Principals-Agents’ Conflict of Interest

Principals (shareholders) – agent (managers) problem represents the conflict of interest between management and owners. For example, if shareholders cannot effectively monitor the managers’ behaviour, then managers may be tempted to use the firm’s assets for their own ends, all at the expenses of shareholders. Discuss the pros and cons of this statement with regard to duties of Board of Directors. Most organisations these days are no more owned by their managers. This separation of ownership and management gives rise to what is called agency relationship. Jensen and Meckling (1976) define the agency relationship as â€Å"a contract under which one party (the principal) engages another party (agent) to perform the some services on their behalf. As part of this, the principal will delegate some decision making authority to the agent â€Å". However, it is important to mention that this relationship is not always peaceful and harmonious; rather, it usually raises some agency problems commonly called conflict of interests between shareholders and managers of the company. These conflicts occur when a person i. . the manager has an obligation not to act in his own personal interest but in another person’s interest i. e. the shareholders. This means that in whatever situation, managers must prioritise shareholders’ benefits. But is this commitment always respected in principals-agents relationships? Hopefully, between these two groups, is the board of directors; directors who are elected by shareholders to act as their representatives by monitoring and controlling managers tasks and ensuring they are in line with shareholders’ expectations. With clear evidence that conflicts of interest are almost unavoidable in any agency relationships, an attempt will be made will be made to get an insight into that issue with regards to board of directors duties. Brennan (1994) states that â€Å" agency problems emanate from the arrangement where the interests of the agents differ substantially from those of the principals because of the impossibility of perfectly contracting for every possible action of the agents whose decisions affect both his welfare and the welfare of the principal â€Å". Therefore, this raises the issue of finding ways to motivate managers to solely act in the best interest of shareholders. However, in a world where the labour market is becoming more and more imperfect and competitive, managers will be more concerned with their personal benefits at the expense of shareholders’ benefits. Since they are the one taking care of the day-to-day activities of the company, they know better than anyone any single details about how the various tasks are being performed and how that affects the company. Therefore, they might be tempted to take advantage of that by consuming some of the organisation’s resources in the form of lavish perquisites such as airplanes. Agency conflicts imply that shareholders wealth maximisation is being subordinated in managers’ goals for the company. Clear evidence of this assumption could be that top level managers are more worried about increasing their salaries, raising their status within the company, creating more opportunities for lower managers or assuring their job security and to achieve all this, their main objective could rather be to enlarge the firm by creating more subsidiaries. Such an action could produce results that do not necessarily maximise the value of the organisation for shareholders, rather, management welfare. We can notice that in conflict of interest, agents are mostly interested in achieving objectives that they feel will be profitable to them, but which are not necessarily or directly for the sake of shareholders. This occurs as a result of the distance created between the shareholders and the management team which prevent the former to effectively monitor and control managers’ behaviour. If agents do things that hurt principals, why don’t they take strong actions against that? In order to remedy to this situation, shareholders rely among others on the board of directors which they elect to look out for their interests and protect them for financial losses due to inadequate managerial actions. Bonazzi L. , Islam (2007) defines the function of the board as a â€Å" collective responsibility to determine the company’s purpose and â€Å"ethics†, to decide the direction, i. e. the strategy; to plan; to monitor and control managers and CEO activities, then to report and make recommendations to shareholders â€Å". To achieve this, they are expected to act in accordance with their four main duties which involve: the fiduciary duty, the duty of loyalty, the duty of confidentiality and the duty of care. In performing their fiduciary duties, directors assumes two roles, the first one as an â€Å"agent† which means acting on behalf of shareholders and the second one as a â€Å"trustee† which means they are in charge of controlling the organisation assets so they have to act â€Å" bona fide â€Å" which means in good faith towards the company; acting only within the scope of their powers and uniquely for the purpose that benefits the business and to avoid being involved in conflict between personal and the company’s interest. First and foremost, the board has as duty to govern the organisation by designing broad policies, and objectives which are intended to provide managers with guidance on how they are expected to run the business, i. e. prioritizing principals’ benefits, and, where they are expected to take the firm to in terms of increasing its value. They must continuously review the performance of the chief executive to ensure that managerial actions are in line with shareholders wishes and given that they are accountable to the former, they have to report to them about the overall organisational performance. Regarding their duty of loyalty, directors must prevent conflict of interest by avoiding transactions which may generate a potential conflict; those transactions according to Professor Bernard S. Black of Standford Law School in an article entitled The principal Fiduciary Duties of Boards of Directors are called â€Å" self-dealing â€Å" transactions. Representing at the same time the boss to one extend and the subordinate to another extend, directors must make sure never to act in ways that will harm either the shareholders or the executives, treat both parties with care and respect and try to make good decisions i. . that will compromise none of the parties, but which will be profitable to the firm. Also, board members have the duty to keep private all dealings, matters and information from the board meeting and the company in order to avoid the disclosure or misuse of information which may lead to a conflict. From the study of board members duties, we can state that companies’ corporate governance rests mostly on their shoulders. So, when effective, it permits the realisation of corporate objectives, risk management, the reduction of agency problems and an increase in the value of the firm. Despite the fact that conflict of interest is quite an obvious issue between shareholders and managers, it is important to keep in mind that the former are the owners of the business and thus, have great powers on the company; for instance through their voting rights at the annual shareholders meeting where they might decide â€Å"to vote with their feet† i. . selling their shares, exposing the organisation to a potential takeover that will lead managers to lose their job. Consequently, managers must at least try to satisfy their principals by aligning their actions and decisions with shareholders expectations; as well as must principals induce their agents to work for their best interest. To achieve this, they must incur some agency costs. In the 1976 Journal of Finance paper by Michael Jensen and William Meckling, it is stated that â€Å"there are three major types of agency costs: (1) expenditures to monitor managerial activities, such as audit costs; (2) expenditure to structure the organisation in a way that will limit undesirable managerial behaviour, such as appointing outside members to the board of directors or restructuring the company’s business units and management hierarchy; and (3) opportunity costs which are incurred when shareholder-imposed restrictions, such as requirements for shareholder votes on specific issues, limit the ability of managers to take actions that advance shareholder wealth†. In a nutshell, conflict of interest is a real fact in every business. Principal-agent relationship can be viewed as complex in terms of how exactly agents are expected to act towards their principals. Obviously, their acts must always be aimed at serving shareholders interest, but this statement seems to imply that either principals’ interests are always morally acceptable or managers might act unethically provided they fulfil shareholders’ expectations. Virtually, all corporate code of ethics addresses conflict of interest because it interferes with the ability of employees to act in the best interest of the firm. The fact is that, the agent is expected to act solely for the benefit of the principal in all matters and situations, yet, the kind of situation or dilemma the agent might be called upon to act in his principal interest are not easily predictable or identified. As optimal solution, it would be advantageous for both parties if they could work in concert prioritising the success of the organisation, and trying to satisfy as much as possible each group’s benefits, because it would help avoiding or at least reducing potential conflict of interest.

Eco- Resort

Hotel and Resort Management Assignment Diploma Fall 2012 Title:Growing trend: Eco-resorts Tutor:Mr. Hailstones From:Katy Hui Man Ying Course:Diploma 2 Submission Date:Week 15 Word count:1,553 Table of Contents Introduction3 Criteria of Eco-resorts4 – 6 Benefits of Eco-resorts6 – 7 Considerations on Eco-resorts7 – 8 Conclusion8 References9 – 10 Introduction There are researches done by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP, 2005) indicate that, from 1994 to 2004, the international economic sector of tourism industry has grown by 25%, contributing to 10. % of the world’s total GDP. To aid the growth of tourism, the UNEP, connected with the World Tourism Organisation, has released the report titled Making Tourism More Sustainable: A Guide for Policy Makers. The report emphasizes the importance of tourism hoteliers to make efficient effort to maintain the environmental sustainability. According to World Wildlife Fund (2010), eco-resorts are †Å"types of resorts in which eco-efficiency measures are adopted throughout the lifecycle of the building, ranging from orientation, design, operation and maintenance†.Dowling (2000) also defines the eco-resort, quoted as followings: â€Å"An eco-resort is a self-contained, upmarket, nature-based accommodation facility. It is characterised by environmentally sensitive design, development and management which minimizes its adverse impact on the environment, particularly in the areas of energy and waste management, water conservation and purchasing. † (Dowling 2000: 165). To summarise the above, eco-resorts are not just focusing on the operation process, but from the concept design until the sustainability of the on-going policies.This paper is going to explore the principles of eco-resorts, also analysing the benefits and the disadvantages of eco-resorts. Criteria of eco-resorts The Sharetime Magazine (2011) suggests that eco-resorts include the theme of re-use, re-cycle and reduce. As mentioned before, in order to claim that is an eco-resort, there are several criteria to be covered. Environmental factors should be considered during the design stages of the resort. Murphy (2008) suggested that the landscape features need to be appealing to guests and efficient to operate.Bohdanowicz (2003) pointed out that resorts are built â€Å"to provide comfort and services twenty-four hours a day, year round†. This shows that the consumption of the resorts is massive and non-stop. Green-orientated landscape features can be added during the design stages in order to carry out the green policies in the operations. One of the most significant examples of green-orientated landscape is the green roof. According to the EPA, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (2012), a green roof is a ‘vegetative layer grown on a rooftop’.The green roof helps cool down the temperature in the area through evapotranspiration. During the process of eva potranspiration, water from the rooftop soil is absorbed and enters the plants in the transpiration process. The water is then evaporated by the sun through evaporation (Wark, 2010). The other main benefit from implementing a green roof is that the air quality will be improved by a green roof (Martin, 2008). It works as a natural air-cleaner as green plants absorb carbon dioxide, the most common automobile emission, and release oxygen.In addition, as resorts are massive in energy consumption, it is efficient and beneficial to design a building-integrated photovoltaic. The building-integrated photovoltaic is solar electricity systems which are built into a building, instead of added on a building later (Gold Coast Energy, 2012). Solar energy is known as one of the most effective renewable energy source. The research carried out by Roisin (2012) points out that the amount of incident solar energy on earth each year equals to 1500 times the world’s annual energy use.Apart from t he green-orientated landscape features, there are small designs that can input in the design of the resorts. For example, the resorts can design to use energy saving light bulbs such as LED light bulbs to minimise the energy consumption (Eartheasy. com, 2012). Another idea is to create policies that aim at being eco-friendly. In the aspect of transportation, electric cars can be used within the resort area, to minimise the exhaust emission (Dissabandara, 2010). In the aspect of technology, nowadays the Key Activated system is common in most of the resorts (Entergize, 2012).The system is designed to reduce the energy consumption to minimum level in the resorts while the room is unoccupied. It automatically detects the room status and switches the energy on and off. This reduces the unnecessary waste of energy cost by the guests. In the aspect of daily operations, there are several ways to be ‘green’. The re-use towels policy based on guest request helps save energy and w ater for washing laundry. According to the Pacific Institute (2011), toilet flush volumes in the resort have declined significantly in the past 25 years, decreasing from 6 gallon per flush in 1980s to the new volume 1. gallon per flush in 2001. In addition to that, the older showerheads have flow rates of an average rate of 5 gallon per minute and 3. 5 gallon per minute average flow for the new ones (Vickers, 2001). The above changes in the resort accommodation greatly help minimising the consumption level of water within a resort. Recycle of wastes can also be carried out to ensure the environmental footprint of the resorts to be minimised. In order to help the customers define the eco-resorts, there is a third-party certification program, which is known as LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.According to LEED official website (2012), it is a nationally accepted organisation for design, operation and construction of high performance green buildings. With the LEED ce rtification, the resorts can thus claim themselves an ‘eco-resort’. Benefits of eco-resort To introduce, the sustainability of both the business and the neighbourhood environment has become two important focuses in the recent years. Firstly, in the point of view of the resort owners, the eco-friendly concept can attract target market group which has awareness to the environment aspect.Eco-resorts provide a positive impression to the public, which is also a major selling point for marketing. LEED certified resorts can request a higher rental rates than the non-certified resorts (LEED, 2012). Secondly, standing in the position of a consumer, eco-resorts can be attractive to who is paying attention to environmental protection. They can enjoy themselves in the resorts without worrying about massive damages to the environment. Thirdly, looking on the environmental side, eco-resorts, for sure, is an absolute benefit to the environmental protection.It is not just about the pre sent effort, but also raising public awareness to environmental protection (Eco Green Hotel, 2008). Considerations in eco-resorts It is no doubt that going green for a resort is a contemporary develop trend and an absolute benefit to resort management. However, there are some constraints that needed to take in consideration during planning. First of all, focusing on the staff management, for sure that the staffs working in a green resort should maintain the green policies carried out. The staffs need to be well-trained and willing to input effort into helping the resort to be ‘green’ (Townsend, 2011).Individuals that are believed in environmental protection will be willing to do more work for the environment. This is one of the motivations to the organisation as keeping the resort ‘green’ is a complex responsibility. Another point is at the financial side, the construction cost and maintenance fee of the building-integrated photovoltaic is higher than tradi tional electricity system (Sutherland, 2008). The hoteliers need to consider whether the cost is worth spending to operate an eco-resort. In addition to that, consumer behaviour is one factor which is not controllable.Even if the resort is encouraging customers to save energy and reduce wastes, they may still produce a lot of wastage throughout their stay. For example they may flush the toilet a few more times due to the fact that the decrease in the volume per flush. Therefore, it is an uncertain input to the resort. The resort can encourage the customers to be environmental friendly through marketing campaigns. Conclusion To summarise the above, it is a win-win strategy for both the business and the neighbourhood environment to go ‘green’ as long as they are able to set up an effective plan successfully.It is not just about recycling, but a complex concept with different considerations. Designs, operation policies, financial aspect, human resources and customersâ€⠄¢ behaviour are the major elements that are included in an eco-resort. They need to be linked and corporate with each other in order to set up a successful eco-resort. People nowadays pay more and more attention in environmental protection, sustainability is a growing concern to all industries. It is a trend for the hospitality to go green, as a small step of the resort can bring huge improvement to the environment.According to Murphy (2008), the resort should have a long-term vision and goals that matches sustainable objectives development strategy. Resorts should try to minimise the ecological footprint, which has been proposed to be ‘accounting tool that enables us to estimate the resource consumption and waste assimilation requirements of a defined human population (resort) in terms of a corresponding productive land area’ (Wackernagel and Rees, 1996). References Dissabandara, R. (2010). International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment. Eco Friendly Resort For Tourism: A Case Study at Ulagalla Resort.Dowling, R. K (2000). Ecoresort. In  Jafari, J. (editor). Encyclopedia of tourism. Routledge,  London; 2000. pp. 165. Eco green Hotel. com. (2012). Benefits of Environmentally Friendly Hotel. Available from: http://www. ecogreenhotel. com [Accessed 20 November 2012] Entergize. (2012). Patented Entergize Key Card Technology. Available from: http://www. entergize. com [Accessed 17 November 2012] EPA. (2012). United States Environmental Protection Agency: Green roofs. Available from: http://www. epa. gov [Accessed 15 November 2012] Gold Coast Energy. (2012). What is Building Integrated Photovoltaics.Available from: http://www. goldcoastenergy. com. au [Accessed 19 November 2012] LEED. (2012). Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design: What is LEED. Available from: http://www. leed. net [Accessed 12 November 2012] Murphy,P. (2008). The Business of Resort Management. New York: Routledge. Pacific Institute. (2011). Hidden Oasis: Water Conservation and Efficiency in Las Vegas. Calculation of Potential Water Savings at Resorts and Casinos. Radcliff, M. (2012). Ways to stop pollution. Available from: http://greenliving. lovetoknow. com [Accessed 11 November 2012] Roisin, B. (2012). Sustainable Design: Solar energy.Available from: http://engineering . dartmouth. edu [Accessed 17 November 2012] Sutherland, L. J. (2008). Solar Energy Advantages Disadvantages: Solar Energy Problem Solved. Available from: http://ezinearticles. com [Accessed 20 November 2012] TATOC. (2011). Sharetime: Green resorts – how TATOC resorts are tackling environmental issues, 5. Available from: http://www. sharetimemagazine. com/ [Accessed 11 November 2012] Townsend, A. (2011). Malta Green Hotels Guide. Available from: http://www. projectgaia. org [Accessed 20 November 2012] UNESCAP. (2012). Fact sheet: Eco-resorts and hotels.Available from: http://www. unescap. org [Accessed 13 November 2012] United Nations Environment Program and World Tourism Organization. (2005). Making tourism more sustainable: a guide for policy makers. Madrid: UNEP and WTO. Vickers, A. (2001). Handbook of Water Use and Conservation. Waterplow Press: Amherst, Massachusetts. Wackernagel, M. and Rees, W. E. (1997). Resort Development Handbook. Washington D. C. : Urban Land Institute. Wark, C. (2010). Cooler than Cool Roofs: How Heat Doesn’t move through a Green Roof, Part 2 Evapotranspiration. Available from: http://www. greenroofs. com [Accessed 19 November 2012]

Final exam case study's answers Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final exam 's answers - Case Study Example The marine project is likely to boost tourism by transforming Queensland into a home of Australia’s largest tourism infrastructure development that will lure both tourists and international investment. Therefore, the research problem in this case study is the feasibility of the Queensland Government Multibillion Marine project, its allied socio-economic benefits, and impacts, especially to the environment and the residents. Purpose statement The purpose of this research is to establish the viability of the Broadwater Marine Project proposed by the Queensland Government and its potential impacts on the tourism and construction sectors, the environment and the livelihoods of the residents adjacent to the Broadwater. Significance of the Research This research is significant because these findings will provide justifiable evidence concerning the viability of the Broadwater Marine project, and its potential impacts on the environment and the residents of the Spit. This information will be useful for all the stakeholders in the Broadway Marine project because it will provide a formidable foundation for planning to maximise the benefits while limiting the impacts on the environment and the residents of the Spit. ... What are some of the socio-economic benefits of the Broadwater Marine Project to both the government and the residents of the Spit? d. What are some of the potential environmental and social impacts of the Broadwater Marine Project? e. How can the social and environmental negative impacts of the Broadwater Marine Project be reduced, and where possible eliminated all together? Q.2 1) The Research Philosophy The research philosophy that best fits the research questions and objectives is Positivism, an ideology that is characterised by hypothesis/theory testing through measurement of observable social realities. According to the positivists, the social world exists objectively and independently, knowledge is viable only is it is based on the observable reality and that universal theoretical models explaining cause-effect relationships are generalizable and can be used to predict outcomes. The research objectives can be best achieved if the research is guided by values of the positivism philosophy such as reason, truth and validity; the research will focus purely on observable facts. The research data will be gathered through direct observation and experience, measured empirically using quantitative methods such as statistical analysis, surveys and experiments. The viability of the Broadwater Marine project, its perceived socio-economic benefits to the Queensland Government and the Spit residents, and its potential environmental and social impacts can be measured empirically. Positivism provides the relevant tools for data gathering i.e. through observation and experience, measuring using quantitative methods- surveys and experiments, and statistical analysis; given the vast scope of this research, it must be

Marketing Strategies of financial firms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Face-to-face and distance training - Essay Example The paper tells that in the fields of social science it is recognised that two primary methods of research can prove to be most effective. The quantitative method is one in which research is formalised and structured, and numerically-based information is sought by the researcher, for primarily statistical analysis. Well-designed questionnaires, which use systems such as the Lickert scale to quantify responses to questions, are examples of quantitative methods of research. Reponses to questionnaires can then be grouped, organised and structured, assigned numerical values, analysed statistically, and statistical trends and conclusions can be drawn from data. Another method of research prevalent in the social science arena is qualitative. As implied by the term, this research is less reliant on numerical analysis. Communicated, recorded ideas and words from respondents are used by researchers to determine trends, and to draw conclusions. A less formal, though no less thoughtful, process is entered into to establish the responses, feelings, and responses of respondents, and the advantage of this research is that it relies on interaction between researcher and respondent. While non-quantified data results from interviews, for example, conclusions can still be drawn from meanings communicated by respondents, and the amount of data available to the researcher based on relatively more intimate interaction with the subject, can be most useful. 3.4Research design Weaknesses according to other researchers Boyd (2001) considers that two to ten participants in a research study are ample to reach valid conclusions and Creswell (1998, pp. 65 & 113) recommends â€Å"long interviews† with participants. Therefore some realistic assessment of participants’ attitudes, stemming from their personal experiences, is certainly possible from this sample. The concept of research design suggests that a framework and structure for the collection and analysis of data must be e stablished by the researcher (Bryman, 2008). Thus, an approach must be identified and developed and procedures adopted to undertake a particular study. According to the theory of research design, these approaches must emphasise the quality of the selected procedures to meet the definite research criteria (Kumar, 1996). Particularly in social science research, two research methods have proven to be of most use to researchers: the quantitative method and the qualitative method (Kvale, 1996). Quantitative research, as outlined above, serves more effectively to deal with the number-based data obtained from quantitative studies (Rudestam and Newton, 2007). In contrast, qualitative

I Am the Good Shepherd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

I Am the Good Shepherd - Essay Example In response Jesus passed judgment on the Pharisees and on the temple itself. Later Jesus and his disciples see a man who was blind from birth. When the disciples asked Jesus if it was the sins of this man or his parents that made this man blind, Jesus responded by saying that neither of this was the case and that this man was born blind so that God’s works might be displayed in him (Jn 9:3). Jesus then restores the sight of this man, thereby giving a sign that bears witness to his claim of being the light of the world. This sign pointed to something beyond itself to reveal who and what Jesus was and what he habitually did (Morris 1989). The Pharisees however condemn this act and state that this man was born in sin (Jn 9:34) which was in complete opposition to what Jesus had said that neither this man nor his parents sinned. They continued to question the man who was healed from his blindness about the manner in which Jesus healed him and tried to disprove that Jesus was sent f rom God. The Pharisees then threw out the blind man from the temple whom Christ had healed (Jn 9:34). Hearing about these discussions Jesus condemns the Pharisees and accused them of being spiritually blind – a condition that is far worse than being physically blind. In John 10 Jesus puts the events of John 9 into perspective by stating that He is the good shepherd who is willing to lay down his life for His sheep. Jesus calls himself as the good shepherd who operates with love and compassion to meet the needs of people and contrasts it with the Pharisees whom he identifies as the evil shepherds who have consistently worked to scatter the sheep of God by their rigid religious rules and regulations, preventing people from encountering the love of God. Jesus separates himself from religious teachers as he invites people to enter into a deep personal relationship with Him as the chief shepherd who takes care of their needs and lays down His life for their eternal salvation (Whit acre 1999) In John 10, Jesus portrays a scene from the village where shepherds take care of their sheep to illustrate the relationship He has with His children. The shepherd has a distinct voice and calls each sheep by its name, which the sheep are familiar with. On hearing this call the sheep can easily separate themselves from the rest of the flocks and follow their shepherd. The sheep respond only to the voice of their shepherd who typically walks ahead of the flock, guiding them to green pastures and protecting them from any possible danger. Jesus says that He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him (Jn 10:14). He also contrasts the good shepherd who promises a life of abundance with the thieves and robbers who are out to steal, kill and destroy the sheep (Jn 10:7). He goes on to contrast the good shepherd who will risk his life to protect his sheep with a hired man who would leave the sheep behind and run away when a wolf comes to attack because he does not care about them (Jn 1 0:12-13). In the Old Testament, leaders like Moses and David were often referred to as shepherds. Ps 77:20 records that â€Å"you led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron†. Again, in Ps 78:70-72 and Ez 34: 23 David is referred to as a shepherd who tended the people of Israel with integrity of heart and skillful hands. Ps 23 is one of the well known scriptures in the entire Bible which portrays the image of

Federalist and Democratic-Republican attitudes toward the national Essay

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Article Astronomers Measure Precise Distance to Controversial Star Essay

Article Astronomers Measure Precise Distance to Controversial Star Cluster - Essay Example The further the distance of the star, the smaller the size of the parallax. Astronomy is a social activity where astronomers discuss ideas and interpret data while at the same time arguing on what the observation mean. In the scientific method, they make use of both the inductive and the deductive reasoning to learn about astronomy. In inductive reasoning, they make use of observations and use the results to make generalizations about astronomy. These generalizations may lead into a new theory or elaborations on a theory. They may also make use of deductive reasoning where the existing theories are subjected to rational considerations to come up with logical theory consequences. The consequences could result into new theories and other predictions testable through various experiments. For instance, there are radio astronomers claiming that they have determined a distance of the Pleiades cluster of star from the earth. However, the results contradict that of European satellite aimed at measuring stellar distances. The European space agency launched a Hipparcos satellite to measure a parallax of 100000 stars (Croswell, 2014). Unfortunately, a certain booster failed to fire leaving a satellite in an elliptical orbit around the earth resulting into complicated data analysis. Despite this, Hipparcos scientists released the data indicating the Pleiades cluster was closer to the earth. This raised a controversy since the analysis of data had been distorted. However, scientists agreed on a new methodology to resolve the ongoing controversy. They had to launch the Gaia spacecraft which measures parallaxes of billion stars including multiple Pleiades. The scientists are optimistic that by the end of a decade, then individuals will have a sure proof of how far the cluster is from the earth. However, this could raise more controversies if its findings contradict what the astronomers think they know. Thus, astronomers use the scientific

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Knowledge Has the Power to Change Things - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the whole economy of Hong Kong was stressed, everything was devalued, and thousands of people lost everything in a single night. The researcher was shocked. He never thought the economy had such great power; it not only made Hong Kong one of the richest cities but also was capable of destroying the city.Since then, the author has been intrigued by finance and has devoted himself to understanding the oftentimes intricate and complicated ways it functions. After recognizing the researcher’s interest in finance at this early age he has been a devoted student. In 2009, he took a gap year. During this time the author considered the potential next step in his career. The narrator traveled to a number of places, becoming more mature, self-motivated, and self-aware along the journey. He soon came to discover a renewed confidence to face any challenges or difficulties that may occur in the future. Since this time the author has approached life with a new sen se of courage and motivation. He has had a number of professional development opportunities. In 2011, the researcher took an internship in CITIC Securities (ZheJiang) Co., Ltd. Moreover, he had an incredible opportunity to work in PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the "big four" accounting firms in the world. The experience the author received from the internship, in addition to providing him significant work-related experience, enables him to direct his academic studies in more effective and efficient ways. Ultimately, it was a wonderful chance to widen the author’s horizons and develop his teamwork abilities. The researcher has developed a plan for his life and future career. As his parent's company is preparing for an IPO, the author’s current plans are to assume the role of CFO at this organization. The researcher has read the course structure on the website and it is absolutely appropriate for his future career. The author believes he can achieve outstanding success after finishing this MSc programme. Moreover, the narrator is determined to obtain ACCA certificates after his graduation in order to be qualified in these areas. As the author will complete his BA in Accounting & Finance at the University of Exeter, it will be credited toward the fundamentals level paper of ACCA.

Health Care Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Health Care Reform - Essay Example Patients rely on doctors because they are trained professionals, with the knowledge to help and cure patients’ medical conditions. A key aspect that reinforces the power of physicians is America’s vision of progressive health care technology, and the requirement to exploit new measures and medications. The United States is far behind the rest of the developed countries in terms of their life expectancies, but the cost for health care is much higher than all of the other developed countries as well (Cassel, 2005). This is due to the reliance on new technologies, and this problem is two-fold: on the one hand, pharmaceutical companies and medical technology producers push new drugs, prescriptions, and medical technologies and incentives are given to doctors to utilize this new technology (Mechanic, 2006). This is also coupled with the fact that nowadays; the American public is becoming more interested in these new technologies due to information provided, through advertising and other means, by the pharmaceutical companies themselves. As medical technologies, procedures, and medications continue to advance, the cost of providing such care also advances. In the first half of the 20th century, medical care was paid for out-of-pocket, by the patients themselves. When costs continued to rise above what patients could pay, another capitalist scheme was developed to cash in on the commodity of health care; insurance. The first forms of insurance were basically managed by businesses. They offered insurance to their employees, as an added fringe benefit; sacrificing a proportion of their salary or wages (Porter & Teisberg, 2006). This pretty much remains true to this day; most Americans receive their health care insurance from their employers. A growing problem in the uninsured population also exists in the waiting period that has been assigned to most business insurance programs; for a short period of time many employees and there families remain uninsured (Porter &

Gustave Flaubert and Madame Bovary Essay Example for Free

Gustave Flaubert and Madame Bovary Essay Madame Bovary consists of a Realist critique of Romanticism with Emma Bovary portrayed as the emotionally overwrought romantic who destroys herself and others in her attempts to fulfill her unrealistic dreams. For writing about such a horrible woman Gustave Flaubert, the author, was charged with corrupting the morals of French society. He was acquitted of the charge at a public trial. The major characters of the novel include Emma Bovary, the title character and the villain who brings ruin to herself and others in her efforts to realize her romantic illusions; Charles Bovary, a mediocre country doctor who is lackluster at best but deeply in love with his wife Emma; Leon, a law clerk who is a fellow romantic to Emma with whom he eventually has an affair; Rodolphe, a â€Å"gentleman† landowner and womanizer with whom Emma has an affair; and Lheureux, a merchant and money-lender. Lheureux in French means the happy, and this character becomes happy by preying upon Emma as she attempts to buy the reality of her dreams. Selections, Summaries, and Commentary We meet Charles Bovary who struggled in school to become a doctor. He assumed a practice at Tostes, France, and married. But his wife died. One evening, Charles was summoned to a farm to set a broken leg. Here Charles made the acquaintance of Emma Rouault, the daughter of the patient. Charles, at the invitation of Mr. Rouault, ate breakfast with Emma; and, among other things, they talked of Emma’s dislike for the country. They had closer contact when both of them reached for Charles’ riding crop after it had fallen to the floor. â€Å"Instead of returning to [the farm] in three days as he had promised, he [Charles] went back the very next day, then regularly twice a week†¦. † Though Charles never had the nerve to ask Mr. Roualt for the hand of his daughter, Roualt figured things out, and the marriage was contracted. â€Å"Emma anted a midnight wedding with torches, but old Rouault could not understand such an idea. † It was a country wedding. They walked a mile and a half to and from the church, Emma’s dress trailing on the ground and gathering grass and thistles. After the ceremony, the guests ate until night. â€Å"Charles, who was anything but quick-witted, did not shine at the wedding. † Two days after the wedding, Charles and Emma left for Tostes. Charles now â€Å"had for life this beautiful woman whom he adored. For him the universe did not extend beyond the silky circumference of her petticoat. For Emma, on the other hand, things were different, â€Å"Before [her marriage to Charles] she thought herself in love; but since the happiness that should have followed failed to come, she must, she thought, have been mistaken. And Emma tried to find out what one meant exactly in life by the words bliss, passion, ecstasy, that had seemed to her so beautiful in books. † Emma, we learn, had been fed a steady diet of romanticism at the convent where she was placed at age thirteen. â€Å"Accustomed to the quieter aspects of life [in the country], she turned instead to its tumultuous parts. She loved the sea only for the sake of its storms, and the green only when it was scattered among ruins. † She found herself attracted to the mystical aspects of the religious life. An old maid at the convent kept the girls dreaming. She [the old maid] knew by heart the love-songs of the last century, and sang them in a low voice as she stitched away. She told stories, gave them news, ran their errands in the town, and on the sly lent the big girls some of the novels, that she always carried in the pockets of her apron, and of which the lady herself swallowed long chapters in the intervals of her work. They were all about love, lovers, sweethearts, persecuted ladies fainting in lonely pavilions, postilions killed at every relay, horses ridden to death on every page, somber forests, heart-aches, vows, sobs, tears and kisses, little boatrides by moonlight, nightingales in shady groves, gentlemen brave as lions, gentle as lambs, virtuous as no one ever was, always well dressed, and weeping like fountains. Girls at the convent hid keepsakes with engravings. Here [on the engravings] behind the balustrade of a balcony was a young man in a short cloak, holding in his arms a young girl in a white dress who was wearing an alms-bag at her belt; or there were nameless portraits of English ladies with fair curls, who looked at you from under their round straw hats with their large clear eyes. † After Emma returned home to the farm, she became disgusted with the country. When Charles came to call on her father, she saw Charles as her knight in shinning armor, come to rescue the damsel in distress. Something â€Å"sufficed to make her believe that she at last felt that wondrous passion which, till then, like a great bird with rose-coloured wings, hung in the splendor of poetic skies, and now she could not think that the calm in which she lived was the happiness of her dreams. † Emma is a victim of the mass media, dying because she read the escapist, romantic fantasies and mistook them for reality. She wondered, â€Å"Why could not she lean over balconies in Swiss chalets, or enshrine her melancholy in a Scotch cottage, with a husband dressed in a black velvet coat with long tails, and thin shoes a pointed hat and frills? Charles talk, in contrast, was dull. He provoked no emotions in her but disgust; he had no desire to do or see anything. Charles’s conversation was commonplace as a street pavement, and every one’s ideas trooped through it in their everyday garb, without exciting emotion, laughter, or thought. He had never had the curiosity, he said, whil e he lived at Rouen, to go to the theatre to see the actors from Paris. He could neither swim, nor fence, nor shoot, and one day he could not explain some term of horsemanship to her that she had come across in a novel. A man, on the contrary, should he not know everything, excel in manifold activities, initiate you into the energies of passion, the refinements of life, all mysteries? But this one taught nothing, knew nothing, wished nothing. He thought her happy; and she resented this easy calm, this serene heaviness, the happiness she gave him. Flaubert writes that â€Å"ennui, the silent spider, was weaving its web in the darkness, in every corner of her heart. † But after a few months, Emma and Charles were invited to the Vaubyessard estate by the Marquis d’Andervilliers (â€Å"Another Village†). Charles had cured the Marquis from an abscess in the mouth, and the Marquis had requested some offshoots of the cherry trees that were in the Bovary’s little garden. When the Marquis came to thank Charles personally, he saw Emma. He thought her pretty and sophisticated enough to invite to the chateau. Charles and Emma arrived at nightfall along with many others. An elaborate dinner was served, and they prepared for the ball. When Charles intimated that he would dance, Emma replied, â€Å"Why, you must be mad! They would make fun of you; stay in your place, as it becomes a doctor. And when he kissed her on her shoulder, â€Å"’Don’t touch me! ’ she cried; ‘I’ll be all rumpled. ’† The dancing began, and when the atmosphere grew warm and heavy, a servant broke out the window panes. Through the windows Emma â€Å"saw in the garden the faces of peasants pressed against the window looking in at them. † She was reminded of her own heritage, the days of the farm, but â€Å"the splendor of the present hour† made her almost doubt she had ever been there. Supper was served, and at three o’clock the cotillion (more dancing) began. Emma danced with a Viscount, and proved to be a highly courted partner. Charles, in the meantime, had spent five consecutive hours watching people at the card tables â€Å"without understanding anything about it. † Lunch was served the following day, and then Charles and Emma left for Tostes. Emma believed the life of Vaubyessard to be the kind of life she wanted and deserved, and her immediate surroundings grew even more dreary. â€Å"She longed to travel or to go back to her convent. She wanted to die, but she also wanted to live in Paris. † She became increasingly irritated with Charles and her surroundings to the point of becoming ill. She suffered from heart palpitations, and she exhibited altered states of hyperactivity and torpor. She constantly complained about Tostes, and Charles thought that perhaps her illness was due to the town itself. From that thought on, â€Å"Emma drank vinegar to lose weight, contracted a sharp little cough, and lost all appetite. † The Bovarys moved to a new town, Yonville (â€Å"yonder village†), a small market town some twenty miles from Rouen. Here the Bovarys had a daughter, whom Emma names Berthe, after a young lady she had encountered at Vaubyessard, and the Bovarys sent Berthe to be nursed by a carpenter’s wife. Emma was not a very good mother. She really wanted a son who would be free to â€Å"explore all passions and all countries, overcome obstacles, taste of the most distant pleasures. † She did not care for the realities of motherhood. On one occasion, after returning home, Berthe approached Emma. â€Å"‘Leave me alone,’ repeated the young woman quite angrily. Her expression frightened the child, who began to scream. ‘Will you leave me alone? ’ she said, forcing her away with her elbow. Berthe fell at the foot of the chest of drawers against the brass handle; she cut her cheek, blood appeared. Emma then felt sorry for her treatment of the child. The Bovarys met Leon Dupuis, a clerk for the town notary. Leon and Emma were fellow romantics. They spoke of their desire for change as opposed to routine. They talked about their desire for walking in the country, witnessing sunsets, visiting seashores, mountains, lakes, waterfalls. They related their love for music and reading by the fire. The two of them fell in love with one another, but did not yet allow themselves to express their love. â€Å"Weary of loving without success,† Leon eventually left for Paris to pursue a law degree. Emma became unhappy and ill again. A â€Å"gentleman† named Rodolphe Boulanger brought one of his workers, who wanted to be bled, to see Dr. Bovary. Rodolphe had just acquired an estate that consisted of a chateau and two farms that Rodolphe cultivated himself, â€Å"without, however, taking too many pains. † Rodolphe â€Å"lived as a bachelor, and was supposed to have† a sizeable income. When Emma was called to assist in the bleeding, Rodolphe became infatuated with her beauty. But he only desired her as a mistress. Flaubert described Rodolphe as â€Å"having had much experience with women and being something of a connoisseur. † Rodolphe thought to himself, â€Å"Three gallant words and she’d adore me, I’m sure of it. She’d be tender, charming. Yes; but how to get rid of her afterwards. † His present mistress, an actress in Rouen, was beginning to bore him. During an Agricultural Fair, Emma and Rodolphe strolled around, arm in arm, eventually ascending to â€Å"the council room† on the first floor of the townhall. The room was empty, and Rodolphe suggested they could enjoy the show there more comfortably. Flaubert showed his appreciation of irony when, in the background, he awarded the first prize for manure at the same time Rodolphe told Emma, â€Å"A hundred times I tried to leave; yet I followed you and stayed†¦. As I would stay to-night, to-morrow, all other days, all my life! † Also, as Emma and Rodolphe gazed at each other, â€Å"as their desire increased, their dry lips trembled and languidly, effortlessly, their fingers intertwined,† a prize was awarded to an old peasant woman for fifty-four years of faithful service at one farm. Emma was susceptible to Rodolphe’s charms. After some six weeks, a time chosen by Rodolphe for the purpose of not appearing too eager, he visited Emma. He knew just how to play her. When Charles returned home, Rodolphe suggested that riding might be good for Madame Bovary’s health. Charles thought it a good idea. At first, Emma objected, but Charles talked her into it. She and Rodolphe rode and walked. Sometime into their first outing, Emma â€Å"abandoned herself to him. † Charles bought her a horse. Emma and Rodolphe rode regularly, and they began exchanging letters, placing them in the cracks of a wall located near the river at the end of the garden attached to the Bovary home. If Charles left early enough, she would sneak off, on foot, to see Rodolphe at his estate and return to Yonville before anyone awoke. She would cry when she had to leave Rodolphe, and her farewells would go on forever. Rodolphe suggested her visits were too dangerous; she was compromising herself. So, Rodolphe began coming to the garden at night, throwing sand against the shutters, and Emma would sneak out after Charles had retired. Six months passed. Rodolphe became increasingly indifferent, and Emma became uncertain herself. One day, news of a new surgical procedure for curing clubfoot reached the apothecary at Rouen. Emma, who wanted more fame and excitement for her husband, and the apothecary, who wanted fame for himself, urged an unwilling Charles to carry out the new operation on a crippled servant at the inn. The servant was pressured and finally consented after the operation was offered to him at no charge. At first, the operation appeared successful, and Emma was delighted with Charles and his prospects. But the device in which they strapped the servant’s foot caused swelling. In response, the device was tightened even further, and gangrene set in. A surgeon was called in for consultation. He laughed and scolded Charles. The surgeon had to amputate the servant’s leg to the thigh. Emma was no longer delighted. â€Å"Everything in him [Charles] irritated her now; his face, his dress, all the things he did not say, his whole person, in short, his existence. † The disastrous operation was further proof of Charles stupidity and incompetence, and Emma turned to Rodolphe to fulfill her dreams. She sent Rodolphe love notes, and the two of them made plans to leave for Italy. Emma was apparently willing to leave without Berthe. When she firsts suggested the idea of leaving, Rodolphe asked about the fate of Berthe. Then, Emma, who had obviously not thought of Berthe before, said they would take Berthe with them. But no further mention of Berthe was made in their succeeding plans, and Emma rarely gave Berthe any attention. Rodolphe, who had no real intentions of running off with Emma, postponed the departure on several occasions, and then they set a specific date. On the day of their departure, however, Rodophe sent a letter to Emma through a servant. In the letter he ended the affair and announced that he was leaving without her. He had his servant echo his plans to depart, but he was not actually planning to go anywhere. Though, later in the day, he did decide to go to Rouen. Emma saw him leaving as he passed by the Bovary home. She was devastated and became ill. Charles stayed by her side for forty-three days, neglecting his own affairs. Charles thought the theatre may be good medicine, and so he and Emma went to Rouen to see an opera. The whole experience began to reawaken Emma’s romantic being. After the second act, Charles went to get Emma something to drink and ran into Leon. As the third act began, the three of them left to talk elsewhere. Leon, as it turns out, after his schooling in Paris, had come to Rouen to work as a clerk. Because the three old acquaintances talked through the opera, Emma did not get to see the third act; and since Emma now seemed energized, Charles suggested that she stay the night and see the third act the next day. Charles, however, must return home. Emma stayed, and she and Leon began an affair. As Flaubert wrote it, Emma and Leon apparently consummate their feelings for one another during a long carriage ride through Rouen. When she returned to Yonville, she was informed that Charles’ father has died. Emma was by this time substantially indebted to a shopkeeper and moneylender by the name of Lheureux (â€Å"the happy,† as in the seller of happiness), and he suggested that Emma obtain the power of attorney over Charles’ father’s estate. She manipulated Charles into giving her this power of attorney, and she even earned his gratitude for going to Rouen to have Leon look over the legal papers. Emma’s stay in Rouen lasted three days, after which Leon came to Yonville at times and sent Emma secret letters. Emma then began to make weekly trips to Rouen under the pretense of taking piano lessons. She manipulated Charles into asking her to refresh her skills in this area. She and Leon would stay in a hotel, and she was running up all kinds of debts with Lheureux, spending freely on her trips to Rouen and satisfying all of her whims. Lheureux lent her money on the value of Charles’ father’s estate. Charles was unaware of her spending and her adultery. Leon and she began seeing each other more frequently. She began billing Charles’ patients herself, without his knowledge, and selling things in order to pay on her bills. She gave Berthe no attention. Finally, someone wrote Leon’s mother, telling her that Leon was ruining himself with a married woman. Leon’s mother wrote her son’s employer who then indicated to Leon how important it was to break off the affair. Leon wanted to end it, but he was in love. Eventually Emma’s unpaid bills ran long overdue, and her creditors obtained a judgment against her. On her return from a visit to Rouen, the maid showed her a judgment that commanded her â€Å"by power of the king† to pay the sum of eight thousand francs. She went to Lheureux, who by this time had sold the debt at a discount to a banker at Rouen. Emma tried to talk Lheureux out of the judgment. She â€Å"even pressed her pretty white and slender hand against the shopkeeper’s knee,† but Lheureux would have none of that. She owed a vast sum of money, and the sheriffs officers arrived to confiscate the family property. Emma tried frantically to raise the money. She went to Leon at Rouen and urged him to borrow the money for her, and she even suggested that he steal the money from his office. Leon tried to borrow the money from lenders, but to no avail. On the next morning, people gathering in the market read a notice indicating that the Bovarys’ furniture was for sale. Madame Bovary went to see the town notary. The notary was in business with Lheureux and, so, knew all about Emma’s plight. But he listened as she told him all about it. He then made it clear, in a not so subtle manner, that he would expect a sexual relationship if he were to lend her the money she needed. Emma appeared insulted by his forwardness, shouted that she was not for sale, and left in a fury. She was surely not opposed to exchanging herself for money, but the notary was too crass and straightforward about it. Had he concealed it in more romantic language, she probably would have consented. Later, as Flaubert wrote, â€Å"perhaps she began to repent now that she had not yielded to the notary. † At last, when she heard the sound of Charles coming home, she went to the town’s tax collector and offered herself to him in return for the money. He was offended by Emma’s advances. While Emma was running around, thinking about how to get the money, Charles learned of his family’s financial ruin. Emma, at least, turned to Rodolphe. But even though it seemed the two of them could once again become lovers, Rodolphe was either unwilling or unable to help. Out of shame and despair, Emma poisoned herself with arsenic she obtained from the pharmacy through an unwitting assistant. She hoped to make her death short and sweet. She said, â€Å"Ah! It is but a little thing, death! â€Å"I shall fall asleep and all will be over. † But she suffered long and horribly with vomiting, sweating, pain, moaning, and convulsions. Charles, unable and in no shape to help his wife, called in another doctor, but to no avail. â€Å"A final spasm threw her back upon the mattress,† and she died. Charles appears to be the true hero of the novel. He genuinely loved Emma, would have done anything for her, offered her a decent li fe, was a good husband, a good provider and a good father. But, he was a real human being with real human characteristics and flaws. At the end of the novel, however, Charles becomes a genuine romantic, engulfed by authentic and understandable emotions. Charles decided in favor of a mausoleum for Emma’s tomb, and he wrote the following instructions: â€Å"I wish her to be buried in her wedding dress, with white shoes, and a wreath. Her hair is to be spread out over her shoulders. Three coffins, one oak, one mahogany, one of lead. Let no one try to overrule me; I shall have the strength to resist him. She is to be covered with a large piece of green velvet. This is my wish; see that it is done. The pharmacist and the priest, we are told, â€Å"were much taken aback by Bovary’s romantic ideas. † Charles’ mother shared their view. But Charles now had become a romantic just like Emma, emotionally overwrought with the death of this woman he so dearly loved, refusing to sell any of her possessions to satisfy her debts. Flaubert writes of Charles, â€Å"He was a changed man. † â€Å"To please her, as if she were still living, he adopted her taste, her ideas; he bought patent leather boots and took to wearing white cravats. He waxed his moustache and, just like her, signed promissory notes. She corrupted him from beyond the grave. Soon, though, Charles discovered the love letters from Leon and Rodolphe hidden in a secret drawer of Emma’s desk; and, shortly thereafter, Charles died of love sickness. A surgeon â€Å"performed an autopsy, but found nothing. † All of Charles’ belongings were sold to satisfy debts, and there remains just enough to send Berthe off to her grandmother. But the grandmother died the same year, and Berthe fell under the care of a poor aunt who sent her â€Å"to a cottom-mill to earn a living. †

Pact Analysis And Prototype Design Information Technology Essay

Pact Analysis And Prototype Design Information Technology Essay The given report is based on the PACT analysis and prototype design for an interactive system. In respect to this, the paper introduces an initial non-functioning prototype interface for the interactive system for the selected design problem. The design problem selected for this interactive system is scenario 2. This problem is related with getting information about visiting places and eating, as in this city, Emily has faced problem in accessing expert knowledge and using Google maps mainly because of unavailability no local leaflets, paid advertising links, etc. As such, the design report reflects the PACT analysis and includes observations supporting this analysis. Further, it also includes secondary research as well as reflects feedback for initial design. All in all, an interactive system design for this design problem will be helpful in giving effective and relevant knowledge to the visitors about visiting and eating. PACT analysis is defined as a user requirement document that is used for a more detailed design brief. This analysis is a way of reflecting about people, activities, content and lastly technology (PACT Analysis). Each and every element of this analysis would be quite helpful in developing an effective interactive system that supports the users in accessing the local map. People reflect cognitive with physical characteristics, language, culture, etc. and other aspects. Activities indicate about actions and tasks including activities that support the new design. The third aspect is the context to use focuses on information about environment with acceptability of new design in relation to social, legal and ecological. Lastly, technology focuses on current technology and future technology to asses the problem in existing technology and type of technology, which will be used to solve out this technical issue. In relation to the given design problem, PACT analysis is conducted to make the information accessible to visitors. People: In this activity, people involved are senior team members, IT engineers having a good knowledge about hardware and software technical areas, graphic and interactive design experts and research team. There is a special requirement for IT experts and research team as both affect the designing of the interactive system. The special requirement for Information Technology (IT) expert is due to the reason that they have possessed a practical technical knowledge about software and hardware. Research team members have great domains in programming, visual design and cognitive psychology. The age range for each and every person involved is different. For the senior team members, the age range is in between 35-50 years. They can play a decisive role in building an interactive environment through solving behavioural issues. All in all, senior members can build up a good coordination among the members to effectively communicate ideas. Further, team members between 20 and 30 include those, who have innovative ideas and support in completing the tasks. IT engineer, graphic engineers and research team members are between the age range 30 and 45. In developing an interactive system, they can support in the designing of prototype and non-functioning prototype interface. In the current scenario, language is a great issue as visitors have faced problems in assessing the local knowledge due to unfamiliar language. Activities: To design an interactive system, the users have to perform activities that furnish long and in-depth information to the visitors. Additionally, they have to design a system in such an effective way that not only supports the visitors in searching local knowledge about the worth visiting and eating through providing database, but also works as a tool that freely intercommunicates knowledge to the visitors. Those activities must possess special characteristics like system should be easy to use, fast, and efficient. The new design will support in completing the activities like designing of interface, which is self teaching and also assists in gaining access to relevant and worthwhile information. Context to use: The features of the current context are that the presentation of local knowledge was not good in this city. Besides that, the system is not quite fast and effective with which it could be easy to assess the information. The environment would be stressful as the existing system was not responsive to the needs of the users. The new system needs to be used quickly through providing training in relation to the technical issues and ways to implement and maintain. In the designing of an interactive system, it is a must to focus on the needs of society, so that the society can be able to accept this system. For the new design, ecological and social acceptability affects the system at a great extent as both play a vital role in making the system user centric. Current technology: Technology is one of the determinative areas of concern as it directly affects the system design. Currently, notice and language are used as technology to respond to the needs of the users in a fast and efficient way without focusing on its ease to use. All in all, the current technology to serve local knowledge is mainly based on the systems functionality instead of visitors needs. This is a major problem in the current technology. Besides that, the current technology does not reflect the local attraction in the station and thus; visitors have faced a great problem in knowing places for visiting and eating without any guide. Future Technology: To solve this problem, the technology that could be used must focus on the users needs and also possess the characteristics of easy to use. Furthermore, books and signs are an effective technology that could be applied to cope with this problem as this will be helpful for the users in accessing knowledge about the local attractions of the particular city. Hardware helps the visitors that are looking for new attractions through informing and assisting in searching worth visiting places, whereas; software helps in making the database of local attractions in a city and also maintaining the speed and efficiency. This technology might provide opportunities like easy to access information within few minutes. Besides that, this technology might also give information about local attractions on mobile phone at low costs. For offering more functionality in the new system, new technology like books and signs might give an opportunity to attract number of visitors and also mee t visitors needs by assisting in keeping away the problems related to access expert knowledge. Observations supporting the PACT analysis Based on the above discussion about PACT analysis, it is inferred that this analysis is a quite effective tool with which it could be easy to assess information in a more detailed form. Besides that, it is also reflected that PACT analysis not only focuses on the specific requirements, but also indicates key point that are quite essential for evaluation. For instance: information about people helps in knowing people involved in the tasks. Furthermore, I have learned that for designing an interactive system, this analysis is highly effective as this helps in realizing the current situation and also reflects the areas for improvement, so that the new system can easily cope with the perceived problem. All in all, it is realized that PACT analysis is an effective tool to understand the users needs and amend the system according to the users acceptability. From the observations supporting the PACT analysis, it is learned that in this rapidly changing technological world, it is a must for an interactive system design that each and every aspect including people, activities, context and technology is properly assessed. With this, it would be easy to design a system that gives local knowledge of what is worth eating and visiting in a particular state. In addition to this, these observations will support in assessing the required changes that make the user interface effective in respect to functionality and users needs. Overall, PACT analysis is a tool for cooperative research, which acts as computer-aid-engineering for sharing and developing design model automatically. In the same concern, it is also observed that PACT analysis for an interactive system should also consider the communication as this meets out the issues like speed and bandwidth. In addition to this, observations will greatly assist the web designers in knowing about the users context, goals and tasks that directly lead in supporting the PACT analysis. With the observations, it could also be easy to assess whether the design prototype assists the goals and tasks in an effective way (Sharp, Rogers and Preece 2008). All the given observations in relation to the support of the PACT analysis were quite useful as they helped in getting relevant information about activities, context and technology. In response to the observations, the design visualization will add such a technology that gives a full and clear picture of area for improvement and also focuses on usability that makes visualisation easy to understand. Besides that, I will add more pictures, maps, signs, etc. as well as apply design strategies related to user interface. To make design visualisation effective, we will add all types of analyses including users, requirements and tasks. Thus, it is inferred that PACT analysis for an interactive system must be human centric, so that the required information can be easily extracted by the users. Secondary research Secondary research is one of the effective researches with which it could be easy to find out the solutions in context to the chosen scenario. This is because potential solutions linking with such issues are already reflected by other researchers. In helping the design of an interactive system, secondary research is quit useful as this research gives detailed information about the tourism and environment in context to the ecological, cultural, economic and language issues. Besides that, in design/visualization, secondary research will help in finding out the user requirements that are essential to design interactive system. In this context, Jones and Greene (2000) state that in the interactive system design, it is a must to foster creative perception, users and use context. The interesting idea that helps in developing the design is We view good system design as a three-legged stool. The legs are: 1) Understanding of technology, 2) Understanding of the users and the context in which the system will be used, and 3) A creative insight (Jones and Greene 2000). This means that a good system design is highly based on the proper knowledge and understanding of the users and technology as this is the only means to provide local attraction information to the visitors. It is also assessed from secondary research that for an effective design/visualisation to provide a guide to the tourists, it is a must to focus on the computing technologies with wireless infrastructure in order to provide the required information about the worth visiting sites. In support to this, Cheverst et.al state that The system combines mobile computing technologies with a wireless infrastructure to present the city visitors with the information tailored to both their personal and environmental contexts (Cheverst et.al). With this, it is analysed that for developing an interactive system, technology should be related with the users requirements. To make the design effective, another interesting idea proposed by Wober (2003) is that the designing of interactive system has to be supported with a marketing decision support system to assess the information about the prevailing users demand and current technology (Wober 2003). . Based on the above reflected potential solutions for the selected scenario, it is inferred that secondary research is good means as this research refers to the information that has been collected and properly analyzed by other researchers in context to the same issue. Feedback on the Design Visualisation In respect to the design visualisation, most of the users have reflected that this is a good system through which users can easily access the information of local destinations as this not only provides them with the database, but also helps them communicate in relation to various issues related to environment. This system would help in getting information about the worth visiting and eating sites, so that visitors can spend their time and money in an efficient way. As per their feedback, they would expect to see mobile networking with which they can access information on global maps on their mobiles at a lower cost. After looking at visualisation, most of them have the same question that whether this system is easy to use and will be helpful in fulfilling their needs. In response to the feedback, I would like to focus on all key dimensions such as technology, context and users. In addition to this, I would like to change the technology such as books, pens, notices, etc. to make the s ystem easy to use for the visitor. Besides that, I will implement mobile networking to change the design as most of the potential users highly require this technology in the interactive system.

Database Management: Law, Ethics and Security

Database Management: Law, Ethics and Security Law, Ethics, and Security Standards: Relevant legal and ethical standards need to be considered in the solution design and in future implementation. (SNHU.) A combination of issues have introduced strong ethical concerns in database design: increase in size of data, increased sophistication in mechanisms and convenience of access systems, increased invisibility (through absorption into the application and/or the user interface), increase in circulation and excessive, globalized sharing of information, increased interaction with other databases and applications, increased amounts of personal information, increased merchandising of information and poor or lacking security for database owners. (Goguen.) Additionally, the risks have been augmented by new technologies: open source database management systems; cloud computing and social software applications. With the combined three, the only defense against the unethical use of information is the ethical standards of the stakeholders themselves. (DeMers.) Ethics is a set of principles of right conduct or a theory or a system of moral values. In a civilized society, morality and ethics guide and precede the law. There are no legal laws to govern how individuals morally behave. Nevertheless, legal and ethical guides/rules must be applied to protect the information collected in databases. Limit access of data or prevent inappropriate access to all or part of a data set. Maximize the skills required in learning/using the existing system data. Implement total data transparency, i.e., include features that convey to the end user the feeling like he/she is the databases only user, or hide all the added complexities of distribution, making users assume that they are working with a single centralized system. Include the concept of voluntary informed consent. Address data protection issues and security concerns. Ensure that copyrights are protected. Observe copyright laws (avoid any usage of materials/information without prior and proper consent). When expanding globally, learn and observe applicable regional and/or international laws. Protect IP (Intellectual Property) and IPR (Intellectual Property Rights). Do not infringe upon the intellectual property or patents of others. Keep detailed records of everything (research materials, database rules, etc.) not only for future references but to protect against possible accusations/allegations of impropriety or misconduct). Legal Compliance: The best practices in design, data use, and storage to ensure legal compliance must be implemented. (SNHU.) Certain principles or practices address the increasing complexity of data usage, processing and storage at all levels and stages of a business as well as the associated consequences and effects. By adopting these principles, companies can help ensure that privacy and information security become an essential component of its technologies and business practices from the outset. Understand the business model and rules, specifically, how the enterprise will interact with its customers at every step of the way. Implement appropriate information security policies or build technical reinforcements as to how client information is maintained, stored, collected, used and shared. This will help identify and avert potential privacy issue concerns and risks. Protect cardholder data (including bank and credit card accounts, social security, etc.). Encrypt transmission of cardholder data (to safeguard the data in the event it falls into the wrong hands). Protect stakeholder information (including email addresses, telephone numbers to protect them against spamming, phishing and/or unwanted robocalling). Keep abreast of legal developments and regulations concerning privacy and information security. Seek legal advice as required. Keep data completely anonymous (within and outside the organization). Acquire the users consent before obtaining any personal and sensitive information. Ethical Practices: The best practices in design, data use, and storage can be implemented to ensure the ethical operation of the company. (SNHU.) Following and applying ethical and moral obligations will ensure the trust and confidence of users and customers. The protection of these stakeholders should be the primary concern of any business enterprise. Respect the privacy of users. Never share or pass on a customers personal information to any other person or party without first informing the customer and obtaining his/her consent. Reduce the efforts of repeated and unnecessary collection of data on the user. Be willing to provide customers access to any stored information that the system has on them. Allow users the right to have this information modified or deleted if inaccurate or illegally collected. Be prepared to inform customers the reasons that the enterprise is collecting, storing and using personal information. Ensure safe/secure storage and disposal of customer information. Be prepared to provide a customer with any request for the return, transfer, or destruction of the data. (Yeung.) Choose the appropriate and suitable database model for the company. Use the data appropriately (i.e., do not misuse or sell it for profit or otherwise). Immediately disclose security breaches to stakeholders, the local State Attorney General, Data Protection Supervisory Authority, and any other government agencies. Ensure stakeholders continued access to their information. Ensure data integrity to discourage against data tampering. Hire trustworthy, reliable and experienced staff. Perform background checks if necessary. Security Needs of Solution: In consideration of the type of organization selected, the data used, and consideration of legal and ethical standards, the security needs of your DBMS solution are required. (SNHU.) The group/department for which the enterprise data model was constructed relates to customer sales. Like most enterprises, the success of Vinces Vinyl relies upon customer satisfaction. Therefore, customer data must be protected and kept secure at all cost. Maintain, guard and protect the privacy of customers/users. Monitor and keep user data current (e.g., ensure that the credit cards on file have not expired). Keep data secure and confidential. Document data (explain how it was created or digitized, what it contains, including its structure and any data manipulations). This will ensure data preservation and continuation. Ensure adequate information security (e.g., personal data, financial data, customer purchases, transactions and references). Devote time and attention to security matters. Be aware of obvious vulnerabilities to the database management system. Fortify perimeter security and defenses such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems/intrusion prevention systems (IDS/IPS). Think primarily of security in every step of the way.ÂÂ   Perform regular and deep database vulnerability scans and assessments. Apply restrictions when granting users access to the database and review the access privileges periodically. Encrypt sensitive data. Be sure to manage the encryption/decryption keys, and change them regularly. Periodically monitor and audit user authentication. (AscentTech.com.) Database Security Plan: A comprehensive but high-level security management plan for the design that will align to organizational needs should be implemented. (SNHU.) In addition to the security required to safeguard the customers, Vinces Vinyl should establish certain security practices. This will not only guard against infringement of privacy issues but also against malicious attacks and security breaches such as identity theft. Such data must be protected from unauthorized access and malicious attacks (e.g., Trojan, virus, worms, malware, adware, spyware, DDoS). Of special concern is SQL injection, which does not infect the end users directly. Instead it infects a website, allowing the attacker to gain unauthorized access to the database and the ability to retrieve all the valuable information stored in the database. Only allow and accept the creation of strong usernames and passwords. When systems/applications come with built-in default usernames and passwords (which have been created for easy set up), the log-on information should be erased and replaced as soon as possible. Periodically review the database configuration and delete any unnecessary or unused components since certain database vulnerabilities exploit add-ons and extensions. Avoid creating complex systems. Simplify or only install components that are necessary. Keep the OS, browser(s), software, and hardware current. Apply the necessary updates and security patches. Apply secure coding practices. Frequently monitor and audit the database to determine vulnerabilities, monitor, and audit again. Use available, inexpensive tools to deploy monitoring and auditing automatically. Some tools include prevention capabilities. Protect not only the data but the servers on which they reside. Keep computers and devices physically inaccessible to unauthorized users. Apply strong passwords and usernames. Maintain strict business procedures, e.g., assign individuals specific roles that they should be accountable for (e.g., backing up data, generating reports, verifying data integrity). Implement proper authorization to allow individuals the ability to see only the data that they are authorized to access. Maintain a secure storage of sensitive data (e.g., use strong passwords, install firewalls, intrusion prevention and intrusion detection systems). Properly authenticate users (i.e., make sure that a person is who he/she claims to be and is not an impostor). Apply granular access control and determine how much data an authorized user should be allowed to see. Isolate portions of the database to prevent unlimited access. For example, while a user might be allowed access to his/her personal data, he/she must not be allowed to view/access other users data. Maintain regular backups or data movement onto disk, tape, or stored at third-party sites which are also secured and tracked. Encrypt backups to prevent unauthorized viewing or access. Keep the backups current to enable recovery should the need arise. Implement a documented disaster recovery plan to minimize time loss which could impact the business. Apply integrity constraints by maintaining valid and current information. Enforce encryption to incoming and outgoing data. Record and verify database log reports, histories, changes, etc. Keep everything well documented. Train the personnel and make sure that everyone understands and has a grasp of both desktop and cloud database security. Implement strict safety procedures for everyone to follow on a regular basis. References 28 Types of Computer Security Threats and Risks. (n.d.). Retrieved on March 16, 2017 from http://www.itscolumn.com/2012/03/28-types-of-computer-security-threats-and-risks/ Business Rules: Informal Predicates. (n.d.). Retrieved on March 3, 2017 from http://www.databasedesign-resource.com/business-rules.html Conger, S. (2014). Hands-On Database, 2nd Edition. [MBS Direct]. Retrieved from https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780133927078/ Compliance by Design. (n.d.). Retrieved on March 16, 2017 from https://www.itlawgroup.com/resources/articles/76-compliance-by-design Database Study Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved on March 16, 2017 from https://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/database/study.php Data Security Challenges. (n.d.). Retrieved on March 16, 2017 from https://docs.oracle.com/cd/B10501_01/network.920/a96582/overview.htm De Mers, B.A. (November 20, 2014). On Ethical Issues Surrounding the Planning and Designing of Databases. Retrieved on March 16, 2017 from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141120200923-338627392-on-ethical-issues-surrounding-the-planning-and-designing-of-databases Enterprise Data Model. (October 28, 2009). Retrieved on March 3, 2017 from http://www.learn.geekinterview.com/it/data-modeling/enterprise-data-model.html Enterprise Data Model. (n.d.). Retrieved on March 3, 2017 from https://www.techopedia.com/definition/30596/enterprise-data-model Goguen, J.A. (December 6, 1999). The Ethics of Databases. Retrieved on March 16, 2017 from https://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~goguen/papers/4s/4s.html#B-S98 Hernandez, M. J. (2013). Database Design for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design, 3rd Edition. [MBS Direct]. Retrieved from https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780133122275/SNHU (2016). Modeling Business Rules. (n.d.). Retrieved on March 3, 2017 from http://www.sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/10/domain_based_models/modeling_business_rules.html IT 650 Milestone Four Rubric.ÂÂ   (n.d.). Retrieved on January 20, 2017 from https://bb.snhu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-14554096-dt-content-rid-41947794_1/courses/IT-650-17TW3-MASTER/IT-650%20Student%20Documents/IT%20650%20Milestone%20Four%20Rubric.pdf Kandle, N. (July 1, 2005). The Enterprise Data Model. Retrieved on March 3, 2017 from http://tdan.com/the-enterprise-data-model/5205 Regulatory Compliance and Database Management. (March 2006). Retrieved on March 16, 2017 from http://www.sandhillconsultants.com/whitepapers/regulatory_compliance_and_database_management_whitepaper.pdf What Are Business Rules? (n.d.). Retrieved on March 3, 2017 from http://etutorials.org/SQL/Database+design+for+mere+mortals/Part+II+The+Design+Process/Chapter+11.+Business+Rules/What+Are+Business+Rules/ Yeung, C. (September 5, 2012). What privacy issues are involved in building a marketing database? Retrieved on March 16, 2017 from http://www.startupsmart.com.au/mentor/what-privacy-issues-are-involved-in-building-a-marketing-database/

The Banning of Harry Potter at Omaha Christian Academy Essay -- Censor

The Banning of Harry Potter at Omaha Christian Academy Imagine discovering that you’re not an ordinary person, but a wizard with magnificent, magical powers. Imagine attending a school where you’ll study transfiguration and charms instead of trigonometry and chem. Imagine the thrill of flying across the sky on a broomstick. These adventures and many others are waiting to be experienced in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by novelist J. K. Rowling. This fanciful and entertaining tale has taken the youth of the nation by storm, and its sales have only been surpassed by the book’s sequels, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Unfortunately, not all children are welcome to enjoy the magic of J.K. Rowling’s literature. Because the books discuss witchcraft and wizardry, some parents and teachers have assumed that the books do not reflect religious teachings and must, therefore, be banned. The Omaha Christian Academy in Omaha, Nebraska has recently banned the sale of Harry Potter books at its book fair and refuses to purchase copies for the classrooms or library. However, the administration at Omaha Christian Academy should not prohibit reading books in the Harry Potter series. Potter Gets Cold Shoulder On October 15, 1999 an article was published in the Omaha World-Herald that angered and agitated devoted fans of Harry Potter. Omahans already knew that the Harry Potter books had been challenged in South Carolina and a few other places across the nation. Now, the controversy over the fantasy stories by J. K. Rowling had hit their home town. Apparently, the administration at Omaha Christian Academy learned of the popularity of the books and... ...The kids who read Harry Potter will not grow up to be antireligious witches and warlocks. They will develop into well-adjusted young adults who have a better understanding of how to be a hero. In order to act in the best interest of their students, the administration at Omaha Christian Academy needs to introduce the Harry Potter books into their school as soon as possible. It’s time that Christian schools be made a safe haven for Harry Potter. Works Cited Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976. Heuscher, Julius. A Psychiatric Study of Myths and Fairy Tales. Illinois: Charles Thomas, 1974. O’Connor, Michael. â€Å"Potter Gets Cold Shoulder.† Omaha World-Herald. 15 October 1999. â€Å"Save Harry Potter!† About.com. 29 October 1999.

Essays --

Abortion itself is not an easy process to go through. Having a simple fetus removed medically might seem easy, but the woman herself might go through many difficult situations before, during, and after the process of abortion emotionally and physically. Making the right choice of having an abortion might be regretful to some woman and their family. The choices are either having the baby and later finding out they can’t take care of the baby or having an abortion and finding out later that you cannot have a child in the future. There can physical effects on woman that have abortion. Abortion can result in miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and a slight chance of breast cancer. Many miscarriages happen when an abortion is used on the previous pregnancy because it can be dangerous to the future reproductive systems of woman. After an abortion, there can be severe case where bleeding and infection can occur. A woman might have five times the chance of ectopic pregnancy because the woman who had their first pregnancy was terminated. An ectopic pregnancy happens when the embryo is implante...

Harmony and Howling †African and European Roots of Jamaican Music Essa

Harmony and Howling — African and European Roots of Jamaican Music English colonial rule began in Jamaica in the year 1655. The growth of a plantation culture in the West Indies quickly changed the need for labor in the area. Between 1700 and 1786, more than 600,000 African slaves were brought to Jamaica. These slaves were required to work for their English colonial masters who would purchase them from slave traders at various ports around the island. Slaves were abducted from various regions of Africa, and brought over to the New World in large boats, packed to the teeth with the Africans. The slave trade over the Atlantic served as a connection between the West Indies- islands in the Caribbean, and what was to become the United states. In fact there was a large amount of interchange of slaves between these two regions. Therefore, an American reader with an understanding of the Atlantic slave trade in his own history will have some sort of an understanding of how this system worked. Slavery was not a system designed to accomidate freewill. Slaves were literally kidnapped from Africa, and as soon as they were in custody of slave traders they were assigned a submissive position under the white and Arabian merchants. When the slaves entered the New World, they remained in this submissive role and were forced into labor. Any freewill was instantly compromised the moment a shackle was placed around the limb of an African. European, Spanish, and Arab slave traders did not particularly like the Africans who were "volunteered" into slavery. Their actions, which were considered ugly and unacceptable reinforced their submissive position under the Europeans. An example of this kind of thought is the practice some African people had of "picking lice off their heads, with their fingers, putting them in their mouth and eating them." According to this slave trader, monkeys "had a parallel custom." Observations such as these reinforced the stereotype of slaves being monkeys. This is an example of how blacks, in a white mind, could descend to the level of an animal. Today we have a term for this: Ethnocentrism, but in the days of slavery this European view drawn from their own culture only served to further compromise the dignity of the Africans in the slave trade. This degrading view of Africans also made the moral aspect of slavery easier to digest. The E... ...ngs that created Reggae music. This music came out of a struggle between black and white, and the return to Africa reinforces the black nature of the music, almost subjecting the European tradition to a submissive role. In this respect Reggae music is a response to the European traditions that were inflicted onto black slaves in Colonial times in an unjust manner. Listen: The exploitation and eventually liberation of the Jamaican people have produced a very unique social condition. Reggae music is an optimistic answer to the history of oppression that draws upon the past, and uses it as a resource. In order for there to be a good future, the past must be considered and accepted. There is no way to right the wrongs of Jamaican history, but there is a way to promote awareness of these wrongs. The harmony that exists in reggae music between African and European tradition is a symbol for how it should exist in the world, and perhaps it is a map of how to get there. If two different combating traditions can exist in one music, then it is very possible for them to exist in every other facet of our society. Is this possible? What one person considers a howl is another's harmony.

World Trade Organization Changing Global Economy

Global trading has been a part of the world since the 1940s. As trade between countries began to grow so did the need for some sort of international commerce. In 1948, the International Trade Organization (ITO) was established, but fell through and triggered the creation of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). GATT was created through several negotiations, known as rounds. For many years, GATT's policies held strong and offered many countries the international support they needed to remain prosperous in global trade. Though, as time went on, certain trade policies established by GATT were being undermined by countries in order for them to continue conducting business. GATT's rules and regulations were becoming obsolete in the rapid changing global economy. â€Å"By the early 1980s the General Agreement was clearly no longer relevant to the realities of world trade as it had been in the 1940s. For a start, world trade had become far more complex and important than 40 years before: the globalization of the world economy was underway, trade in services – not covered by GATT rules – was of major interest to more and more countries, and international investment had expanded† (World Wide Web. http://www. wto. org/wtoabout/facts1. htm). The eighth round (Uruguay Round 1986-1994) was the most recent and thorough of them all. The Uruguay Round had 125 countries participating, it is the largest trade negotiation to ever take place. Though this round was expected to fail from the start, it actually started some of the largest trade reforms since GATT and WWII. This round, lasting some 7 1/2 years, established the World Trade Organization (WTO) and a new set of agreements. The World Trade Organization was enacted on January 1, 1995. There are three main purposes of the WTO stated in the WTO web site. These three main goals are to help trade flow as freely as possible, serve as a forum for trade negotiations, and deal with dispute settlements. How the WTO remains so effective is by setting up universal guidelines for members to follow and enforcing them. One of the most important changes made in WTO, is the addition of the trade rules regarding trade in intellectual property and services, as well as, products. The WTO site is currently discussing many articles. There are a few which strike my interest such as the EC and U. S. banana dispute which we had previously discussed in class, the increase of WTO members to 134, and the intellectual property proposal concerning the US and Japanese idea for a multilateral system and registering geographical locations. There is an article on low income developing countries in the GATT/WTO framework, which is planning on discussing special provisions that should be offered to these under-developed and developing countries, which were involved in the Uruguay Round Agreements. â€Å"Developing Countries comprise the majority of the membership of the World Trade Organization. On the other hand, the European Communities, the United States, and other industrialized countries enjoy the greatest shares of international trade† (World Wide Web. ttp://www. wto. org/). The Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) is the â€Å"law† of the WTO. It is the body in the WTO that analyzes the trade policies and interprets the rules regarding them. Two of the three sites we were advised to use on this paper were not accessible, so I just improvised and used Internet sites that had similar information on them. One of the articles I found on worker's rights was very informative. It discussed the U. S. Secretary of Labor, Alexis Herman, and the ties of core labor standards. Last June, a declaration was announced in Geneva by the International Trade Organization (ILO). The International Labor Conference, held by ILO members, adopted this declaration with intentions of creating a stronger protection on core rights of workers, and holding each country accountable for this protection. On May 18, President Clinton Made a speech stating that the ILO and WTO need to maintain a working relationship in order to advance the global trading system while protecting the worker's basic rights. This is a big step forward for the ILO and its members as we enter the 21st Century. With the passage of this Declaration, the ILO has underlined and clarified the importance of the fundamental rights of workers in an era of economic globalization† (Statement by Secretary Herman). Some of the current trade disputes discussed in the WTO are the disputes going on about the bananas between the United States and the European Communities. This dispute is actually being talked about this week in the Wall Street Journal. Both sides are frustrated. The U. S. is because they feel the EU has unfairly made loop holes in WTO guidelines, and the EU is upset because they say the U. S. is trying to control too much of their rights as global traders. The U. S. has stated that the EU has been purposly avoiding banana purchases in Latin America, and doing business in areas like Africa, where Europe has many ties. The WTO has the responsibility to work on a plan that will hopefully satisfy both parties to some degree, but the U. S. as strong opinions of implementing 520 million dollars worth of tariffs on EU imports into our country. Another dispute that is taking place is the Korean acoholic beverage tax. This is a matter the WTO is also trying to fix. The U. S. and EC don't agree with the tax that Korea is implementing on their imported alcoholic beverages. Again, the WTO pages website is inactive so I found some information in another forum about certain issue which are being reviewed. One of the hottest items right now seems to be assistance for low-income developing countries. Many changes are taking place for developing countries, and the way they are conducting their international business. For one, they are aborting many of their uses of tariffs on infant companies to try and support growth. Secondly, they are altering their management to make themselves more attractive to foreign investment, which in turn will increase foreign direct investment and help create more supportive trade balances. These developing nations are strongly advised to take part in the WTO, so they can reap the benefits it has to offer. The WTO, with its multilateral trade view, simply allows smaller economic powers to be more fairly involved in world trade without being victimized and taken advantage of by stronger economic powers in the old bilateral style of global trading. In the 21st Century global trading will be more fine-tuned than it is right now. We should see the elimination of tariffs, subsidies, quotas, etc. The world should be working like a large country, with open markets in every nation. Comparative advantage will establish itself, and trade balances will be less drastic. Under-developed and developing countries will become developed. In my View, I think that in the 21st Century, the world will operate as one large entity in the aspects of economic markets. Though, the creation of the WTO brought many great new ideas and helped closer unite the world into one huge market, there are still bugs that need to be worked out, and as time goes on, we will see need for more changes and adjustments. A few of the areas that the WTO needs to rectify and further develop now are areas such as worker's rights, environmentalism, and foreign direct investment.