The African Art Influence on Pablo Picassos Work Research Paper

The African Art Influence on Pablo Picassos Work - Research Paper Example The paper "The African Art Influence on Pablo Picasso’s Work" discusses the ways in which African art influenced the art of Pablo Picasso. It also provides examples of his artworks to support this idea. His most famous work of art was the "Les Demoiselles d' Avignon"1907 that portrayed the proto cubist as part of the movement that he had cofounded with Georges Braque. His paintings were astounding pieces of art as he demonstrated his prowess at an early age. The paintings he did carried with them the realistic aspect during his adolescent years. While in Paris, he revolutionized his tact by incepting art expressions by African artists. Picasso described artifacts from Africa as forms that did not represent ideas that existed in the natural world. For him, this was the beginning of an untainted carrier as his works stood above those of his rival artists. His style was unique, as he became one of the first artists not to draw influence from the western art. Remarkably, he became the pioneer of the new aesthetic form of communicative art that dwelled on expressions and ideas from Africa. In essence, the European Scramble for Africa aided the growth of African art in France. Traditional art found its way to France through the travels of the Frenchmen across its vast territory as part of their expeditions. Essentially, Pablo first encountered traditional African art at the Musee d’ Ethnographie, which was a museum in central Paris that interred antiques from the African continent. To other scholars and artists, this form of art was primitive2 as the continent had not yet experienced any form westernization. Ironically, Matisse, a French artist also influenced Picasso to majoring in to African art. During one of the dinners at their friend Getrude Stein, Matisse showed Picasso a Congolese piece that he had purchased from a supplier of African artifacts who went by the name Emile Heymann3. Picasso could not have enough of the piece that evening, and even tually it led him into making apiece inspired by the artwork he had seen. Les Demoiselles d ’Avignon Les Demoiselles d ’Avignon became a painting that a French critic viewed as one which had erupted from an ever-blazing fire. For instance, the fire that the critic referred to was the constant artistic battle between Matisse and Picasso. By doing the painting, Picasso tried proved to prove to the world that he was better than Matisse was. It was a reply to Matisse’s painting Le Bonheur de Vivre which he unveiled during an exhibition for the emerging artists. During the exhibition, the spotlight was on him because of the Le Bonheur de Vivre enormous piece that had captured the entire audience. This stirred up emotions in Picasso’s mind as Matisse’s painting had utilized color and form to create an incredible blend of the two concepts. As a result, Picasso did Les Demoiselles d ’Avignon as a counter attack to Matisse. The Les Demoiselles d â₠¬â„¢Avignon painting involved two stages to complete it. The first stage had the original concept of women at a Barcelonan brothel that which he had visited. The second stage of doing this painting drew inspiration from his visit to the Trocadero museum of African art, which totally revolutionized the idea. He opted to use masklike faces that synchronized with a two dimensional plane instead of the initial attractive females who were nude. The Bakota people from Gabon inspired the figures while the Dan4 people from Ivory Coast

Prosperity of Australia Essay Example for Free

Prosperity of Australia Essay Presently there are about 3. 6 million people who are living on less than $A400 per week. Around two million Australians are living in poor conditions with only one earning person in a single family. Nearly 700,000 children growing in families where none of both the parents have a full time job. Among the poorest only 20 per cent of population hold government service. The Democrats are debating on the issue of poverty in Australia, with a concrete fact that over the past decades there has been a continuous economic growth in Australia despite of which the poor were worst effected and the prosperity of Australia has not reached the poor. This has been further supported by Government by reducing the incomes of many single parents and of disabled people, which has contributed to the growth of higher poverty. Living in poverty is a struggle and affects families in physical and mental health. It can even be stated here that ‘healthy families make a healthy society’ and societies make a state and healthy states make a healthy nation. The importance and significance of healthy families is much larger and plays a pivotal role in making a happier and prosperous nation. There are segregations about class living and style such as ‘middle class’ ‘upper middle class’, ‘luxurious class’ and last, not least ‘poor class’ which receive a minute attention in all aspects of health care, nutrition and in efforting to make both ends meet which is a great responsibility of governments to provide food and shelter as a basic need for living. The pestilence of poverty is tiresome and requires a great amount of effort and hard work from the end of governments to create job opportunities, encouraging new small and big industries, encouraging basic education and providing some discounted facilities for further advancement in education, creating new and innovative career and job opportunities or self-employment schemes by providing small amount of financial loans from banks to make a living for poor. As a matter of fact, how much ever new jobs are created either in government, public or private sector, many people are still left not having a seat for job which means that public bodies cannot create jobs till the number of zero and it is for the unemployed to seek and find an area of source through which income can be generated on one side and on the other side, make a happy family. In this regard, computer technology offers a multiplex opportunities and with basic knowledge of computer, unemployed can offer services of various kinds and can make a living by setting SOHO (Small office Home office) Such as this, there are many other professional methods to reduce poverty line and introduce better standards of living among poor people, viz., computer technical jobs, software jobs, application jobs and other electronic communication jobs and even industrial and public sector labor jobs can be advantageous to create job opportunities wherein with minimum education, jobs can be suitably found which would at least enable most of the family members to stay in jobs and endeavor to grow further for hike in salaries. However, these are not as easy as stated and it requires more efforts, job and employment schemes from Governments in the interest and prestige of nation. Otherwise, this would further deteriorate the standards of living of children, elderly and ageing couple, single parented families, young people and students and migrants. According to the survey conducted in the year 2001, there are 100,000 people who are homeless and looking for home assistance. Poverty rate in cities is 10. 5 per cent and it is 12 per cent in other states and territories. It is also to be noted that 6 out of 10 poor Australians are living in capital cities which concludes a fact that both regional areas along with cities have to be equally assisted in development of strategies to remove poverty. In March 2004, there were stringent efforts by Senate Community Affairs Committee has issued a report on poverty and financial hardship which stated that â€Å"â€Å"These key findings presented below serve to illustrate a compelling case that Australia will face a crisis of poverty and disadvantage in the coming years. They carry with them the implication that Australians are increasingly at risk of falling into poverty and indeed more so now than at anytime during the post-war era. What is most disturbing however is the common theme that while poverty is becoming more entrenched and more intractable, the Commonwealth is increasingly abrogating its responsibility to tackle this great indignity inflicted on the Australian people. † The Senate Committee further recommended 95 strategies to be implemented in Australia. Some of the important recommendations are viz. , development of a strategy for providing national jobs, focusing on school education, work and training and how to advance in education without deviating from work, research on skills, wages, where the shortage exists, the reasons for low-pay jobs, the problem of casual workers and job insecurity, a guaranteed work experience of six months for those who were without employment for a period of two years, provision of employment security and social security to casual workers by strengthening work environments and poverty proof wage system which has an economic measuring scale for adequate and satisfied living.

The Cloning Dilemma :: Science Genetics Essays

The Cloning Dilemma Cloning is one of the most widely talked about topics in this world. It is one topic that evokes a great public response worldwide. The defenders of cloning believe that cloning and genetic engineering will be the answer to most of the diseases in the future. On the other hand, the people against cloning view it as ‘ playing God ’. Cloning is unethical because people will lose their identities if their clones come into this world. We are taking nature into our own hands by cloning animals or humans. Cloning is the process of creating a cell, tissue line or even a complete organism from a single cell. The concept of cloning was introduced in 1903, and plants were the first living organisms to be cloned. Other examples of clones are trees sending up runners, worms dividing into smaller worms, populations of genetically identical bacteria and cells dividing into tissue. The word clone actually comes from the Greek root for â€Å" twig † ( klon ). Human cloning is a prospect no longer left to the fantastic realm of science fiction novels; rather it is a modern possibility. In 1997, embryologists in Scotland cloned the first mammal, a sheep named Dolly. Shortly thereafter, scientists in the United States cloned a set of monkeys. There are many advantages and disadvantages of cloning and a lot of ethical issues related to it. The entire realm of biotechnology is fraught with dangers and problems that require careful study and democratic debate of key ethical issues. In an era where everything depends on technology and where life can be created and redesigned in a Petri dish and genetic codes can be edited like a digital text, the distinction between ‘ natural ’ and ‘ artificial ’ have become very complex. The defenders of biotechnology extol its potential to increase food production and quality and to cure diseases and prolong human life. Its critics, on the other hand, claim that genetic engineering of food would produce â€Å" Frankenfoods † (Best and Kellner 440) that would pollute

Malaysia’s Seven Types of Schools

There are hundreds, if not thousand of schools in this world. In Malaysia, we have seven types of schools. They are Malay schools, Tamil schools, Chinese schools, international schools, private schools, and religious schools. There is only one type of Malay schools and they are the Malay government schools. Malay schools are the most common types of schools in Malaysia. You can find at least one Malay school in a town. Malay schools are divided into two. They are the Malay primary schools and the Malay secondary schools. Malaysians start their primary school education at the age of seven. They will then be in standard 1 and they will stay until they are in standard 6, which is until they are 12 years old. The following year they will go to form 1 in the secondary school and they will continue studying there until they finish form 5 so that they can go to either college or start work immediately or they can continue to form 6 so that they can go to university immediately thereafter. Every student has to sit for the UPSR examination when they are in standard 6, the PMR examination when they are in form 3, the SPM examination when they are in form 5, and the STPM examination when they are in form 6. All the lessons in the primary and secondary schools are, with the exception of the English lesson, are conducted in Malay. There is only one type of Tamil school in Malaysia and they are the government ones. Tamil schools are very much like the Malay schools with the exception that all lessons except English and Malay are in Tamil. Their syllabus is a lot like the syllabus of the Malay schools. The only difference is that they have to enter a Malay school when they go to form one. They normally spend a year in a special class after they finish the UPSR examination so that they can cope with the high standard of Malay in the Malay school they will be going to. Then they will they will continue studying at the school like any other student. Chinese schools are very much like Tamil schools. All their lessons except English and Malay are in Chinese. Their syllabus is a lot like the syllabus of the Malay schools. However, they can choose to continue their education in a Chinese secondary school after they finish their UPSR examination or they can choose to go to a special class after the examination and then continue their education in a Malay secondary school. There are two types of international schools, the private ones that follow the British syllabus, and the government ones that follow the Malaysian syllabus. The private international schools can be mainly found in Kuala Lumpur whereas the government ones can be found in almost every state capital. An example of a private international school is the Alice Smith International School in Kuala Lumpur and an example of government international schools is the Sri Utama International School. Private schools are run totally by the school board without any help from the government at all. If they have any problems, they have to overcome it themselves. They get no funding from the government so they have to get money by whatever means they can. That is why the school fees are very expensive. Their syllabus is basically like the normal syllabus of the government schools. Las,t but definitely not least, is the Islamic religious schools. Islamic students go there to learn about their religion and to learn how to speak and write Jawi. They normally study there for six years, but those who are really interested can go to a secondary school that teaches mainly Islam. There they will also learn all the other subjects that normal students do. We should be happy that we are lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to a school to have an education. There are hundreds if not thousands of children out there who do not have the opportunity to go to school. So my friends do not waste this opportunity. Use it while you can.

Mobile Phones: Resource or Distraction in Studies

Mobile phones: a resource or distraction in education Mobile phones are one of the greatest inventions of mankind. Through his invention he has created his own world at his fingertips. He has removed the hindrance of distance between him and the world. But the important question which needs to be answered now is what should be the role of mobile devices in the learning process? It has been a key factor contributing to bad grades, also several health related disorders among students, but on the other hand, mobile devices can help students with quick research and provide a vital communication link to their, classmates, and even teachers.Students who do subjects which require field work research will need cell phones while in the field. All modern cell phones can be used to take pictures in the field, create reports using simple word processing applications, save and submit data back to their schools. If their school has a remote storage facility, students can easily back up their field work notes, videos and picture on that server while in the field. Most mobile phone service providers offer cheap internet subscription packages, so students will find it easy to transfer data or make more extensive research online using their cell phone.Both parents and teachers will need to stay in touch with their children and students, so cell phones will make this communication simple. Also students use cell phones to join peer to peer discussions which can help them ask any thing educational during this discussion. This discussion can be hosted on online educational social networks like Piazza. com, this network has mobile phones apps which a student can install and join any academic discussion using their mobile phones. It is very important for students to be in position to learn from anywhere at any time.The education world is changing and many scholars are attending virtual classrooms. Online education is now becoming so popular than before, mobile phones have also helped in the growth of Mobile-Learning. Since today’s cell phones have more than one application, students will always get distracted in the quest of trying to discover and try out new cell phone applications. Female students are more likely to get distracted by mobile applications like Pinterest, Facebook or twitter, then for the male students, they can get distracted by cell phone game applications or video streaming applications.This continuous distraction will affect a student’s concentration in the classroom, and it can also distract other students around them. When it comes to exam time, they will resort to cheating. So they can decide to scan their notes on their cell phones or use text messaging service to cheat exams. Then some students can Google exam questions and copy whatever they find online, and in most cases this data published online is not correct which results into exam failure.This trend will only increase, and it's up to parents and teachers to balance t he pros and cons of using cell phones as part of the learning process. While there is no single solution, perhaps there are lessons to be learned from the early internet era. The internet was at first seen as a new frontier with dangers lurking behind each click, whereas today schools and parents have universally embraced the web as a medium for research, education and efficient communication. With appropriate safeguards and reasonable policies, perhaps cell phones and web-enabled smart phones can run a similar course.

What Is a Good GPA Whats a Bad GPA for College

What Is a Good GPA What's a Bad GPA for College SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re starting to think about your plans for college, you might be wondering what is considered a good high school GPA or a bad high school GPA in the eyes of admissions officers. This is a complicated question, and it depends on several factors that colleges will take into consideration. In this article, I’ll give you some perspective on what a good GPA and a bad GPA are based on national statistics and your individual circumstances. I’ll also provide advice on the best ways to improve your GPA. Your coursework and GPA are one of the most important pieces to your college application - some colleges consider it your MOST important factor - so make sure you do your research and know where you fit in. What’s a Good GPA Compared to the National Average? Nationally, the average unweighted high school GPA isabout a 3.0, which is a B average. If your GPA is above a 3.0, you’re most likely doing pretty well, but it all depends on how your school calculates GPA and what your ultimate goals are. Keep in mind that this is the average for all students in the country, which includes the 34% of high school students who don't go on to college. The average high school GPA for college-bound students is likely higher than a 3.0. Typically a 3.5-4.0 GPA, which means an A- or A average, is expected for admission to top colleges.However, you may be able to gain acceptance to a less selective school with a GPA that’s as low as a 2.0 or C- average.The concrete numbers are less important than your individual experience and the details of how you earned your GPA, which I’ll discuss in the next section. What’s a Good GPA for YOU? This is a much more important question to ask yourself becauseevery high school is different, and so is every student.Remember that colleges will take into account all the information they have about your high school when assessing your GPA. They don’t look at it out of context in comparison to the national average.Admissions officers realize that two students from different high schools may have different GPAs but relatively equal academic potential. Determining what a good GPA and a bad GPA mean for you mainly means considering three different factors. #1: Your School Does your school give you a weighted or unweighted GPA?At some high schools, two students might both have 4.0s that each mean something different because one student is in advanced classes, and the other is in lower-level classes.If they are unweighted GPAs, colleges will consider the student who takes higher-level classes to be more qualified. Even though both students are earning As, one is earning them with more challenging material. If these are weighted GPAs, it might mean the student in high-level classes is earning Bs, and the student in lower-level classes is earning As. In this situation, colleges will still look more favorably on the student in high-level classes who was willing to take on more intellectual challenges.The point is that a better GPA doesn’t necessarily mean a higher one; you should challenge yourself with your coursework first and foremost. Don't drop down a level in a course so you can get an A - this won't fool colleges into thinking you're a more qualified applicant. If your GPA isn’t perfect but you’re at the top of your class, this might just mean that your school is tough, and it would be nearly impossible to get a flawless GPA (even if students at other less rigorous schools manage it).Once again, colleges will understand these circumstances and take them into account.A 3.7 GPA at your school could potentially look better to admissions officers than a 4.0 GPA at another school. #2: Your Classes So you have all As in your classes and a 4.0 GPA - you’re doing awesome, right?Maybe, maybe not.If you’re getting all As in the highest-level classes your school offers, yes, your GPA is amazing, and colleges will be extremely impressed.However, if you’re taking easy classes just because you know you can get As, the 4.0 on your transcript will not blind admissions officers to the fact that you’re not really challenging yourself. This isn’t to say that everyone should try to take the highest-level classes in every subject.You don’t want to kill yourself with stress, and it’s good for most people to have one or two less rigorous classes. Butif there's a subject you’re really interested in or think you might want to pursue as a course of study in college, try and push yourself to take high-level classes.Even if it brings down your GPA a bit, it will demonstrate that you're a driven student who is willing to take risks to gain a better understanding of the subject.Taking progressively more challenging classes throughout high school, even if it doesn’t raise your GPA, makes your GPA â€Å"better† in the eyes of admissions officers because it’s hard-earned. Climb to the peak of your academic potential! Man, I should write copy for motivational posters. #3: Your Goals for College Do you have your heart set on an Ivy League? Are you planning on attending your state school for a lower tuition price tag? What’s important to you in a college?At Harvard, for example, almost 90% of incoming freshmen have a GPA that’s above a 3.75 (the average GPA is a 3.93), meaning a solid A average. Considering the standards of top schools, it’s likely that most of those GPAs were earned in the highest-level classes in high school. When you have this level of selectivity, students' coursework will be scrutinized just as closely as the numerical values of their GPAs; schools like Harvard are only looking for the top performing students in the highest-level classes. To give a slightly less selective example, at the University of Oregon the average GPA was a 3.6, meaning most students earned around a B+/A- average in high school. It's likely that the courseload of these students was also less challenging, so they may have taken a fair amount of mid-level or lower-level classes in the process of earning their GPAs. These are students that have solid grades but are not at the very top of their classes. You'll need to take a look at the average GPA for incoming freshmen at your colleges of choice to get a sense of where you need to be.Of course, this statistic isn’t the be-all and end-all. Some students with lower than average GPAs will be accepted, and some students with higher than average GPAs will be rejected.It’s important to make sure you’re also looking at the other factors in conjunction with these statistics to figure out what the best GPA range is for you. In the next section, I'll go over how to find and make sense of this information. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Step by Step: Figuring Out a Good GPA for Your Situation So how do you actually decide whether your GPA is good in the context of your plans for college? Follow these steps to get a more solid idea of where you are and where you need to be. 1. Make a list of colleges you think you're interested in. I would recommend Cappex for conducting a low stress college search and making a quick list of possibilities. 2. Research the average GPAs and admission rates for the colleges on your list. Make notes on these statistics so you can refer to them later. To find the admission rate and average GPA at any school, Google "college name" + "admission requirements" + "PrepScholar". We've compiled all the information in a database to make it simpler for you! 3. Compare your GPA to the average GPAs that you find at your schools.A good way to do this is with a chart, such as the blank one we've included below that you can fill in. Once you've found average GPAs, compare them to your own.Are you above or below average?Most schools will give you unweighted GPA statistics, so if your GPA is weighted make sure to take this into consideration. School Name Average GPA (Unweighted) Average GPA (Unweighted) 4. If you're above the average, that's great news! It most likely means that you have a good chance of admission. If you're below the average, you may still have a chance depending on how far off you are. This just means the school will probably be a reach for you. 5. As a last step, you should look at the admissions rates for your chosen colleges. Two schools may have very different admission rates but the same average GPAs. This means that the more selective school expects the same GPA but with more challenging coursework. If a school has an admissions rate of less than 20%, you can assume that you're expected to have a record of very challenging coursework in addition to meeting the average GPA standards. If the admissions rate is between 20 and 40% the school will expect somewhat challenging coursework. If the admissions rate is between 40 and 60%, the school will expect mid-level coursework, and if it's higher than 60% you will probably be able to get away with taking a fair amount of lower level classes as long as your GPA is still relatively high. But I got an A+ in gym! I aced the rainbow parachute unit! HOW COULD THEY NOT WANT ME What Can You Do to Improve Your GPA? I won’t sugarcoat this: It’s not easy to improve your GPA, and it only gets more difficult as high school goes on.If you’re a freshman or sophomore, you still have time to make significant changes.If you’re a junior, you should probably focus more on improving your test scores.Relative to time spent studying, test scores are the easiest way to improve your chances at college admission.They will be given about as much weight in the admissions decision as your GPA for most schools. If you can manage really good scores, you will have a much better chance of getting in even if your GPA is below average for admitted students. I would say there are three main things that you can do if you want to make your GPA better in the eyes of colleges: #1: Take Increasingly Harder Classes This may seem paradoxical. Won’t your GPA go down if you take harder classes?Well, yes, the numbers might go down, but your GPA will be more impressive to colleges if it was earned in challenging classes.Try to level up as you progress through high school to show that you're willing to work hard for your grades.You should only follow this advice if your GPA is already good by the numbers but you aren’t taking difficult classes.If you’re struggling with your current course load, don’t risk moving up and failing a class!It’s your job to understand and respect your limits in terms of stress and time spent on schoolwork. #2: Ask for Extra Help A mistake that many struggling students make is that they don’t ask for help from their teachers.I understand that asking for help isn’t always easy - I know that I myself avoided it for years, and it only hurt me.Asking for help is the SMART thing to do, and it’s going to allow you to get the individual attention you might need in order to understand concepts better.Your teachers will appreciate that you’re making an effort, and you will most likely come away feeling more optimistic about your ability to grasp the material.This is going to be one of the best ways to see a significant positive effect on your grades. #3: Stick to a Schedule and Stay Focused Easier said than done, right?But if you’re serious about improving your grades, this is the bottom line.Procrastination and lack of studying may be hurting your grades more than your academic ability.If you always do everything the night before for "long-term" projects or just glance over your notes briefly before tests, you may need to reassess your habits. Casually reading over the stuff you need to know doesn’t count as legitimate studying unless you go back and verify that you've absorbed it.Think critically about your study habits, and see if there are any areas where you can improve. If you need to create a schedule for yourself in order to keep up with your goals, go for it. All you need is a calendar and some glue. That's how this works, right? Final Assessment What’s a good GPA? What’s a bad GPA? The real answer, as frustrating as this may be, is that it depends!Though the national average high school GPA is around a 3.0, that might actually be a very good GPA or a not so good GPA for you depending on your circumstances and goals.It’s important to consider how your school calculates GPA, the level of your coursework, and the selectivity of the schools you hope to attend in deciding whether your GPA is good. Though GPA is very difficult to improve, you may be able to make significant changes if you’re a dedicated freshman or sophomore by challenging yourself with your coursework, asking for extra help, and revising your study habits.If it’s too late to significantly improve your GPA and you don’t feel that it’s quite as good as it should be, focus instead on improving your standardized test scores.This will give you a better return on investment for the hours you spend studying. Remember that the actual number value of your GPA doesn’t matter nearly as much as the effort you put in to get there. Just keep working hard, and don’t get discouraged! // // What's Next? Another important aspect of your college application will be letters of recommendation from teachers. Read this guide on the best way to ask for recommendations. If you're planning on applying to the top schools in the country, a great GPA isn't the only thing you should focus on. Learn more about how to get into the most selective colleges. Looking into attending state schools and need some advice on how to pay your way? Here's how to get accepted to honors programs and earn merit scholarships at state schools. Want to improve your GPA?Check out our in-depth guide to raising your grades, from a writer who got a perfect 4.0 GPA. Read it for free now:

The Impact of ICT on Productivity within the Nigerian Banking Sector The WritePass Journal

The Impact of ICT on Productivity within the Nigerian Banking Sector Chapter 1 – Introduction The Impact of ICT on Productivity within the Nigerian Banking Sector Chapter 1 – Introduction1.1 Background1.2 Reason for Research Topic1.3 Study Aim and Objectives1.4 Project Constraints1.5 Study Methodology 1.5.1 Literature Review1.5.2 Primary Research1.5.3 Case study approach1.6 Dissertation Overview1.6.1 Abstract1.6.2 Chapter 1: Introduction: 1.6.3 Chapter 2: Literature Review1.6.4 Chapter 3: Case Study (Development of Survey)1.6.5 Chapter 4: Evaluation Discussion1.6.6 Chapter 5: Conclusion CHAPTER 3: SURVEY RESEARCH3.1 Introduction3.2 Method of Research   3.3 Qualities of a Good Research Question3.4 Structure of Survey3.5 Design of Questionnaire 3.6 Terminologies used in Questionnaire3.7 Method of Distribution3.8 Pretesting the Questionnaire3.9 Changes Made as a result of Pretesting3.10 Intended Participants of Survey 3.11 Ethics of a Questionnaire  3.12 Final VersionRelated Chapter 1 – Introduction 1.1 Background The Banking industry is considerably one of the largest industries in Nigeria providing employment for an estimated twenty two thousand people nationwide and generating 9% of the annual GDP of the country. Nigeria is considered to be one of the fastest growing telecommunications nations in Africa, investing heavily in ICT and related information technology Chiemeke et al (2006). One of its major investors has been the banks, however with their major investments the use of ICT has arguably had an effect on efficiency and has made operations faster nevertheless there has been no major evidence that indicates that they have increased productivity, productivity been an important factor for banks and other organizations as it can help drive economic and organizational growth and most importantly help organization increase their profit. This study delves into the realms of the banking industry in Nigeria in an attempt to discover the impact of the use of ICT has had on productivity. This study will incorporate primary and secondary research in an attempt to determine if the use of ICT has improves productivity in the banking industry and also to get a better understanding of the industry or not and their ICT practices. The outcome will be a set of recommendations aimed at suggesting possible ways to use ICT to improve productivity. This study aims at informing and advising the people in the Nigerian Banking industry considering the how use of ICT can be further used to improve productivity as well as academics who seek to broaden their insight of the industry in such light. The research and discussion will be condensed to a set of recommendations. 1.2 Reason for Research Topic The motivation behind conducting this research into the impact the use of ICT has on productivity in the Nigerian banking industry comes from the lack of such research in the region as a series of similar studies have been carried out in other developed countries. Nigerian is often regarded as the giant of Africa more so they are said to be highest investors in the use of Information communication technology in Africa, the use of ICT has no doubt contributed to the growth of the various industries in the country however there is no direct knowledge as to if the use of ICT has increased productivity in the banking industry, thus the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the use of ICT in the Nigerian banking industry on productivity. 1.3 Study Aim and Objectives The aim of this study project is to answer the question â€Å"does the use of ICT improve productivity in banking in Nigeria†. In order to meet this aim, this study seeks accomplish the following objectives, identify If the use of I.C.T improved productivity in Nigerian banking industry? How can ICT be used effectively to impact productivity. The benefits of ICT in banking. The problems of ICT in banking. 1.4 Project Constraints    In the course of writing this dissertation a few constraints where met as predicted in the project initiation document, this constraints include: Access to information: facts and information where needed and they couldn’t be gotten off the internet as such they had to be physically collected from the office of the central bank of Nigeria and relayed back via email. Falling ill: in the process of writing this project the author fell ill two times living the project unattended to for a total of three weeks Lack of prior knowledge: the author had no prior adept knowledge of the points that will be discussed in this study as such the author had to carry out extensive research and reading so as to broaden the gap of knowledge.       1.5 Study Methodology 1.5.1 Literature Review A full review of literature will be given, which will set the scene gives a general overview of the banking industry, the use of ICT and productivity, however it later goes on to give a more information of the Nigerian banking industry which is the subject of this study and its challenges in regards of the use of ICT and how they in turn affect productivity. 1.5.2 Primary Research A survey will be carried out to help determine the impact ICT has on productivity in Nigeria. A survey is a popular strategy used in business and management research. Surveys are often carried out through the use of a questionnaire as the data is standardised and allows for easy comparison and they allow the collection of a large amount of data from a sizeable population in a highly economical way (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2003). All the data acquired in this survey was through the use of a questionnaire issued to certain employees in a number of banks. Having completed the primary research a number of analysis tools and techniques were used to analyse the information, an overview of the tools and techniques used is in chapter 4. The banks that were involved in this study are based in Nigeria. In the course of research for this study the author discovered there has been little or no study on the research in this topic in this region of the world compared to the UK and other European countries as such the author decided to use the Nigerian banking industry as the centre of research. The survey questions are to be spread to as many banks as possible with the hope of getting responses from 15 of the 25 banks in the country; however the survey questions will be spread amongst a minimum of two branches per bank including the headquarters of those banks; however there is no certainty that it will be spread in that order as the survey is online, and also there is no assurance that there be a 100% response rate. The survey should take about 2weeks considering the various factors that may pose challenge and an 80% response rate are expected. 1.5.3 Case study approach A case study is defined as â€Å"a strategy for carrying out research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence†, (Robson, 2002). In summary the case study strategy will help guide and gain knowledge and rich understanding of the primary research carried out in this study. Case study strategy has the ability to generate answers to the various questions such as ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘how’; however a good case study can enable the challenge of an existing theory and provide a good source for new hypothesis (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill, 2003). 1.6 Dissertation Overview Now the scene has been set and an idea of what the study will revolve around has been given as such a brief layout of the writing structure will be given which will include a brief summary of what the various chapters will be about. 1.6.1 Abstract 1.6.2 Chapter 1: Introduction: 1.6.3 Chapter 2: Literature Review This chapter consists of secondary research gathered from books, journals providing knowledge, understanding and insight as to what’s been done in this line of research. 1.6.4 Chapter 3: Case Study (Development of Survey) This chapter focuses on the development of the survey used for primary research in an attempt to gain proper knowledge and understanding and also answer the question the topic of the study possess. 1.6.5 Chapter 4: Evaluation Discussion This chapter contains a step by step analysis of the data gotten from the survey and also a discussion as to what the answers of the survey imply. 1.6.6 Chapter 5: Conclusion This final chapter is a conclusion of the whole project as it summaries the previous chapters and gives a critical reflection of the process involved in the process of writing this study and finally it suggests methods for further improvement. CHAPTER 3: SURVEY RESEARCH    3.1 Introduction This study is based on an investigation into the impact of ICT on productivity in the banking industry. For the purpose of this study no particular bank was the sole focus of the research as information from one source will not be enough to assess the extent as such for this study the survey will be carried out using a number of different banks with the aid of a questionnaire which includes both qualitative and quantitative data. 3.2 Method of Research In conducting primary research a number of activities can be used such as questionnaires, interviews, tests and documentary analysis, but for the purpose of this research the questionnaire method was the only method chosen as it is cheaper, faster, has a larger response base and can cover a lot of ground compared to other methods.   3.3 Qualities of a Good Research Question In carrying out a survey it is important that the questions asked are the right questions and the survey is well structured else it provides inaccurate information which will affect the credibility of the result of the survey. Punch (1998) gives a number of criteria that will help in creating good research questions, these criteria’s include: Clear: The questions should be easy to understand and unambiguous. Specific: The concept should be clear enough to connect the data to the indicators. Answerable: There should be a clear view of what data is required to answer the question and how such data will be obtained. Interconnected: The questions must be related to each other in some meaningful way, rather than be unconnected. Substantively relevant: The questions should be interesting and worthwhile questions for investment of research effort. Punch (1998) further states that questions that do not possess this qualities are generally bad research questions, as they are unclear and not specific enough, Punch (1998) also states two problems that often occur in building questionnaires, they include value judgement and causation, as such in building the questionnaires such characteristics and problems will be avoided. 3.4 Structure of Survey The survey is divided into two sets one for each set of people. The first questionnaire seeks information on the benefits, problems, impact of ICT products on productivity and the impact of ICT measures on productivity, however the questionnaire itself is structured into 6 major sections which seek a particular kind of information which include Demographic information Information on current level of ICT investment. Information on ICT benefits in general to the bank, Information on the negative effect of ICT on productivity to the bank. Information on the impact of IT measures on productivity. Information on the impact of a number of specific ICT tools and their impact on productivity. The second section of the questionnaire seeks information on ICT input and output measures and the impact of ICT measures on productivity, it is divided into 5 sections which include: Demographic information, Information on the impact of ICT on bank outputs. Information on the impact of ICT on bank input. Information on the impact of IT measures. Information on the impact of ICT on financial services. See Appendix 4 for more details 3.5 Design of Questionnaire In designing this questionnaire, a number of questions where adopted and adapted from other questionnaires and articles found in the course of research, a few questions were also developed in completing the questionnaire. The questionnaire is an online based and in designing these questionnaires two types of questions where adopted; open and rating questions, Saunders et al. (2003) describes these questions as: Open Question: These questions are used in questionnaires when the author is uncertain of the participant’s response, such as in explanatory research. Rating Questions: This type of question is used to collect opinion data, a common example is the Likert scale in which it gets the participants opinion how strongly they agree or disagree with a statement. The Likert scale uses a 5 point rating scale which ranges from strongly agree to strongly disagree, Saunders et al (2003). 3.6 Terminologies used in Questionnaire A number of terminologies were used in this questionnaire such as Productivity, IT inputs, IP outputs and IT measures. In order not to confuse the participants or make them fill inaccurate information due to the lack of understanding of the terms, the terminologies mentioned above were well defined and explained in the portion which acts as the introduction to the survey. 3.7 Method of Distribution The method for distribution used in this study is via email as the survey itself is online. This was chosen over paper distribution as it saved the cost of transportation and also the time it will take to get back the forms, scan them analyse and go through the various scanned document, and finally as bank employees constantly have easy access to the internet, it will be easy to access and complete. A message will be written in the email sent; the message will essentially act as a cover letter that describes the purpose of the survey. 3.8 Pretesting the Questionnaire Having completed the design of the questionnaire was tested out on a small group to see if the questions are clear and understandable. Robson (2002) states that pretesting a questionnaire is good as it helps check if the questions are clear, simple, unambiguous and if they do not meet those criteria’s the participants involved in the test should give their thoughts and opinions as to what questions aren’t clear and how they could be made clear. The amount of time taken to complete the questionnaire, this feedback will be used to further improve the structure of the questionnaire 3.9 Changes Made as a result of Pretesting Pre-testing feedback was mostly positive. The people involved in the pre testing where satisfied with the length of the questionnaire based on its purpose, however most people where of the impression that the questionnaire can be completed by the general public, as such at the top of the questionnaire a change was made where it was stated who was qualified to answer the questionnaire. The only major negative comment was on the last set of questions in the second questionnaire, the comment was that the question was not clear and easy to understand enough and as a result of that the questions where rephrased. 3.10 Intended Participants of Survey This survey, compared to most others, does not seek information from the general public, it seeks information from certain employees of the bank as they will be the most capable in answering questions accurately as information is made readily available to them. These employees include: IT Manager Finance Manager The first aspect of the questionnaire seeks information on the benefits, problems, impact of ICT products on productivity and the impact of ICT measures on productivity as such the IT manager or any other person at that capacity will be the most suitable to answer such question. The second section of the questionnaire seeks information on ICT input and output measures and the impact of ICT measures on productivity, as such this portion of the questionnaire can only be completed by the Finance manager or any other person at in such capacity as the information will be made readily available to them. In completing the questionnaire the participants will have to state their roles or positions in the organisation to make sure the information is gotten form the person most adequate to answer it. 3.11 Ethics of a Questionnaire A major concern of people who are involved in surveys is giving their information to a third party as such information can be gathered and misused. The questionnaires will therefore be carried out in anonymity as participant’s identity will not be revealed and the questionnaire will adhere to the data protection act and several other ethical standards that might be put in place.   3.12 Final Version Having completed and made changes to the questionnaire the links where distributed by emails.

How and When to Apply for Social Security Benefits

How and When to Apply for Social Security Benefits Applying for Social Security benefits is the easy part. You can apply online, by telephone or by walking into your local Social Security office. The hard part is deciding when to apply for your Social Security retirement benefits and rounding up all the documents youll need when you do. Are You Eligible? Becoming eligible to get Social Security retirement requires both reaching a certain age and earning enough Social Security credits. You earn credits by working and paying Social Security taxes. If you were born in 1929 or later, you need 40 credits (10 years of work) to qualify. If you stop working, you stop earning credits until you return to work. No matter what your age is, you cannot get Social Security retirement benefits until you have earned 40 credits.​ How Much Can You Expect to Get? Your Social Security retirement benefit payment is based on how much you made during your working years. The more you earned, the more youll get when you retire. Your Social Security retirement benefit payment is also affected by the age at which you decide to retire. You can retire as early as age 62, but if you retire before your full retirement age, your benefits will be permanently reduced, based on your age. For example, if you retire at age 62, your benefit would be about 25 percent lower than what it would be if you waited until you reach full retirement age. You also need to remember that monthly premiums for ​Medicare Part B are usually deducted from monthly Social Security benefits. Retirement is a great time to look into the pros and cons of a private Medicare Advantage plan.   According to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly benefit paid to retired workers in May 2017 was $1,367.58.   When Should You Retire? Deciding when to retire is totally up to you and your family. Just keep in mind that Social Security replaces only about 40 percent of the average workers pre-retirement income. If you can live comfortably on 40 percent of what youre making at work, problem solved, but financial experts estimate that most people will need 70-80 percent of their pre-retirement income to have a comfortable retirement. To draw full retirement benefits, the following Social Security Administration age rules apply: Born in 1937 or earlier - Full retirement can be drawn at age 65Born in 1938 - Full retirement can be drawn at age 65 years and 2 monthsBorn in 1939 Full retirement can be drawn at age 65 years and 4 monthsBorn in 1940 Full retirement can be drawn at age 65 years and 6 monthsBorn in 1941 Full retirement can be drawn at age 65 years and 8 monthsBorn in 1942 Full retirement can be drawn at age 65 years and 10 monthsBorn in 1943-1954 Full retirement can be drawn at age 66Born in 1955 - Full retirement can be drawn at age 66 and 2 monthsBorn in 1956 Full retirement can be drawn at age 66 and 4 monthsBorn in 1957 Full retirement can be drawn at age 66 and 6 monthsBorn in 1958 Full retirement can be drawn at age 66 and 8 monthsBorn in 1959 Full retirement can be drawn at age 66 and 10 monthsBorn in 1960 or later Full retirement can be drawn at age 67 Remember that while you can begin drawing Social Security retirement benefits at age 62, your benefits will be 25 percent less than what they will be if you wait until your full retirement age as shown above. Also keep in mind that no matter when you start drawing Social Security benefits, you must be 65 to be eligible for Medicare. For example, people who retired at their full retirement age of 67 in 2017 could get a maximum monthly benefit of $2,687, depending on their work and income history. However, the maximum benefit for persons retiring at age 62 in 2017 was only $2,153.   Delayed Retirement: On the other hand, if you wait to retire beyond your full retirement age, your Social Security benefit will automatically increase by a percentage based on your year of birth. For example, if you were born in 1943 or later, Social Security will add 8 percent per year to your benefit for each year that you delay signing up for Social Security beyond your full retirement age. For example, people who waited until age 70 to retire in 2017 could get a maximum benefit of $3,538. Despite getting smaller monthly benefit payments, people who start claiming Social Security retirement benefits at age 62 often have good reasons for doing. Be sure to consider the pros and cons of applying for Social Security benefits at age 62 before doing so. If You Work While Getting Social Security Yes, you can work full or part-time while also getting Social Security retirement benefits. However, if you have not yet reached your full retirement age, and if your net income from working is higher than the annual earnings limit, your annual benefits will be reduced. Beginning in the month you reach full retirement age, Social Security will stop reducing your benefits no matter how much you earn. During any full calendar year in which you are under full retirement age, Social Security deducts $1 from your benefit payments for every $2 you earn above the annual net income limit. The income limit changes every year. In 2017, the income limit was $16,920.   If Health Problems Force You to Retire Early Sometimes health problems force people to retire early. If you cannot work because of health problems, you should consider applying for Social Security disability benefits. The amount of the disability benefit is the same as a full, unreduced retirement benefit. If you are receiving Social Security disability benefits when you reach full retirement age, those benefits will be converted to retirement benefits. Documents You Will Need Whether you apply online or in person, you will need the following information when you apply for your Social Security benefits: Your Social Security numberYour birth certificate, or proof of U.S. citizenshipYour W-2 forms or self-employment tax return (or both) for the last year you workedYour military discharge papers if you served in any branch of the military If you choose to have your benefits paid through direct deposit, you will also need your banks name, your account number and your banks routing number as shown on the bottom of your checks.​ Working While Collecting Social Security Retirement Many people choose or need, to keep working after claiming Social Security retirement benefits. However, if you continue work after claiming early retirement benefits your Social Security benefits may be reduced until you reach your full retirement age. If you retire at age 62, Social Security will deduct money from your retirement check if you exceed a certain amount of earned income for the calendar year. For example, the income limit in 2018 was $17,040 or $1,420 per month. The income limit increases annually. Until you reach your full retirement age, Security will reduce your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn over the income limit. Once you reach your full retirement age, you will receive your full Social Security retirement benefit with no limitation on how much income you earn from working. The worse news is that Social Security does not apply the early retirement work penalty by simply deducting a small amount from each monthly benefit check. Instead, the agency may withhold several months’ entire checks until the total reduction is paid off. This means your annual budget will have to account for a certain number of months without a benefit check. Complete details on this decidedly complicated process can be found in Social Security’s pamphlet on â€Å"How Work Affects Your Benefits.† You can also use Social Security’s earnings test calculator to see how much your reduction will be and when your checks will be withheld. Also note that if lose your job, you may still qualify for unemployment benefits even though you are also collecting Social Security retirement benefits.

Research Proposal with annotated bibliography Paper

Proposal with annotated bibliography - Research Paper Example (17)† With the statement expressed, another question comes into mind. Does the society helps individuals find their worth and happiness? Or does the society destroy the individuals because of a number of reasons? Luck is often associated to things or events that bring out happiness or success to an individual. If success is based purely on luck, there is no place in a lifetime for intelligence, skills and capabilities. There is no such thing as luck or its presumed opposite, bad luck. Every person has his own will to decide and act on where he would want to go and explore. In de Botton’s Status Anxiety, the author expressed that: Our status also depends on a range of favorable conditions that could be loosely defined by the word luck. It may be merely good luck that places us in the right occupation, with the right skills, at the right time, and little more than bad luck that denies us the selfsame advantages. (88-9)† When an individual says success often this is being misinterpreted as happiness. Others may refer to happiness as possessing things like realties, automobiles and gadgets. However, this is not real happiness. These are worldly happiness which a person can lose at any given time. Happiness is also at times being perceived as contentment. When a person is not contented with the way his life is going, the person concludes or states that he is not happy with the way life is happiness. However, happiness is not truly attached to any possession or material things which are gained via financial or social status. It is not the money, the social status, or political power that can bring the person his true happiness. The man who is only interested in himself is not admirable, and is not felt to be so. Consequently the man whose sole concern with the world is that it shall admire him is not likely to achieve his object. But even if he does, he will not be completely happy, since human instinct is never completely self-centered,

Profile without interviewing the person Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Profile without interviewing the person - Essay Example His television career also did not remain devoid of exceptional success owing to the fact that the globally acclaimed television project he starred in ran successfully for about six years. Later, Smith experimented with movies as well and conquered that show business area also as was expected from him considering the sheer devotion and dedication which he is naturally bound to show no matter whatsoever he pursues in life. Smith’s movie career was all set considering myriad mega blockbuster hits he starred in and he is also engrossed in acting in movies currently. He married twice and shares his second marriage with fellow celebrity Jada Smith. Smith’s â€Å"20-year career that just keeps getting hotter, all combined to put the actor in that celebrity sweet spot that all stars crave, but few ever attain† (Fox News) and owing to such unique career, he got able to crown himself with the title of â€Å"The Most Famous, Famous Guy of 2008† (Fox

Is marihuana beneficial or destructive to society Essay

Is marihuana beneficial or destructive to society - Essay Example The rate of substance abuse among youths was higher compared to the number of adults aged 26 years old and older who have5% rate of marijuana usage. What could have possibly provoked them to use marihuana? We know that children decide to try marihuana because of pressure from other individuals, problems related to school and family, depression, and self-esteem. According to Dr. Bruce Beckum, child psychologist and noted authority on young adult drug use, â€Å"Seventy percent of young people who use drugs report difficulties at home and at school†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The alarming rates of increase marihuana among youths might be attributed to these intrapersonal and interpersonal factors and partnerships among government, parents, and youths themselves must be worked on in order to address these issues and completely eliminate marihuana use among youths. Marihuana puts children in danger. It is not the only drug that is most commonly used, but is also known to cause many other problems. An article from the Journal of the American Medical Association states that teens who use marijuana are 77 % more likely to try harder drugs (Smith, 64). How can people say that our society would benefit from the legalization of marihuana when this is only hurting and influencing children in a negative way? Are we only thinking in adults when we speak about marihuana? Probably, adults had thought of legalizing marihuana because of the medical benefits that can be derived from using it such as alleviation of undesirable effects of certain medications, treatments, and diseases. If just in case marihuana would have been legalized, patients will no longer experience extreme discomforts. However, legalizing marihuana would cause a lot of consequences even if it is for medical benefits. Well, let me tell you something that is not the case. Usually, the mos t affected by our

Why are there many homeless people in big cities like LA Essay

Why are there many homeless people in big cities like LA - Essay Example 47). This essay will cover the reasons why there are many homeless people living in big cities for example Los Angeles and suggest solutions to the problems. There are various causes of homeless people moving into big cities for example LA. The homeless move into the large cities due to existence of programs and shelters. The large population of the large cities attracts more programs and more shelters to help the needy. The homeless need as much aid as they can get to get back on their feet hence the preference to live in large cities. Also there are state and federal programs which help the needy but are only accessible in large cities only and also privately run programs that are not available in small cities or rural areas. Other programs include discounted medical programs, large churches which have programs to help the needy and soup kitchens. A big city makes it easy for one to move around from one place to another looking for basic necessities (Haymes, pp. 58). A person can go to one church and get breakfast and then go to a different shelter and eat again. Another reason for homeless people living in large cities is because of t he existence of mass transit. This includes buses, subways, trains or even ferries. These things are necessary and vital to homeless people in order for them to move from one place to another and be able to get out of homelessness. Large cities usually offer free bus passes to the homeless through registration with them. The homeless persons after registration must show up twice a week for job workshop classes and to register for employment (Dubuis, pp. 82). Many homeless people also live in big cities like LA due to the availability of nearby social amenities. In big cities there are many restaurants with bathrooms where people can wash their faces when it is hot or clean up. During hot days, one can also walk into shopping malls to use the air conditioning to cool off. When it is raining there are a variety of

Economic effects on high school media centers (libraries) Dissertation - 1

Economic effects on high school media centers (libraries) - Dissertation Example Rather, there are some who fail to see the importance of having an updated, fully functional library in every school which hopes to produce the minds that will further develop the world. This factor has been a major downfall for the system, as each economic recession in these areas costs these high school media centers a significant portion of their funding. It is significant to study the numerous ways in which a recession can affect the functioning of the world. This is because the severity of a recession can be very pertinent to the quality of life in an economy, as it affects several aspects of the economy. As research shows, the effects of a recession are apparent in several important economic indicators, such as real personal income, retail sale and food services, industrial production and employment (Gascon, 2009). All these indicators show different ways in which the health of an economy can be measured. Exploring some other indicators, which are perhaps not so commonly used t o measure the wellbeing of an economy, may help give a deeper perspective on how the economy functions and affects people on an individual level. To understand the impact of an economic recession on the use and funding of library resources serves the purpose of such an indicator. This is because this factor represents an important way in which the community helps the youth develop intellectually and gain information on their own. Thus, measuring the effects on this factor following a recession indicates how much the youth’s education is impacted by a recession-stricken economy. If research proves a strong link between the two variables, this signals the need for the government and other authorities to monitor the effects of future recessions carefully so that they do not lead to irrecoverable damage. Effect on Role of Media Centers and Technicians The role of the media specialists of such libraries observes a notable effect in times of economic recession. According to some ex perts (n.d., 2010), their role becomes increasingly important in when an economic recession strikes a place like Georgia. This is because media centers such as the ones found in high schools or the ones open for the public are traditionally available to everyone as a free source of information, through the access of books, magazines, newspaper archives, CDs and other types of media. Thus, when people feel the negative effects of recessions and budget cuts, they approach these libraries for help (n.d., 2010). This can be to look for more sources of employment, to study further and gain further education or to try applying for a job with the civil services. These libraries are an immense help to such people. They are greatly helpful in assisting them in applying for jobs online, as well as finding study material for civil service exams. These libraries are also known for the help they offer these people in making their resumes, as well as obtaining further education which will be requ ired for other jobs. Thus, it is true that these US libraries serve a very important purpose for their citizens, especially in their times of need, which is

Why are there many homeless people in big cities like LA Essay

Why are there many homeless people in big cities like LA - Essay Example 47). This essay will cover the reasons why there are many homeless people living in big cities for example Los Angeles and suggest solutions to the problems. There are various causes of homeless people moving into big cities for example LA. The homeless move into the large cities due to existence of programs and shelters. The large population of the large cities attracts more programs and more shelters to help the needy. The homeless need as much aid as they can get to get back on their feet hence the preference to live in large cities. Also there are state and federal programs which help the needy but are only accessible in large cities only and also privately run programs that are not available in small cities or rural areas. Other programs include discounted medical programs, large churches which have programs to help the needy and soup kitchens. A big city makes it easy for one to move around from one place to another looking for basic necessities (Haymes, pp. 58). A person can go to one church and get breakfast and then go to a different shelter and eat again. Another reason for homeless people living in large cities is because of t he existence of mass transit. This includes buses, subways, trains or even ferries. These things are necessary and vital to homeless people in order for them to move from one place to another and be able to get out of homelessness. Large cities usually offer free bus passes to the homeless through registration with them. The homeless persons after registration must show up twice a week for job workshop classes and to register for employment (Dubuis, pp. 82). Many homeless people also live in big cities like LA due to the availability of nearby social amenities. In big cities there are many restaurants with bathrooms where people can wash their faces when it is hot or clean up. During hot days, one can also walk into shopping malls to use the air conditioning to cool off. When it is raining there are a variety of

The Starbucks Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Starbucks Experience - Essay Example It provides a background of Starbucks’ growth from humble origins to a household name globally as a result of their amazingly successful management philosophy. The book states five guiding principles for turning ordinary into extraordinary whether one is a small business owner or a multi-million dollar company. Based on facts in the book, during the company’s peak, Starbucks’ success equated to five new stores every day – 365 days each year worldwide (Michelli 7). In spite Starbuck’s amazing growth, the company keeps on maintaining their reputation for quality and a special customer experience. This is an indication of how well the company understands globalization and international business. With coffee shops in over 35 countries, Starbucks has proven that its principles transcend cultural barriers. There are many tips from the book that will benefit Human Resource professionals as well as supervisors and managers of companies and organizations. The book sites, for example, the problem of employees’ lifeless customer service. The book does not offer the usual one-sided approach to good customer service, but rather gives the inside secrets based on a model of success. From each of the five principles, Michelli provides practical methods for the reader to absorb and apply as appropriate in his or her specific work situation. For example, little acts as simple as reminding employees to be â€Å"litter picker-uppers† (34) would be an innovative idea for some businesses. Companies never know what catches the eye of their clients or customers, so they must pay attention to little details inside the store. These small things may leave customers walking away with poor lasting impressions. Michelli further points out, â€Å"Consistency, ritual, routine, community and service recovery are key. If you and your business succeed at delighting every person you work with, you will be a beloved company.† (108) Additionally, the book explains problems

The main ideas presented in Rouenby May Wedderburn Cannan Essay Example for Free

The main ideas presented in Rouenby May Wedderburn Cannan Essay Explore the main ideas presented in Rouen. How effective is it in exploring ideas about the First World War? Consider the structure, imagery and language. There are various key ideas that have been presented in Rouen by May Wedderburn Cannan. She has made a great use of different literary devices to describe her realities of war on the frontline whilst she worked as a VAD nursing injured soldiers. Regarding its wider use in exploring ideas about the First World War; it is a primary source and is about her experiences and the feelings that she had undertaken. Therefore we have first-hand evidence to use to compare and contrast against other poetry of the time. Wedderburn Cannan makes great use of nature and environment to describe and illustrate what she had experienced. She starts firstly by describing her transition to getting to Rouen and then speaks of all the young men with their heart breaking mirth; here she describes them as if they are all having fun and enjoying their comradeship. Thereafter she juxtaposes this idea with the train full of wounded who are being transported away due to the travesty presented thenceforth in Rouen. Men who came from darkness and went back to dark again the continuous work that they had only ended once they had passed. This shows that the sheer realities of death were omnipresent in her service as a VAD. She also makes reference to the King, bugles and our island although not to remember and be proud of them although to forget the eveningswhilst the world slips slow to darkness. Finally, she ends on the note that her heart goes out to Rouen and the trains that go from there. The language that Cannan uses within the poem is very emotive and she makes connotations with different things to help us feel what she is going through. For example the voices of the Indians from this quote we can see a deeper understanding into her ideas about World War One. She also constantly repeats and for effect and to act as a list that the idea of there being neverending problems with the sufferings of the men. This is repeated for every stanza except the last and it could also be seen as a way of her being overwhelmed by the situation emotionally and she just goes on letting it all out. The structure remains extremely mechanical and static throughout with thirteen quatrains; this is primarily extremely unusual for a poem and goes with the idea that she has become repetitive. I think that this fits in with the idea that she feels emotionally overwhelmed and thus due to this, she keeps on with this release in chunks. The poem hasnt been blurted out although it has been well thought and written showing that she must be from a well-educated background such as VADs had been. In Rouen, the persona seems to feels a sense of questioning and disillusionment for the purposes of the war. And the agony and splendour when they stood to save the King?. This shows the feelings that they had towards the War and the leaders who were making this siege in Rouen with such bloodshed. To conclude, I believe that Rouen is a good and effective source to use in order to explore the events of the First World War for women VADs such as Wedderburn Cannan on the warfront such as in the city of Rouen. The language and structure link well with her having a rather mechanical style of writing and that idea that she has become emotionally drained and overwhelmed; and that as an educated lady she has no other way to recapitulate these feelings.

Unqualified With Explanatory Paragraph Or Modified Wording Accounting Essay

Unqualified With Explanatory Paragraph Or Modified Wording Accounting Essay An audit report is an evaluation done by an internal or an external independent professional auditor, regarding the financial status of a business entity. Auditor will express his/her opinion on whether the information on the financial status of a company is free of any misrepresentations or not in the audit report. This report is essential for all the users of financial statements such as individuals, companies or government because it provides guarantee on a companys financial statements since the users rely on audit report to make any decision. Audit report can be classified into two broad categories, unmodified audit report and modified audit report, which are then further classified as follows: In short, auditor can issue five different types of audit reports, which are standard unqualified, unqualified with explanatory paragraph or modified wording, qualified, adverse and disclaimer of opinion. Each types of these report is representing a different circumstance faced by the auditor during the audit process and the auditor will express different opinions in each report. Firstly, standard unqualified audit report, also known as clean opinion because the auditors opinion is not necessary to be qualified or modified. It is the best type of report that a company can receive and also the most common audit opinion. This report is issued when the auditor concludes that financial statements appear to be presented fairly and there are no any significant reservations or any material misstatements found within the financial statements presented. The standard unqualified audit report covers seven distinct parts: Report title Introductory paragraph Scope paragraph Opinion paragraph Name of auditor Auditors address Audit report date. Typically, the report title will consists the word independent to demonstrate that the audit report prepared is unbiased in all aspects. The introductory paragraph states the responsibilities and roles of management and the auditor and it is the first paragraph of the report; the scope paragraph is a factual statement regarding the action of the auditor in audit process; the opinion paragraph indicates the conclusion made by the auditor based on the audit result obtained and it is the last paragraph of the report. The name will identify the audit firm and the address show the location of the audit firm. The date will show when the audit process is completed. For an auditor to issue a standard unqualified audit report, there are five specific conditions required to be met: The financial statements must comprise all statements. (Statement of Cash Flow, Income Statement Balance Sheet) The engagement is following the International Standards of Auditing (ISAs) in all respects. Adequate evidences have been gathered to conclude that the three standards of fieldwork have been met. The approved accounting standards, which is the Financial Reporting Standards (FRS) and the Company Act, 1965 in Malaysia are used to prepare the financial statements and the financial statements includes proper and sufficient disclosure of all relevant material matters. The financial report is under the condition that is not requiring any additional explanation or any modification. For example, if the companys financial report had met these five circumstances, the opinion paragraph will contain the phrases: In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Auditors report, 2012) to warrant the financial statements give a true and fair view of the companys financial status. If any of the five conditions mentioned above are not met, the auditor cannot issue a standard unqualified report. Hence, auditor is necessary to issue other types of audit report. On some occasions, a business can receive an unqualified audit report on its financial statements, but it is not a standard unqualified audit report. It can be classified as unqualified audit report with explanatory paragraph or modified wording. This report met the criteria of satisfactory audit and the financial statements are presented in a true and fair view basis. However, the auditor believes that it is necessary to provide additional information or to modify in the wording of the standard unqualified report. In order to ensure the issuance appropriate unqualified report with an explanatory paragraph or modified wording, it depends on five circumstances: Application of approved accounting standards is lacking of consistency. There is significant doubt about going concern. Auditor agrees with a deviation from the promulgated accounting principles. There is specific matters about the financial statements need to be emphasized. Other auditors are involved in the reports. The first four circumstances mentioned above require the addition of an explanatory paragraph in the reports. Thus, the auditor has to issue an unqualified audit report with explanatory paragraph. For example, when the auditor found that the company does not have the ability to pay its debts when it is due (Going concern). For instance, auditor issues an unqualified audit report with explanatory paragraph which explain that there will be a misleading if the company continues to stick to the promulgated accounting principles (Deviation). Furthermore, the introductory paragraph, scope paragraph and opinion paragraph are remains without any modification while a separate explanatory paragraph is added after the opinion paragraph. The explanatory paragraph will begin with the phrases: Without qualifying our opinion, we draw attention toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Alvin et al., 2008, p.58) In contrast, an unqualified audit report with modified wording will be used only when the audit report involving the use of other auditors. In this case, the report consists of three modified paragraph. For instance, an unqualified audit report with modified wording is issued when auditor wants to make reference in audit report or to qualify the opinion. (Other auditors are involved) Due to some reasons, there are three circumstances that are inappropriate for an auditor to issue an unqualified report. The three conditions that required a departure from an unqualified audit reports are: Scope limitation Departure from approved accounting standards Lack of independence of the auditor Scope limitation exists when the auditors seemed unable to gather adequate evidence to make a conclusion on whether the financial statements are stated in line with the approved accounting standards. Departure from approved accounting standards arises in situation where the presented financial statements are not in conformity with the approved accounting standards. Lack of independence of the auditor means there is a non-independent relationship under the code of ethic between auditor and auditee or there is material conflict of interest occur between this both parties. When these three conditions exist and is material, the auditor is required to issue a report other than the unqualified report, which are qualified opinion, adverse opinion and disclaimer of opinion. A qualified report is issued when the auditor encountered any of these two situations, scope of audit is restricted or single deviation from approved accounting standards, but the financial statements presented are free of any misstatements. Typically, the writing of a qualified opinion is very similar to an unqualified opinion, but it includes an explanatory paragraph that is clearly explains the reasons for the qualified audit report before opinion paragraph but after scope paragraph. Moreover, the term except for must be used only when an auditor issue a qualified report. This will indicate that the auditor is satisfied that the overall financial statements are stated fairly except for certain aspect of them. The introductory paragraph is similar to the unqualified opinion whereas a slight modification is done in the scope and the opinion paragraphs. For example, in scope paragraph to inform the user about the exception of this qualification, the auditor performs the rest of the a udit without qualifications by stating: Except as discussed in the following paragraph, we conducted our audit (Auditors report, 2012) whereas in opinion paragraph, the auditor should states: In our opinion, except forà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Auditors report, 2012) to remind the user regarding the expressed qualification is explicitly excluded from auditors opinion. In addition, a qualified report can be in the form of a qualification of both the scope and the opinion or of the opinion alone. Auditor may issue a scope and opinion qualification when he/she could not accumulate sufficient data required by the approved accounting standards. This may due to the clients restriction or the auditor had encountered some circumstance that prevents him/her to conduct a complete audit. Examples of this include an auditor not being able to observe and test a companys inventory of goods. If the auditor audited the rest of the financial statements and is reasonably sure that they conform with GAAP, then the auditor simply states that the financial statements are fairly presented, with the exception of the inventory which could not be audited. (Auditors report, 2012) In this case, a standard wording for introductory paragraph will be used and the scope paragraph will be edited to make user aware of the qualification and the opinion paragraph is to be modified. On the other hand, a qualification of the opinion alone is issued when specific records are missing or some parts of the financial statements are not followed with the approved accounting standards. Examples of this include a company dedicated to a retail business that did not correctly calculate the depreciation expense of its building. Even if this expense is considered material, since the rest of the financial statements do conform with GAAP, then the auditor qualifies the opinion by describing the depreciation misstatement in the report and continues to issue a clean opinion on the rest of the financial statements. (Auditors report, 2012) In this situation, auditor use standard wording for introductory and scope paragraph, then add an additional paragraph to explain the companys deviation from the approved accounting standards and add in certain phrases in the opinion paragraph. Adverse opinion is the worst type of audit report that a company received and it is considered the opposite of an unqualified opinion. Auditor will issue this type of report when it is believes that the financial reports presented are differ from the approved accounting standards. In addition, auditor had concluded that misstatement and misleading are both material and pervasive to the financial statements, this means the information contained have been falsified or are in other ways erroneous. For instance, the failure of a company to issue the consolidation of all its operations or a material account such as revenue account is not recorded properly. The wording of the adverse report is exactly the same as with the qualified report. Auditor will modify the scope paragraph accordingly and add another paragraph after scope paragraph, but before opinion paragraph to discuss the reason why it is an adverse opinion. The opinion paragraph involves the most significant change with the qualified report, where it is stating the facts that the financial statements are not conformity with the approved accounting standards. For example, the opinion paragraph will contain the phrases: In our opinion, because of the situations mentioned above (in the explanatory paragraph), the financial statements referred to in the first paragraph do not present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Auditors report, 2012) to reveals that the financial reports are unreliable, inaccurate and do not present a fair view of the companys financial status or results of operations and cash flows. It is an indication of fraud. An adverse opinion can arise only when the auditor has knowledge, after an adequate investigation, of the absence of conformity. (Alvin et al., 2008, p.60) When receiving an adverse report, the auditee is requested to do correction in its financial statements and send it to re-audit to obtain another audit report. Otherwise, the investors, lenders, governments and other users will generally not accept it. Lastly, a disclaimer of opinion, generally referred to simply as a disclaimer, is a special type of audit report. In certain situation, due to various reasons, an auditor could not perform their work. He/She tried to audit the company but unable to obtain sufficient amount of audit evidence, thus he/she refuses to express an opinion on the companys financial status. Since the auditor could not complete an accurate audit report, he/she will issue a disclaimer of opinion. A disclaimer opinion is differs from the adverse opinion. It is only issued when the auditor is lacking of the knowledge regarding the companys financial statements while adverse opinion is issued when the auditor has the knowledge that the financial records provided has been misrepresented. A disclaimer of opinion is appropriate in the following circumstances: lack of independence (SAS 26); scope limitations (inability to obtain sufficient competent evidential matter) (SAS 58); when the auditor concludes that there i s substantial doubt about the entitys ability to survive (going-concern) (SAS 59); and matters involving uncertainties (SAS 79). (Davis, Robert R., 2004, para. 2) For example, the client intentionally hides or refuses to present sufficient appropriate information and evidence to the auditor in significant areas of the financial statements. (Scope limitation) For instance, the company has faced going concern problem which means that the company may not be able to continue operating in the near future. (Substantial doubt about the entitys ability to survive) Additionally, a disclaimer opinion is also distinguished from the other types of audit reports. This is because it only provides little information concerning the audit itself and consists of an additional paragraph that explaining the reasons for the issuance of disclaimer report. In this report, all the paragraphs are under extensively modification and with the exclusion of the entire scope paragraph since the auditor could not adequately perform the audit. The first phrase in the introductory paragraph will be changed to We were engaged to audità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Auditors report, 2012) instead of We have auditedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Auditors report, 2012) in order to let the users aware of the audit is not completed. Since the audit was not completed and opinion cannot be expressed, the auditor disagrees to take any responsibility by omitting the last sentence in this paragraph, that is: Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. (Audito rs report, 2012) Just like the qualified and adverse opinions, auditor must discuss the conditions for the disclaimer in explanatory paragraph. Lastly, the opinion paragraph is completely adjusted to Because of the significance of the matters discussed in the preceding paragraphs, the scope of our work was not sufficient to enable us to express, and we do not express, an opinion of the financial statements referred to in the first paragraph. (Auditors report, 2012) in order to let users know that the auditor cannot form and express an opinion on the companys financial status due to the conditions stated in the explanatory paragraph.

Endangered species Act :: essays research papers

We have to put a stop to this and weaken the power that the Edangered Species Act has on us. People are getting laid off there jobs and millions of our tax dollars are being spent on the Endangered Species Act (ESA)all the time. Is it worth all of this for these endandered species. Must humans suffer and lose there jobs and houses over a few insects? Laws for the ESA are taking peoples property and fineing them because endangered species live on their property.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A person is legally barred from using certain measures to protect his property from protected wild animals. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and state hunting bans, involves protected birds that feed on private crops or forage. Another situation, arising under the ESA, involves protected predators (wolves, grizzly bears) that kill private livestock that people have to make a living on. These people can not do a thing because of the ESA. So what do they do Just let their live stock or crops get eaten up by these endangered species?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ESA’s power is hurting us all the time. For enstance the construction of the San Bernardino Medical Center in California was delayed for years because of a large orange and black fly called the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly. In order for the Medical Center to be built the City of San Bernardino had to spend $3,310,199 so eight flies could live. The site of the Hospital had to be moved 250 feet from it origanal location. Then the City of San Bernardino had to spend another $480,000 for the study of the flies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I do not understand. These people rather help out flies then ourselfs. They wanted to make a medical center. A center to help people, humanbeingget better. But what do we care about more. Some Delhi Sands flower-loving fly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ESA really target large property owners. In 1990 Brandt Child bought 500 acres of property in Utah. The next year in 1991, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told him he he could not build on his own property because the lakes on it were inhabited by 200,000 federally protected thumbnail-sized Kanab ambersnails.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thats not all, After they found 10 domestic geeses near the lakes and ponds. They told Mr. Child that if any of the snails get eaten by the geese it was a $50,000 fine for every sail. Mr. Child to this day is still out $2.5 million. Due to the fact that he can't use his property, and the government refuses to compensate him for his loss.

Agnes Martin

Agnes Martin is a renowned Canadian-American painter who was born in March 22, 1912 and passed away on December 16, 2004.   Agnes moved to the US in 1931 and became an American Citizen in 1950.   She was born in a Canadian town referred to as Macklin located in Saskatchewan.The university of New Mexico and Columbia University were the two education institutions where Agnes did her art studies.   Initially, Agnes’ work was closely related to New Mexico’s Taos town where several artists had settled.   In 1957 Betty Parson who was a gallery owner discovered Agnes Martin.This made Agnes move to New York but she later went back to New Mexico in 1967.   This was followed by her establishment as an artist in northern New Mexico in USA (Fer, B. 2005).Agnes’ artistic style integrated the use of square grids in her work.   Her work earned her the title a â€Å"minimalist†.   As an artist, artist preferred to be seen as an abstract expressionist.   Un like other artists who got involved in social events Agnes Martin rarely participated in social events.Agnes Martin’s art work has been recognized all over the world as the works of a gifted artist. Some of her paintings are found in various museums.Examples of museums where Agnes Martin’s art work can be found include, Guggenheim Museum, Indianapolis Museum of Art(Indiana),Agnes Martin’s at the National Gallery of Art(Washington), the Museum of Modern Art(New York), and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Through her work for four decades, Martin’s work is respected for being very unique .Some of the attributes of her art work is the combination of ideal geometry, and the achievement of emotions from the paintings.Her work has attracted both positive and negative sentiments from other artists. In this paper, both the positive and the negative views by other artists about Agnes Martin’s work will be discussed.DiscussionPositive opinion by ArtistsOn e way in which Agnes Martin’s work has been appreciated is through her paintings’ ability to counteract any negative thoughts or emotions.   In addition, the paintings are able to promote some inner calmness. The calmness that an individual experienced from looking at Martin’s paintings was very vital in encouraging stability in a world that was experiencing great changes in the 1960s and 1970s.For instance, the American society was experiencing great changes which were closely related to the sexual and racial identity. The paintings were able to inspire people to be calm and stable despite all the changes that were being experienced in the society.Agnes Martin through her work tried to explain that art was not supposed to be an instrument of social change, and this is seen by the other artists as being one of the positive effect of her work.   The work was admired by many as a source of people’s stability in a society that was full of great social ch anges.Agnes Martin’s work has received support from other artists due to the work’s ability to attract and hold the attention of a viewer.   In art, any artist is expected to have his or her work encourages the viewers to stop and look at the work.Martin was therefore able to pass her message to the people much easily when the people got attracted to the paintings due to the eagerness the work created in viewers.Martin’s paintings have been observed to have an amazing richness which makes viewers to stop and look deeply into her work, which can be attributed to the viewers created instinctive need look at the paint images (Rodgers, T. 2005).A catalogue about her work in Martin and Richard Tuttle’s work (Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth) indicates that her work encourages a viewer to look at it just like the universe unfolds in a cosmic mystery.   The viewer is able to attain some peace about life, because it is through wordlessness that people acquire comfort.Another positive opinion about Martin’s work is that, her paintings are an expression of joy.   Through her work, she was able to express joy as the life’s desired condition. This view was given by Sister Wendy Beckett in her book titled, American Masterpieces.Becket was a British art expert who in the 1990s presented art history documentaries for the British Broadcasting Corporation.   According to Beckett, Martin’s paintings had the power to communicate peace, as well as to create great happiness in a person’s inner world.The vigor in Martin’s work did not go unnoticed by the other artists. The great visual interest that people developed in her work was as a result of vigor. This has been stated as being one of the reasons why Martin was a successful artist.Many artists view Martin’s work as having being a great inspiration to the young artists who came after her. Her paintings acted as a great inspiration to other younger art ists who were coming up in the 1970s (Agnes Martin: Art Encyclopedia www.answers.com/topic/agnes-martin.2008).These young artists were attracted to Martin’s intense and   personal art which was also characterized by a feature of being undemonstrative.   Due to her art, the young artists such as Ellen Gallagher and Eva Hesse got inspired by Martin’s Abstract Expressionism.The spirit of Abstract Expressionism in Martin’s work was preserved by the pale color luminous fields that were created by the hand-drawn pencil lines that were in the paintings.   The paintings sometimes had horizontal graphite lines which were combined with color bands which had vigorous strokes.This changed, such that Martin would use black, white, and grey colors instead of the pale colors in her paintings.