks on campus. However if these doors and locks become damaged and cannot serve their full purpose, they contribute little safety efficiency to the school. The current locks placed on the exterior of the school are in poor working condition. A hard enough yank immediately pops the lock and allows access to the school. These handles and locks clearly create an issue for the school, because of the numerous break-ins where valuable equipment and personal goods were stolen. These thefts are not an uncommon occurrence. 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Henrietta Lacks An Abstraction - 931 Words

Elie Wiesel has stated â€Å"We must not see any person as an abstraction. Instead, we must see in every person a universe with its own secrets, with its own treasures, with its own sources of anguish, and with some measure of triumph† (as cited in Skloot, 2010, p. 1). This paper will examine the many ways in which Henrietta Lacks, a relatively poor African woman whose cells were extracted from her without any consent, was viewed primarily as an abstraction rather than a person by the scientific community and the media; and the consequences that ensued as a result. The scientific community is culpable of viewing Henrietta Lacks as an abstraction rather than a human being in that they disregarded her right to privacy in extracting her cells†¦show more content†¦Additionally, the scientific community did not display an ounce of respect to Lacks nor her family. The media was also involved in neglecting to recognize Lacks as a person rather than a concept. 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Choosing Good Topics for College Application Essay

Choosing Good Topics for College Application Essay Get the Scoop on Topics for College Application Essay Before You're Too Late If you're applying for college and has to produce a college application essay, then it's best to start your essay writing practice the soonest possible moment. The essay is a significant area of the college application process, made only more so by the growing number of students applying to college in the USA each year. You will realize that each man or woman who reads your college application essay is going to have very different things to say about doing it. The essay for Florida state university isn't required, but it's highly encouraged. Many schools do not need essays in any way. Colleges use essays to attempt to create a personal snapshot of you unobtainable from different parts of the application. They are more likely to admit students who can articulate specific reasons why the school is a good fit for them beyond its reputation or ranking on any list. Some colleges or universities supply you with a list of essay questions but in many instances, you're going to be given the chance to think up a fantastic essay question and topic by yourself and then write about doing it. Writing a college application essay can be hard for you in case you don't follow proper guidelines. After all, the college would like to understand what you're about. Essays are often needed for scholarship applications. As the essay can turn into the deciding factor to assist you secure an area at the college or institution you're applying to you want to get ready to answer the most frequent application essay questions. You are going to have more essays to write, and a very good essay takes time! The essay is just one of the big approaches you'll be able to distinguish yourself. Fortunately, the personal essay doesn't have to be an overwhelming or stress-inducing undertaking. Writing your essay can be a lot simpler if you know what type of questions could be asked of you. If you're authentic, nobody can write the very same essay as you! As soon as you have that moment, you can locate a question which will lead you there. Your response shouldn't be a book report. Write about a problem you have or wish to address. To discover what should be finished, you ought to take a look at a wonderful deal of other essay examples. Bridget's essay is quite strong, but there continue to be a couple little things that could be made better. There are two or three things you can do in your essay to be noticed and get accepted. There are numerous essay examples you'll be able to discover on the internet today. The Topics for College Application Essay Cover Up Tell us a topic which you've changed your head on in the last three years. While you can't predict every essay question, knowing some of the most frequent ones may give you an advantage on applications. Next important issue is the style you decide to write while writing your college essay prompt, it's your duty to produce complex things simpler. Don't neglect to explain why the issue is valuable to you! With the most suitable organization, you could do away with a whole lot of anxiety. Pick a distinctive topic that others may not think of, and whatever you select, make sure that you know a lot about it! In earlier times lots of people have asked what they would like to do in a troublesome circumstance and have faced many difficult conditions. Unique things to various individuals, since the situation demanded. You may also find a great deal of successful sample essays online. It's very valuable to take writing apart so as to see just the way that it accomplishes its objectives. You shouldn't feel that you've got to decide on a critical topic so as to have a powerful writing sample. You may even be in a position to read examples from previous students to receive your creative juices flowing.

Comparator Free Essays

COMPARATOR a device which compares two  voltages  or  currents  and switches its output to indicate which is larger. COMPARATOR WITH HYSTERESIS Hysteresis is achieved by positive feedback and makes the comparator less sensitive to noise on the input. [pic] VHYS = V2 – V’2 V2 = R2 R2 + R1 V2 = R2 R2 + R1 Jonathan Archer captain of the first starship Enterprise The most difficult task facing any captain, any crew, is the loss of a shipmate. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparator or any similar topic only for you Order Now We’ve come here to honor one of our own. In the time we knew him, he showed us just how much one life can truly matter. We will never forget what he did for us, and for the ship he loved so much. We will go forward with renewed determination to complete this mission, so that his sacrifice won’t just have been for the people on this ship, but for all the citizens of Earth. Samuel J. Palmisano Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer IBM Corporation There are, however, certain kinds of aspirations that can’t be achieved through organizational capabilities, global reach or technology—or by applying the lessons of the past. To capture the biggest economic opportunities or to tackle society’s most daunting problems—to imagine what the world might be, and actually to build it—people have sought something more fundamental: a unique ability to conceptualize opportunities, to analyze developments, to tackle and overcome grand challenges. SHINICHI SASAKI EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATIO Fully aware that support from customers is essential to its continued success, Toyota is striving to provide its customers with the highest-quality products and services under its â€Å"Customer First† policy. Based on the â€Å"kaizen (continuous improvement)† philosophy at the heart of its manufacturing activities, Toyota is working hard to continuously improve customer satisfaction through initiatives in all areas of its business activities, including development, purchasing, production, sales and after-sales services, throughout the entire Toyota Group. How to cite Comparator, Papers

The moon and sixpence free essay sample

Somerset Maugham is one of the most prolific and financially successful writers of his era. He conquered the world by his unadorned but elegant style of writing. As a child, S. Maugham lost his parents and was brought up by his emotionally cold uncle, at school the future writer was teased for his bad English and non-athletic build. Such a difficult childhood resulted in stammer but taught him how to make wounding remarks towards offenders. This ability had a positive impact on Maugham’s fiction that is heavy with satire. In his works, the well-known writer attacks the most common vices of men: hypocrisy, greediness, money-worship, etc. The text under analysis is taken from the novel â€Å"The Moon and Sixpence† belonging to the pen of the famous writer Somerset Maugham. The extract depicts strange relations between a wife and a husband. Even the author whose presence is evident in every sentence (â€Å"I should think†, â€Å"I felt sure†), has no idea why these entirely different people are still together. We will write a custom essay sample on The moon and sixpence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page From the first sentence we get stuck by such an unusual definition of a person as a â€Å"married bachelor†, the usage of oxymoron gives us the idea that this is a fictitious marriage or somebody forgot to ask the character if he wanted to have a wife or not. When we learn that Mr. Nichols is a captain or used to be a captain, even more questions appear. Have you ever met a person with more unsuitable way of life for close relationships? As the extract opens, it becomes clear that the author feels sympathy to the captain. Somerset Maugham depicts his character using the word â€Å"melancholy†, showing that Mr. Nichols does not seem to be happy or at least satisfied with his life. What sorrow could break the strong and brave captain? As the story unfolds, the writer gives us a hint that something is wrong with the character’s marriage, using anadiplosis â€Å"†¦captain Nichols had married her, and having married her†. Maybe he used to be carefree, independent and confident like a typical bachelor. How did his marital status influence him? Should we blame his wife for so radical changes? The writer depicts the captain’s wife directly, starting with her appearance that is far from being pleasant. All we know that appearances are deceitful†¦but not in this case. The usage of different stylistic devices such as repetition â€Å"tight† and simile â€Å"inexorable as fate, remorseless as conscience† reveals the author’s negative attitude to thisnwoman. She gives us an impression of a powerful tyrant, a kind of imperturbable robot, implementation of her strict father. Her excess of â€Å"tightness† makes our flesh creep. As the story unfolds, we do not manage to find any positive characteristics of Mrs. Nichols, she is not attractive, her personality repels if not frightens. It is nearly impossible to find a single pretext for their marriage. The author puts emphasis on their incompatibility, showing that they belong to different classes. Maybe Mrs. Nichols is proud of her father who is â€Å"an efficient policeman†, but the author cannot suppress his irony â€Å"†¦well-defined class, of late become vocal, which is known as the lower-middle†. While the captain is never worried about a chance of becoming a hobo. The spouses have nothing in common to have heart-to-heart talks. What’s more, Mr. Nichols is â€Å"frightened to death† of his wife, the usage of hyperbole helps the author to accentuate the woman’s extreme control of her husband. The narrator highlights the absurd of their union, using parallel construction â€Å"I do not know what her hold was on the Captain, but I do not think it was love†. Maugham emphasizes the captain’s hopeless position with the help of simile â€Å"He could as little escape her as the cause can escape the effect†. But what stopped him? Her father-policeman with a gun? Actually, this is the captain, who is guilty for his melancholy. If he does not rule his wife, how can he rule his life? The message, the author wanted to convey to the reader, penetrates the whole extract. I would express it in the following words it is up to you what to choose: to collect your strength and change your life for the better or just to go with the stream.

Significance of the Study Sample free essay sample

The user enters a five-digit PIN using the keypad. If the user enters a valid account number and the correct PIN for that account, the screen displays the main menu. If the user enters an invalid account number or an incorrect PIN, the screen displays an appropriate message, then the ATM returns to Step 1 to restart the authentication process. After the ATM authenticates the user, the main menu contains numbered options for the three types of transactions: balance inquiry (option 1), withdrawal (option 2) and deposit (option 3). It also should contain an option to allow the user to exit the system (option 4). The user then chooses either to perform a transaction (by entering 1, 2 or 3) or to exit the system (by entering 4). If the user enters 1 to make a balance inquiry, the screen displays the user’s account balance. To do so, the ATM must retrieve the balance from the bank’s database. The following steps describe what occurs when the user enters 2 to make a withdrawal: The screen displays a menu of standard withdrawal amounts and an option to cancel the transaction. The user enters a menu selection using the keypad. If the withdrawal amount is greater than the user’s account balance, the screen displays a message stating this and telling the user to choose a smaller amount. The ATM then returns to Step 1. If the withdrawal amount chosen is less than or equal to the user’s account balance (i. e. , an acceptable amount), the ATM proceeds to Step 4. If the user chooses to cancel, the ATM displays the main menu and waits for user input. If the cash dispenser contains enough cash, the ATM proceeds to Step 5. Otherwise, the screen displays a message indicating the problem and telling the user to choose a smaller withdrawal amount. The ATM then returns to Step 1. The ATM debits the withdrawal amount from the user’s account in the bank’s database. The cash dispenser dispenses the desired amount of money to the user. The screen displays a message reminding the user to take the money. The following steps describe the actions that occur when the user enters 3 to make a deposit: The screen prompts the user to enter a deposit amount or type 0 (zero) to cancel. The user enters a deposit amount or 0 using the keypad. If the user specifies a deposit amount, the ATM proceeds to Step 4. If the user chooses to cancel the transaction (by entering 0), the ATM displays the main menu and waits for user input. The screen displays a message telling the user to insert a deposit envelope. If the deposit slot receives a deposit envelope within two minutes, the ATM credits the deposit amount to the user’s account in the bank’s database (i. e. , adds the deposit amount to the user’s account balance). After the system successfully executes a transaction, it should return to the main menu so that the user can perform additional transactions. If the user exits the system, the screen should display a thank you message, then display the welcome message for the next user. Analyzing the ATM System The preceding statement is a simplified example of a requirements document Typically the result of a detailed process of requirements gathering A systems analyst might interview banking experts to gain a better understanding of what the software must do would use the information gained to compile a list of system requirements to guide systems designers as they design the system. The software life cycle specifies the stages through which software goes from the time it’s first conceived to the time it’s retired from use. These stages typically include: analysis, design, implementation, testing and debugging, deployment, maintenance and retirement. Several software life-cycle models exist Waterfall models perform each stage once in succession Iterative models may repeat one or more stages several times throughout a product’s life cycle The analysis stage focuses on defining the problem to be solved. When designing any system, one must solve the problem right, but of equal importance, one must solve the right problem. Our requirements document describes the requirements of our ATM system in sufficient detail that you need not go through an extensive analysis stage—it’s been done for you. Use case modeling identifies the use cases of the system, each representing a different capability that the system provides to its clients. â€Å"View Account Balance† â€Å"Withdraw Cash† â€Å"Deposit Funds† Each use case describes a typical scenario for which the user uses the system. A use case diagram models the interactions between a system’s clients and its use cases. Shows the kinds of interactions users have with a system without providing the details Often accompanied by informal text that gives more detail—like the text that appears in the requirements document. Produced during the analysis stage of the software life cycle. Stick figure represents an actor, which defines the roles that an external entity—such as a person or another system—plays when interacting with the system. During the analysis stage, systems designers focus on understanding the requirements document to produce a high-level specification that describes what the system is supposed to do. The output of the design stage—a design specification specifies clearly how the system should be constructed to satisfy these requirements. In the next several sections, we perform the steps of a simple object-oriented design (OOD) process on the ATM system to produce a design specification containing a collection of UML diagrams and supporting text. We present our own simplified design process A system is a set of components that interact to solve a problem. System structure describes the system’s objects and their interrelationships. System behavior describes how the system changes as its objects interact with one another. Every system has both structure and behavior— designers must specify both. The UML 2 standard specifies 13 diagram types for documenting the system models. Each models a distinct characteristic of a system’s structure or behavior—six diagrams relate to system structure, the remaining seven to system behavior. We are interested in two of the six diagram types: Use case diagrams model the interactions between a system and its external entities (actors) in terms of use cases. Class diagrams model the classes, or â€Å"building blocks,† used in a system. Identify the classes that are needed to build the system by analyzing the nouns and noun phrases that appear in the requirements document. We introduce UML class diagrams to model these classes. Important first step in defining the system’s structure. Review the requirements document and identify key nouns and noun phrases to help us identify classes that comprise the ATM system. We may decide that some of these nouns and noun phrases are actually attributes of other classes in the system. We may also conclude that some of the nouns do not correspond to parts of the system and thus should not be modeled at all. Additional classes may become apparent to us as we proceed through the design process. We create classes only for the nouns and noun phrases that have significance in the ATM system. Though the requirements document frequently describes a â€Å"transaction† in a general sense, we do not model the broad notion of a financial transaction at this time. Instead, we model the three types of transactions (i. e. , â€Å"balance inquiry,† â€Å"withdrawal† and â€Å"deposit†) as individual classes. These classes possess specific attributes needed for executing the transactions they represent. Classes: ATM screen keypad cash dispenser deposit slot account bank database balance inquiry withdrawal deposit The UML enables us to model, via class diagrams, the classes in the ATM system and their interrelationships. Each class is modeled as a rectangle with three compartments. The top one contains the name of the class centered horizontally in boldface. The middle compartment contains the class’s attributes. The bottom compartment contains the class’s operations. The UML allows the suppression of class attributes and operations in this manner to create more readable diagrams, when appropriate. Class diagrams also show the relationships between the classes of the system. The solid line that connects the two classes represents an association between classes. The numbers near each end of the line are multiplicity values, which indicate how many objects of each class participate in the association. An association can be named. The word Executes above the line connecting classes ATM and Withdrawal in Fig. 12. 7 indicates the name of that association. This part of the diagram reads â€Å"one object of class ATM executes zero or one objects of class Withdrawal. † Association names are directional, as indicated by the filled arrowhead. The word currentTransaction at the Withdrawal end of the association line is a role name, identifying the role the Withdrawal object plays in its relationship with the ATM. A role name adds meaning to an association between classes by identifying the role a class plays in the context of an association. A class can play several roles in the same system. Role names in class diagrams are often omitted when the meaning of an association is clear without them. Solid diamonds attached to the ATM class’s association lines indicate that ATM has a composition relationship with classes Screen, Keypad, CashDispenser and DepositSlot. Composition implies a whole/part relationship. The class that has the composition symbol (the solid diamond) on its end of the association line is the whole (in this case, ATM), and the classes on the other end of the association lines are the parts. Composition relationships have the following properties: Only one class in the relationship can represent the whole The parts in the composition relationship exist only as long as the whole does, and the whole is responsible for the creation and destruction of its parts. A part may belong to only one whole at a time, although it may be removed and attached to another whole, which then assumes responsibility for the part. If a has-a relationship does not satisfy one or more of these criteria, the UML specifies that hollow diamonds be attached to the ends of association lines to indicate aggregation—a weaker form of composition. Class ATM has a one-to-one relationship with class BankDatabase—one ATM object authenticates users against one BankDatabase object. The bank’s database contains information about many accounts—one BankDatabase object participates in a composition relationship with zero or more Account objects. The multiplicity value 0.. * at the Account end of the association between class BankDatabase and class Account indicates that zero or more objects of class Account take part in the association. Class BankDatabase has a one-to-many relationship with class Account—the BankDatabase contains many Accounts. Class Account has a many-to-one relationship with class BankDatabase—there can be many Accounts stored in the BankDatabase. At any given time 0 or 1 Withdrawal objects can exist. If the user is performing a withdrawal, â€Å"one object of class Withdrawal accesses/modifies an account balance through one object of class BankDatabase. † All other parts of the system must interact with the database to retrieve or update account information. Classes have attributes (data) and operations (behaviors). Class attributes are implemented in Java programs as fields, and class operations are implemented as methods. In this section, we determine many of the attributes needed in the ATM system. Look for descriptive words and phrases in the requirements document. For each such word and phrase we find that plays a significant role in the ATM system, we create an attribute and assign it to one or more of the classes identified earlier. We also create attributes to represent any additional data that a class may need, as such needs become clear. Next the list the words or phrases from the requirements document that describe each class. For real problems in industry, there is no guarantee that requirements documents will be precise enough for the object-oriented systems designer to determine all the attributes or even all the classes. The need for additional classes, attributes and behaviors may become clear as the design process proceeds. Attributes represent an object’s state. We identify some key states that our objects may occupy and discuss how objects change state in response to various events occurring in the system. We also discuss the workflow, or activities, that objects perform in the ATM system, and we present the activities of BalanceInquiry and Withdrawal transaction objects. An operation is a service that objects of a class provide to clients (users) of the class.

Methaqualone Essays - GABAA Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulators

Methaqualone Methaqualone is a drug that has hypnotic and sedative properties. Although Methaqualone is not considered a barbiturate, using the drug can produce similar results. Common street names for Methaqualone are Quaalude, Lude, Quay, Quad, Mandrex and Sopors. Methaqualone can be injected, and also taken orally. Methaqualone commonly is manufactured in tablets or capsules. The drug can also be found in brown, gray or black tacky powder. An average dose of Methaqualone is about 3 grams. This depends on the person's body height, weight, the use of any other drug, such as alcohol, and the tolerance built to Methaqualone. Within 4-8 hours of taking Methaqualone, the user may experience slurred speech, disorientation, lack of coordination, and increased reflex time. Methaqualone is also commonly used because it causes drunken behavior without the odor of alcohol. The drug also relieves tension, mental stress and anxiety. The possible long-term effects of Methaqualone are psychological and physical dependence, cardiac and respiratory depression, and the reduction of mental activity. The withdrawal symptoms of Methaqualone are anxiety, insomnia, tremors, convulsions, and possible death. The effects of Methaqualone when overdosed are unpredictable, which makes the drug even more dangerous. Overdose by Methaqualone is also more difficult to treat than most barbiturate overdoses. These effects range from cold and clammy skin to a possible death. People that lived through a Methaqualone overdose have also experienced shallow breathing, dilated pupils, and coma. When introduced in 1965, Methaqualone was legally used as a sedative-hypnotic. Doctors prescribed Methaqualone to patients who needed the relief of side effects that were associated with over-stimulation or the withdrawal of other drugs. By 1972, the abuse of Methaqualone was prevalent among both teenagers and adults. "Luding out", or orally ingesting Methaqualone with liquor became popular with teenagers. This made the abuse of Methaqualone twice as hazardous because it increased the effect, as well as the danger. Adults used Methaqualone to reduce anxiety, and as a sleeping aid. Because Methaqualone was widely abused, in 1984 the drug was made illegal in many countries, including the United States. Although most of the effects of the drug are known, Methaqualone is still one of the most widely abused drugs. The most common dangers from abusing Methaqualone are due to car accidents. Because Methaqualone causes faulty judgement and drowsiness, it is very easy to injure or even kill yourself or others in a car accident. Bibliography 1. Kunz, Jeffery and Finkel, Asher. The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide. New York: Random House, 1987. 2. Ziemer, Maryann. Quaaludes. San Diego: Enslow Publishers, Inc., January 1997. 3. http://www.streetdrugs.org. [emailprotected] Copyright Publishers Group, 1996. 4. Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. http://www.well.com/user/woa/fsseda.htm Methaqualone Essays - GABAA Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulators Methaqualone Methaqualone is a drug that has hypnotic and sedative properties. Although Methaqualone is not considered a barbiturate, using the drug can produce similar results. Common street names for Methaqualone are Quaalude, Lude, Quay, Quad, Mandrex and Sopors. Methaqualone can be injected, and also taken orally. Methaqualone commonly is manufactured in tablets or capsules. The drug can also be found in brown, gray or black tacky powder. An average dose of Methaqualone is about 3 grams. This depends on the person's body height, weight, the use of any other drug, such as alcohol, and the tolerance built to Methaqualone. Within 4-8 hours of taking Methaqualone, the user may experience slurred speech, disorientation, lack of coordination, and increased reflex time. Methaqualone is also commonly used because it causes drunken behavior without the odor of alcohol. The drug also relieves tension, mental stress and anxiety. The possible long-term effects of Methaqualone are psychological and physical dependence, cardiac and respiratory depression, and the reduction of mental activity. The withdrawal symptoms of Methaqualone are anxiety, insomnia, tremors, convulsions, and possible death. The effects of Methaqualone when overdosed are unpredictable, which makes the drug even more dangerous. Overdose by Methaqualone is also more difficult to treat than most barbiturate overdoses. These effects range from cold and clammy skin to a possible death. People that lived through a Methaqualone overdose have also experienced shallow breathing, dilated pupils, and coma. When introduced in 1965, Methaqualone was legally used as a sedative-hypnotic. Doctors prescribed Methaqualone to patients who needed the relief of side effects that were associated with over-stimulation or the withdrawal of other drugs. By 1972, the abuse of Methaqualone was prevalent among both teenagers and adults. "Luding out", or orally ingesting Methaqualone with liquor became popular with teenagers. This made the abuse of Methaqualone twice as hazardous because it increased the effect, as well as the danger. Adults used Methaqualone to reduce anxiety, and as a sleeping aid. Because Methaqualone was widely abused, in 1984 the drug was made illegal in many countries, including the United States. Although most of the effects of the drug are known, Methaqualone is still one of the most widely abused drugs. The most common dangers from abusing Methaqualone are due to car accidents. Because Methaqualone causes faulty judgement and drowsiness, it is very easy to injure or even kill yourself or others in a car accident. Bibliography 1. Kunz, Jeffery and Finkel, Asher. The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide. New York: Random House, 1987. 2. Ziemer, Maryann. Quaaludes. San Diego: Enslow Publishers, Inc., January 1997. 3. http://www.streetdrugs.org. [emailprotected] Copyright Publishers Group, 1996. 4. Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. http://www.well.com/user/woa/fsseda.htm

Nonverbal Communication Carrier

Ancient Mayan Warriors and Warfare

Ancient Mayan Warriors and Warfare The Maya were a mighty civilization based in the low, rainy forests of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize whose culture peaked around 800 A.D. before going into steep decline. Historical anthropologists used to believe the Maya were a peaceful people, who warred upon one another rarely if at all, preferring instead to dedicate themselves to astronomy, building, and other non-violent pursuits. Recent advances in the interpretation of stonework at Maya sites have changed that, however, and the Maya are now considered a very violent, warmongering society. Wars and warfare were important to the Maya for a variety of reasons, including subjugation of neighboring city-states, prestige, and capture of prisoners for slaves and sacrifices. Traditional Pacifist Views of the Maya Historians and cultural anthropologists began seriously studying the Maya in the early 1900s. These first historians were impressed with the great Maya interest in the cosmos and astronomy and their other cultural achievements, such as the Maya calendar and their large trade networks. There was ample evidence of a warlike tendency among the Maya - carved scenes of battle or sacrifice, walled compounds, stone, and obsidian weapon points, etc. - but the early Mayanists ignored this evidence, instead of sticking to their notions of the Maya as a peaceful people. As the glyphs on the temples and stelae began to yield their secrets to dedicated linguists, however, a very different picture of the Maya emerged. The Maya City-States Unlike the Aztecs of Central Mexico and the Inca of the Andes, the Maya were never a single, unified empire organized and administered from a central city. Instead, the Maya were a series of city-states in the same region, linked by language, trade, and certain cultural similarities, but often in lethal contention with one another for resources, power, and influence. Powerful cities like Tikal, Calakmul, and Caracol frequently warred upon one another or upon smaller cities. Small raids into enemy territory were common: attacking and defeating a powerful rival city was rare but not unheard of. The Maya Military Wars and major raids were led by the Ahau or King. Members of the highest ruling class often were military and spiritual leaders of the cities and their capture during battles was a key element of military strategy. It is believed that many of the cities, especially the larger ones, had large, well-trained armies available for attack and defense. It is unknown if the Maya had a professional soldier class as the Aztecs did. Maya Military Goals The Maya city-states went to war with one another for several different reasons. Part of it was military dominance: to bring more territory or vassal states under the command of a larger city. Capturing prisoners was a priority, especially high-ranking ones. These prisoners would be ritually humiliated at the victorious city: sometimes, the battles were played out again in the ball court, with the losing prisoners sacrificed after the â€Å"game.† It is known that some of these prisoners remained with their captors for years before finally being sacrificed. Experts disagree about whether these wars were waged solely for the purpose of taking prisoners, like the famous Flower Wars of the Aztecs. Late in the Classic period, when the warring in the Maya region became much worse, cities would be attacked, looted and destroyed. Warfare and Architecture The Maya penchant for warfare is reflected in their architecture. Many of the major and minor cities have defensive walls, and in the later Classic period, newly-founded cities were no longer established near productive land, as they had been previously, but rather on defensible sites such as hilltops. The structure of the cities changed, with the important buildings all being inside the walls. Walls could be as high as ten to twelve feet (3.5 meters) and were usually made of stone supported by wooden posts. Sometimes the construction of walls seemed desperate: in some cases, walls were built right up to important temples and palaces, and in some cases (notably the Dos Pilas site) important buildings were taken apart for stone for the walls. Some cities had elaborate defenses: Ek Balam in the Yucatan had three concentric walls and the remains of a fourth one in the city center. Famous Battles and Conflicts The best-documented and possibly the most important conflict was the struggle between Calakmul and Tikal in the fifth and sixth centuries. These two powerful city-states were each dominant politically, militarily and economically in their regions, but were also relatively close to one another. They began warring, with vassal cities like Dos Pilas and Caracol changing hands as the power of each respective city waxed and waned. In 562 A.D. Calakmul and/or Caracol defeated the mighty city of Tikal, which fell into a brief decline before regaining its former glory. Some cities were hit so hard that they never recovered, like Dos Pilas in 760 A.D. and Aguateca sometime around 790 A.D. Effects of Warfare on Maya Civilization Between 700 and 900 A.D., most of the important Maya cities in the south and central regions of the Maya civilization went silent, their cities abandoned. The decline of the Maya civilization is still a mystery. Different theories have been proposed, including excessive warfare, drought, plague, climate change and more: some belief in a combination of factors. Warfare almost certainly had something to do with the disappearance of the Maya civilization: by the ​late Classic period wars, battles and skirmishes were quite common and important resources were dedicated to wars and city defenses. Source: McKillop, Heather. The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives. New York: Norton, 2004.

njsp profiling essays

njsp profiling essays NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE RACIAL PROFILING Racial profiling is a law enforcement strategy that encourages police officers to stop and question African Americans simply because of their race. Although not raised as a major issue in the courtroom during the trial of the four police officers who shot Amadou Diallo (who were acquitted in February), racial profiling is often employed by police, officially and unofficially, and was likely a factor in the police shooting of Diallo. Racial profiling took off during the highly publicized explosion of crack cocaine in inner-city neighborhoods in the 1980s, which bolstered the perception of drugs as a black problem even though statistics showed most cocaine users were white. Drug enforcement agencies began using racial profiling to "sweep" neighborhoods and in arresting disproportionate numbers of African Americans for drug related offenses. A profile of potential drug users and sellers was developed to assist policemen in picking out and questioning likely offenders. These profiles continue to be used by law enforcement in combating crime. Recent high profile cases and studies of racial profiling in New Jersey and Maryland prompted Congress to introduce the Traffic Stops Statistics Study Act of 1999, directing Attorney General Janet Reno to conduct a nationwide study of the race of drivers who are stopped by law enforcement. Congress is expected to vote on the bill later this year. The current debate on racial profiling has been tied to allegations of police brutality and institutional racism. In response to one shooting of an unarmed black man by a police officer, video cameras were installed in police cruisers in Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland. A four-year investigation of alleged police brutality in Montgomery County by the Department of Justice resulted in demands that officers must ask drivers their age, sex and race, and then compile that data for r...

7 Redundant Adjectives

7 Redundant Adjectives 7 Redundant Adjectives 7 Redundant Adjectives By Maeve Maddox Redundancies abound in everyday speech: phrases that say the same thing twice. For example, two of the most common expressions that include a redundant adjective are â€Å"free gift† and â€Å"closed fist†: Credit cards  offer free gifts  to new cardholders.   Still she came at me, so this time I  hit her with a closed fist. 1. free gift A gift is a thing given willingly to someone without payment. The adjective free is redundant. 2. closed fist A fist is by definition a hand with the fingers folded inward toward the palm and held there tightly, typically in order to strike a blow or grasp something. The adjective closed is redundant. 3. verdant green The adjective verdant derives from a Latin word meaning â€Å"green.† Verdant came into English from a French word meaning â€Å"becoming green.† The English meaning of verdant is â€Å"green† or â€Å"green with vegetation.† An enthusiastic fertilizer manufacturer advertises a product that will provide the consumer with â€Å"a verdant green lawn.† Either verdant or green will do. 4. rubicund red The adjective rubicund derives from a Latin verb meaning, â€Å"to be red.† Something that is rubicund is red or reddish. This description from fan fiction can do without one of the adjectives: â€Å"Drawing rivulets of blood, his fingertips glowed a rubicund red.† 5. overused clichà © The blogger who wrote this sentence could have saved an adjective: â€Å"The overused clichà © I hate the most is ‘off the beaten path.’† In reference to language, a clichà © is an overused expression. 6. unexpected surprise A surprise is an unexpected occurrence. The phrase is not uncommon on the Ngram Viewer, and is frequent online: An  unexpected surprise  greeted us upon our  arrival  home. Life is full of unexpected surprises. A foreigner in the dining hall was an  unexpected surprise. As â€Å"unexpectedness† is part of the definition, it’s enough to say that something is a surprise. 7. universal panacea Panacea derives from a Greek word meaning, â€Å"cure-all† and is defined in English as â€Å"a universal remedy.† Because panacea contains the meaning universal, it’s not necessary to tack universal onto it, as in this sentence written by a journalist: â€Å"When Henry Grady was inviting Northern capital South, we were much more certain that industrialization was the universal panacea for all economic and social ills.† Panacea is sufficient. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:35 Synonyms for â€Å"Look†Email EtiquetteTypes of Plots

The Ellis Study Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Ellis Study Review - Assignment Example Afterwards, the post-positivist, constructivist, interpretivist, and critical inquiry perspectives given by various scholars would be compared with the personal analysis of Carolyn Ellis with regards to her article. The story was about the death of the sibling of Ellis from a plane crash. Using ethnographic, literature writing, autobiographical and sociological, the author wanted the audience to experience what the author experienced through the reading. The story started with the family background of the author wherein she told about the humble beginnings of their family as her parents were manual laborers until they started a construction business that became popular in Virginia. She then shared some details about her siblings Art, Judy and Rex (Ellis, 2005, p. 250). Afterwards she focused on narrating her closeness with her brother Rex regarding how they quarreled and cared for each other (Ellis, 2005, p. 251). Tragedy then came in 1982 when Rex was killed in a plane crash as he p lanned to visit his sister in Florida. He died at the age of 29. Before the accident, they talked about going to Washington as the author fixed the gifts for their parents. Rex even joked around as he bragged about his sister being a professor to his friends (Ellis, 2005, p. 252). Ellis was then shocked when her elder brother Art called and asked about the plane crash headlined on the news. At first, they thought it was another airplane, but it was really the flight where Rex was included (Ellis, 2005, p. 253). The siblings then asked the airline about the plane accident and they also watched the news to know about the rescued survivors. Ellis was then supported by her partner Gene with his daughter Beth (Ellis, 2005, p. 254). They waited for the confirmation as they still expect Rex to be one of the survivors (Ellis, 2005, p. 255).at three in the morning, a confirmatory phone call occurred as Rex was declared to be dead. The siblings then went to the house of their parents where th ey conducted the funeral of Rex (Ellis, 2005, p. 256). When the coffin and body of Rex was brought to the house, the mother of the author collapsed and stayed in the hospital as Art and the author stayed in the funeral to cater the needs of hundreds of visitors (Ellis, 2005, p. 257). The friends of Rex then arranged a party to commemorate him. Despite of the efforts to put a happy atmosphere, still seriousness overwhelmed the people in the party for the lost of Rex. Afterwards the family went to the room of Rex and got some of his mementos and even saw a dildo that they jokingly said to be the ones used by Rex to tickle his girlfriends. Art then planned to sell the stuffs of Rex in an auction. Then the author visited their mother at the hospital who did not want to go home as she felt safe in the hospital. With that, the author reenacted in her mind how Rex met his death (Ellis, 2005, p. 258). The author then met Rex in her dream and told him that he is already dead. After that drea m, she did not dream of Rex again. The use of fiction or story in analyzing social science is a good way to project how experimental ethnography can effectively tackle a particular topic filled with emotions for a powerful understanding (Ellis, 2005, p. 259). Traditionally, social sciences had tackled various topics objectively wherein the scientists are just observers and they are not part of the picture. The article written by the author went against the traditional form as she made use of her own

Midterm exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Midterm exam - Essay Example a) Joseph Johnston argues that the failures in corporate governance and top level scandals indicates that the fiduciary principle does not really help to ensure that managers seek the best interest of their stakeholders (25). Johnston argues on the basis of the conflict of interest that is so rife in organizations. This is because most managers and directors seek to meet their profit motives and since they are often assessed on the basis of their ability to attain profitability, most directors are prone to find ways and means of cutting corners and cheating some stakeholders. A stakeholder is a person who affects and/or affected by an organizations activities (Freeman 29). This include a wide variety of people including employees, consumers, suppliers, financial institutions, government agencies amongst others. These people have various demands and expectations from the organization and its directors. And due to the reality that directors are expected in practice, to generate profits, directors are wont to do illegal things that will lead to higher profitability. They are also likely to ignore other peoples claims and legitimate needs in order to attain high profitability. From another angle, managers and directors want to remain in the good books of shareholders and guarantee shareholders expectations of higher dividends. They are therefore likely to present misleading reports that will allow them to remain in office as directors. Thus, the fiduciary duty of operating in good faith is often missed and directors use ways and means to attain results. b) To a large extent, I agree with this assertion. This is because in reality, a director works under so many constraints. And if that is the case, a director will be forced to do things that might not be in the best interest of everyone. From another perspective, it is practically impossible for a manager or director to meet all the expectations and demands of stakeholders. So a director will have to

The world we live in Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The world we live in - Assignment Example The world tends to see every one of us from points of views that define our gender, nationality, class, disability, ethnicity, sexuality and many other more (Barak, Leighton & Flavin, 2010). No one can escape all these frames of views. For example, gender is an example of an intersection that is purely of social construct. We live in a world where everyone assumes a binary representation as far as gender is concerned. Some of these intersectional characteristics are badly defined – many people take them as fluid. For instance, everyone represents one gender or another, but for some other people, this is never the case. On the same page, sexuality is a fluid characteristic that echoes with a difference between tastes and preferences from one person to another. Some people can choose to be ‘straight ‘or heterosexual for the rest of their lives, others can be bisexual while the rest can be homosexuals: gays (Barak, Leighton & Flavin, 2010). Everyone fits in one of these groups or another. Class is another aspect of intersectionality that applies to everyone. Class can be viewed from cultural and economic points of views. If an individual is not placed under the rich – high income groups, he or she will definitely belong to the middle income group or the low income group. One can either be poor, rich or in between. These sections cover other subgroups given that the magnitude of wealth is continuous (Barak, Leighton & Flavin, 2010). Everyone falls under some sort of race. One can either be a Negroid, Mongloid or a Caucasian. No one fall out of these three components of race (Chow, Segal & Tan, 2011). These intersectional groups are judged differently. Some are viewed with prestige while others are despised. An individual does not take the picture, but can find his or herself in an intersectional identity that makes him or her feel liberated or oppressed. One can be privileged in one intersection and be

UKCCA Event Project assessment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

UKCCA Event Project assessment - Coursework Example All the activities listed above are potential fun filled activities that can be a good source of relaxation and the students that the communities living near the centre could engage in. the centre needs to clearly plan for the activity chosen and the target group of customers so that it achieves success in hosting any of the events. During this time the centre will host a couple’s night out and a special dinner party. The party should include a special dance session at the end which will be a performance by an artist to be decided upon by the organizing committee. The party whose main attraction group should be young couples who do not get the chance to go out during the year, should include themes that attract the young couples especially in collage and those that have just left collage. This group is targeted because they do not get the chance to go out often due to schooling commitments or work and at this festive time they would consider an outing. The dinner will include a meal preferably a buffet served at the restaurant. The guests who will have specific preferences will be allowed to send in their requests in time to facilitate earlier preparation. At the end of the dinner, a music band will entertain the guests and a dance will be in order to conclude the function. The party will include costs for hiring the venue in order to host the event. An ample seating space for the guests and parking should the visitors need the same. The seating allowance at each table will be as indicated by the management of the centre. The costs at each table will be at normal charges and the payment of the Disk jokey and the performing artist will be catered for by the event crew. In addition, more ushering staff will also be hired by the organizing committee. For the entire plan of financing the whole party, kindly see the

Arts, Media, Philosophy Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Arts, Media, Philosophy - Research Proposal Example In order to answer the question, â€Å"are Americans more or less literate than they used to be? The answer to this is yes they are (Brandt, 2001). This is because of the advanced levels in technology that have enabled the literacy levels to spike. Change has caused the rising trend of more Americans becoming literate in all field, and in particular the field of technology. Change is inevitable, and Americans came to learn that sooner or later adaptation to the changes that traverse the universe with both positive and negative results (Brandt, 2001) is inevitable. In line with the positive thoughts, it has helped boost security, taken education to a whole new level; production in the agriculture sector has improved and has led to improved living and comfortable lifestyle. The downside of this high literacy levels is the mass production of weapons aimed at destroying other states or countries that are deemed a threat. As it was said before in this essay, change is inevitable; but a positive outcome is better and not a negative one (Brandt,

A View from the Bridge Essay Example for Free

A View from the Bridge Essay Pride plays a great role in the play, â€Å"A View from the Bridge†. The biggest victim of pride is Eddie, who loses both his pride and respect throughout the play. And this gradual loss heavily affects the characters’ behaviors. However pride does not seem to be the only factor that dictates the progress of the play. In the beginning of the play, Eddie is full of pride. He is respected by both Marco and Rodolfo as well as the community. The quote, â€Å"I want to tell you now Eddie – when you say go, we will go,† shows that Marco and Rodolfo respect Eddie. The quote in other words means that Marco and Rodolfo will be doing whatever Eddie tells them to do. The fact that this is Marco’s first significant line in the play shows how important Marco thinks of Eddie. Also the hyphen in the middle of the sentence gives effect, which emphasizes the message Marco is trying to send to Eddie. The pride Marco and Rodolfo give Eddie in the family allows Eddie to lower his guard and gives him a chance to respect Marco as well. This perspective can be seen from the following line. Eddie says, â€Å"You’re welcome, Marco, we got plenty of room here. † He addresses Marco, which shows that Eddie is in favor of him. Then the second part of the line, â€Å"we got plenty of room here. †, not only shows the Eddie is welcoming Marco, but it also shows that Eddie has given Marco his respect. A â€Å"Room† in their house symbolizes respect. At first, Eddie and Marco both have each other’s trust and respect, giving them both pride which brings the two to a peaceful relationship. Later as the play progresses Eddie begins to lose his pride. Marco says, â€Å"Here. (the chair raised like a weapon over Eddie’s head – and he transforms what might appear like a glare of warning into a smile of triumph)† The simplicity of the sentence emphasizes Marco’s loss of respect for Eddie. The stage direction, â€Å"Over Eddie’s head† also symbolizes how Marco has overcome Eddie. Also the â€Å"glare of warning† shows that Marco no longer thinks of Eddie as someone he should respect. The story continues as Eddie loses his pride. Pride is very important to Eddie. He says â€Å"Yeah Marco! Eddie Carbone. Eddie Carbone. Eddie Carbone. † His name symbolizes his pride and the repetition of it shows the importance of his name in Eddie’s heart. Also he does not just say his first name but also his last name, which also emphasizes his name – his pride. The community’s reaction is another event that comes from pride. â€Å"(Lipari and wife exits†¦ Louis barely turns, then walks off the stage and exits down right with Mike. )† is a stage direction that shows the community’s reaction to what Eddie had done to Marco and Rodolfo. Lipari and his wife, Louis, and Mike represent the community. The fact that they have â€Å"walked off† and â€Å"exited† indicates that the whole community has turned their backs on Eddie. From there, we can see that Eddie has lost his pride in his community as well as his family. Although pride is a main factor behind the progression of the play, loyalty and family relationships, also play a very important role. Family relationships play a very important role. This could be seen from Beatrice’s line, â€Å"Eddie, listen to me. Who could give you your name? Listen to me, I love you, I’m talking to you. I love you. † The short sentences make the sentence feel real and have a real impact, as if Beatrice is really trying to talk to Eddie. Furthermore, the repetition of the phrases, â€Å"listen to me† and â€Å"I love you† emphasizes how much Beatrice really cares about Eddie. Pride and family relationships play a huge rule in the progression of the play.

A City On Civilizations

A City On Civilizations The purpose of this integration paper is to determine the impact of a city on civilizations. Cities have also been a changing factor during the course of time, and have improved the way we live today. When we compare the different types of cities, we can then determine the similarities and differences in various places and eras. Why are cities an essential part of civilization? Has urban life been the same in different civilizations over time? Why or why not? What accounts for the similarities and differences in various places and eras? To write a successful essay on these questions, you need to integrate material from each of the following chapters in our textbook: Chapters 3, 6, and 11. http://www.ancientcivilizations.co.uk/home_set.html Cities assumed the control and integration functions of the new political, economic, religious, and social systems. All cultural forms eventually became hierarchically organized. Class and caste societies based on political and religious status became the norm, replacing the older ranked societies of farming villages. Urbanization changed the way humans lived by going from a self sufficient village, to having jobs and becoming more industrialized. People started to leave villages and farms to live in cities.  Ã‚  A cause of this might have been the younger generation not having as much experience to start agriculture on their own, so they would rather obtain jobs in a more urbanized culture to gain the experience and then hopefully be able to maintain their own farm. The negative impacts that would arise from urbanization are increased costs over what the local working class receives in wages.  Ã‚  Laws were developed on how farms should be maintained, which in some instances would bankrupt farmers, because of high maintenance costs to abide by regulations.  Ã‚  This would cause people to have no choice but to end up as workers to support their household, meaning they might be required to move closer to the city to be near jobs, which would also add to the higher living expenses related to urbanization. When we think of urbanization, we can also relate it to archaeological traces of classical Athens and Rome, which did reveal some differences between what constitutes a city-state and an imperial capital city.   Reilly explains, big choices such as laws, decisions of war and peace, determination of how much money to collect and what to spend it on were determined by the mass assembly, which consisted of all citizens.   The town council was the one who prepared most of the issues, but the final judge was the assembly.   This seems to be the origin of politics, and development of a democratic society. Rome on the other hand was the opposite; it was considered a show place for power, according to Reilly.   The Greeks were more focused on attention to the quality of harbors and the fertility of the soil and occupied themselves with beauty and fortification, while the Romans concentrated on providing their cities with adequate water, streets, and sewers.   Most of these amenities were mainly for the rich though; everyone else had to figure out their own means of obtaining water, and utilizing sewage, which was mainly just tossing it out the window. Artwork and pictures also plays a role in the identity of a city, for example, pictures from classical Athens consisted of sculptors that were produced from ideal views, whereas the goal of Roman artifacts and pictures was to produce realistic portraits for decoration and symbolisms of power.   I found the pictures in the text book and the photos of ancient Athens in the lectures very telling.   The picture of Rome (Reilly p.142-143) shows a congested city and magnificent buildings.   Many of the buildings were built for entertainment purposes and could hold most of the people of Rome.   The buildings and entertainment were enough to blind you from the poorly built and cramped housing.   The photos in the lecture of ancient Athens and the Agora (www.stoa.org/athens) showed the importance placed on having a gathering place for all of societys functions.   Buying and selling commodities, and discussing politics, business and current events. The enduring architecture, engineering, and writings from the classical period of both civilizations work to reveal drastic differences in the political, social, and economic aspects of life between the cultures.   One is provided with insight into how the different peoples viewed different matters in varying respects. The enduring architecture of the great city-state of Athens is the primary indication of the participatory nature of the Greek city-state itself.   The remains of the acropolis, the agora, and the amphitheater are signs of a culture whose goal was the enrichment of human life, [which was made possible] by the polis (Reilly, 1997, p. 133).   The acropolis, which was the home of the Greek gods provided for religious relief; the agora served as the primary meeting place and market place of the people; and the amphitheater was the principal form of entertainment for Athenians.   Each form of architecture simply emphasizes the importance of citizen participation in every aspect of political, social, and economic Athenian life.   The engineering systems, water aqueducts, and the remnants of the Coliseum of the Roman imperial capital city are the primary indications of the non-participatory nature of the imperial capital city.   The luxury of the baths, palaces, and efficient sewage systems that were offered to the ruling classes were a far cry from the dirty, crowded, and disease-rampant tenements that characterized the lives of the Roman poor.   Moreover, the emphasis on gladiatorial violence, which took part in the Coliseum and the Circus Maximus, revealed that when a citys inhabitants no longer have any control over the life of the city, they must be entertained (Reilly, 1997, p. 144).   Clearly, Roman citizens had no participation in the running of the city, and thus, were kept entertained through violent games. There is definitely a difference between the city-state of Athens and the imperial capital city of Rome.   Ancient Athens was viewed as a democracy, where power was distributed to a larger population of the city.   Kevin Reilly states, In terms of technology, comforts, physical layout, and the lives of the inhabitants, Athens was not very far removed from the peasant village (Reilly p.130).   They led simple lives and had ample leisure time.   The Athenian amphitheatre was where hundreds of plays were watched, and even participated in, by members of the audience.   The Greek tragedies displayed human foibles, political policy and the eternal dramas of human life on stage for all to see (Reilly p.131).   The city-state made possible a relatively peaceful and fulfilling way of life.   The democratic nature of the polis was a key aspect of leading this good life. Although we may underestimate the houses of ancient Athens, they were built similar to each other and provided a decent living.   R.E. Wycherley states, Classical Greek houses were unpretentious, at least from the outside; they were hardly expected to make much contribution to the architectural beauty of the city (How the Greeks Built Cities, R.E. Wycherley 1949).   In contrast, ancient Rome put their efforts into elaborate Coliseums and amphitheatres and made no attempt to build decent housing for the less fortunate. Ancient Rome was the opposite of life in ancient Athens.   Rome was built with the intention only the wealthy would have a comfortable living.   The great sewer system did not extend to the houses of the poor, thus they were left to live with the stench of excrement.   The housing was cramped and congested which led to epidemic infestation and spontaneous combustion.   Romans were not offered participation in community affairs.   There was also a large separation between rich and poor.   Reilly contends, Class divisions between rich and poor, powerful and weak, were radically accelerated in the capital city, especially Rome (Reilly p.141).   The city had many diversions to ease the reality of life.   Romans would watch extravagant circuss (Circus Maximus) or head to the Coliseum for brutal gladiatorial exhibitions.   Romans were blood thirsty and hungry for entertainment.   This entertainment was the only way for most citizens to forget about their daily lives and the horrible living conditions.   Although the city had many engineering and technological marvels for this period, it was designed for the rich and powerful to enjoy. The main differences I have noticed between a city-state and an imperial capital city is how it is socially governed.   A city-state is controlled by the citizens, where decisions and laws are voted on by a mass assembly.   An imperial capital city, such as Rome, is controlled by an emperor or dictator, where the only decision made was by him; even though the emperor had a senate, they were only in place to advise the emperor. Kevin Reilly and the photographic archives both worked to reveal the key difference between the city-state and the imperial capital city of the classical world.   While the city-states were citizen-based and democratic, the imperial capital cities were more entertaining and economically focused. Overall the social changes that were taking place were not all negative, most societies benefited from urbanization, as far as profits that were being made.  Ã‚  It also leads to a more modernized way of living due to urban growth, and improved opportunities for jobs, housing, and transportation.

History Of Western Music :: essays research papers

Most of the early music that we have today still in print is primarily sacred music. This music, for the most part, is in the form of sections of the Mass, such as the Gloria, Kyrie and Agnus Dei. Most people of the Middle Ages were poor peasants who worked all day for meager wages and had no idle time lounging the way the upper classes did. Therefore, there are few extant secular compositions of music from this era. The rise of a new middle class, however, gave financial freedom for some people to spend time and money on entertainment in the form of music and dance. Thus, the rise of the middle classes also gave way to the rise in composition and performance of secular music, which became the music of choice for composers of that day. Many of the songs we have today of the Middle Ages were in Latin, and are by anonymous composers. Many were written by wandering people, many of them men and churchmen without permanent residences of their own. Men who could not obtain a position in the Church and had to drop out were called goliards. These goliards wandered around the land, composing and performing for people. Their music was mostly comprised of the "’eat, drink, and be merry’ type, appropriate to the wanton kind of life the goliards lived" (Stolba, 99). Carl Orff, the composer of the Carmina Burana, used the poems found in the largest surviving records of Latin secular music that we have today. The Codex latinus 4660 was held in the Benedictine monastery at Benediktbeurn. Many of the songs speak of love, many of them lascivious. Others speak of drinking, satires of the religious life and even liturgical plays. A few of them are even written in the vernacular of the region in that time (Stolb a, 99). Following the history of the era in literature, many authors were fascinated by the courtly tradition, chivalry and a higher love. Therefore, we have today musical compositions that speak of many of the same ideas. French composers wrote songs in the vernacular called chansons de geste . These songs spoke of the heroic acts performed by knights for their ladies in the name of love. The French have a national epic called the Chanson de Roland which related the life and death of Charlemagne’s nephew and his endeavor to rid France of the Basques.

Response to Movie Ethnic Notions Essay -- ethnic Notions Film Movie Es

Response to Movie "Ethnic Notions" The movie 'Ethnic Notions' describes different ways in which African-Americans were presented during the 19th and 20th centuries. It traces and presents the evolution of the rooted stereotypes which have created prejudice towards African-Americans. This documentary movie is narrated to take the spectator back to the antebellum roots of African-American stereotypical names such as boy, girl, auntie, uncle, Sprinkling Sambo, Mammy Yams, the Salt and Pepper Shakers, etc. It does so by presenting us with multiple dehumanized characters and cartons portraying African-Americans as carefree Sambos, faithful Mammies, savage Brutes, and wide-eyed Pickaninnies. These representations of African-Americans roll across the screen in popular songs, children's rhymes, household artifacts and advertisements. These various ways to depict the African ?American society through countless decades rooted stereotypes in the American society. I think that many of these still prevail in the contemporary socie ty, decades after the civil rights movement occurred. The film observes and analyzes the origins and consequences of more than one-hundred years of bigotry upon the ex-slaved society in the U.S. Even though so many years have passed since the end of slavery, emancipation, reconstruction and the civil rights movement, some of the choice terms prejudiced still engraved in the U.S society. When I see such images on the movie screen, it is still hard, even f...

Argentina Pestle Analysis

Argentina government has a strong democratic setup. In 2011, President Fernandez de Kirchner won the presidency for the second time. Her government has been successful at introducing reforms to encourage regional trade and support private sector investment, particularly for the development of the country’s infrastructure, primarily through private-public partnership. The government has also announced the creation of the oil planning commission, emphasizing its interest in the oil industry1.The Fernandez government is increasingly reliant on interventionist policies that fail to solve underlying structural problems and has been involved in several inflation figures manipulation and corruption charges, including a commotion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concerning inaccurate governance indicators impairing the economic outlook and deterring investment2. This has generated public discontent raising increasing protest against the government and a rapid decline in Fern andez popularity3.Argentina foreign policies are mainly concentrated on developing regional trading relations (Mercosur and UnaSur), the country has a good partnership with the UN and has been working on improving relations with the US, with particular interest to develop the technology and science sectors. Nevertheless, relations with the UK have deteriorated following an official complaint to the UN regarding the Falkland Islands4.ECONOMICFollowing the global financial crisis the Argentine economy has achieved a healthy recovery, predominantly through an increasing trade relationship with China, boosting substantially the country’s trade volume and generating a trading surplus5. However, the major concern for the economy is inflation and the great discrepancy of approximately 15% between official and non-governmental estimates. In addition, the government has increased regulatory intervention and thus reduced economic freedom and development.The government’s recent n ationalisation of oil giant YPF owned by the Spanish Company Repsol and of the private pension funds have furthermore hindered private and foreign investment. These factors combined with high public debt levels and low foreign-exchange reserves have constrained the potential for economic growth and left the country at increased risk of recession. Argentina has a strong automotive industry. The government is aiming to attract further investments into the country’s automotive sector by lessening the regulatory framework obstacles and offering subsidies and incentives6.SOCIALArgentina is a traditionally urban country and continues to experience high migration from rural areas. The urban centres enjoy a relatively high standard of living comparable to other Latin American countries, with notable healthcare and educational facilities. Argentina is facing the problems posed by an aging population. This is projected to affect government's social security budgets and generate fiscal burdens. Despite a comprehensive education system restructuring and an improving primary school education system, dropout rates continue to rise sharply7.This will eventually lead to a significant increase in the proportion of unskilled workers. TECHNOLOGICAL With a strong telecommunications industry and a growing IT market, Argentina has shown significant growth in both sectors. The government has implemented plans to augment IT service penetration in rural areas. In addition, it has supported biofuel R&D in an effort to preserve energy security and accelerate technological development8.Argentina’s energy industry is in a deplorable state as they are now a net energy importer, eroding the country’s foreign-currency reserves9. As a result, the government has shown an increasing interest in science and technology and in the biotechnology industry. However, as a result of inadequate investment in R&D, there is a low degree of innovation resulting in a reduced number of p atents granted. Moreover, the lack of respect for intellectual property rights and copyrights has exacerbated the problem. LEGALArgentina has a comprehensive legal and regulatory structure and a federal republican representative government, where each province has its own constitution. In addition, complex and bureaucratic business regulations and strong union and government ties have resulted in wages increasing at 25-35% annual rates. Furthermore, high taxes have been detrimental to investment. For instance, income and corporate tax rates are both set at 35% added to corporate social security tax of between 23% and 27%. These additional costs place an undue burden in industry10.Notwithstanding the introduction of criminal liability for money laundering offences, the judicial system requires an important overhaul to improve its effectiveness and to generate a conducive environment for new business ventures and investments.ENVIRONMENTALDespite having a remarkable biodiversity and va st natural resources, the Argentinian government has been overexploiting its natural resources as a side effect of the rapid economic development. Increasing deforestation and the destruction of natural habitats have been accelerated by soybean cultivation and beef production11.Water and air pollution are major problems, particularly around industrial metropolitan areas. Rising concerns over environmental degradation have resulted in ambitious schemes from the government to develop renewable energy sources. The government has initiated measures to collaborate with prominent multinational organisations to develop biofuel production with particular interest in ethanol from sugarcane pulp12. Moreover, the Argentine government, in partnership with Chinese investments is constructing the largest wind power project in Latin America and is projected to provide 4% of Argentina’s power requirements. ï » ¿Argentina PESTLE analysis POLITICALArgentina government has a strong democratic setup. In 2011, President Fernandez de Kirchner won the presidency for the second time. Her government has been successful at introducing reforms to encourage regional trade and support private sector investment, particularly for the development of the country’s infrastructure, primarily through private-public partnership. The government has also announced the creation of the oil planning commission, emphasizing its interest in the oil industry1.The Fernandez government is increasingly reliant on interventionist policies that fail to solve underlying structural problems and has been involved in several inflation figures manipulation and corruption charges, including a commotion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concerning inaccurate governance indicators impairing the economic outlook and deterring investment2. This has generated public discontent raising increasing protest against the government and a rapid declin e in Fernandez popularity3.Argentina foreign policies are mainly concentrated on developing regional trading relations (Mercosur and UnaSur), the country has a good partnership with the UN and has been working on improving relations with the US, with particular interest to develop the technology and science sectors. Nevertheless, relations with the UK have deteriorated following an official complaint to the UN regarding the Falkland IslandsECONOMICFollowing the global financial crisis the Argentine economy has achieved a healthy recovery, predominantly through an increasing trade relationship with China, boosting substantially the country’s trade volume and generating a trading surplus5. However, the major concern for the economy is inflation and the great discrepancy of approximately 15% between official and non-governmental estimates. In addition, the government has increased regulatory intervention and thus reduced economic freedom and development.The government’s r ecent nationalisation of oil giant YPF owned by the Spanish Company Repsol and of the private pension funds have furthermore hindered private and foreign investment. These factors combined with high public debt levels and low foreign-exchange reserves have constrained the potential for economic growth and left the country at increased risk of recession.Argentina has a strong automotive industry. The government is aiming to attract further investments into the country’s automotive sector by lessening the regulatory framework obstacles and offering subsidies and incentives6.SOCIALArgentina is a traditionally urban country and continues to experience high migration from rural areas. The urban centres enjoy a relatively high standard of living comparable to other Latin American countries, with notable healthcare and educational facilities. Argentina is facing the problems posed by an aging population. This is projected to affect government's social security budgets and generate f iscal burdens.Despite a comprehensive education system restructuring and an improving primary school education system, dropout rates continue to rise sharply7. This will eventually lead to a significant increase in the proportion of unskilled workers.TECHNOLOGICALWith a strong telecommunications industry and a growing IT market, Argentina has shown significant growth in both sectors. The government has implemented plans to augment IT service penetration in rural areas. In addition, it has supported biofuel R&D in an effort to preserve energy security and accelerate technological development.Argentina’s energy industry is in a deplorable state as they are now a net energy importer, eroding the country’s foreign-currency reserves9. As a result, the government has shown an increasing interest in science and technology and in the biotechnology industry. However, as a result of  inadequate investment in R&D, there is a low degree of innovation resulting in a reduced numbe r of patents granted. Moreover, the lack of respect for intellectual property rights and copyrights has exacerbated the problem.LEGALArgentina has a comprehensive legal and regulatory structure and a federal republican representative government, where each province has its own constitution. In addition, complex and bureaucratic business regulations and strong union and government ties have resulted in wages increasing at 25-35% annual rates. Furthermore, high taxes have been detrimental to investment. For instance, income and corporate tax rates are both set at 35% added to corporate social security tax of between 23% and 27%. These additional costs place an undue burden in industry.Notwithstanding the introduction of criminal liability for money laundering offences, the judicial system requires an important overhaul to improve its effectiveness and to generate a conducive environment for new business ventures and investments.ENVIRONMENTALDespite having a remarkable biodiversity and vast natural resources, the Argentinian government has been overexploiting its natural resources as a side effect of the rapid economic development. Increasing deforestation and the destruction of natural habitats have been accelerated by soybean cultivation and beef production11. Water and air pollution are major problems, particularly around industrial metropolitan areas.Rising concerns over environmental degradation have resulted in ambitious schemes from the government to develop renewable energy sources. The government has initiated measures to collaborate with prominent multinational organisations to develop biofuel production with particular interest in ethanol from sugarcane pulp12. Moreover, the Argentine government, in partnership with Chinese investments is constructing the largest wind power project in Latin America and is projected to provide 4% of Argentina’s power requirements.