Monday, August 19, 2019

Materialism in Pauls Case by Willa Cather Essay -- essays research pa

In "Paul's Case," Willa Cather manages to apply the emotions, feelings, troubles, and thoughts of modern society, allowing the reader to relate to the story. By incorporating the same heavy burdens that bother and aggravate people in their daily lives, Willa explores the pain and treatment unwanted people experience. Obviously, nobody wants to feel rejection or alienation from the world, but instead they desire to encounter acceptance and agreement with the world's standards. In the story, the main character, Paul goes through excruciating transformations and lengths to try and impress the people around him. Attempting to belong in a superficial society, Paul loses a part of his identity without acknowledging it and therefore he strays from his own personality. Blinding himself from reality, Paul succumbs to the materialistic requirements of society, which contributes largely to his peculiar behavior. The style of Paul?s wardrobe determines the attitude of Paul?s personality. During the meeting with the faculty of his school, Paul displays himself as a motionless, dead character. ?His clothes were a trifle outgrown, and the tan velvet on the collar of his open overcoat was frayed and worn, but for all that there was something of a dandy about him, and he wore an opal pin in his neatly knotted black four-in-hand, and a red carnation in his buttonhole.? Paul feels that the clothes he wears symbolizes his status in life and only the nice, fancy clothes seem to please him. When he reachers the theater at Carnegie Hall, the glow and warmth returns to Paul?s face and attitude. ?...Paul th[inks] it very becoming though he kn[ows] the tight, straight coat accentuate[s] his narrow chest, about which he was exceedingly sensitive... ...e[s]. Then, because the picture-making mechanism [is] crush[ing], the disturbing visions flash[ing] into black, and Paul drop[s] back into the immense design of things.? When Paul jumps in front of the train, he thinks it will take away his problems and help him escape the horrendous world forever. In Willa Cather's story "Paul's Case", the character Paul embodies how the desire of materialism can affect the mind and soul of human being. Paul, a very self-oriented and introverted boy designs and calculates his every move to prevent people from discovering the real him. Despising his life at Cordelia Street, Paul throws himself into the plot of obtaining money, wealth, and power. This ruins Paul?s life and distracts him from truly enjoying his youth and independence. The story presents that even riches, wealth, power cannot buy one?s happiness or sanity.

The Role of the Teacher in Reporting Cases of Child Abuse and Neglect E

Child abuse is a growing problem that affects children of all genders, ages, races, religions, and classes. It generally can be defined as â€Å"the non-accidental physical, sexual or mental injury or neglect caused by basic omissions of the child’s parents or caretakers†(Colorado State Department of Education, 1998). Narrowing the causes of child abuse to one in particular would be impossible, due to the wide range of factors that contribute. Today, teachers hold an important and unique position, for they are required to have an understanding of the laws and regulations in which to detect and report any suspected cases of child abuse. In Baltimore County, there have been recent efforts to train and educate public school employees on the awareness of child abuse, and the ethical procedures necessary when filing an actual report. As stated by Linda Lumsden, â€Å"the school is one social institution outside the family with which nearly all children have consistent, ongoing contact (1991). Baltimore County requires all educators to be aware of the various forms in which abuse will surface. Physical, mental, and sexual abuse, along with neglect, are the most common variations of maltreatment. Of the 2,806 investigations by the Child Protective Services in 1999, 1,405 were physical abuse (50.1%), 530 were sexual abuse (18.9%), and 871 were neglect (31.0%) (Baltimore County Department of Social Services, 2000). Physical abuse is recognized by the Department of Social Services as, â€Å"the physical injury of a child under age 18 by parent, person with permanent or temporary care of custody/ supervision, or household or family member, which brings harm to a child’s health or welfare, or substantial risk of being harmed† (BC DSS, 2000). T... ... Colorado State Department of Education. (1998). The Colorado School’s Role in the Prevention and intervention of child abuse and neglect. Colorado. Libit, H. (1998, May 24). Schools seek better policy to find abuse; Balto. County plan would hold all adults including parent volunteers and student teachers responsible for reporting suspected cases of abuse. The Baltimore Sun. p. 1B. Lumsden, L.S. (1991). The role of schools in sexual abuse prevention and intervention. (ERIC digest no. 61). ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management. (ERIC Document Reprocuctive Service No. ED 331152) Shatzkin, K. (2000, March 3). Social workers demand reduced caseloads; Laws ordering cuts not implemented, demonstrators say. The Baltimore Sun. p. 2B. Sun staff. (1998, June 18). Fisher case prompts rule requiring school staff to report abuse. The Baltimore Sun. p. 3B.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Movie Othello :: Movie Film comparison compare contrast

The Movie Othello The movie Othello is full of very believeable and well developed characters. As it is a tradgedy, thought, we have to have a victim or victims, in this case Othello, and the cause of their misery, which is Iago. Iago manipulates Cassio, Roderigo, Emilia, and Othello, useing a variety of methods. Iago's plots are skillfully crafted with multiple levels of intrigue. Iago also pays attention to the smallest detail, proveing his skill as a villian. Thus, Iago is a masterful villian who manipulates all those around him. Iago manipultes Cassio, Roderigo, Emilia, and Othello in several ways. Cassio is manipulated by Iago first getting him fired. Then, under the guise of friendship, Iago suggests that Cassio ask Desdemona for help in getting reinstated. This is an ingenius move on as his part, as Cassio must pursue Desdemona's help behind Othello's back. Roderigo is manipulated by Iago's telling him to pursue Desdemona, even though Desdemona is already married. Although this is a blatent lie on Iago's part, as the viewer sees not a single hint that Desdemona even acknowledges Roderigo's existance, it is so cleverly delivered to Roderigo that he takes as a fact, even when the facts show otherwise. Iago controls Emilia through her love that she has for him. He uses her love of him to get her to steal Desdemona's handkerchief. Othello is manipulated by suggestion and hints that are carefully worded and said at just the right moment. Each one weakens his faith in Desdemona a little more. Then Iago produces "evidence" to add weight to his innuendos. The evidence is so believeably delivered and Othello already so incenced by Iago's words that Othello does not even question the truth of what he sees. This skillful manipulation of those around qualifies Iago as a supreme villian. Iago's plots are skillfully crafted and contain multiple levels of intrigue. Iago gets Cassio drunk and disorderly until he starts a fight. Iago then goes to Othello and tells him that he should not allow such behavior and to fire Cassio. Then Iago convincea Cassio to pursue Desdemona's help on the sly. Finally, Iago uses Cassio's pursuit of Desdemona on the sly as proof of their

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Business Task 1 on individual report Essay

Business Task 1 on Individual report Introduction Part A: Analysis of the structure of industry Identification and description of the structure of the industry                   Despite its future economic prospects, the United Arab Emirates continues to suffer from corporate governance issues. The development of corporate governance in the region has largely been influenced by religion (Gellis et al., 2002). The rules governing the practice of corporate governance have been significantly influenced by Islamic Sharia. This reflects the cultural and religious characteristic of the region (Islam and Hussain, 2003). Islamic Sharia specifies a number of core values such as trust, integrity, honesty and justice which are similar to the core values of corporate governance codes in the West. However, a survey of corporate governance in a number of Gulf countries such as United Arab Emirates suggests that the region continues to suffer from corporate governance weaknesses. 2.0 Reasons for the structure including use of suitable evidence and data                   The structure of the above sectors and reasons for the structure and effects on the performance of firms has been vital subject of debate in the finance literature. Empirical evidence suggests that privately held firms tend to be more efficient and more profitable than publicly held firms. This shows that ownership structure matters. The question now is how does it affect firm performance and why this kind of structure? This question is significant since it is based on a research agenda that has been strongly promoted by La Porta et al. (1998; 1999; 2000).                   According to these studies, failure of the legislative framework to provide sufficient protection for external investors, entrepreneurs and founding investors of a company tend will maintain large positions in their firms thus resulting in a concentrated ownership structure. This finding is interesting because it implies that ownership structure can affect the performance of the firm in one way or the other. It is indisputable; the lack of regulations in corporate governance gives managers who intend to mishandle the flow of cash for their own personal interest a low control level. The empirical results from the past studies of impacts of ownership structure on performance of corporate have been inconclusive and mixed up (Turki, 2012).                   In response to corporate governance issues and their impact on corporate performance, Shleifer and Vishny (1997); and Jensen (2000) have suggested the need for improved corporate governance structures so as to enhance transparency, accountability and responsibility.                   Corporate governance reform and the introduction of innovative methods to limit abuse of power by top management have been justified by recent large scale accounting and corporate failures such as Enron, HealthSouth, Tyco International, Adelphia, Global Crossing, WorldCom, Cendant and the recent global financial crisis.                   According to Monks and Minow (1996) numerous corporate failures suggest that existing corporate governance structures are not working effectively. Corporate failures and accounting scandals initially appear to a U.S phenomenon, resulting from excessive greed by investors, overheated equity markets, and a winner-take-all mind-set of the U.S society. However, the last decade has shown that irregularities in accounting, managerial greed, abuse of power, are global phenomenon that cannot be limited to the U.S. Many non-U.S firms such as Parallax, Adecco, TV Azteca, Hollinger, Royal Dutch Shell, Vivendi, China Aviation, Barings Bank, etc. have witnessed failures in corporate governance and other forms of corporate mishaps.                   In addition to corporate governance failures, global standards have declined significantly and unethical and questionable practices have become widely accepted. The net impact has been a reduction in the amount of faith that investors and shareholders have in the efficiency of capital markets. There is no universally accepted corporate governance model that the interest of shareholders and investors are adequately protected as well as ensuring that enough shareholder wealth is being created (Donaldson and Davis, 2001; Huse, 1995; Frentrop, 2003).                   Much of the debate on corporate governance has focused on understanding whether the Board of Directors has enough power to ensure that top management is making the right decision. The traditional corporate governance framework often ignores the unique effect that the owners of the firm can have on the board and thus the firm’s top management. The traditional framework therefore ignores that fact that the owners of the firm can influence the board and thus top management to act of make particular decisions. Corporate governance studies are therefore yet to identify and deal with the complexities that are inherent in corporate governance processes (Jensen, 2000; Shleifer, 2001; Frentrop, 2003; Donaldson and Davis, 2001; Huse, 1995).                   Investment choices and owner preferences are affected among other things by the extent their degree of risk aversion. Owners who have economic relations with the firm will be interested in protecting their interests even if it is reasonably evident that such protection will result in poor performance. According to Thomsen and Pedersen (1997) banks that play a dual role as owners and lenders would discourage high risk projects with great profit potential because such projects may hinder the firm from meeting its financial obligations if the project fails to realize its expected cash flows. The government also plays a dual role in that it serves as both an owner and a regulator. Therefore owners who play a dual role in the firm often face a trade-off between promoting the creation of shareholder value and meeting their other specific objectives (Hill and Jones, 1992).                   Existing corporate governance frameworks have often ignored these issues in UAE. Rather, much of the emphasis has been on the effectiveness of the board in ensuring that top management is working towards meeting the goals of shareholders. Present corporate governance frameworks lack the ability to monitor owners and their influence on top management. The framework lacks the ability to align the role played by firm owners, board of directors and managers’ interests and actions with the creation of shareholder value and welfare motivation of stakeholders. Discussion of the possible future structure of the industry                   The United Arabs Emirates, and mainly Abu Dhabi, is enduring to increase its economy by reducing the total proportion impact of hydrocarbons to Gross Domestic Product. This is currently being done by growing investment in sector areas like: services in telecommunication, education, media, healthcare, tourism, aviation, metals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, transportation and trade.                   Significant investments have been made by United Arab Emirates to establish itself as a regional trade hub. United Arab Emirates is also member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition, there are ongoing negotiations to establish free trade agreements with other regions and countries such as the EU. These factors will contribute positively to the region’s integration into the global economy. United Arab Emirates is currently working towards diversifying their economies from the oil sector into other sectors. This diversification is expected not only to increase trade among member countries but also to increase the region’s trade with other countries and regions (Sturm et al., 2008). How the structure affects strategy decisions                   Ownership structure has an impact on firm performance in United Arab Emirates energy production owned sector. This region has witnessed significant economic growth over the last few decades. The region is also facing turbulent times with respect to corporate governance practices, resulting in poor firm performance. Corporate governance issues are not limited to the United Arabs Emirates as part of GCC Countries. From a global point of view, corporate governance has witnessed significant transformations over the last decade (Gomez and Korine, 2005). As a result, there has been an interest in the research attention accorded to corporate governance. The credibility of current corporate governance structures has come under scrutiny owing to recent corporate failures and low corporate performance across the world.                   The risk aversion of the firm can be directly affected by the ownership structure in place. Agency problems occur as a result of divergence in interests between principals (owners) and agents (managers) (Leech and Leahy, 1991). The board of directors is thereby regarded as an intermediary between managers and owners. The board of directors plays four important roles in the firm. These include monitoring, stewardship, monitoring and reporting. The board of directors monitors and controls the discretion of top management. The board of directors influences managerial discretion in two ways: internal influences which are imposed by the board and external influences which relate to the role played by the market in monitoring and sanctioning managers (Jensen and Meckling, 1976; 2000). B: Contribution of the sector to the economy of your chosen country Analysis of contribution of sector                   United Arab Emirates remain major global economic player because it has the highest oil reserves. UAE together with the other Gulf Cooperation Council accounts for over 40% of global oil reserves and remains important in supplying the global economy with oil in future. As a result, investment spending on oil exploration and development of new oil fields is on the rise (Sturm et al., 2008).                   Global oil demand is currently on the rise. This growth is driven mainly by emerging market economies, as well as the oil producing UAE as part of GCC countries. In addition, Europe and the U.S are witnessing depletions in their oil reserves. This means that these regions will become increasingly dependent on the Gulf region which includes UAE for the supply of oil (Sturm et al., 2008). The importance of the United Arabs Emirates as a global economic player is therefore expected to increase dramatically in the near future Use of appropriate data and other evidence                   By the year 2011, the GDP of United Arab Emirates totaled to 360.2 billion dollars. Subsequently in 2001, yearly growth of GNP varied from about 7.4% to 30.7%. As part of the chief crude oil suppliers, the United Arab Emirates was at first cut off from the universal recession by high prices on oil that rose to a record 147 US dollars per barrel in the month of July in 2008. Nevertheless, the nation was ultimately influenced by the excavating worldwide recession which resulted to a decline in oil demand, reducing the oil prices to a reduced amount not exceeding a third of the peak of July 2008. In the last 2008 months, the trembles rumbling through global economies were lastly experienced in this section. Oil (million barrels) Proved reserves, 2013 Total oil supply (thousand bbl/d), 2012 Total petroleum consumption, 2012 Reserves-to-production ratio 97,800 3,213 618 95 Natural Gas (billion cubic feet) Proved reserves, 2013 Dry natural gas production, 2012 Dry natural gas consumption, 2012 Reserves-to-production ratio 215,025 1,854 2,235 116 UAE summary energy statistics C: Critical appraisal of sustainability targets on business plan of your chosen organisation                   Oil firms in United Arab Emirates is still quite immature. Most businesses are controlled by a few shareholders and family ownership is prevalent. Most large and small businesses are family businesses (Saidi, 2004). The state is also significantly involved in the management of companies (Union of Arab Banks, 2003).                   This is contrary to the status quo in Western democracies where firms are owned by a diverse group of shareholders which makes ownership to be completely separated from control. The ownership structure in United Arab Emirates suggests that stewardship and monitoring aspects of non-executive directors (NEDs) is absent in firms based in United Arab Emirates. Ownership concentration has remained high in the region because of practices such as rights issues which enable existing wealthy shareholders, and influential families to subscribe to new shares in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) (Musa, 2002).                   According to a study of the corporate governance practices of five countries by the Union of Arab Banks (2003), ownership of corporations is concentrated in the hands of families. In addition, corporate boards are dominated by controlling shareholders, their relatives and friends (Union of Arab Banks, 2003). There is a no clear separation between control and ownership. Decision making is dominated by shareholders. The number of independent directors in the board is very small and the functions of the CEO and Chairman are carried out by the same person. The high concentration in firm ownership therefore undermines the principles of good corporate governance that are prevalent in western settings (Yasin and Shehab, 2004). This evidence is consistent with findings by the World Bank (2003) in an investigation of corporate governance practices in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region which also includes the Gulf region. 1.0 Objective of empirical evidence                   The empirical evidence on the impact of ownership structure on firm performance is mixed. Different studies have made use of different samples to arrive at different, contradictory and sometimes difficult to compare conclusions. The literature suggests that there are two main ownership structures in firm including dispersed ownership and concentrated ownership. With respect to concentrated ownership, most of the empirical evidence suggests that concentrated ownership negatively affects performance (e.g., Johnson et al., 2000; Gugler and Weigand, 2003; Grosfeld, 2006; Holmstrom and Tirole, 1993). Different studies have also focused on how specifically concentrated ownership structures affect firm performance. For example, with respect to government ownership, Jefferson (1998), Stiglitz (1996), and Sun et al. (2002) provide theoretical arguments that government ownership is likely to positively affect firm performance because government ownership can facil itate the resolution of issues regarding the ambiguous property rights.                   However, Xu and Wang (1999) and Sun and Tong (2003) provide empirical evidence that government ownership has a negative impact on firm performance. On the contrary, Sun et al. (2002) provide empirical evidence that government ownership has a positive impact on firm performance. It has also been argued that the relationship between government ownership and firm performance is non-linear. Another commonly investigated ownership type and its impact on firm performance is family ownership. Anderson and Reeb (2003), Villanonga and Amit (2006), Maury (2006), Barontini and Caprio (2006), and Pindado et al. (2008) suggest that there is a positive link between family ownership and firm performance. Despite the positive impact some studies argue that the impact of family ownership is negative.                   The impact of foreign ownership has also been investigated. Most of the evidence suggests that foreign ownership has a positive impact on firm performance (e.g., Arnold and Javorcik, 2005; Petkova, 2008; Girma, 2005; Girma and Georg, 2006; Girma et al., 2007; Chari et al., 2011; Mattes, 2008).With respect to managerial ownership, it has been argued that the relationship is likely to be positive (Jensen and Meckling, 1976; Chen et al., 2005; Drobetz et al., 2005). Despite this suggestion Demsetz and Lehn (1985) observe a negative relationship between dispersed ownership and firm performance. Institutional ownership has also been found to have a positive impact on firm performance (e.g. McConnell and Servaes, 1990; Han and Suk, 1998; Tsai and Gu, 2007). Furthermore, some studies suggest that there is no link between insider ownership and performance .                   Very limited studies have been conducted on the impact of ownership structure on firm performance in GCC countries like UAE. For example, Arouri et al. (2013) provide evidence that bank performance is affected by family ownership, foreign ownership and institutional ownership and that there is no significant impact of government ownership on bank performance. Zeitun and Al-Kawari (2012) observe a significant positive impact of government ownership on firm performance in the Gulf region.                   The pervasive endogeneity of ownership has been cited as a potential reason why it is difficult to disentangle the relationship between ownership structure and firm performance. In addition, the relation may be a function of the type of firm as well as the period of observation in the life of the firm. This study is motivated by the mixed results obtained in previous studies and the limited number of studies that have focused on UAE as part of GCC countries. The objective of the study is to explore in more details the factors that motivate particular types of ownership structure and the potential impact of ownership structure and firm performance in the Gulf region 2.0 Empirical Evidence                   The empirical evidence will focus on how different ownership structures affect firm performance. Firms are often characterized by concentrated and dispersed ownership. Concentrated ownership is expected to have a positive impact on firm performance owning to the increased monitoring that it provides (Grosfeld, 2006).                   Dispersed ownership has been found to be less frequent than expected. Empirical evidence suggests that most firms are characterized by various forms of ownership concentration (La Porta et al., 1999). Given this high level of ownership concentration, there has been an increasing concern over the protection of the rights of non-controlling shareholders (Johnson et al., 2000; Gugler and Weigand, 2003). Empirical evidence shows that ownership concentration at best results in poor performance. Concentrated ownership is costly and has the potential of promoting the exploitation of non-controlling shareholders by controlling shareholders (Grosfeld, 2006). Holmstrom and Tirole (1993) argue that concentrated ownership can contribute to poor liquidity, which can in turn negatively affect performance. In addition, high ownership concentration limits the ability of the firm to diversify. There are various forms of concentrated ownership such as government ownership , family ownership, managerial ownership, institutional ownership and foreign ownership. In the next section, the literature review will focus on how these separate ownership structures affect firm performance. 2.1.1 Government Ownership                   The impact of government ownership on firm performance has attracted the attention of many researchers because the government accounts for the largest proportion of shares of listed companies in some countries and also because government ownership can be used as an instrument of intervention by the government (Kang and Kim, 2012). Shleifer and Vishny (1997) suggest that government ownership can contribute to poor firm performance because Government Owned enterprises often face political pressure for excessive employment. In addition, it is often difficult to monitor managers of government owned enterprises and there is often a lack of interest in carrying out business process reengineering (Shleifer and Vishny, 1996; Kang and Kim, 2012). Contrary to Shleifer and Vishny (1997) some economists have argued that government ownership can improve firm performance in less developed and emerging economies in particular. This is because government ownership can f acilitate the resolution of issues with respect to ambiguous property rights.                   The empirical evidence on the impact of state ownership on firm performance is mixed. For example, Xu and Wang (1999) provide evidence of a negative relationship between state ownership and firm performance based on data for Chinese listed firms over the period 1993-1995. The study, however, fails to find any link between the market-to-book ratio and state ownership (Xu and Wang, 1999). Sun and Tong (2003) employ ownership data from 1994 to 2000 and compares legal person ownership with government ownership. The study provides evidence that government ownership negatively affects firm performance while legal person ownership positively affects firm performance. This conclusion is based on the market-to-book ratio as the measure of firm performance.                   However, using return on sales or gross earnings as the measure of firm performance, the study provides evidence that government ownership has no effect on firm performance. Sun et al. (2002) provide contrary evidence from above. Using data over the period 1994-1997, Sun et al. (2002) provide evidence that both legal person ownership and government ownership had a positive effect on firm performance. They explain their results by suggesting that legal person ownership is another form of government ownership. The above studies treat the relationship between government ownership and firm performance as linear. However it has been argued that the relationship is not linear.                   Huang and Xiao (2012) provide evidence that government ownership has a negative net effect on performance in transition economies. La Porta et al. (2002) provide evidence across 92 countries that government ownership of banks contributes negatively to bank performance. The evidence is consistent with Dinc (2005) and Brown and Dinc (2005) who investigate government ownership banks in the U.S. 2.1.2 Family Ownership                   Family ownership is very common in oil firms in UAE. There is a difference between family ownership and other types of shareholders in that family owners tend to be more interested in the long-term survival of the firm than other types of shareholders(Arosa et al., 2010).. Furthermore, family owners tend to be more concerned about the firm’s reputation of the firm than other shareholders (Arosa et al., 2010). This is because damage to the firm’s reputation can also result in damage the family’s reputation. Many studies have investigated the relationship between family ownership and firm performance. They provide evidence of a positive relationship between family ownership and firm performance (e.g. Anderson and Reeb, 2003; Villalonga and Amit, 2006; Maury, 2006; Barontini and Caprio, 2006; Pindado et al., 2008).                   The positive relationship between family ownership and firm performance can be attributed to a number of factors. For example, Arosa et al. (2010) suggests that family firms’ long-term goals indicate that this category of firms desire investing over long horizons than other shareholders. In addition, because there is a significant relationship between the wealth of the family and the value of the family firm, family owners tend to have greater incentives to monitor managers (agents) than other shareholders (Anderson and Reeb, 2003). Furthermore, family owners would be more interested in offering incentives to managers that will make them loyal to the firm.                   In addition, there is a substantial long-term presence of families in family firms with strong intentions to preserve the name of the family. These family members are therefore more likely to forego short-term financial rewards so as to enable future generations take over the business and protect the family’s reputation (Wang, 2006). In addition, family ownership has positive economic consequences on the business. There are strong control structures that can motivate family members to communicate effectively with other shareholders and creditors using higher quality financial reporting with the resulting effect being a reduction in the cost of financing the business .                   Furthermore, families are interested in the long-term survival of the firm and family, which reduces the opportunistic behavior of family members with regard to the distribution of earnings and allocation of management, positions.                   Despite the positive impact of family ownership on firm performance, it has been argued that family ownership promotes high ownership concentration, which in turn creates corporate governance problems. In addition, high ownership concentration results in other types of costs (Arosa et al., 2010). As earlier mentioned, La Porta et al. (1999) and Vollalonga and Amit (2006) argue that controlling shareholders are likely to undertake activities that will give them gain unfair advantage over non-controlling shareholders. For example, family firms may be unwilling to pay dividends .                   Another reason why family ownership can have a negative impact on firm performance is that controlling family shareholders can easily favour their own interests at the expense of non-controlling shareholders by running the company as a family employment service. Under such circumstances, management positions will be limited to family members and extraordinary dividends will be paid to family shareholders (Demsetz, 1983; Fama and Jensen, 1983; Shleifer and Vishny, 1997). Agency costs may arise because of dividend payments and management entrenchment (DeAngelo and DeAngelo, 2000; Francis et al., 2005). Families may also have their own interests and concerns that may not be in line with the concerns and interests of other investor groups (Shleifer and Vishny, 1997).                   Schulze et al. (2001) provide a discussion, which suggests that the impact of family ownership on firm performance can be a function of the generation. For example, noting that agency costs often arise as a result of the separation of ownership from control, they argue that first generation family firms tend to have limited agency problems because the management and supervision decisions are made by the same individual. As such agency costs are reduced because the separation of ownership and control has been completely eliminated. Given that there is no separation of ownership and control in the first generation family firm, the firm relationship between family ownership and performance is likely to be positive (Miller and Le-Breton-Miller, 2006). As the firm enters second and third generations, the family property becomes shared by an increasingly large number of family members with diverse interests. The moment conflict of interests sets in the relatio nship between family ownership and performance turns negative in accordance to (Chrisman et al., 2005; Sharma et al., 2007). Furthermore, agency problems arise from family relations because family members with control over the firm’s resources are more likely to be generous to their children and other relatives (Schulze et al., 2001).                   To summarize, the relationship between family ownership and firm performance may be non-linear. This means that the relationship is likely to be positive and negative at the same time. To support this contention, a number of studies have observed a non-linear relationship between family ownership and firm performance (e.g. Anderson and Reeb, 2003; Maury, 2006). This means that when ownership is less concentrated, family ownership is likely to have a positive impact on firm performance. As the family ownership concentration increases, minority shareholders tend to be exploited by family owners and thus the impact of family ownership on firm performance tends negative. Small countries have a relatively weak diamond of competitive advantages (Vlahinić-Dizdarević; 2006). D. Analysis 1.0 Potter’s Diamond Model                   The competitive forces advantages or analysis ought to be fixed on the main competition factors and its impact analysis on the business (Porter 1998, p.142). The state, and home wealth cannot be inherited -3554730607695Faktorski uvjeti 00Faktorski uvjeti -27546301293495Vezane i podrÃ… ¾avajuće industrije 00Vezane i podrÃ… ¾avajuće industrije -332041536195Ã…  ansa 00Ã…  ansa – it ought to be produced (Porter 1998, p.155). This wealth is influenced by the ability of industry to continually upgrade and innovate itself, and this is achievable exclusively by increase means in production – in all parts of fiscal action. The model of Porter concerns aspect which circuitously or openly affects advantage of competition. The aspect structure a place where given manufacturing sector like in this case, oil sector, state or region a learn and act on the way of competing in that environment. (Porter; 1998, p. 165). left0                   Each diamond (oil) and the field of diamond (oil) as the whole structure consists of main influences that makes the oil sector competition to be successive. These influences entail: every ability and resource vital for competitive advantage of the sector; data forming the opportunity and providing the response to how accessible abilities and resources ought to be ruled; each interest group aim; and the is most crucial, oil sector pressure to innovating and investing. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths The oil sector has many years producing oil and so is well established. Comparatively lots of sub-sectors for industrialist stability and support. Weaknesses Comparatively out of date scientific foundation. Inadequate well educated professionals and residents in comparison to the new industry needs. Lesser costs of work cost in oil sector due to low salary from regular salaries in UAE. Opportunities The likelihood for resources application of EU agreement funds, as is the state resources Reasonably good quality of 11 % graduate students share that are likely to be absorbed into this oil sector. Contribution in motivational and investment projects that help in developing the economy of UAE every time. Threats Expansion of oil production capacity of economies of South-Eastern that have competed with low prices of products and little costs of production. Loan jobs and production globalisation. 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Friday, August 16, 2019

Life on the Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula By: Minali Prasad Due Date: December 7, 2011 Class Color: Sapphire Table Number: 5 There are four different types of environments in the Arabian Peninsula. Three-fourths of the Arabian Peninsula is desert. The desert has plains and plateaus. Temperatures can reach up to 120 °F or drop down to below zero. There is 3 to 4 inches of rain per year with many droughts. Flash floods are caused by the annual rainfall. The desert has many oases. Oases result in plants, shade, and water. An oasis begins when water deep underground travels to the surface. The soil around and oasis is very fertile, so it produces plant life like grass and shrubs. Oases range from a few acres to expansive areas. The water is beneficial for farmers as they can grow their crops there as well as trade them. The coastal plain is surrounded by the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf. The coastal plain varies from 5- 40 miles from the heart of Arabia. There are many cliffs along the shore. The damp, moist air is the result of regular rain. Sometimes, water fills the riverbeds that intercept the coastal plains. Farmers grow crops on the coastal plains. Traders also benefit from the coastal plains because there are seaports. The mountain ranges line the western edge of the Arabian Peninsula. Their altitude is from 1,000 feet to 12,000 feet high. The mountains have 20 inches of rainfall each year because of moist winds from the Southern Ocean. The mountain ranges stay cool by rain and elevation. Winter brings frost and fills the riverbeds with water. Farmers use dams and irrigation systems to help grow their crops. | Muhammad was a prophet which meant he was a messenger of God. Muhammad was important to Islamic faith because he introduced the belief in one God, also alled monotheism. Before Muhammad, people living in the Arabian Peninsula were polytheists which means they believed in more than one God. Muhammad was born in Mecca, a town that grew wealthy off of trade. At that time, Arabia was only united by culture, mostly language. Multiple families ruled the city whereas clans could only live in the city of Mecca. Mecca was a popul ar destination for pilgrimages. Arabs either lived in the cities or the deserts which was ruled by tribes. Muhammad’s tribe was Hashim. Hashim took notice of his birth since his father had died. Muhammad’s mother sent him to live with wandering nomads who taught him Arabic traditions. At age six, Muhammad returned to the city, but soon his mother died. After his grandfather’s death, Muhammad was left in the care of his uncle, Abu Talib. During his childhood, Muhammad raised his family’s sheep and goats. Later, at age twelve, Muhammad experienced place farther out than the deserts on a trading journey with his uncle. As a result of his numerous trading journeys, Muhammad became a merchant. He was described as â€Å"trustworthy†. Fifteen years later, Muhammad was notified, by the angel Gabriel, that he was the messenger of God. Khadijah, his wife, convinced him convert others to the religion of Islam. Though most people believed him, some clans rejected his faith and boycotted the Hashim clan. When it became too dangerous, Muhammad moved to Yathrib on a journey called hijrah. Yathrib was renamed Madinah. Makkans tried to siege Madinah but failed. In 632, Muhammad traveled on his last pilgrimage to Mecca and gave his Last Sermon. Muhammad was important to the Islamic faith because he united Arabia with religion, set an example for Muslims on how to live and introduced Islam into Arabia. | The â€Å"five pillars of Islam† are the five basic rules of worship for the Islamic faith. These ideas are faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and making pilgrimages to Mecca. Muslims today still follow the five pillars of faith. The first pillar of Islam is Shahadah. Shahadah is the declaration of faith in which Muslims identify themselves as monotheists. They also declare that Muhammad was God’s messenger. People pledge to believe in God and submit to him. Muslims also believe in angels and other creatures like them. Angels are perceived to do God’s work. The second pillar of Islam is Salat. Salat is daily ritual prayer. Muslims show their religious discipline, spirituality, and closeness to God through salat. Muslims five times a day and are called to prayer by a muezzin. Before entering a mosque, Muslims wash their arms, face, hands, and feet. Inside a mosque, an imam leads them in prayer. While praying, people face the direction of Mecca. A person may pray anywhere they like. The third pillar of faith is zakat which is giving to those in need. Muslims believe almsgiving discourages greed because they give 2. 5% of their earnings to â€Å"purify† themselves. Zakat was used for construction of public property. Today zakat is used for soup kitchens, clothing, shelter, orphanages and hospitals. An individual decides what the money is used for and where it goes. The fourth pillar of Islam is siyam or fasting where you do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk. Muslims show siyam through Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month when Gabriel told Muhammad he was a prophet. During Ramadan, Muslims begin fasting when a white thread can be identified next to a black thread. To break a fast, Muslims eat food like dates and pray where they hear parts of the Qur’an each day. Ramadan teaches fasting and kindness. Eid-al-Fitr is a celebration that marks the end of Ramadan. The fifth pillar of Islam is hajj where a Muslim makes a pilgrimage to Mecca on the twelfth month. A person does so once in their life. Wearing white, Muslims circle the Ka’ba seven times. Later, they visit sacred sites like the Zamzam spring, Plain of Arafat, Mount Arafat and Mina. Pilgrims end with a celebration that lasts for four days. They sacrifice sheep or goats to God. This celebration is known as Eid-al-Adha. | The Arabic language emphasized learning. Even Muhammad himself declared that â€Å"The ink of scholars is more precious than the blood of martyrs†. Scholars from places like Europe, North Africa and the Middle East came together and cooperated to build on their ideas. Early Muslim rulers built places of learning for the students like schools, colleges, and libraries. For example, Caliph al-Ma’mun established the House of Wisdom in the city of Baghdad. This happened in 830. Scholars translated texts there. Those texts were from Greece, India, China, and Persia. There was also a House of Wisdom in Cairo which served for the purpose of scholars. This building opened in the tenth century. Another example is the famous library in Cordoba, Spain which has over 400,000 books. Some texts studied by scholars were those of Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. Muslim scholars tried to use reason and logic. An Arabic philosopher tried to combine reason with faith like Christian scholars but failed because he couldn’t prove there was a possibility of someone resurrecting on judgment day. Ibn Sina was a Persian philosopher who gave evidence that the soul of a creature was immortal. This philosopher influenced other scholars in Europe. Ibn Sina though that God was the source of knowledge and that truth could be extracted through reason and revelation. | Muslim scholars made theories about the evolution of animals like al-Jahiz. Zoology is the scientific study of animals. Muslims started the first zoos. They were also advanced in astronomy. With astronomy, people used compasses and astrolabes to locate the direction of Mecca. Another example of Muslims using astronomy is that astronomers figured out the exact times to start and end Ramadan. Astronomers also discovered that the Earth rotated. They inquired whether the Earth was the center of the universe. Muslim scholars were very curious about their universe. Muslims also made advancements in technology. They made dams and aqueducts like the Greeks to provide water for their cities. Remodeling the old irrigation systems, canals, and wells, they built new and sturdy ones. Muslims brought water from canals and reservoirs with water wheels. The land used Muslims is dry so this was very beneficial. In mathematics, Muslims worked with ideas from India and Greece. In fact, algebra was created by Al-Khwarizmi â€Å"father of algebra† His texts re now one of the most important today. Arabic numerals also came from one of Al-Khwarizmi’s books. Arabic numerals were used for business and trade. Muslims also learned fractions and decimals from an Indian scholar. Muslim scholars emphasized the concept of zero. Zero means â€Å"something empty†. Algebra, Arabic numerals and â€Å"zero† are still used today. Muslims learned medicine from Greeks, Mesopotamians, and Egyptians. There were many hospitals in the Muslim communities. Doctors had many ways to cure the sick and treat the wounded patients. The patients were treated with a balanced combination of drugs, diet, and exercise. Pharmacists made medications for the doctors to use. Pharmacists made different types of medications such as drugs for pain, antiseptics for infections and ointments for wounds. Surgeons did operations on the patients such as amputations, taking out tumors and removing cataracts. Some famous physicians were al-Razi and Ibn Sina. Al- Razi discovered that a bacterium is the cause of infections and Ibn Sina was called the â€Å"prince of physicians† because he wrote a book about the treatment of diseases. | Muslims had a unique style of architecture. One of the buildings that they created was the mosque. Mosques had towers called minarets which had a small platform like a deck so the muezzin could call Muslims to prayer. Outside of the mosque was a fountain in which Muslims could perform their washing of arms, face, hands, and feet. The prayer room was located inside the mosque where worshippers prayed, facing mihrab (niche to show the direction of Mecca). An imam led the prayers. There were many designs of mosques that showed the religious and artistic side of the Muslim community. The four types of art in the Muslim community were geometric and floral design, calligraphy, textile and music in Muslim Spain. Muslims were famous for their art that was used for decorative purposes. Muslims did not have pictures of humans and animals because they thought only God had the right to create something â€Å"alive†. Artists used shapes, patterns and geometry to make decorations. Decorations were also used on household items. Arabesque was a type of decoration where nature like leaves, and flowers, was painted onto many surfaces. Artists also used shapes like polygons in their art. The next type of art was calligraphy (the art of beautiful writing). The Qur’an was copied in calligraphy because Muslims thought calligraphy was beautiful enough to write the words of God. Calligraphers used tools such as bamboo and ink to create calligraphy. Calligraphy was used on pottery, tiles and swords. The third type of art was textiles. Textiles are manufactures clothes. Textiles were important trade items. The types of textiles were wool, linen, silk, or cotton. The fabrics could be embroidered or dyed. Importance and rank was used to indicate through clothes. The last form of art was music in Muslim Spain. Music centers were scattered all over the Islamic community but the music in Cordoba, Spain combined the cultures of Islam and Spanish to make their very own style. Ziryab started the first conservatory where musicians learned from him. Songs were important in Muslim Spain’s culture. There were song about love, nature and accomplishments of the empire. Muslim Spain’s music used instruments like drums, flutes and lutes. | The Crusades were a series of wars launched against Muslims by European Christians. The reason behind the Crusade was to capture Palestine or the city of Jerusalem. Palestine was being ruled by the Seljuk Turks, which was a developing empire. Afraid that their strength may one day become too great to overcome, the emperor Byzantine asked Pope Urban II what to do, and he suggested they start a religious war to capture the Holy Land and destroy the Seljuks. Christians fought with Muslims against Jews and other Christians. Their goal was to win the Holy Land. The Crusades took place in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Though Christians suffered through many hardships during the Crusades, they also gained from the war. Kings had to tax the people to pay for those who had fought in the Crusades. Feudalism among Christians ended because the monarchs grew powerful as the knight had to leave for war. The Crusades changed the way of life for Christians. They dressed in muslin, learned to eat new foods, and learned to use spices in their cooking. Muslims suffered more than Christians, but gained less. They lost Iberia to the other Crusaders. Muslims died and were murdered with their property destroyed. However, they learned to use new weapons and military ideas. They began an army like the Europeans. The Crusades resulted in political changes for the Muslims. New mosques and schools were built. Jewish crusaders suffered the most. There were violent persecutions and murders. The French and German murdered many Jewish, destroyed synagogues and tortured the Jewish until they agreed to become Christians. Riots and massacres were the result of anti- Semitism. Christians took over and ran the Jews’ trading businesses. France and England expelled the Jews. The Jews were finally forced to live in ghettos. |

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Slavery and Successful Slave Revolt

Prompt: Analyze changes and continuities in long-distance migrations in the period from 1700 to 1900. Be sure to include specific examples from at least TWO different world regions. The first migrations to the Americans were by cattle. The North had more slaves than the South. The South had a successful slave revolt. Trains in Russia caused the serfs to run faster. Teepees were mobile homes for Indians. Bantus migrated to California for the movie industry. Main technology that remained the same in migrations was shoes. Butterfly migration Chinese migrated to escape the weather. Migration is when a group of girls go to the bathroom together. There is no significant evidence and analysis of immigration to Antarctica. Think about it. Would you rather ride a camel or walk on hot sand? Land migration took longer because animals had to have restroom breaks. The Bantus always had nourishment and body parts to use for economic reasons. Stalin also put outrageous quotas on goods and if the quotas weren’t met, he cut off the limbs of your child. People came to America by cattle. Bantus migrated to Hawaii, where they brought new products. Adventures of penguins migrating from Antarctica. European pheasants migrated to America Ancient Egyptians migrated to South Africa every summer. When a Chinese person arrives in Egypt, the Chinese norms will be adopted by the Egyptians. When the invention of the train exploded, people were spread all over the world. The Vikings were Jewish. They became Christian when they invaded Europe. Australia was a pit stop for traders. If it wasn’t for the slave trade, President Obama wouldn’t exist and without expansion, Hawaii wouldn’t be a state, so Obama couldn’t be President. What’s so special about 1700 to 1900? Nothing. This should be enough. The Amish converted to Muslim and had to leave Amish territory. Jews would run from Germany to America. The Jews who came included Isaac Newton, who helped the U. S. invent the atomic bomb. Some things remain the same when it comes to migration. The Himalayas were located in India and still are. A problem with long-distance migration was in the space from Arica to America had water and other interruptions. Coastal regions were located near water. Sea migration was faster because you could just float. Bantus migrated to escape forced conversion to Islam and were introduced to Communism, bringing bananas. I hope you liked this break from the boring crap you usually read. Slaves were shipped to American through the Bermuda Triangle. The Bible migrated a lot. Peasants were treated like pets. The Mongols were like a hockey team, going from place to place to annihilate. Zombies will always migrate in search of brains. Trains were s low. Sometimes you could outrun them. Man y came to North America for job opportunities like trapping the French. The Bantus migrated to America in the 1800s. It took three years. There are no records of this. Birds migrate south for the winter and have been doing so for a long time. When slaves ran away, they often didn’t make it back to Africa. If people migrated through the Arctic, they would be cold. Romans migrated to Southern Connecticut but found life there to be difficult. People are bipolar so they move. Slaves caught the Underground Railroad.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Objective structured clinical examination Assessment of Critically Ill Patient Essay

This essay will critically analyse my performance throughout the Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) assessment I completed, including the escalation strategy utilised by the Nation early warning scores (NEWS) (RCP, 2012) as a track and trigger tool (NICE, 2007). Based on the findings from the assessment interventions will be recommended and supported by evidence and formatted on the ABCDE approach I used in the OSCE. The ABCDE assessment is used as a tool to assess for the critically ill patients Airway, breathing, circulation, disability & elimination. (RCUK, 2005). It is a systematic approach that can assess the severity of the critically ill patient, assess and treat life threatening conditions and have rapid intervention when needed (Grindrod, 2012). During the Assessment I introduced myself to Mrs Jones to remained respectful, non-discrimitive and ensuring the comfort and dignity of my patient, to which I pulled the curtains (NMC, 2008). I gained verbal consent from the patient to carry out the physical assessment (NMC, 2008), although I should have gained consent at the beginning when I started talking to the patient. This is important because the patient needs to understand the proposed assessment, according to the NMC (2008) the process of establishing consent should demonstrate a clear level of accountability. If consent is refused then the patient’s wishes should be respected although the patient needs to be fully informed of what can happen (NMC, 2008). Standard precautions are put into place in the clinical setting to protect patients and staff which are vulnerable to infection. Alcohol based hand rubs are at the point of contact of each patient (NPSA, 2008) to help prevent hospital acquired infections and cross contamination (DOH, 2009), which I used prior to seeing Mrs Jones. Airway The assessment of Mrs Jones airway went well I assessed for an open airway by alking to her to see if there was any vocal response, Mrs Jones responded coherently so there was a patent airway, no noises were heard which can indicate partial obstruction of the airway (RCUK, 2010). Mrs Jones was able to cough to clear secretions independently. Lack of oxygen can lead to anaerobic respiration at a cellular level which produces acidosis as lactate is produced which can lead to hypoxia (Jevon, 2011). Breathing I looked for evidence of hypoxaemia by assessing mouth and oral mucosa for central cyanosis (O’Driscoll et al, 2008), none was evident. Respiratory rate was assessed over 1 full minute to ensure accuracy (Hunter, 2008) as deviation of 4 or more can be clinically significant (Subbe, 2006) The rate was raised at 24 which I record on the observation chart and the resperation rate falls in the orange band generating a score of 2, The acceptable normal respiration rate is 14 – 18 breaths per minute (Mallett & Doherty, 2001) indicating Mrs Jones could be compensating for metabolic alkalosis and It also contributes to the diagnosis and management of a variety of pathological conditions and helps to evaluate therapeutic interventions. Monitoring the patient’s respiration level is one of the most accurate indicators of deterioration, which is often poorly monitored and recorded Cretikos (2008). Accessory muscles should have been observed to assess for increased work of breathing, which would result in inadequate ventilation and poor gas exchange (Esmond, 2003). Oxygen saturations are considered the fifth vital sign (BTS,2008), and these were reduced at 93 %, normal range is 94% to 98% (BTS, 2008). I record on the observation chart whichs generates a score of 2. The drug chart was checked to see if target saturation has been identified and oxygen prescribes as per BTS (2008) guidance, and so 2L of oxygen was give via a nasal cannula to increase saturations to within target range. Mrs Jones was also sat up to increased functional residual capacity which helps to reduces the work of breathing helping to improve oxygenation (Kennedy, 2007). As per BTS (2008) guidance saturations were checked after 5 minutes and had risen to within target range. Crackles were heard on inspiration when I listened to Mrs Jones chest, this can be an indicator for pulmonary Oedema or pneumonia (Sheppard, 2003). Circulation Mrs Jones looked unsettled and felt cool and clammy, her radial pulse was easy to palpate but was very irregular which made me instigate an ECG, manually Mrs Jones pulse was 85bpm but recorded on the ECG was 114bpm that showed evidence of atrial fibulation (AF), the patient didn’t have a history of AF. Capillary refill was just over two seconds and blood pressure was115/85, I did not calculate the pulse pressure or arterial pressure. Her temperature was within normal range at 36. 3. I record the observations and the heart rate falls in orange band generating an additional score of 1. Mrs Jones explained that she had passed urine 5 hours ago which was 200mls. NICE (2007) state that an adult urine output should be measured at ‘>0. 5mls/kg/hr’, I knew this was low for the patient but I did not use the calculation to work out how much it was an hour, volumes of less than 0. 5ml/kg/hr can indicate cardiovascular compromise and renal impairment can occur (Dutton, 2012). Mrs Jones has signs of ankle oedema, which made me concerned for her fluid status so a fluid chart was commenced of intake and output. Disability Mrs Jones was awake and responding to myself using the AVPU tool, The AVPU scale is a quick and easy method to assess level of consciousness which can be affected by hypoxemia and hypercapnia (Palmer et al, 2006). It is ideal in the initial rapid ABCDE assessment (Smith, 2003) although a full assessment would require using the Glasgow coma scale (NICE, 2007). Mrs Jones blood glucose level was checked as this can rise as a result of sympathic activation, but the level is within normal range. Exposure With Mrs Jones consent I checked her invasive lines for phlebitis and her skin for any rashes, erythema or signs of pressure sores, all were normal and no phlebitis was noted. I did not assess to see if Mrs Jones had sacral Oedema, oedema only becomes apparent when the interstitial volumes has increased by 2. 5 – 3L (Porth, 2007) possible caused by heart failure. Care Escalation I documented all the patients’ observations on a NEWS Chart which generated a score of 7, this score then gives me appropriate actions to take as there is a marked deterioration of the patient. 7 or more triggers the Action of escalating care by contacting the medical registrar looking after the patient and also consider moving the patient to a level 2 or 3 care facility. When contacting the registrar I used the Situation, background, assessment and recommendation (SBAR) briefing model to tell the medical registrar about the patient so they are fully aware of the patient and their condition and actions I want them to take. The handover I gave to the registrar was slightly muddled and I jumped back and forth instead of remembering the systematic order that the tool was designed for there for I missed out information about Mrs Jones that could of been highly important to the doctor. Conclusion The ABCDE assessment gives health care professionals a framework which helps detect life threatening conditions and are addressed early. The patient I had during my assessment had a lot of complex issues but This approach helps remember the essential things and intervening and referring along the continuum of A to E helped reduce further determination progressing.