To Kill a Mockingbird Analysis

Themes play an important role in the novel for it presents the main dead or the underlying meaning of the literary work. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the themes are made to surface through the shared feelings and attitudes of the main characters like Scout, Gem and Tactics Finch. The characters' thoughts and conversations, especially the ideas which are repeated in several dialogue exchanges and their actions in significant events also develop the novel's themes. The novel presents the oldest yet timeless conflict between good versus evil.This is evident in most situations and conversations which explored human morality and the innateness of oddness and evilness of people in the society. Tactics Finch represents the moral voice of the novel because he believes that people have aspects of both good and evil, but good will always prevail. He has never lost his faith on the goodness of man amidst the fact that man has also the tendency to do bad things. In the novel, he struggles to defend a black man of false accusation in a racist society but he never gives up and firmly holds on unto the idea that someday the truth and the good will overpower racism in their community.The same theme is manifested through the experiences of Scout and Gem. Tactics, their father, teaches them to believe in the goodness of all people and values and morals guide everyone in their actions but as the story progresses, both children are exposed to the reality that the world isn't really that perfect. Their innocence is stripped away from them through several incidents that made them think twice of their father's belief.Scout, in the beginning, is an innocent and good -hearted little girl who has no experience with the evils of the world but as she encounters racial discrimination in their town, she starts to get confused and questions everything around her. Gem, n the other hand, is older and in the midst Of entering puberty but the effect of the societal prejudice to a convicted black ma n is much graver compared to Scout's. Gem gets frustrated and disappointed to the harsh reality that sometimes justices will not prevail. This leaves him vulnerable and traumatized in an important facet of his life.Harper Lee manages to exhibit children's transition from innocence to maturity. She intelligently portrayed the fact that at some point in time in a significant event, children will be bound to graduate from their innocence and learn the facts about life and its imperfections. With children as the main characters in the novel, education is but obvious for a theme. In the initial chapters, the novel discusses the difference between institutionalized education and education at home. A conflict emerges as Miss Caroline scolds her for being too advance for their class.Scout gets disappointed for being punished because she is taught well in home by her father and their black servant. Miss Caroline even reminds Scout to tell her father that he shouldn't teach his child because he doesn't really know how to. He is in no position to teach for he is not a teacher. This conflict shows criticism to institutionalized education. This presents the conceitedness of teachers and the curriculum in providing education to learners. The system is too strict and traditional in their pedagogies thus resulting to ineffectiveness in developing and molding a child's intelligence and ability.Clearly, Lee expresses a lack of belief in the Institutionalized educational system. Furthermore, this makes one realize that true education is not experienced in school but outside it. Education shouldn't be limited in the four walls of the classroom; instead it should be brought out to the outside world where reality and life lessons are best learned through experience. The novel also presents moral education in question. Scout believes that she learns moral lessons best in home rather in school. Her teachers appear to be hypocritical as they teach things that are not even true in real ity.Scout notices this most obviously when learning about the Holocaust. Miss Gates explains that such oppression of one group of people could never happen in the United States however racial discrimination to black people is very evident in their town. Scout sees conflict with the lesson aught by Miss Gates when she heard her talk about black people and say : â€Å"time somebody taught them a lesson, they thought they was getting' way above themselves, an' the next thing they think they can do is marry us. This makes Scout doubt her education and rather listen to her father than to attend school. Hypocrisy is apparent in the system. The teachers breach what they teach thus emphasizing the incompetence and ineffectiveness of instruction provided by the educational institutions. This further implies that moral education and good values are not necessary best taught in school. Sometimes, it is best learned from other places like ones home. In a town of Macomb, Alabama, Lee illustrate s the complexities of social hierarchy.The well-off Finches are near the top of the pyramid, the Cunningham family are mere farmers thus Stay in the higher bottom above the white-trash Lowell family. These social statuses greatly confuse the children especially the rules that come along with them. Because of the structure, the children are prop bibbed to mingle with other families who are lesser in standing. This frustrates them most especially Scout because she ants to choose her own friends based on her definition of what makes a good person and not because of family income.The novel presents the dilemma of social inequality. The story takes place during the Great Depression thus social standing is as important as survival. People battle with society rules and structure. Lee exhibits how injustice and partiality divides a community and hinders human interaction thus contributing nothing but negativity to the people and the society as a whole. Racism, which is closely related to so cial inequality, is another focus of the novel. Harper Lee creates Macomb as a town separated by race.Harper Lee shows the bitterness that remains in the whites five decades after the end of slavery. This bitterness is best illustrated by the way that the way blacks are still oppressed, not by force but by fear and suppression. California, the Finch's servant is to be exceptionally bright, she even teaches Scout to write in script, but because she is black and a woman she cannot land a better job. The whites belittle and harass the blacks because they firmly believe that they are greater and more superior. This racial tension foreshadows Tom Robinsons case.Right in the beginning, everybody knows that Tom is innocent but because he is a black man, the prejudice jury still convicted him guilty of harassing and raping a white woman. The conclusion of the Tom Robinsons case ends with Tom being shot repeatedly while trying to escape despite his injury. Racism is considered as a social di sease. It brings out the evil nature of man as prejudice and discrimination overpowers conscience and moral code. It is through this novel that people are made to understand how nobody can ever benefit from racism.It only causes the creation of walls teen people thus hindering relationships and interactions to blossom. Lee shows the significance of human perspective in the processing of events and solving of problems. The character's outlook in life is deemed important in the development of the story and how each managed to understand the situation. In the novel, Tactics encourages Scout and Gem to be more considerate of other people and understand their situations. The children shouldn't immediately judge as it is not fair to the others.Tactics urges his children to try to step into other people's shoes to understand how they see he world: â€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. † This lesson helps Scout gain insight into how other people view life and the world. Moreover, this broadens her moral education and social understanding. This theme was evident when Tactics requires Gem to go to Mrs.. Double's house to read to her as punishment for cutting all the flowers in her front yard.Gem didn't like Mrs.. Dubos and claims that she is an awful woman. Tactics tells Gem and Scout to try to understand Mrs.. Double's point of view. She is an old woman, very set her in ways, and she is entirely alone in the world. Gem and Scout agree to visit her and from that experience, they understood how she felt because they were able to see the world from her perspective. Scout applies her father's lesson when she meets Boo Raddled, a black man who kept himself hidden from the public because of the unjust and prejudice treatment.After she walks him home, Scout stands on Boob's porch and imagines many of the events of the story (Tactics shooting the mad dog the chil dren finding Boob's presents in the oak tree) as they must have looked to Boo. She then last realizes the love and protection that he has silently offered her and Gem all along. Scout's ability to assume another person's perspective sympathetically is the culmination of the novel. The final theme and probably the most significant is the mockingbird which represents the idea of innocence. Remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. † That was the only time I ever heard Tactics say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maude about it. â€Å"Your father's right,† she said. â€Å"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy .. .But sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. † When Scout and Gem receive arraigns for Christmas, Tactics tells them that although he would prefer that they practice their shooting with tin cans, if they must shoot at living things, they must never shoot at mockingbirds.Tactics explai ns that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Clearly, this is the title scene, but the theme continues throughout the book. Miss Maude explains why Tactics is correct – mockingbirds never do anyone any harm, and are not pests in any way. All they do is sing beautifully and live peacefully. Therefore, it is a sin to kill them. The mockingbird represents true goodness and purity. Tom Robinson is one example of a human â€Å"mockingbird†. He is accused of raping and beating Malay Lowell, but is innocent of the charges.

Political Issues Regarding the Hispanic Population

Political Issues Regarding the Hispanic Population Courtney Warner ETH/125 Cultural Diversity Instructor Michelle Ward Saturday May 8, 2010 Political Issues Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Dominican Americans have separate cultures but both include strong family bonds and religious beliefs. These cultural groups are classified into the Hispanic American category because they share the Spanish language. â€Å"Although these groups share the same language each group has a different dialect and origin. Cuban and Dominican Americans have made the greatest developments in the social and political stand point. Puerto Rican Americans have made progress on the homeland in the economic view. While some groups resist assimilation into the American lifestyle, others have embraced it. † (Alba, 2006). Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican Americans have many resemblances but still remain separate in their ethnicity and are descendants from a variety of immigrants. The main reason for these groups immigrating to the United States was for a safe environment free of political issues occurring in their countries and to seek a better way of life. Mexican Americans have attained both social and economic status, broken the language barrier, and achieved legal status in the United States. Most Mexicans that come to America are looking to work hard and overcome the obstacles they faced politically and economically in Mexico. The political issues facing Mexicans are typically the same as any foreign immigrant. Voting is a challenge. The voting of the Hispanic population is down because the majority of Mexicans are not legal citizens which prevent them from voting. According to the Census Bureau (2008), it is estimated that 1. 7 to 2. million percent of the United States population is illegal immigrants. The Hispanic population has not obtained political power equal to its proportion of population. Through years of protests and debates bilingual voting is now an option for counties with large numbers of non American speaking citizens. Bilingual education is also another very important political issue in the Mexican community. Origi nally schools in America only taught one language with the exception of extra credit language courses. With the rising number of immigrants the school boards in heavily populated Mexican communities are now offering bilingual classes. Immigration laws are also a constant debate with Hispanic members. After years of failed attempts at passing new immigration laws, with the new Obama administration hopes are high that immigration reform will be put back on the national agenda. English is the primary language of Puerto Rican Americans. English is taught in Puerto Rican elementary schools since Puerto Rico is commonwealth of the United States. Even though Puerto Rica is considered commonwealth it still has its own constitution, legislature, and governor but is subject to the rules and regulations of the United States. The commonwealth status allows all Puerto Ricans American citizenship, making them migrants not immigrants. Puerto Rican American assimilation has been both successful and problematic. Puerto Ricans living in the United States and Puerto Rico are still experiencing issues with drug use and crime. Lack of educational opportunities and failure in family structures are also causing struggles in the Puerto Rican population. The political involvement of Puerto Ricans and other minorities in the United States is small in comparison to their population size. Less than half of the Puerto Rican population has taken advantage of their voting privileges. Once Puerto Ricans become more settled as residents, they start to participate in politics. For most Puerto Rican residents their primary concern is to search for better economic conditions rather than become a member of a political party. The majority of these immigrants that chose this route are non-English speaking and not able to join or participate in an election. Instead, the immigrants are more likely to become members of religious organizations because they are accustomed to these religious ways in their country. Religion plays a major role in family and political life. Recent discussion amongst Puerto Rican government officials is pushing for Puerto Rico to become a legitimate U. S. state. Cuban Americans have asserted themselves politically and economically in the Miami, Florida area and are becoming the dominant ethnic community. In Florida this is where the most noteworthy Cuban American political organizations, research centers, and cultural institutions exist. Between 1989 and 1990, 78% of Cuban Americans registered to vote in comparison to 49. 3% of Mexican Americans, and 49. 9% of Puerto Ricans. Cuban Americans also seem to have a better economic security than other Hispanic groups. The average Cuban American income in 1986 was roughly $26,700 which was more than $6,700 for all Hispanic households. Cuban Americans are also highly educated; a vast majority has completed either college or graduate schooling. Cuban Americans are noted to be conservative politically and tend to vote for the Republican Party. The most important political organization in the Cuban American community is the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF). This organization is dedicated to restructuring U. S. olicy toward Cuba and removing Castro from Cuba. The CANF is also responsible for raising money for political purposes and lobbying elected officials. There has been much progress made in the Cuban American’s political role, they elected Cuban Americans to Congress and dominated the local political scene in the Miami area. However, the core issues still remain in the political debate of Cuban Americans; migration, Castro, and U. S. Republicanism. Dominicans view education to be a primary concern. Dominicans in the United States have fought one of their most important political battles over education. It was in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, that they organized together to voice to the local board of education. The school board consisted of no Dominican citizens but the school itself had a majority or Dominican school agers. The Dominicans protested to put a Dominican on board and they were successful in their motives. This began the political mobilization for Dominicans in the education arena. Other important political issue’s the U. S. Dominican community is concerned with is the status of undocumented migrants into the United States, citizenship status, and the police violence towards Dominicans. There have been several organizations and lobbies created to achieve these rights. As of now, Dominicans have not been involved in National politics, but have made efforts at local levels. The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) is a research, policy, and education organization dedicated to â€Å"developing and implementing programs that promote the integration of Latino immigrants into American society, developing future leaders among Latino youth, providing assistance and training to the nation's Latino elected and appointed officials and †¦ conducting research on issues important to the Latino population†. With the recent election of an African American into U. S. Presidency demonstrates how our society has evolved. The important fact to understand is not that we have a black president, but we have come to terms and not dismiss a candidate based on race. WE need to consider other important issues like this election has brought understanding that new opportunities have been made available for minorities in the political world. Our modern day society is beginning to change by taking positive steps in the right direction. References Alba, R. (2006). Mexican Americans and the American dream. Political Science & Politics_. American Political Science Association. _ Retrieved April 30, 2009 from http://www. apsanet. org/imgtest/PerspectivesJun06Alba. pdf Ballasy, N. (2010). Top Puerto Rican Government Leaders Argue for Statehood on Capitol Hill. Retrieved from http://www. cnsnews. com/news/article/65006 Countries and Their Cultures. (2009). Multicultural America. Retrieved from http://www. everyculture. om/multi/index. html Mongillo, I. (2010) Yale-New Haven Teacher Institute. Puerto Rican Cultural Differences in Politics. Retrieved http://www. yale. edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1980/6/80. 06. 08. x. html NALEO Educational Fund. (2010). Action Urgently Needed on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. http://www. naleo. org/ Pew Hispanic Center (2010). Key Issues for Hispanic Voters Include Education, Economy and Health Care. Retrieved from http://pewhispanic. org/newsroom/releases/release. php? ReleaseID=14 Pew Research Center Survey (2006). Chapter 7: Ideology and Policy Issues. Retrieved from http://pewhispanic. org/files/reports/75. 7. pdf Reshaping politics. Economist, 00130613, 1/9/2010, Vol. 394, Issue 8664 Retrieved from http://search. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=47437302&site=ehost-live Schaefer, R. (2006). Hispanic Americans. Week Seven Reading: Chapter 9. Retrieved from ETH/125—Cultural Diversity website. References Insert References Here.

Causes and Effects of Water Pollution Essay cause and effect paper, e

reason for that is that plastics take four hundred and fifty years to decompose in the water. Also many companies use plastic and people throw it in the waterways. Because water can float and be carried by the wind, it can cause harm to unsuspecting creatures hundreds of feet from where it was originally dumped. Such waste includes bags, bottles, cups, straws, cup lids, utensils, six pack holders, cling wrap, fishing line, bait bags, and floats. The second highest cause of water pollution is ship waste. Ships used to take much garbage with them on their ships and dump them. This was very common until the government took action. They were giving sailors up to one million dollars fines for disposing waste. Because of that, ships now carry less garbage with them. Animals are not the only thing being harmed by water wastes. Fishing lines, rope, and plastic nets are being caught in the rutter and the engine, but the ships are not exactly perfect. The other main cause of water pollu...

Learning Organization and Human Motivation Essay - 1

Learning Organization and Human Motivation - Essay Example By focusing on the performance measures, the companies have received knowledge of the processes. If the knowledge is used properly, improved goods and services and lower costs of rejection will be attained. Process improvement has often been accomplished through an integrated approach, using problem-solving techniques such as total quality management (TQM) tools and classic statistical analysis (Wiklund & Sandvik Wiklund, 1999a: pp. 101- 115, b: pp. 434- 443). Aspects related to the knowledge transformation where important approaches such as training and practice in the personal working situation have been discussed frequently (Wiklund & Sandvik Wiklund, 1999a: pp. 101- 115). Another aspect is how the company should change and act when disseminating methods and support quality improvement, where the structure of the company, strategies and education performance and content are considered essential factors for a successful implementation. An interesting question is how an improvement programme should be designed to support changed attitudes and result in changed behaviour and learning, which is a central necessity, among others, in such an implementation process. Six Sigma as an improvement programme has received considerable attention in the literature during the last few years (e.g. Bergman & Kroslid, 2000: pp. 260- 266; Breyfogle, 1999: p. 21-42; Harry, 1994: pp. 112-131, 1998: pp. 60- 64; Hellsten & Klefsjo , 2000: pp. 238- 244, Hoerl, 1998: pp. 35- 42; Klefsjo et al., 2001: pp. 31-35). Motorola launched Six Sigma in 1987 and was also the first to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) in 1988. Today, companies like Motorola, Texas Instruments, ABB, Allied Signal, General Electric (GE) and 3M have been striving to achieve Six Sigma quality, and as a result they have become known internationally as best-in-class companies (e.g. Fuller, 2000: pp. 311- 315; Sanders & Hild, 2000: , pp. 303-309). Although many success stories have been reported in the literature, the ultimate objective is to understand Six Sigma and place it in an appropriate context to reap the benefits. Well-known statistician and quality consultant Ron Snee (2000: pp. ix- xiv) has indicated that Six Sigma should be a strategic approach that works across all processes, products, company functions and industries'' and Bajaria (1999: n/a, 2000: pp. 15- 17) reinforces this idea as a nuts and bolts' point counterpoint discussion of each of 14 key Six Sigma ideas. In these papers by Bajaria an examination is made of the heads and tails of the Six Sigma concept and some warnings are also given against limitations and misuses. The technical aim of Six Sigma is to keep the distance between the process average and the nearest tolerance limit to at least six standard deviations and thus reduce variability in products and processes in order to prevent defects. The original motivation for Six Sigma at Motorola was centred on manufacturing improvement, and this was also how Six Sigma was introduced in many other organizations. To meet this aim, Six Sigma methods have been based heavily on the use of statistical methods to understand product and process performance.

The Market Opportunities Available to Carrefour in a South Africa Assignment

The Market Opportunities Available to Carrefour in a South Africa - Assignment Example This paper provides a detailed outline of the market entry strategies that the Board of Directors should consider for entering the retail business sector in South Africa. It has been recommended that the joint venture would be the safest and most profitable method of market entry. Table of Contents 1 Brief Synopsis of the Issue 4 Recommendation(s) 4 Background 4 Company overview 4 Theories of international trade and investments 5 Analysis of Market Opportunities in South Africa 6 Company Situation Analysis 10 Analysis of various types of market entry strategies 13 Market entry Strategy: Joint venture 15 Reference List 17 Brief Synopsis of the Issue The proposed market entry strategy for Carrefour is joint venture since this is the best option available to the firm for minimizing threat involved in entering the new market and for gaining knowledge of the local market. Recommendation(s) South Africa is a developing country and the national government is making efforts to attract foreig n direct investment Carrefour is a multinational firm with advanced technological know-how Joint venture with a well performing local firm in the same business is the best strategy to enter the South African market Background Recently, Carrefour has made an unsuccessful attempt to enter the Russian market with the aim of establishing a hypermarket in the country. The causes of the failures have been found to be lack of potential demand (particularly for organic food items) and low opportunities for acquisition and growth. This paper presents a case study, which acts as the platform on which the company should build its strategy to enter the South African market. Through this paper, it has been recommended that Carrefour should adopt the strategy of a joint venture for entering the South African retail industry. Company overview Carrefour was founded in France in the year 1960 by two entrepreneurs, one textile retailer and the other a food wholesaler. In 1960, the first store was hig hly successful and it marked the beginning of the company’s successful journey. In 1975, the company made its first venture outside Europe and opened a hypermarket in Brazil. Since then Carrefour has expanded its business across the globe. Presently, the company has 4635 stores in France alone and more than 5200 stores in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Caribbean and North Africa and Middle East (Carrefour, n.d.). However, in 2009, the company faced a setback while trying to establishing a hypermarket in Russia due to lack of demand for its organic food products (Indu, 2011). The company was forced to quit their business in Russia and exited after four months. It is currently considering South Africa as a prospective country for making investments. Theories of international trade and investments In the modern globalized business world, there is wide agreement on the benefits of international trade among the economist, politicians and academic researchers. Investments made in for eign countries are believed to boost up business operations around the world and also lead to economic progress of the host countries. These countries are encouraged to modify the economic policies pertaining to international trade in such as way, that they can promote international trade and investment.  

Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Andrew Jackson Essay

Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Andrew Jackson - Essay Example presidents Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, since the time the Constitution was drafted. Jefferson is well known to advocate governance of the country by common people whereas Hamilton believed in the ‘rule of the few’ or that the country be run by the elite who he argued could be trusted for being selfless as opposed to the greedy brutish trait of the common ones (Trey, 2009). In a way, this had extended to their positions regarding the issue of government centralization wherein while the Federalist Hamilton expressed belief in a strong central government, Democratic-Republican Jefferson perceived weakness in it yet imagined strength and solidarity in public control at its height. By the time certain economic decisions and policies were deliberated upon, taking foreign affairs to account, these revolutionary U.S. leaders further acquired opposing perspectives on addressing how the national debt should be managed. According to Hamilton, national debt ought to be kept permanent for the sake of a healthy economy for the nation and that such debt must be paid off by the government to the party in current possession of the certificate at the time. On the other hand, Jefferson contradicted the permanence to national debt and asserted that it should be the original bearer of the certificate who must get paid off, knowing that this would be advantageous to the common citizens. However, the following enactment approved the proposition made by Hamilton instead and the affluent became even wealthier, having purchased the certificate from their common counterparts (Trey). Similarly, the two greatly differed in terms of financial principles concerning the U.S. Bank. To Hamilton, the federal bank would help the Constitution to take in relevant effect as the country progressed in terms of debt settlements. Most merchants from the north highly complied to this view for their benefit but the ordinary people of the south and several others were unable to fi nd worth in a centralized bank especially for the case of the farmers. Thus, Jefferson earned their favor by supporting the philosophy that incorporation of a central bank is beyond sensible necessity. As another president who committed himself to being a ‘common man’ or man of the people, Andrew Jackson established policies for which his leadership received either revering loyalty of the mass or reviling hostility of those who could not take their intended advantage of his principles and relation. Such treatment of his regime may be attributed to policies where drawn for particular aspects as the spoils system, the nullification, the removal of Indians, and the ‘Bank War’. While Jacksonian democracy emerged to promote the rule of the ‘mass’ and the ‘common’ of America, the policies that substantiated Jackson’s regime and their impact apparently became the chief determinants that aid in the assessment of his presidency and t he truth of its underlying ethics. The crisis on nullification which became a sensationalized conflict in South Carolina is one of the areas through which his policy on tariffs may be evaluated. For Jackson, modest decisions in favor of tariffs are necessary to ensure national security and the stable production of commodities. This would also establish better commercial relations with European manufacturers, to be able to adjust revenue to the level that paid the nation’s debt. Jackson himself was against the philosophy of nullification, seeing how this had every tendency of dissolving the Union and violating the rule of majority. The tariffs imposed upon taxes on imported goods in the early 1930s, however, anguished the leaders and people of the state of South Carolina. Imposition of tariffs was treated with

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

Information Managment - Case Study Example However, these retailing powerhouses have weaker market presence in areas where Pamida is located thus creating a competitive, first entrant and first mover advantage for the company. (Porter, 1985) ShopKo has implemented a systems application called Markdown Optimizer in order to deal with pricing of a product according to season, store location, local tastes and past demand. The software analyzes historical pricing plus sales data in order to control and price product leftovers of individual stores. Pamida overhauled its inventory management systems in order to address product shortage from its different stores. It has implemented a full service distribution system in three warehouse locations. Initially, the company experienced setbacks and low earnings caused by the implementation of the new distribution system. This was due to a inappropriate allocation of resources where Pamida focused on new technology infrastructures and new merchandising software without modernizing their back-door operations. The warehouse management system was old, inflexible and outdated. The functionalities and features of the software were not anymore aligned to the new business strategy and it cannot cope up with the growth of the company's demand. The company normalized its distribution operations when it has utilized and employed a better and flexible distribution system software. Results and Business Benefits The ShopKo operations have benefited a lot from the new application. The Markdown Optimizer increased the gross margin and decreased its payroll costs from the previous year. Importantly, it has dramatically decreased the percentage of unsold goods at the end of each season. With these benefits, the net profit of ShopKo has increased. On the other hand, Pamida performed well by maintaining a high in-stock availability of merchandise through effective warehousing, efficient distribution and modernized information systems. At the end of 2001, Pamida has turned around its operational setbacks and implemented a functional full service distribution system.. They had become successful such that the company has decided to consolidate its distribution at two centers instead of three to further save on costs. Key Learnings Information systems strategies should be aligned with the business strategy of a company. It must not focus on modernization of infrastructures alone. It is important for IS to give value to the company and compliment the business goals. As part of strategic management, information system's role in the decision making process has become very important in the organization. It functions both as support and driver of corporate strategies.(Pearlson, 2001) An effective information system needs a valuable and useful symbiosis with the rest of the management structures in an organization.(Turban et al, 1999) Case 2: What Happened to Kmart Background Kmart was the largest discount chain in the retail industry. It was established in 1962 and has expanded to 63 stores at the end of 1963 through their introduction of discount stores.

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing Essay - 4

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing - Essay Example It is worth mentioning that the role of audit rotation in improving the standards and the efficiencies of audit is duly considered as one of the major determinants of audit quality. It is strongly believed that longer tenure of an auditor links with lower quality of audit and in this context, it can be affirmed that the rotation of auditors require to be taken into concern in order to enhance audit quality on the whole. In this present day context, misrepresentations and frauds have emerged considerably that eventually imposes extensive impacts upon audit quality. The misrepresentations along with the frauds have been arguably caused owing to the augmenting interests of the stakeholders and also the owners belonging to various business organisations. ... Discussing the Principle Need for Rotation of Auditors Impact on Auditor’s Independence It is quite evident that the periodic rotation of auditors plays a decisive role in enhancing the auditing quality of the client company by a considerable extent. It can be apparently observed that the rotation of auditors can be conducted both internally and externally. The auditor’s rotation in both of these forms is duly considered to be one of the chief determinants of enhancing audit quality. This is owing to the reasons of preventing the auditor’s depending relation with the management team of the client organisations and differentiating between the auditing process conducted by non-capital market and capital market oriented corporations. In order to determine the impact of auditor’s rotation on the independence of the auditors, it can be affirmed that the sovereignty of the auditors remains much limited in the context of auditing due to the existence of a special trust affiliation prevailing between them and the management team of the client organisations. Thus, with this concern, it can be affirmed that the independence of the auditors largely rely upon the interrelation, which prevail between the auditors and the management team. Specially mentioning, the principle need for rotation of auditors impose considerable impact on auditor’s performances, making them perform both auditing along with consulting services and preserving the auditing process ethically, irrespective of having close interrelation with the management team of diverse organisations (Velte & Stiglbauer, 2012). Mitigation of Conflict of Interests Apart from depicting the principle need for rotation of auditors in limiting the independency of the auditors, it can also be affirmed that

Financial analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial analysis - Essay Example Its Critical success factors are looked upon along with the strategies that it has followed over the years to maintain its Market Share in such a competitive industry. Background â€Å"Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Toulouse, France, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners. Some figures about Airbus are that is it’s a global company having 9 engineering design centers, 15 manufacturing sites, 20 languages, 24 hour customer support (365 days a year), 50 flight simulators, 88 nationalities and more than 5,300 aircraft delivered† (Linkedin, Airbus). American airline manufactures were the first ones to produce aircrafts in bulk quantity hence a competitor was required in Europe. As a response, three of the major European countries; France, United Kingdom and Germany joined together and built up the Airbus Industry. This was a government init iative of the above three countries to built up an organization that can give a proper competition to the American Airline Manufacturers such as Boeing, Lockheed, etc. Airbus came up with A300 as their first product; it was later modified to increase passenger capacity to more than 300 passengers and was known as A380. It was clearly evident that it was collaboration of three countries working together. Airbus’s engines were to be manufactured by Rolls Royce. Initially the company had to bear high development costs as their engines were produced by Rolls Royce. The engine designed by Rolls Royce was also facing major difficulties and delays. Gradually, the company has increased its competition by creating modern aircrafts which are dominating the market (Davies, 2001; Airbus - Gathering Clouds, 2008). The Airbus jetliner products line consists of 14 different aircraft models. All these models are diversified with respect to size, specification and capacity (Airbus.com). Revie w of Management Accounting According to CIMA, Management accounting â€Å"is the practical science of value creation within organizations in both the private and public sectors. It combines accounting, finance and management with the leading edge techniques needed to drive successful businesses. Management accountants operate in financial and non-financial roles throughout organizations and carry out all their training and experience requirements within business itself, providing them with a unique insight into how their organizations operate.† (CIMA Official Website) Management accounting, hence, plays a vital role in the success of any organization. It helps in giving an insight to the managers about the problem areas, risk factors and performance determinants which can be controlled by managerial decisions and processes. Critical Success Factor - Airbus Critical Success Factors in an airline manufacturing industry are the passenger capacity that the company has to offer, i ts performance, the organization’s reputation, etc. Airbus has been a leader in civil aircraft manufacturing for a decade or so in Europe and globally too it is recognized as a market leader along with Boeing, Lockheed, etc. All this is because Airbus has been very good when it comes to

Social media Essay Example for Free

Social media Essay Social media is being integrated in our everyday lives at a rapid pace. Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace have become a channel for social interaction, personal identification and network building among society. A student’s life would be unthinkable without Facebook and small to medium businesses for example food trucks would suffer without the enormity of audience volume of social media. These companies have evolved people’s lives and business in successful ways, the question remains to ask on how these companies are to remain profitable from individuals using their services. As Facebook remains to be the top social media portal, the company has many obstacles to overcome when it comes to ethical issues regarding security and privacy. Facebook has essentially become a personal identification database. This is very disconcerting as personal information can easily be accessed or recognized using Facebook. In the past, the company has faced protest and government action as it has practiced unfair and deceptive business research practices. The unethical research behavior issue at hand has to do with privacy concerns with its users. The problem involved has to do with users being unaware on how Facebook manages its personal information. The company conducted deceptive practices by not warning user’s that certain personal information was made public record, which was set to be private by the user. In other results, Facebook, which has almost a billion users worldwide, had allowed advertisers to glean personally identifiable information when a Facebook user clicked on an advertisement on his or her Facebook page. The injured party in facebook’s security and privacy breach is the user. The user has personal information that is only intended for his or her private forum. The user should be notified if any personal information is being viewed in a public forum. Also advertiser should not have the capabilities of tracking user information even though the user clicks on advertisements belonging to the company. As a result, the ability to track someone should be off limits. Social media has become a portal for personal information and can be viewed as a spy machine. This in turn could have reckless affects against the user and consumer. The unethical behavior has affected the organization, individual, and society in a spectrum of events. The organization or Facebook was investigated by the Federal Trade commission and was given a settlement that could result in fines. The government did not find that Facebook intentionally broke the law but must respect the privacy wishes of its users and must adhere to privacy audits the next 20 years. However, within the organization, Facebook potentially could have lost users and faced protest from society for certain products that were resulting in privacy and security concerns. In a report of 23 internet service companies, the watchdog organization Privacy international charged Facebook with severe privacy flaws and put it in the second lowest category for â€Å"substantial and comprehensive privacy threats† (â€Å"A race to the bottom†, 2007) As an individual, the company’s unethical behavior is disconcerting and should be more thoroughly recognized when using the Facebook’s service. Potentially the information viewed and received can report a lot of about people’s behavior and actions that could lead to further investigation. In a rather benign example, a police officer resorted to searching Facebook after witnessing a case of public urination outside a fraternity house at University of Illinois. Once on Facebook, the officer found the man he was looking for and cited the individual a $145. 00 ticket for public urination. (Dawson, 2007) Additionally, the Patriot Act allows state agencies to bypass privacy settings on Facebook in order to look up potential employees. (NACE spotlight online, 2006) The unethical behavior by Facebook has given society a reason to be concerned about the personal information that they may deem as irravalent data. Facebook or the internet for that matter is a spy machine that collects data and can be viewed to the public for research. As technology evolves, a new wave of computer hacking tools will develop using personal information from social media portals. In a experiment by Missouri student Charlie Rosenbury, who wrote a computer program that enable him to invite 250,000 people to be his friend and 30 percent added him to be his friend. (Jump, 2005) Simarily, the IT firm Sophos set up a fake profile to data mine â€Å"friends† for the purpose of identity theft. They found that out of 200 contacted people, 41 percent revealed personal information by either responding to the contact or immediately befriending the fake persona. (Sophos Facebook ID, 2007) The unethical behavior could be avoided or resolved by having safer business practices. Facebook is attempting to profit by large margins from its users for advertisement. The company has at present a billion users that could dangle to advertisers for the benefit of profiting in large scales. Facebook has not found a model to ethically keep users information private and maximize on the personal information of its users.

Catharine Parr Traills The Backwoods Of Canada English Literature Essay

Catharine Parr Traills The Backwoods Of Canada English Literature Essay Nevertheless, one of the ships officers soon dissuades Traill and her husband of this opinion as he states that, if they were closer, they would find every variety of disease, vice, poverty, filthy and famineà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬human misery in its most disgusting and maddening form. They move up river towards Quebec. However, once again, they are not allowed to go ashore due to pestilence within the city. Traills account of her experiences thus far, that is, the voyage and her first views of the Canadian landscape convey both the beauty of the vistas she perceived and their inherent dangers, as one can gather that hardship and disease were the constant companions of the lands natural beauty, which Traill is very good at describing in lyrical detail. Throughout her account, the modern reader learns interesting details of Canadian life during this era. For example, she is intrigued when the ship passes islands that have herd of cattle grazing on them. The captain explained that local farmers ferry the animals to the island on flat-bottomed boats or swim them across, if possible, and leave them to graze, with someone from the farm canoeing out to milk them on a daily basis. In Lower Canada, below Quebec, the land has a wild and rugged aspect, but Traill comments on the increased fertility as the ship approaches Montreal and how the land surrounding this city seems willing to yield her increase to a moderate exertion. Having landed in Montreal, Trail is struck by the dirty, narrow, ill-paved or unpaved streets. Ultimately, Traill and her husband settle near the town of Peterborough and become true pioneering settlers, as her husband is entitled to land due to his British military service. Furthermore, they are able to purchase land that will give them a water frontage. Throughout her letters, it is fascinating to read Traills very British take on North American life. For example, she is critical of log cabins that she views from the river where the settlers have not taken time out from survival to plant roses around their casements. Likewise, she is amazed that the sons of naval and military officers and clergymen stand behind the counter in shops or wield an axe in the woods and still maintain their rank and status among the aristocracy of the country. Likewise, she is equally surprised that the Americans she meets are polite, well-behaved people rather than the exhibiting the odious manners that she expected. Those people with the worst manners, who displayed a sense of independence that was not exactly suitable to their actual station in life were people who, like themselves, were European settlers. In particular, Traill criticizes a young Scotsman who seemed to be particularly adamant on stressing to Traill and her husband, as English aristocra ts that in the New World, he was not obliged to observe the niceties of the European class system. At every juncture in their journey, the Traills seem to have an easier time of handling the many transitions of emigration as they have money and can purchase assistance. For example, when they finally arrive at their homestead, Traills husband hired people to log up (that is, to draw the chopped timbers into heaps for burning) and clear a space for building our house upon. Nevertheless, she explains to her British mother, and in doing so also to her British readership, that they were also expected to call the bee,' that is, to provide everything necessary for the entertainment of our worthy hive, i.e., the neighbors who assemble to raise the walls of your house, shanty, barn or any other building in a raising bee.' Once again, Traill appears to be astonished that all evidence of class distinctions are laid aside in order for neighbors to help each other. It is interesting to note how Traill quickly learns to abandon the notions of what is proper, which she naturally brought with her from England, as she adapts to her new country. She comments on the need for adaptation by writing about the different peoples to whom life in Canada is well suited. For example, she says that the poor laborer suited to this life because, after a few years of hard work, he can enjoy his own log-house and the fruits of his land and see his children grow up as independent freeholders. Likewise, a rich speculator can do well in the New World. However, an aristocrat whose habits have rendered him unfit for manual labor is not suited to life in North American to the slightest degree, for if he is idle himself, his wife extravagant and discontented, and the children taught to despise laborThey will soon be brought down to ruin. When the Traill home is finished, it sounds extremely inviting. The pillars of their verandah are extremely pretty, wreathed with the luxuriant hop-vine, mixed with the scarlet creeper and morning glory, the American name for the most splendid flowering plant. They have a handsome Franklin stove with brass gallery and fender for warmth and also a brass-railed sofaCanadian painted chairs, a stained pine table, green and white curtains and a handsome Indian mat that covers the floor. Their many books occupy one side of the room, while large maps and prints cover the rough walls. Traill has a knack for description that enlivens her entire narrative, as she paints verbal portraits of landscapes and settings that enable her readers to envision what she sees and does. Sometimes, her reactions are surprising. For example, in describing the severe cold of a Canadian winter, she seems perplexed by the presence of static electricity in her clothing. Nevertheless, while suffering to some extent in the severe cold. Traill is, as always, able to find something pleasurable about the experience and she also lists the charms of this season. By the end of her narrative, Traill has totally discarded all reference that disparage her life in North America as compared to life in England and embraced freedom from convention, identifying herself as a bush-settler, writing: we bush-settler are more independent: we do what we like; we dress as we find most suitable and most convenient; we are totally without the fear of any Mr. or Mrs. Grundy; and having shaken off the trammels of Grundyism, we laugh at the absurdity of those who voluntarily forge afresh and hug their chains. From this passage, it is implied that the reference to Grundyism refers to the notions of etiquette that Traill has thoroughly rejected as inappropriate and silly within the context of frontier life. It is easy to see that a nascent sense of the Canadian national character being forged in her consciousness, as she rejects class distinctions and embraces the liberty and opportunity possible in her new life.