Book Analysis The Fault in Our Stars Essay Example

Book Analysis: The Fault in Our Stars Essay The novel The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is an example of an American work of art, and is one of the finest novels by Green. It is also one of the utmost inspiring publications I have ever interpreted. The drama is very contemporary and concerns a young woman named Hazel Grace Lancaster. Hazel is an average teenager stricken with lung cancer. Her lungs are very weak because of the cancer and has to haul an oxygen tank with her everywhere. The oxygen tank causes her a lot of stress trying to live in a teenage world. Her existence is much like that of other teenagers who live with the same cancer, but that all changes when her life collides with a young man named Augustus Waters. When Hazel is compelled to attend a cancer support group for teens, she meets an eighteen-year-old named Augustus Waters.He is a far cry from any other boy that Hazel knows, yet they both share the ailment of cancer. The touching, yet distressing tale that untangles and the affection these two adolescents share are so joyous and melancholy. Waters’ life is really contrasting from Hazel’s. Hazel is a young lady who endures the world conforming to her illness. However, Augustus does not approve of that. He is assured and fun-loving and is a confident person even though future is full ambiguity and his cancer is not completely cured. At the beginning of the story, Hazel tries to reject her affections for Augustus since she knows her time is limited and does not want to put Augustus through the torment of struggling through a loss a second time. Hazel is a peaceful young lady with a decent comical inclination and she adores to peruse. Her most loved book is An Imperial Affliction and she offers Augustus to peruse it. Aside from malignancy, these two form a typical bond, which is an affection for the book. We will write a custom essay sample on Book Analysis: The Fault in Our Stars specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Book Analysis: The Fault in Our Stars specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Book Analysis: The Fault in Our Stars specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Augustus ends up being a greater individual with more heart than he sounds, living his lighthearted presence when he utilizes his one Wish for malign

100 Words for Facial Expressions

100 Words for Facial Expressions 100 Words for Facial Expressions 100 Words for Facial Expressions By Mark Nichol Face it sometimes you must give your readers a countenance-based clue about what a character or a subject is feeling. First try conveying emotions indirectly or through dialogue, but if you must fall back on a descriptive term, try for precision: 1. Absent: preoccupied 2. Agonized: as if in pain or tormented 3. Alluring: attractive, in the sense of arousing desire 4. Appealing: attractive, in the sense of encouraging goodwill and/or interest 5. Beatific: see blissful 6. Bilious: ill-natured 7. Black: angry or sad, or see hostile 8. Bleak: see grim and hopeless 9. Blinking: surprise, or lack of concern 10. Blissful: showing a state of happiness or divine contentment 11. Blithe: carefree, lighthearted, or heedlessly indifferent 12. Brooding: see anxious and gloomy 13. Bug eyed: frightened or surprised 14. Chagrined: humiliated or disappointed 15. Cheeky: cocky, insolent 16. Cheerless: sad 17. Choleric: hot-tempered, irate 18. Coy: flirtily playful, or evasive 19. Crestfallen: see despondent 20. Darkly: with depressed or malevolent feelings 21. Deadpan: expressionless, to conceal emotion or heighten humor 22. Dejected: see despondent 23. Derisive: see sardonic 24. Despondent: depressed or discouraged 25. Doleful: sad or afflicted 26. Dour: stern or obstinate; see also despondent 27. Downcast: see despondent 28. Dreamy: distracted by daydreaming or fantasizing 29. Ecstatic: delighted or entranced 30. Etched: see fixed 31. Faint: cowardly, weak, or barely perceptible 32. Fixed: concentrated or immobile 33. Furtive: stealthy 34. Gazing: staring intently 35. Glancing: staring briefly as if curious but evasive 36. Glaring: see hostile 37. Glazed: expressionless due to fatigue or confusion 38. Gloomy: see despondent and sullen 39. Glowering: annoyed or angry 40. Glowing: see radiant 41. Grim: see despondent; also, fatalistic or pessimistic 42. Grave: serious, expressing emotion due to loss or sadness 43. Haunted: frightened, worried, or guilty 44. Hopeless: depressed by a lack of encouragement or optimism 45. Hostile: aggressively angry, intimidating, or resistant 46. Hunted: tense as if worried about pursuit 47. Impassive: see deadpan 48. Inscrutable: mysterious, unreadable 49. Jeering: insulting or mocking 50. Languid: lazy or weak 51. Leering: see meaningful; also, sexually suggestive 52. Meaningful: to convey an implicit connotation or shared secret 53. Mild: easygoing 54. Mischievous: annoyingly or maliciously playful 55. Moody: see sullen 56. Pained: affected with discomfort or pain 57. Pallid: see wan 58. Peering: with curiosity or suspicion 59. Peeved: annoyed 60. Petulant: see cheeky and peeved 61. Pitying: sympathetic 62. Pleading: seeking apology or assistance 63. Pouting: see sullen 64. Quizzical: questioning or confused 65. Radiant: bright, happy 66. Roguish: see mischievous 67. Sanguine: bloodthirsty, confident 68. Sardonic: mocking 69. Scornful: contemptuous or mocking 70. Scowling: displeased or threatening 71. Searching: curious or suspicious 72. Set: see fixed 73. Shamefaced: ashamed or bashful 74. Slack-jawed: dumbfounded or surprised 75. Sly: cunning; see also furtive and mischievous 76. Snarling: surly 77. Sneering: see scornful 78. Somber: see grave 79. Sour: unpleasant 80. Stolid: inexpressive 81. Straight-faced: see deadpan 82. Sulky: see sullen 83. Sullen: resentful 84. Taunting: see jeering 85. Taut: high-strung 86. Tense: see taut 87. Tight: see pained and taut 88. Unblinking: see fixed 89. Vacant: blank or stupid looking 90. Veiled: see inscrutable 91. Wan: pale, sickly; see also faint 92. Wary: cautious or cunning 93. Wide eyed: frightened or surprised 94. Wild eyed: excited, frightened, or stressful 95. Wistful: yearning or sadly thoughtful 96. Withering: devastating; see also wrathful 97. Woeful: full of grief or lamentation 98. Wolfish: see leering and mischievous 99. Wrathful: indignant or vengeful 100. Wry: twisted or crooked to express cleverness or a dark or ironic feeling 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should KnowTop 11 Writing Apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad)20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings

Postpartum Depression Practicum Journal Assignment

Postpartum Depression Practicum Journal - Assignment Example I staged a meeting with the head of the postpartum department of the general hospital in his office to discuss my analysis of the three cases of post delivery depression. I staged a meeting with my mentor at his office to discuss the implications of my findings from the studies that I evaluated. I developed a design of a practical study curriculum for nursing school in the studies regarding post delivery care and management. There are various literatures from research studies that has been done all over the globe in regard to evidence based best practices on the topic of postpartum depression through which I did reviews to develop the design for the curriculum. I intended to a develop an appropriate postpartum teaching plans for handling teaching practice in nursing school especially while handling the aftermath of delivery and the complications that results to depression. Formulation of evaluation surveys for assessment of effectiveness of the current curriculum in teaching postpart um depression and management practices. An analysis of universal nursing requirements as relating to postpartum was necessary for proper understanding of the resultant of post delivery outcomes. Objective # 1a: Analyses of three cases of postpartum cases within the maternity unit were done. In general, the analysis followed a procedure through collecting the previous day’s record on the cases of postpartum and then carrying out an assessment of the attending clinician’s staff records about the patient. Communication as well as clinical skills was basic areas of my evaluation through which I would assess their effectiveness in handling the cases of postpartum occurrences. It was great lessons to realize that perfection in clinical skills coupled with good communication were instrumental in assessment of the post partum complications. I learnt that the basic effects associated with the complications revolve around blurred vision, c-sections and complications and breath c omplications among others. Objective # 1b: My study evaluated the findings of seven studies that had previously been done in different parts of the world concerning the after math of delivery and possible developments. A very shocking statistic of one out of every ten women who were successful to give birth had a tendency of suffering from postpartum depression. The analysis confirmed my previous finding that the medical practitioners had a critical role to play in promptly informing the patients within the earliest possible time of noting the likelihood of the compilations developing. Moreover, I learnt from the experience of others that it is of paramount importance to have this postpartum complications knowhow to every woman because if one is lucky to avoid the complication, may be an immediate person within one’s circle of friends. Different patients have different symptoms of the depression and complication that arise after the delivery. Through these study reviews, I am no w better placed to further the research on more elaborate facts about the postpartum compli

Business Formal analytical report Research Paper

Business Formal analytical report - Research Paper Example In addition, the report has proposed a plan that will be followed to carry out the research plus the schedules on how the research will be carried out. I hope you find this report helpful in regards to lowering employee turnover and improving customer service at green park hotel. If you have any questions or comments regarding my recommendation feel free to contact me at (814) 862-7480. I hope you are going to approve this report to enable me and my teams research this problem concerning Green Park Hotel which will bring back its glorious image. Green Park Hotel, in the past, used to run its services smoothly and there were no major problems within the business. Currently, Green Park faces a big problem of high employee turnover and many complaints from customers concerning service quality. Customers for the entity used to leave good comments at the end of most services they received from the hotel. However, things have changed in the recent past with the most notable transformation being high employee turnover. In fact, the hotel replaces employees almost on a weekly basis. Moreover, the hotel has lost a huge stake in its market capitalization. Competitors are drowning a huge part of the once large market. Customers have hurled several complaints at our employees, and some have even gone ahead to publicize how some of our services have deteriorated. The report has defined the problem at hand, which is lowering employee turnover and improving customer service at Green Park Hotel. Thereafter various alternative solutions have been given, then there is an argument for the solution which satisfies the criteria best and finally a conclusion and recommendation follow respectively. I am writing to seek your approval to come up with a report for lowering employee turnover and improving customer service at Green Park hotel after an intensive research. On completion of the research, the operational management team for the hotel will receive the

The impact and the influence of multiculturalism in Australia towards Essay

The impact and the influence of multiculturalism in Australia towards Anglo-Indian people - Essay Example It is currently often utilized to refer to the reality that a great deal of citizens in Australia possess, and identify several cultural or racial upbringings. Globalization creates a propagation of hyphenated, multinational characteristics (Lofgren & Sarangi 2009). Undeniably, it is nowadays reasonably conventional to falsify and keep multi-ethnic distinctiveness and adopt both national and intercontinental associations. Nonetheless, the countless dissertations of multiculturalism comprehend these contemporary characteristics in conflicting means. Anglo-Indians, or Eurasians, as they were identified in the nineteenth century, are the â€Å"mixed race† descendants of British colonialism in India and are seen by some to be paradigms of neo-liberal cosmopolitanism (Lofgren & Sarangi 2009). Snubbed by both Indian and British Societies, the experts in the arts, literature and sciences had minimal reason to focus to this very small community until rather lately. This paper aspires to identify the impact and influence of Multiculturalism in Australia towards Anglo-Indian people. It will begin with the reason why sudden interest on these very small community developed. It will also discuss the characteristics of Anglo-Indians in comparison to other races. In addition, it will explore the variety of effects that took place after multiculturalism was introduced in Australia following the demolition of the White Australia policy, particularly its consequences. It also deems to outweigh and tackle the benefits over the disadvantages of Multiculturalism in Australia. Point 1: The rationale behind the abrupt concern in the Anglo-Indian community Obsession of globalization, cosmopolitanism and post-modernism in their own ways Mixed races specifically Anglo-Indians embody qualities of variability, liminality and indemnity Establishes new challenges in formulating theories regarding mixed race subjects The need to address several post-structural critiques of essentialis m and subject centeredness arise The significance of unraveling the policies that shaped Australian population today Point 2: The Anglo-Indian population A minority group People of mixed descent Follows a significantly Western lifestyle They are Christians Speaks English as their primary language Observes European social customs Largely diasporic Never accepted as a member of the Indian and British communities Viewed as sexually promiscuous, alcoholic, indolent and morally corrupt individuals according to Indian popular culture and colonial fiction Recently known as the â€Å"Good Australians† Point 3: The effects of the demolition of the White Australia policy and the promotion of Australian multiculturalism The migration of many mixed races, specifically Anglo-Indians, to Australia The perception of Anglo-Indians as unwanted and unwelcomed non-Europeans by several sectors of the Australian population Anglo-Indians established a threat to Australian unanimity Intermarriage w as discouraged The rise of the desire to have a distinct political depiction Dispute against the National Government regarding encouragement of integration The adoption of the â€Å"non-discriminatory† policy in Australia Cross fertilization enriched the Australian society A more internationalist perspective for Australia The concept that Anglo-Indians are examples of contemporary multiculturalism The promotion of Anglo-Indi

Starbucks Market Analysis

Starbucks Market Analysis Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffee house chain based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It opened as a single small store opened in 1971 and became a coffee giant at the end of the millennium. Starbucks has led a coffee revolution in the United States and beyond. The store was opened by 3 men: Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Browker. Starbucks for first nine months bought coffee from Peets Coffee. Within first decade Starbucks opened five stores. Mid-1980: In 1983, Starbucks bought Peets Coffee the same year, Schultz who was hired in 1982 to manage the companys retail sales and marketing, took a buying trip to Italy, where another coffee revelation took place. He visited Milans famous espresso bars and captivated by the culture of coffee and the romance of Italian coffee bars. He returned home determined to bring that type of culture to the United States but the higher authorities didnt support him. As a result he left the company and decided to write business plan of his own. His parting with Starbucks was so amicable that the founders invested in Schultzs vision, he then returned to Italy to do research, visiting coffee and espresso bars. In 1986, he opened his first coffee bar in the Columbia Seafirst Center second was soon opened in Seattle and third in Vancouver. He also hired Dave Olsen, as a coffee consultant and employee trainer; he was the proprietor of one of the first bohemian espresso bars in Seattle. A year later Schultz was thriving while Starbucks was encountering frustration. Schultz then approached his old colleagues with an attractive offer: how about $4 million for the six-unit Starbucks chain? They sold, with Olsen remaining as Starbucks coffee buyer and roaster. He merged and changed the name to Starbucks; the company then became Starbucks Corporation and prepared to go national. In August 1987 Starbucks Corporation had 11 stores and fewer than 100 employees. In October of that year it opened its first store in Chicago, and by 1989 there were nine Chicago Starbucks. Starbucks market was growing rapidly, in the United States sales grew from $50 million in 1983 to $500 million five years later. In 1988 Starbucks introduced a mail-order catalogue; the company was serving mail-order customers in every state and operating 33 stores. By then the companys reputation had grown steadily by word of mouth. Starbucks installed a costly computer network and hired a specialist in information technology from McDonalds Corporation to design a point-of-sale system via PCs for store managers to use. Every night all the information pass to Seattle headquarters. In 1990 the headquarters expanded and a new roasting plant was built. Rapid Early 1990s: Starbucks also developed a reputation for treating its employees well which results in low turnover in the food service industry. The company went public in 1992, the same year it opened its first stores in San Francisco, San Diego, Orange County, and Denver.   By the years end there were total 165 stores. In 1993 Starbuck opened first East Coast store, in a premier location in Washington D.C. At the end of 1993 the chain had 275 stores and 425 one year later. Over the previous three years, sales had grown an average of 65 percent annually, with net income growing 70 to 100 percent a year during that time. Starbucks broke into important new markets in 1994, and purchased a 23-store rival based Coffee Connection. There was unexpected increase in sales when in 1995 Starbucks launched a frozen coffee drink called Frappuccino in its stores. That same year, Starbucks began supplying coffee for United Airlines flights. Late 1990s and Beyond: For the first time, the company ventured overseas the following year. They initially started by joint venture and licensing with local retailers. In Japan the first foreign market was developed with the help of SZABY Inc., a Japanese retailer and restaurateur, through other partnerships they also opened in Hawaii and Singapore the same year and in 1997 they also opened in Philippines. They in 1996 partnership with Dreyers Grand Ice Cream, Inc. to develop and sell Starbucks Ice cream. Within eight months of introduction, the number one coffee ice cream in the United States. When they expanded in 1997 into Florida, Michigan and Wisconsin the total number of branches were 1,412 by the end of year. Sales reached up to $1 billion and net income hit $57.4 million. Critics complained that the company was deliberately locating its units near local coffee merchants to siphon off sales, sometimes placing a Starbucks directly across the street. In 1996 and 1997 residents in Toronto, San Francis co, Brooklyn, and Portland, Oregon, staged sidewalk protests to attempt to keep Starbucks out of their neighbourhoods. In late 1999 the protestors took their anger out on several Starbucks stores which were then temporarily closed in the companys hometown of Seattle. Growth in the Pacific Rim continued with the opening of locations in Taiwan, Thailand, New Zealand, and Malaysia in 1998 and in China and South Korea in 1999. By early 2000 the number of Starbucks in Japan had reached 100. The company aimed to have 500 stores in the Pacific Rim by 2003. The Middle East was another target of global growth, but it was the United Kingdom that was the object of the companys other big late 1990s push. In 1998 Starbucks acquired Seattle Coffee Company, the leading U.K. specialty coffee firm, for about $86 million in stock. There were more than 100 branches in United Kingdom by late 1999. Starbucks hoped to use its U.K. base for an invasion of the Continent, aiming for 500 stores in Europe by 2003. Starbucks in 1998 entered into a long-term licensing agreement with Kraft Foods, Inc. for the marketing and distribution of Starbucks whole bean and ground coffee into grocery, warehouse club, and mass merchandise stores. The company also began experimenting with a full-service casual restaurant called Cafà © Starbucks. In early 1999 through the purchase of Pasqua Coffee Co., a chain of coffee and sandwich shops with 56 units in California and New York. Starbucks had already developed its own in-house tea brand, Infusia, but it was replaced following the early 1999 acquisition of Tazo Tea Company, a Portland, Oregon-based maker of premium teas and related products with distribution through 5,000 retail outlets. In early 2000, the company did an agreement with Kozmo.com Inc., an operator of an Internet home-delivery service providing its customers with videos, snacks and other items. In the early 21st century, Starbucks was working to achieve Schultzs ambitious goals of 500 stores in both Japan and Europe by 2003, as well as his ultimate goal of 20,000 units worldwide. In June 2000 he stepped down as CEO of the company to become its chief global strategist, while remaining chairman. In the early 21st century, Starbucks was working to achieve Schultzs ambitious goals of 500 stores in both Japan and Europe by 2003, as well as his ultimate goal of 20,000 units worldwide. STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT: 1982:  Howard Schultz is hired to manage retail sales and marketing.   1983:  Peets Coffee is acquired.   1985:  Schultz leaves the company.   1987:  Schultz buys the six-unit Starbucks chain from the original owners for $4 million, merges and renames his company Starbucks Corporation.   1988:  A mail-order catalog is introduced.   1992:  Company goes public.   1993:  First East Coast store opens, in Washington, D.C.   1995:  Frappuccino beverages are introduced.   1996:  Overseas expansion begins. Partnership with Dreyers begins selling Starbucks Ice Cream. 1998:  U.K.-based Seattle Coffee Company is acquired. Partnership with Kraft Foods is formed for the distribution of Starbucks coffee into supermarkets.   1999:  Pasqua Coffee Co. and Tazo Tea Company are acquired.   2000:  Schultz steps aside as CEO to become chief global strategist, while remaining chairman; Orin Smith takes over as CEO.   Situation Analysis: MARKET: A market is an actual or conceptual place in commercial world where forces of demand and supply operate, and where buyers and sellers interact (directly or through intermediaries) to trade goods, services, or contracts or instruments, for money. COFFEE MARKET: Almost 70% of the worlds coffee supply is provided by smallholders cultivating less than 10 hectares in 80 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. However, the extreme volatility and long-term decline in coffee prices on international markets endangers the livelihoods of the 10 million small coffee farmers dependent on coffee for their primary source of income. In December 2000, international coffee prices hit a 30-year low, with further falls expected. These prices barely cover production costs in many countries. Current coffee oversupply is massive and production is increased more than demand due to latest technologies. Coffee consumption in the US still focuses on the morning/breakfast. Starbucks is the leading and most major name in promoting coffee throughout the world. They have expanded continuously and it has resulted in their growth and popularity. Starbucks revenue is generated both from company-operated retail stores and from specialty operations. Source:Company Reports Market share of starbucks: Total per annum sales of coffee in Britain has reached up to  £1bn-a-year. The number of people with coffee intolerance has more than doubled in the past four years. Starbucks has seen sales and earnings rise, despite of challenging and economic situation in the world. Together, these improvements are enabling the company to continue to make key long-term investments in the world. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQA61dN0xFppGR7YUUJeT_L9rX6wjzdHvurNZunAF06rKha5vst=1usg=__aFLXz2_5RtAyfXvxwuq-wsuLXW0= Starbucks positions itself as a specialty premium coffee retailer, which sells a wide variety of coffees and other beverages, both hot and cold, together with snacks and sandwiches. The company currently has a network of over 10,000 coffee shops in 37 countries which give the company a strong and well known brand image and clear differentiation from many other coffee brands. This scale and strong brand give Starbucks a high degree of bargaining power with suppliers and also and differentiate its offerings. However, intense competition in the retail beverage segment could adversely affect the companys profit margins, and the company is currently still strongly dependent on the US market for the majority of its revenue and profits. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQsf66kOHW2RmCLx5xCf_mvLPJhp4KEW2asfRZoY_UT5XGoI44t=1usg=__9q9bCAEJ1R8kb6faekzRLQzZtBw=. Market segmentation of starbucks: Market segments are group of customers having similar needs / wants and preferences. It enables the organization to more closely match it marketing mix with the customers of same needs or demands. Starbucks is mainly adult-focused and aims to connect with their customers,  communities, and children through various advertising tactics. The vast majority of these  customers come from urban areas. Another new and large growing target market within the coffee industry is college-age  students and post-graduate individuals residing in urban areas. These two segments  are heavy coffee drinkers. Starbucks has identified through market research that this is the segment that will generate the greatest impact to their business and they have targeted them with products. Starbucks presents a narrow range of products geared towards this segment. By limiting choice and presenting a few products. There have been studies showing that coffee consumption has increased with the drinkers educational level. Starbucks is a company that embraces diversity, not limiting themselves to one specific demographic, behavioural, or geographic segment, Starbucks they are always treated as equals. The company promotes minorities and women who own businesses. This helps to increase the feeling amongall their customers that they are valued . Internal Analysis-SWOT Analysis: Strengths: Customer Loyalty- Starbucks has very strong brand recognition and faithfulness  among those who frequent the coffee shop. Employee Loyalty- Starbucks partners are their greatest assets.They empower  their employees, allowing them to make their customers experiences memorable and  satisfactory. Social Issues- Starbucks supports many social issues like literacy, clean water and health issues etc. Weaknesses Starbucks has a somewhat narrow product line for their overseas countries. For  example, it is hard for Starbucks Coffee to promote tea in China. Many people and industries view the companys lack of advertising as a negative  business strategy. Over-expansion: Right now Starbucks is venturing out of the coffee industry and into music, books, entertainment, and other foods as well. Too many brand extensions may become harmful to the company. Opportunities Starbucks could add to their product line multiple brand extensions: desserts,  sandwiches, more coffee/hot chocolate variations, etc. There is a great deal of overseas expansion. Threats Immediate competition from fast-food restaurants catching on the specialty coffee wave and developing products that competes with Starbucks. Tim Hortons Dunkin Donuts McDonalds Nestle External Analysis PEST Analysis: Starbucks holds a different brand name and reputation in the market, although there do exist many companies in the market and the competition in the market is also fierce. The competitors in the market make use of location, product mix and develop small markets (niches) to make themselves sustainable in the big market. PESTEL stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technical, Environmental and Legal environments surrounding a business firm. It is a strategic, analytical tool to understand external forces. A brief overview of each of them is given below: Political Environment: The relationship that exists between the coffee producing countries and the United States is of importance. In addition, the UK US relations and the political stability in UK will also play a role in the success of the company. Economic Environment: In UK, the unemployment rate is 7.8%, Inflation rate is 3.2%, Exports are  £520m, Imports are  £493m, GDP Per Capita is $43,785, GDP Real growth rate is 1.20%. There is a constant demand of food and beverage products, and the Americanization of the new younger generation brings opportunity in terms of the acceptance of the brand in UK. Nevertheless, as revealed by figures, the development in the country has increased the income of the people providing them with higher disposable income. Social Environment: The great population of 62 million has made UK high in social trends. The effects that can be encountered from the social environment pertain to the change in the use of coffee as a beverage. Technological Environment: New technologies can create new products, can lead to innovation and reduction of cost, Starbucks can take the advantage of UK innovations made in technology. Environmental Influence: Environmental factors include the weather and climate change. Changes in temperature can impact on the company. This heavily affects the coffee industries. Legal Environment: In UK there have been many significant legal changes that can affect company behaviour. The introduction of age discrimination, an increase in the minimum wage and greater requirements for firms to recycle are examples of relatively recent laws that can affect companys actions. Michael Porters 5 Forces: According to Michael Porter, the five forces that affect the company in any industry include the competition, the suppliers, the customers, the threat of new entrants and the threat of substitutes. The porters five forces analysis for Starbucks in UK is given below: Industry Competition: There is no competition in terms of volume of operations. Competitors are selling similar products including specialty coffee and high quality food. Tullys Coffee, Gloria Jeans, Caribou Coffee are major competitors. Threat of New Entrant: The innovation and product differentiation can be brought in by new entrants. Threat of Substitutes: There are many substitutes, offering similar services and also taking a share of the market available to Starbucks. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Star bucks is vulnerable in terms of power of the supplier. Bargaining Power of Buyers: Supplier products are highly differentiated. Customers are buying experiences and are fiercely loyal to a particular specialty coffee retailer. Ansoffs Growth Matrix: Existing Product New Product Existing Market Hotels, Grocery Stores, Airlines Salads and New bold Fresh Lunch Program. New Market Open stores all over the world. Music CDs, clothing, Chocolates, Coffee mugs.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

It has been said that the best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. But as I reminisce about our years together at Lafayette, I realize it takes so much more to attain your dreams. Struggles, victories, joys, sorrows, understandings, confusions, these conscious experiences have paved the way for us to be here tonight, leading us to the realization of our dreams. This ceremony today marks the end to four nerve-wracking, diligent, years and the beginning of something which, although difficult to predict, is guaranteed to be at least the greatest adventure we as adults have embarked upon yet. The success, which we will confront and the many challenges, which lie ahead, will reflect upon the skills, we have acquired together. Our minds have been challenged, expanded, and nurtured by our teachers. We became learned in Math, Science, English, History, and the Arts, and with this knowledge we were able to plot realistic courses for our dreams. Our teachers became our mentors and in many cases our close friends. It is due to their encouragement and sincere belief that we ...

Ciscos Organizational Change

Cisco Background Cisco is an IT enterprise that was founded in 1984 by Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner. Bosack and Lerner eventually got married and were the first to develop a multi- protocol router. McJunkin and Reynders (2000) describes the multi-protocol router as â€Å"a specialized microcomputer that sat between two or more networks and allowed them to talk to each other by deciphering, translating, and funneling data between them† (Mcjunkin & Reynders, 2000). The organization was responsible for opening and linking all the computer networks around the world together.This linking of all the computer networks was much like the way telephone networks are linked around the world. The local-area network (LAN) was the first market Cisco competed in and offered quality routers which became the â€Å"traffic cops of cyberspace† (Mcjunkin & Reynders, 2000). Cisco eventually became the leaders in this market with their data networking equipment and by 1997, McJunkin and Re ynders (2000) states â€Å"80% of the large scale routers that powered the Internet were made by Cisco† (Mcjunkin & Reynders, 2000).As the global Internet grew Cisco began to expand its product line, which included a wide range of networking solutions. Website management tools, dial-up and other remote access solutions, Internet appliances, and network management software were all apart of this expansion. In 1990 Cisco market value was an astonishing $222 million and the organization continued to grow into a multinational corporation with over 10,000 employees. Cisco revenues had more than tripled by 1997 and â€Å"revenues had increased over ninety-fold since the IPO, from $69. 8 million in fiscal 1990 to $6. billion in fiscal 1997† (Mcjunkin & Reynders, 2000). Organizational Problem Cisco is now a large IT enterprise with over 300 locations in 90 countries with a framework that makes its operation more efficient and responsive. The structure of Cisco is comprised of â€Å"46 data centers and server rooms supporting 65,00-plus employees† (â€Å"How Cisco IT†, 2009). The traditional structure of Cisco is one that has staffers doing both implementation and operational work. The traditional structure of Cisco was one that caused staffers to drop operational projects to complete deployment.According to Cisco â€Å"with the traditional organizational arrangement, there was much duplication of effort and lack of focus across the organization† (â€Å"How Cisco IT†, 2009). Cisco’s original organizational model (see exhibit 1) was comprised of regional network teams and regional voice teams. These teams were accountable for all aspects of operating and implementing services and their environment. A change in the organization was needed in order for Cisco to attain the levels of efficiency, additional scalability and agility the IT enterprise needed.The main challenge Cisco faced during this change process was the need f or the IT Network and Data Center Service (NDCS) to become more organizationally focused. Within Cisco there is an advanced service called Network Availability Improvement Services (NAIS), which identifies areas within the organization that need change. In order to do this NAIS â€Å"assesses and remediates the people, process, and tools needed to mitigate operational risk and network complexity by running an Operational Risk Management Analysis (ORMA)† (â€Å"How Cisco IT†, 2009).For the issue lack of focus, NAIS began by â€Å"interviewing business and IT leaders and senior engineers, and then gathers technical, process, tools and organizational documents and templates†. An assessment is then developed by NAIS, which outlined an achievable vision and a detailed road map for NDCS to follow (â€Å"How Cisco IT†, 2009). Organizational Change After the ORMA report vice president of NDCS John Manville had to restructure the NDCS department to â€Å"map to i ts own lifecycle business model† in order to solve the problems the department was facing (â€Å"How Cisco IT†, 2009).The new business lifecycle model the NDCS department had to map to was comprised of six phases; Prepare, Plan, Design, Implement, Operate, and Optimize. Manville’s approach to restructuring the NDCS group to improve efficiency and focus was an Action Research Approach. McShane and Steen (2009) define action research as â€Å"a problem-focused change process that combines action oriented and research orientation† (McShane & Steen, 2009). Manville formed a client-consultant relationship with the NAIS department within Cisco, which then determined the readiness for change in NDCS.NAIS then diagnosed the need for change after the department gathered and analyzed sufficient data to show the lack of focus and duplication of effort within NDCS. The NAIS department â€Å"begins the process by interviewing business and IT leaders and senior enginee rs, and then gathers technical, process, tools and organizational documents and templates† (â€Å"How Cisco IT†, 2009). The introduction of the restructuring intervention is an action that was needed to correct the problem NDCS was facing and to build a better organizational structure. Manville introduced this intervention to the department by testing the lifecycle methodology within it.This intervention involved â€Å"moving some resources from the former engineering and operations teams to the new implementations team† (â€Å"How Cisco IT†, 2009). This change was key to the operations team gaining more focus on task and not being distracted by deployments. The implementation of this change was over two years, which means that Manville’s restructuring was incremental. McShane and Steen (2009) define incremental change as when an â€Å"organization fine-tunes the system and takes small steps toward a desired state† (McShane & Steen, 2009).The change to the NDCS department was stabilized and results shows that the change was effective. The maturity of the department improved significantly from 2006 to 2008 (see exhibit 3). The results also showed that before this change was introduced in NDCS there were â€Å"150 client-impacting incidents per quarter† and a â€Å"defective root cause percentage consistently above 40 percent† (â€Å"How Cisco IT†, 2009). After this change was introduced, focus on operation excellence improved with client-impacting incidents reducing to 70 per quarter and defective root cause percentage is consistently below 10 percent (â€Å"How Cisco IT†, 2009).Not only did the maturity of the department improve through this change process but also customer satisfaction (see exhibit 4). Cisco (2009) explains, â€Å"NDCS has achieved customer satisfaction scores of 4. 856, with 5 being the best possible score† (â€Å"How Cisco IT†, 2009). Conclusion Cisco was abl e to improve efficiency, focus and results delivered each quarter by the NDCS department through organizational restructuring and change. Shawn Shafai, an IT manager of Network Services at Cisco stated, â€Å"The new organizational structure gave us the opportunity to focus on our core operational work.Our critical metrics quickly displayed the positive results from these changes, and outstanding results started consistently being delivered quarter after quarter† (â€Å"How Cisco IT†, 2009). The unfreezing of the organizational structure by Manville was essential to implement change in NDCS. After the results from restructuring NDCS were effective NAIS and Manville decided to refreeze the changes in order to reinforce and maintain the desired behaviors. Exhibit 1 Cisco’s original Organizational Model Exhibit 2 NDCS Lifecycle Model Exhibit 3 Cisco’s improvement from 2006 to 2008Exhibit 4 NDCS Customer Satisfaction References McShane, S. L. , Steen, S. L, ( 2009). Canadian Organizational Behaviour 7th Edition. McGraw-Hill Ryerson. McJunkin J. , and Reynders, T. (2000). Cisco Systems: A Novel Approach To Structuring Entrepreneurial Ventures. Retrieved from gsbapps. stanford. edu/cases/documents/EC%2015. pdf (2009). How Cisco IT implemented Organizational Change and Advanced Sevices for Operational Success. Retrieved from http://www. cisco. com/web/about/ciscoitatwork/downloads/ciscoitatwork/pdf/NDCS_Restructuring_AdvSvcs_Case_study. pdf

Lombards history Essay Example

Lombards history Essay Example Lombards history Essay Lombards history Essay ONeill: (Very angry, in Tyrone accent) I think so. And this is my country. (Quietly, in his usual accent) I have married a very talented, a very spirited, a very beautiful young woman. This sudden change of accent is a method of gaining presence and making a point for ONeill, the use of his Irish accent shows he is in command and he is still in charge of his country. ONeills outburst of anger is also whilst defending and justifying his marriage to Mabel this really shows how loyal he is to her deep down and that he respects Mabels betrayal of her own country.ONeills description of Mabel (talented, spirited) is very accurate and is how Friel portrays her throughout the play. Mabel is a unique character as she manages to stay neutral to both opposing factions, as a character she represents peace and harmony because of this. Archbishop Lombard is described by the narrator, By profession he is a church diplomat and his manner is careful and exact. These careful choice of words tell the audience that Lombard is quite a sly character with a good sense of language and means to talk his way out or in to a situation well.He is not likely to be very religious but exploits his profession in order to gain himself an advantage. Lombard decides to write ONeills history, and, true to his character, refers to history as a story (p. 8), avoiding ONeills questions when asked if he will be telling the truth. Lombard: Im not sure that truth is a primary ingredient is that a shocking thing to say? (p. 8-9) It is clear from this conversation that both ONeill and Lombard have completely different stances on writing history.ONeill believes it should be an accurate document of events whereas Lombard believes it should be twisted in order to become an entertaining tale based on events. This presents ONeill with another pair of identities Hero vs. the real ONeill. How he will be portrayed through Lombards history will certainly not be the real, womanising, careless ONeill, but a brave leader and hero of Ireland.These ideas Friel has implemented challenges the audience to think about what they would themselves prefer as history the truth or a fairytale created to entertain in order to be passed down to others. Lombards rhetorical question ( is that a shocking thing to say? ) shows he knows that it is slightly devious, but its the truth never the less. The second act contrasts entirely with the first. Only eight months have passed in the play, but the Battle of Kinsale has been lost and ONeill is now living in poverty, He is using a wooden box as a table the narrator describes. ONeill: Have you any food? (p. 43) The mood is now desperate and sinister, ONeill is no longer the charismatic and talkative character he was eight months ago, but now an ageing man with growing regret, his rich and happy life no longer apart of him but now placed with a criminal identity.Wanted by both the Irish and English, both of ONeills identities have abandoned him. The end of Act 1 Scene 1 announces the death of both Mabel and her baby the cross-breed that Mabels sister Mary had warned her about. Friels use of herbs have also pre-empted the inevitable fate of Mabel and the baby. ONeill: (Almost in a whisper) Yes, I think Ill take some of that whiskey now, Hugh. Just a thimbleful, if you please. And no water. Oh, dear God (Quick black. ) (p. 54) The stage directions that show ONeill almost unable to speak after hearing the shocking news shows how unexpected it is for him.The quick black tells the audience it is the end of the scene and also adds further dramatic effect to the abrupt news the way this is delivered most probably leaves the audience is a state of shock also. Scene 2 is set in Rome, many years later (p. 54), ONeill and the others have been forced to flee, where they are no longer welcome in both Ireland or England. The narrator tells us he has a volatile and bitter temper, carries a walking stick and has begun to lose sight in his eyes. This image paints the picture of an elderly, dishevelled man burdened with the regret of many terrible mistakes.Throughout most of this final scene ONeill is scarcely sober, this indicates he must be very unhappy with his life and how it has ended up for him to drink so much. ONeill: (He bumps into a stool and knocks it over. As he straightens it) Forgive me. (p. 54) As ONeill drunkenly bumps into a stool and then apologises to it for knocking it over, you feel instantly embarrassed and sympathetic for ONeill. He is now a shadow of his former self, no longer his bubbly, talkative and distracted character.It appears to the audience that ONeill has lost sense of any identity he once had, which isnt hard to believe considering he has been banished from not one but both of his homes, and now resides in a foreign country that has been alien to him most of his life. ONeill: You said Mabel will have her place. That place is central to me. (p. 63) As the play draws to an end we see a scene shared by Lombard, Harry and ONeill, ONeill desperately trying to convince Lombard to tell the truth in his history, about his failure and corruption, and most interestingly to include Mabel.This shows how deeply he cared for her and enforces the idea of the bond they had over their dual identities. This must have comforted ONeill and made him feel at home, to lose that was really the turning point in his personality, almost as if when Mabel died she took his identity with her, as she was the last thing holding it together and making sense from it all. Act 2 Scene 2 reaches a close as ONeill finally accepts defeat and realises Lombard will write the history how he wants it, Lombard continuously asks What changes do you want me to make? But despite the details ONeill wants included, Lombard will still tell it in a way that is entertaining. Lombard begins to read the history as ONeill starts to cry and mourn for Mabel, (ONeill is now crying. Bring the lights down slowly. ) (p. 71). The slow fade of lights signifies the end of the play. Friel presented identity by portraying a man who had everything, and slowly stripped him of every last meaningful thing he had in order to convey the message of what makes us who we are.ONeill lost both of his countries, and his wife and baby, the loss of Mabel being pivotal she was the one person he could relate to and feel close to, and the baby symbolised a new beginning where the English and Irish could live in harmony together. Through Lombards history we will not learn about ONeills duality, his close friend Harry or wife Mabel that helped shape his character, but a Hero who fought a tough battle for Ireland, fled with the Flight of the Earls, and shall be king for the span of his life (p. 71), thus telling us that identity exists in many forms.

Corruption in the Nigerian Economy

Corruption in the Nigerian Economy Free Online Research Papers ASTRACT The paper has critically examined the harshness of corruption on the Nigerian economy and the support of civil servants in reduces its incidence. The ‘monster’ is the cause for the nation’s economy development impediment. Related literature of renowned scholars, white paper of the Dangin Commission (2000) of Plateau State and personal opinions of civil servants were major sources of data used for this paper. Again, we employed a survey instrument-questionnaire for collecting primary data and percentages were used for testing our hypothesis. According to our investigations, corruption in civil service is caused by Staff negligence and/or negligence of management and the more culpable persons are experienced public servants on level 10 and above, also political appointees. The best strategy of curbing corruption in Nigeria, as opined by respondents and supported by our hypothesis, is those saddled with the responsibility of fighting corruption must live above board and avoid creating bad precedent. Again, the Auditor-General and his/her subordinates should engage in a regular periodic inspection. 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY With the current global recession, the economies of most developing countries have been thrown into very serious problems. Stocks in the capital market in Nigeria, America and United Kingdom among others are experiencing the bearish market situations. Besides, Nigeria has other factors that have battered our economy seriously: these are no other things than the monster-corruption and the persistent political crisis. Measures such as the War Against Indiscipline (WAI), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) have been employed and adopted by past regimes and administrations to curb the underhand practices but all proved abortive, while the economy recession is on the increase: how long should this continue. According to a statement in one of the Daily Times of 1999, it says, â€Å"Decade after decade, children are born to see and learn of this enemy of development. Why should we allow this to continue, we need to joint hands on this criminal behaviour in other to protect present and future generations of our great country†. Corruption has really been the bane of this country; all hands must be on deck. Nigeria was grouped as the 2nd position and the 6th position of the world most corrupt countries. The sequence of the positions above shows little improvement which is not significant for stopping the worry of patriotic Nigerians on the matter. The instinct for corruption normally begins with ungratefulness and greediness. As stated by Malick, 1994:68; â€Å"The origin of corruption is that it is influenced by the quest for more material wealth†. According to Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP: 2008), Nigeria losses 60 kobo to underhand practices out of every N1 (100 kobo) spent by government. The wealth of this nation is being looted by the few privileged individuals known as civil servants and politicians who are busy acquiring their ill-gotten wealth by inflating contract, diverting public assets into personal property and etcetera. Corruption has really ruined our economy in different ways. According to Akara (1994:12), Corruption, in all its ramifications in any society is the symptom of the moral indiscipline and moral decadent that can only be arrested and the society regenerated, if and only if that society itself becomes aware and conscious of its dangerous descent into the abyss of self-extinction. Corruption has really affected the public sector and has spilled to other sectors of the economy such as private sector businesses and households. In view of the yearly reports of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and the various white papers issued in Plateau State-Nigeria, year-in-year-out, many people are initiated into the different forms of these sharp practices. A recent revelation made by the Plateau State Commission of Enquiry into Financial Activities of government for 1999 – 2007, the State Board of Internal Revenue generated about N24 billion (approximately $210 million) but less than 25% of the revenue was account for, more than 75% of the revenue is allegedly embezzled. The issue of corruption in the public sector is perpetrated in a syndicate where both civil servants and political appointees are involved. A study on why corruption flourishes in the public sector might be expected to provide a useful insight into the strategies to be adopted to minimize this evil. It is also expected that the existing government will learn from the experiences of past leaders, who have failed in their efforts to curb the menace of this underhand practices by given leap service for implementation of measures the country has put in place to help in reducing the cases and magnitude of corruption in the public sector and indeed the country as a whole. 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Though, the public sector is the machinery of government in achieving meaningful development in the area of infrastructures, education, health and etcetera, the failure to achieve any of these developmental goals is due to an array of problems. Of these problems, the issue of corruption is one that has eating into the fabrics of our economy and the need to manage its scourge is imperative. The efforts of the Independent Corruption Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) have done little in curbing this monster as cases and magnitudes of corruption is still significant compared to the poverty level in this country. According to 2006 NDIC annual report (2008), billions of Naira are lost to fraudsters and other dubious people annually. In the survey conducted between 1999/2000 by CPAR, an average of $10 billion is lost to corruption (BPP: 2008). This cannot be allowed to continue, never! The magnitude of this problem and its implications for the Nigeria economy have inspired the writing of this paper with a view to having all hands on deck in fighting this evil in Nigeria. 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE ARTICLE The aim of this paper is to assess the views of civil servants about the effort of government against corruption in the Public Sector in Nigeria and to proffer suggested approaches on how to minimise it. To achieve this singular objective, the following secondary objectives have been specified: i) To review existing literatures on the subject matter; ii) To identify the causes of corruption perpetrated in the Public Sector; iii) To determine the negative effect of corruption in the Public Sector; iv) To ascertain the major perpetrators of corruption in the public sector. v) To recommend strategies for curbing and reducing the incidence of corruption in the economic system of Nigeria. 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS In the light of the foregoing, the following questions may be asked: i) What are the ways of defrauding the public sector? ii) What are the major causes of corruption in the public sector? iii) What are the effects of corruption in the public sector? iv) How can the problems of corruption be managed in our public offices? v) What are the best ways of mitigating the effects of corruption in Nigeria? vi) Who are the major contributors to corruption in Nigeria? vii) Who are the most culpable people involved in corruption. These questions form the problem that prompted the writing of this paper and the need to provide workable answers to them constitutes its justification. 1.5 HYPOTHESIS To achieve some of the objectives of this paper, the following hypothesis is formulated: Ho: That civil servants being the most culpable persons in corruption in Nigeria are not in support of the fight against the â€Å"Monster†; HI: That civil servants being the most culpable persons in corruption in Nigeria are in support of the fight against the â€Å"Monster†. This hypothesis will be tested with percentages of collective opinions of civil servants as obtained from the field. 1.5 SCOPE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This paper is relevant to what the Obasanjo’s government started which the Yar’adua’s administration is trying to sustain, specifically on their efforts to wipe out all forms of corruption in Nigeria. The settings up of the Anti-Corruption Act’2000, Anti-Money Laundry Act’2004 and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) in 2004 are all proofs that the Nigerian government is really fighting corruption, and requires support from all patriotic Nigerians to join hands against this evil that is pervading the society. 2.0 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Definitions of Corruption: Anti-Corruption Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2000 defined ‘Corruption’ â€Å"to include all forms of bribery, fraud and other related offences†. A corrupt practice takes place when one in a fiduciary position acts in a manner prejudicial to the cause of his employer because of the receipt of a benefit or consideration from a third party who is ultimately the beneficiary of the action taken, (Ijewere, 1999). According to Osisioma (1999), corrupt practices tend to produce an illegal transfer of resources, and in the transfer exercise, the actors engage in an unproductive use of their labour and resources. Obasanjo (1994) defines corruption as the misuse of public power for private and personal benefit which is distinguishable from other crimes by the fact that it is usually carried out in utmost secrecy and the act itself may not be immediately perceptible. In its tactical meaning, corruption is an act or course of deception deliberately practiced to gain unlawful or unfair advantage; deception directed to the detriment of the public. 2.2 FORMS OF CORRUPTION AND WAYS OF DEFRAUDING GOVERNMENT. Corruption is perpetrated in the civil service in various forms. The two major forms are petty corruption and grand corruption. The common ones have been identified and classified as follows: a) Inflating of contract prices; b) Diversion of government property to personal property; c) Collection of bribes or gratification; d) Teaming and Lading; e) Irregularities; Many measures have been introduced, especially at the individual Ministry, Boards and Parastatals to minimize this menacing problem without much success, (Danging Commission,2000). 2.3 CAUSES OF CORRUPTION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. The common causes of corruption as identified by different Authors and Newspapers are summarized below: i) Poor Administration – This is in terms of inadequate supervision, and inadequate control is the most significant causes of corruption. For instance, when a junior staff is inadequately supervised, those with fraudulent tendencies may get the wrong impression that there working environment and/or circumstances is safe for the perpetration of corruption, (Ishola, 1997:25). ii) Negligence – Staff negligence and/or negligence of management is the commonest and most susceptible factor which corrupters look forward to in government establishments and they usually capitalize on it. For instance, lack of regular bank reconciliation, stocktaking, verification of prices in the market and issuing of cheques without proper blocking of the unused space could be manipulated by the perpetrators, (Babatunde, 1987:16). iii) Poor Salaries and Conditions of Service – When civil servants are unable to meet their personal, psychological and social needs because of poor salaries and conditions of service, they may be tempted to collect bribe, inflate contract price, inflate prices of goods/items purchased directly, embezzle money or fraudulently convert some of the government assets into their own use. This temptation becomes harder to resist particularly for civil servants who work with cash or in other sensitive areas, (Dandago, 1997:16). iv) Opportunity and Low Chance of Detection – A poor or inadequate internal control or inefficiency of existing control could induce corruption. A poor or inefficient control system could also be a tempting source to a rather previously honest staff, (Williams, 2000:24). 2.4 THEORIES OF CORRUPTION Attempts have been made to weave the aforementioned factors into comprehensive theories of corruption and criminal behaviour. Theories of corruption are terse and controversial, Babatunde (1987) has propounded that the motivation to fraudulent behavior derives from the number of causes. These could be pathological, greed, the desire to be with the Jones; extreme; want often characterized as dire need; cultural demands or the cultivation of tastes too expensive for the legitimate income of the individual. Criminal motivation, with particular reference to corruption is said to be pathological when the state of mind of the criminal disposes and impels him to engage in corrupt practices, even though he is not in dire need of the resources. A case in point is a kleptomaniac who has a pathological desire to steal for the sake of stealing. Osisioma (1999) opined that the main cause of corruption in the public sector is traceable to the general dishonesty in the society. Since there is corruption in all facets of the Nigerian life, management of finances should pay attention to some of the factors that causes corruption in the public sector. 2.5 THE EFFECTS OF CORRUPTION IN PUBLIC SECTOR The perceived effects on the government, and the desire to find the means of curbing such adverse effects normally prompts studies on corruption in the Public Sector. Attempts have therefore been made by many writers to identify the effects of corruption in the Public Sector and the economy in general. All authors/writers agreed that corruption leads to huge loss of resources, which belong to the government, and members of the general public. This loss results in reduced levels of resources available, which could hamper the development of the economy and could force enterprises to liquidation if the frequency and scale of corruption are high. Other effects of corruption in the public sector, which will consequently affect the society, include the loss of confidence in Nigeria by international investors and therefore a setback for the effort aimed by the Obasanjo’s administration to create enabling environment for international investors to invest. In addition, the distraction of government’s attention, increase in operating costs, and the wastage of time and resources on minimizing corruption are other effects of corruption, (BUGAIN; 1994:91). 2.6 THE MEASURES FOR CONTROLLING CORRUPTION: In view of the gravity of the effects of corruption on public sector, government has employed many measures aimed at controlling corruption. However, corruption has continued on an upward trend despite these measures and this has called their effectiveness into question. According to Jat (1998:129), the most threatening aspect, however, is that the control of an identified specie of Fraud (corruption) seems to give birth to another that is invariably more sophisticated and complex indicating the negative use of human ingenuity and endowment. A number of authors: Obasanjo, Osisioma, and Malick among others, have identified some administrative control systems that can be devised by government to prevent corruption. Administrative control system has been defined as â€Å"the whole system of controls, financial and otherwise, established by the government in other to carry on the business of government in an orderly manner, safe-guard its assets and secure as far as possible the accuracy and reliability of the records†. (Millichamp, 1990:79) Internal administrative control system was classified into two major groups: internal checks and internal audit. Internal checks are the operational controls which are built into the public sector system to simplify the processing of policies in order to secure prompt services to the populace, to help in minimizing clerical errors and to act as insurance against collusion. Internal audit or inspection involves the review of administrative activities and records undertaken within the civil service by specifically assigned staffs. The roles of the inspectorate division and the state Audit department are to serve as watch-dogs on public funds, to ensure that there is no improper application of these funds, to ensure that expenditure and revenue are duly authorized and accounted for, to periodically inspect account books in order to ensure that transactions are properly recorded and books are regularly balance, to investigate mal-practices like frauds, inflated contracts, forgeries, embezzlement and theft of government money or properties. However, existing systems of control can be classified into two: Prevention and Detection. Those aimed at prevention and those aimed at detection. Measure aimed at preventing corruption include; dual control, operational manual, graduated limits of authority, reporting system, establishment of inspectorate units, general personnel policies, referencing on presentation of documents of value, segregation of duties, verification of all approval for payment and purchases and close watch on the life-style of staff. Others are prompt treatment of files and the movement of files by messengers. Measures aimed at detecting corrupt practices include: contract verification, market survey, checking of cashiers, bank reconciliation, periodical submission of statement of accounts, periodic stock-taking of all items in the store. In addition to management and internal control measures, the authors suggested means of controlling corruption in the public sector, which are the statutory requirements of an external auditor and the examination of government books of accounts by the state audit department as an inspectors’ authority. Sanusi attributed the ineffectiveness of these to weakness in staff policy and control, operational procedures, and the attitude of government. In contrast, some other writers such as Obasanjo, Malick, Osisioma (2000) have argued that the causes of corruption in the public sector is not that of lack of administrative control systems but that of moral weakness of man’s mind owing to his acquisitive instincts. 3.0 DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS To substantiate our research questions earlier mentioned, data collected from Plateau State civil service, the Dangin Commission Report (2000) and responses from our field survey is hereby presented in tabular form with proper analysis below. This will be presented using percentages as a parameter. 3.1 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS PRIMARY DATA Table 1 shows the Responses of respondents from the Field Survey QUESTIONS No. 0F RESPONSE % 1. Which of the following ways do you thing civil servants are using mostly to defraud the government? Tick one, please: i. Contract price and purchase price inflation†¦. ii. Collection of bribes or gratification†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ iii. Diversion of government property to personal property†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ iv. Teaming and Lading†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ v. Robbery and Burglary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. TOTAL 13 16 6 3 2 40 32.5 40 15 7.5 5 100 1. Which of these are the major causes of corruption in the public sector? Tick one, please: i. Poor Administration ii. Staff negligence and/or negligence of management iii. Poor Salaries and Conditions of Service iv. Opportunity and Low Chance of Detection i. TOTAL 11 12 7 8 40 27.5 30 17.5 20 100 2. Which of the following form of corruptions do you thing has the more negative effect on the Nigerian economy? ii. Grand corruption: that is, corruption involving N100,000 and above iii. Petty corruption: that is, corruption involving less N100,000 i. TOTAL 22 18 40 55 45 100 3. Suggest ways in which problems of corruption can best be managed in our public offices by ticking one of the following? ii. Sound internal control system iii. Internal check and internal audit iv. Periodic inspections by the Auditor-General v. Instituting an EFCC outlet in every government ministry vi. Instant dismissal of dubious and suspected corrupt officials TOTAL 6 8 12 5 9 40 15 20 30 12.5 22.5 100 4. Who amongst these are the most culpable people involved in corruption? i. Level 01- 06 employees ii. Level 07 – 12 officers iii. Level 13 – 16 officers iv. Level 17 and all political appointees TOTAL 5 10 12 13 40 12.5 25 30 32.5 100 From the above analyses, 40% of the respondents opined that the most common ways that civil servants used for defrauding the government is through bribery and gratification. For the causes of corruption in Nigeria, 30% of the respondents indicated that staff negligence and/or negligence of management is the major cause. However, most civil servants have opined that grand corruption has more negative effects that petty corruption. This finding is 55% against 45%. Again, 30% and 22.5% of the respondents have indicated that the best ways to manage corruption are Periodic inspections by the Auditor-General and Instant dismissal of dubious and suspected corrupt officials, respectively. Lastly, the survey has revealed that the most culpable persons are civil servants on level 17 and all political appointees, followed by civil servants on level 13 – 16. Table 2 is a Likert Questions Table containing a list of suggested strategies for curbing corruption in which 150 respondents (Civil Servants) indicated their agreement or otherwise and to what extent. Note. Questions 1–5 were answered on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (strongly agree) to 4 (strongly disagree). Question 0 1 2 3 4 1. Employer should verify the integrity of new employees from their referees 32 34 8 46 30 2. Any identified fraudulent person should be instantly dismissed and made to face the full wrath of the law 55 39 13 23 20 3. The fight against corruption should commence right from homes and schools 41 48 9 20 32 4. Those saddled with the responsibility of fighting corruption should try and live above board and avoid creating bad precedents 72 56 2 8 12 5. All civil servants and political appointees should declare their assets on assumption of duty 52 50 16 22 10 From table 2, 48% of the respondents strongly agreed that those saddled with the responsibility of fighting corruption should try and live above board and avoid creating precedence. This is followed with the opinions of 37% of the respondents who strongly agreed that any identified fraudulent person should be instantly dismissed and made to face the full wrath of the law while 35% also agreed on strong terms that all civil servants and political appointees should declare their assets on assumption of duty. However, 32% of the respondents merely agreed that the fight against corruption should commence right from homes and schools while majority disagree that employer of labour (government) should verify the integrity of new employees from their referees as a strategy for curbing corruption. TEST OF HYPOTHESIS The responses from the field survey in table 2 above are used to test the hypothesis that says â€Å"That civil servants being the most culpable persons in corruption in Nigeria are not in support of the fight against the monster† Question 0 1 Total (02) 2 3 4 Total Grand (34) Total 1 32 34 66 8 46 30 76 142 2 55 39 94 13 23 20 43 137 3 41 48 89 9 20 32 52 141 4 72 56 128 2 8 12 20 148 5 52 50 102 16 22 10 32 134 479 223 702 To accept the null hypothesis, the percentage of disagreed responses must be greater than 50% otherwise reject it and accept the alternative hypothesis. Percentage of agreed responses = 479 x 100 = 68% 702 1 Percentage of disagreed responses = 223 x 100 = 32% 702 1 Hence, we reject Ho that says, â€Å"Civil Servants being the most culpable persons in corruption in Nigeria are not in support of the fight against the â€Å"Monster† and accept HI that says, â€Å"Civil Servants being the most culpable persons in corruption in Nigeria are in support of the fight against the â€Å"Monster†. 4.0 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Based on the study, the paper can be summarized with the findings that factors such as: Contract price and purchase price inflation, Collection of bribes or gratification and diversion of government property to personal property are most common ways in which civil servants used in defrauding the government. For causes of corruption in Nigeria, Staff negligence and/or negligence of management, Poor Administration, and Poor Salaries and Conditions of Service got the highest votes in that order. It has been opined that the best ways for managing corruption in our various public offices include Periodic inspections by the Auditor-General, Instant dismissal of dubious and suspected corrupt officials will serve as deterrence against future occurrence in addition to internal check and internal audit. All civil servants are culpable to corruption but the most of them all are directors and political appointees. In conclusion, corruption is a menace that is found in all the fabrics of the Nigerian society and the Auditor – General and all his employees should do their work honestly and diligently too now corruption is spreading like wild fire in Nigeria inspite of government stringent policies that have been instituted. In conclusion, since civil servants who are even the most culpable persons in corruption in Nigeria are in support of the fight against it, government should not relent in its fight against corruption as there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Hence, this paper recommends the following measures for minimizing corruption in Nigeria: i. Accounting officers/Chief Executive Officers should live above board and avoid creating precedence. ii. All identified fraudulent person should be instantly dismissed and made to face the full wrath of the law. iii. All civil servants and political appointees should declare their assets on assumption of duty. iv. The fight against corruption should commence right from homes and schools. REFERENCES Agbelusi T.O. (1991): Fraud in Banks, Financial Institute Training Center, Lagos. BPP (2008): â€Å"Public Procurement Act 2007 as it Affects Contractors and Consultants† by Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Abuja. Bugain J. (1994): â€Å"NGOs and Mobilisation Against Corruption†. A paper Presented at African Leadership Forum’s Seminar held in Benin Republic On the 19-21 September. Dandago K.I. (1997): â€Å"Fraud Detection Control at Local Government Level†, The National Accountant of July and August, 1997. Dangin V.K. Commission (2000): Government White Paper Report on the Variation of Major Contract in Plateau State. Ishola K.A. (1997): â€Å"Bank Frauds; Causes and Control†, the National Accountant July – August, 1997. Jat R. B. (1998): â€Å"An Analysis of Fraud Cases in Nigerian Banking Industry: A Guide to the Bank Auditor†. Study in Auditing. Malick T. (1994):â€Å"Corruption, Democracy Human Right in West Africa† Africa Leadership Forum Seminar, Rep. of Benin (19-21of Sept.) Millichamp A. H. (1990): Auditing, an Instructional Manual for Accounting Accounting Students. Guernsey Press Co. Ltd, Channel Islands. Obasanjo O. (1994): â€Å"Corruption, Democracy, and Human Rights in West Africa† (Journal of the African Leadership Forum): Printers Ltd. Lagos. Osisioma B.C. (1999): â€Å"Corruption and the Manufacturing Sector in Nigeria†. A Paper Presentation on the Occasion of the Annual General Meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria in September 8th. Osisioma B.C. (2000): â€Å"The Relevance of the Accountant in the Implementation of the Corrupt Practice Miscellaneous Offences Act† The Editor (1999): â€Å"Corruption- why it Flourishes† Midweek Magazine of 20th October. The Editor (1999): â€Å"How Corruption is Killing African Countries†. Daily Times of September, 7. The Ejewere Emmanuel (1999): â€Å"A Strategy for the war Against Corruption and Poverty†, Business Times of September, 6. Research Papers on Corruption in the Nigerian EconomyPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationQuebec and CanadaResearch Process Part OneDefinition of Export QuotasTwilight of the UAWInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

A Combat Reporter Read - Scott Anderson, Prisoner of War, Harpers Essay

A Combat Reporter Read - Scott Anderson, Prisoner of War, Harpers Magazine, January 1997 - Essay Example The author’s story gets clouded by memories of wars in places such as Beirut, Uganda, Chechnya, Northern Ireland, and the Sudan. The author is also physically trapped by war and thus the reason for the article’s title. At the present moment of his narration, the author is physically in Chechnya trying to relocate a man who disappeared in a war torn village. From his narration, the reader can witness that the author has physically been present in various warzones around the globe. The author explains that he feels a rush about wars that drive him to the war fields. He feels as though he has never been an observer of war but rather a participant. Through the article, the author also gets to explain how wars physically trap civilians and victims in a manner that curtails their freedom. The presence of gunships, tankers, and creation of physical barriers prevent people from living freely, and thus they become prisoners of war. Socially, the author is a prisoner of war. His social upbringing through his familial background almost destined his path to becoming a prisoner of war. He explains that ever since a young age, he always felt like war would eventually find him. His father was a foreign aid officer and this meant that he got raised in ‘frontline states’ such as south Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia where he begun to witness the impacts of war at a tender age. His father had fought in the World War II. His Godfather was an air force major. His brother was also a writer who documented on the direct impacts of war on civilians. This social upbringing shows that the author became a prisoner of war from an early age. He witnessed wars from an early age and thus he gets trapped by it. This article shows the effects that war can have on individuals. Through the author’s narrative, the reader has a feeling that wars have made him to become partly numb

Nursing Care and Rationale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nursing Care and Rationale - Essay Example As the discussion declares ischemia has four different stokes. In ischemia, blood fails to reach some parts of the brain. In hemorrhagic, bleeding or hemorrhage occurs into the brain or in the fluid near the brain. As explained by Dawes, et at. in brain ischemia, the flow of blood to some part of the brain stops, thus denying cells in this area adequate oxygen and energy they require. This results in the failure of neurons, which dies when blood flow is not restored soon enough. The brain damage resulting from the deprivation of blood to brain is referred to as ischemic stoke, while the area damaged is known as a brain infarct. Brain ischemia normally develops suddenly, and in many cases it occurs in the morning. Ischemia symptoms varies depending on the part of the brain that affected by not receiving blood. At times, an individual will suffer from vision loss either in both eyes or in one eye. A person could as well feel weakness or reduced senses in the leg, hard, arm and face on one side or on both sides, or the person could have difficulties in walking. Other symptoms include dementia, amnesias, and difficulties in speaking, reading or writing. These symptoms can as well differ in severity and duration. Mrs. Hive, who has an ischemic stroke, will have to undergo through three types of therapy that aim at restoring her normal heath conditions. The first one is physical therapy that has a great concern on regaining gross motor deficits.