Effectiveness Of The Early Intervention Approach

Effectiveness Of The Early Intervention ApproachWithin this look for I am non going to list the reasons to believe in the effectualness of the other(a) on hinderance approach. The usefulness of early intervention itself is not in dispute. I entrust, however, be discussing the strengths and weaknesses of different types of early intervention. I will discuss the reasons to believe that some intervention purposes ar better than others concerning ways to handle genial issues. This essay will discuss the definitions of the terms used in the title. I will look at the motivations rear the schemes and discuss ways of analysing their effectiveness. In relation to the grandness of shaver participation and the amplification of childrens voices, I would also like to look at childrens views on their own situations and why they feel like they should engage in acts that would qualify as a social issue.Defining the key wordsUsing the term social issue in reference to children and familie s tends to suggest childhood delinquency, drug abuse, violence, teenage pregnancy, crime and etcetera. The word issue implies that on that point is a problem that should be dealt with an issue is not an acceptable or desired delegacy of behaviour and it opposes the social ideal. However, many questions arise concerning who has created the definition of this ideal. The language used in the title suggests that the ideal consists of the eradication of all social issues. (which the Government has highlighted.) utilize in CTCEffectiveness is an expression that is used by the Government when evaluating early intervention. In the UK, The government drives forward the collect for evaluation and assessment of early old age practices (Lewis Utting, 2001). It is a commonly held assumption that to achieve the goals of evidence-based practice and cost-effectiveness, evaluation is a necessity, not a luxury (Ghate, 2001, p23).Preventative early intervention initiatives have pass more commo n since the arrival of the New Labour government in the late 1990s (Ghate, 2001). Whether they are led by the government or by other organisations, an early intervention programme generally has the aim of reducing negative social outcomes the children may contribute to when they grow up. Within this essay, I will be using examples of two different types of early intervention scheme government-led and residential district-led.Different types of interventionGovernment-ledThroughout the 1990s, there was a growing recognition that wider social, political and economic factors were negatively influencing the families and communities that children grew up in (Hannon Fox, 2005 Glass, 2001). Shortly after New Labour was elected to power in 1997, Tony Blair stated that by 2010, the number of children funding in poverty inside the UK would be halved and by 2020 it would be eradicated ( ). As a result of this, the New Labour government introduced a number of early intervention initiatives wi th the aim of reducing social excommunication due to poverty (Clarke, 2007).The New Labour government has shown a serious commitment to the early intervention approach, having invested hundreds of millions of pounds into genius initiative in particular on-going Start (Hannon Fox, 2005). To begin with, Sure Start was tar loll arounded primarily at working with parents of young children from the close to socio-economically disadvantaged areas in the UK. By doing this, therefore, the government aimed to potentially accept future issues that their children might create. One statement of Sure Starts patterns is described by Clarke (2007) (Sure Start aims to avoid) social exclusion in adulthood, primarily by enabling children to realise their potential inside the education system (p.699). Sure Start reflects its aim by working two directly and indirectly with the child directly by providing such things as pre-school childcare and indirectly by providing services for parents and the wider community (Belsky Melhuish, 2007).Other government early intervention approaches that have been introduced since 1997 with the aim to break the cycle of poverty include child tax credits, working tax credits and child benefits. Government policies and squirt papers such as Every Child Matters (2003) acquit the early intervention approaches by outlining the standards for child well-being and suggesting guidelines to help professionals reach these standards. The 2007 Childrens Plan recognises the impressiveness of providing support for parents, in order to gain their enthusiasm for their childs education. Parental enthusiasm and involvement is a key factor when trying to initiate an intervention scheme ( ).Government programmes and large scale intervention programmes such as Communities That Care (CTC) are not the only types of early intervention. Communities themselves have long developed programmes that tackle issues important to them. Sure Start was to be focussed on relatively small areas of take up, reflecting the desirability of action at the level of communities (Hannon Fox, 2005, p3) federation-ledNon-government led organisations have been trim up all over the country in response to different communities needs. One example is Kids Company, a charity which aims to run practical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable inner- urban center children and young race (Kids Company Website, 2008). This statement seems very similar to the one Sure Start uses. Kids Companys methods of early intervention, however, differ signifi batchtly from those of Sure Start.Kids Companys effectiveness lies in its provision of innovative, flexible and child-centred services. Kids Company provides targeted therapeutic and social work interventions, and universal class and group access to the arts. (Gaskell, 2008, p4)Personal relationships with stack they are reaching.Self-referal. availability is an important factor for intervention schemes. If parent s or children do not access intervention (whether it be through with(predicate) choice or lack of knowledge)The assumption is that behind every child is a responsible adult, who will navigate the path to services (Camilla Batmanghelidjh, 2006, p15). Sadly, the truth for many children who would benefit most from intervention services is that their chief(prenominal) carers are not willing or brooknot be bothered (uninterested?) to allow their child to attend (Batmanghelidjh, 2006).Motivations behind intervention schemesPoliticsChildrens welfare?MoneyThe intention for the Sure Start initiative was that it should be based on the outdo evidence of what works (Glass, 2001, p14).Lack of funds can mean that some children get overlooked by local authorities and social services. In her book, Camilla Batmanghelidjh (2006) describes coming into contact with children who were suffering from lack of food and neglect, referring these children to social services, but discovering that they were not suitable for help due to lack of resources and too many cases of sexual and physical abuse.Many children drop out of the education system and are never act by the system because the behavioural and emotional difficulties of the children are too much of a burden to school staff (Batmanghelidjh, 2006).Many interrelated factors place children at put on the line of adopting behaviour that could be seen as a social issue. Many children who already practice such behaviour are likely to have been well-educated by their familys socio-economic circumstances. Socially unacceptable behaviours can lead to social exclusion, which can, in turn, result in the next generations social exclusion (Clarke, 2007).Childrens attitudes, achievements and behaviour are shown to be linked to the environment in which they grow up in. The largest influence is shown to be that of the family (Parton, 2007). Talk about EPPE. The key, when looking at dealing with social issues, lies in tackling the rudimen tary factors. This could be by the means of providing services and/or resources.These factors include poverty, poor nutrition, emotional neglect and underachievement. There is an overall understanding that these factors cannot be isolated from one another (find evidence).Intervention is a term that suggests that an outside source will come in to intervene with whatever is going on and disappear once again once too issue is fixed or eradicated.Analysing effectiveness (research)Evaluating larger scale early intervention programmesEarly Effects of CTC (Hawkins et al, 2008)Reports positive effects, but the results are quantitative looking at if the children have taken drugs or shown signs of delinquent behaviour.Not looking at the childrens views of how the project may have changed their lives issues such as being listened to, valued and feeling part of the community.if services cannot specify what changes they expect to see for successful users, evaluators certainly cannot measure t hem, let alone pass creative thinker on whether the service has proved effective. (Ghate, 2001, p25)Strengths of early intervention approaches imply that these are the reasons for perceived effectiveness. Contrary to the strengths of early intervention projects, their weaknesses reveal the space for improvement within the services.The New Labour government has introduced several interventions that aim to benefit families. Much research would support the idea that early intervention schemes such as Sure Start have a positive benefit on childrens well-being ( ), but how far can research reflect the true picture of what is occurrence to under-privileged children in this country?This pressure to measure a settings effectiveness can detract from the amount of time practitioners can spend with the children Time and energy is, therefore, more and more sapped from those providing services to fill in forms for external purposes, rather than supporting children. (Lewis and Utting, 2001, p4 ). Ironically, this could negatively affect the effectiveness of the intervention.Accessibility- If many mountain are accessing services, then the likelihood of them having an touch on is increased. Alternatively, if there are not enough staff members to meet the needs of the attendees, then the likelihood of effectiveness is inevitably decreased.Before an educational outcome there needs to be an emotional one (Batmanghelidjh, 2006, p23). Successful outcomes or effectiveness of an intervention service are not instantly noticeable. It may take long time for disturbed children to engage in behaviour they were previously unable to. Their outcomes are personal, and their successes are often individual and emotional first, before they become visible in the world of academia and work. (Batmanghelidjh, 2006, p 22)The problem with presenting outcomes in the way that they are being demanded is that clinicians try and exclude children from their services who are likely not to provide positi ve outcomes. p.23 This is not through cruelty, though, but because the clinician relies on the money they earn for doing their job effectively. Money is essentially the reason why so many children do not receive the services they should. Children are being dehumanised by being treated as statistics that keep adults in their jobs.So many of our current interventions with vulnerable children come from the perspective of the well-adjusted adult, needing to preserve our own sense of safety. (p 153)Short-term initiatives, where the practitioner enters the childs situation, offers a quick-fix cure and then disappears again, are merely cosmetic. This gentle of intervention offers no real solution to the issues that disadvantaged children face. The government thrive on statistics that have been distorted to reflect their political goal (find some). The public deprivation statistics to show them that issues are being resolved.It is to do with how committed people are to seeing change. Sho rt-term initiatives are ineffective, due to the fact that people are mingled beings. Effective early intervention programmes have recognised the need to build relationships with the people behind the issues.ConclusionChildren who carry out anti-social behaviour are sometimes referred to as being delinquent (Hawkins, 2008). This reflects the medical model of disability, that which implies that the fault lies within the child and needs to be fixed.The aim of some early intervention programmes can be to benefit wider society rather than the child. Blair (2008) spoke of a new political initiative that would identify those most at risk of offending at birth. This kind of intervention would not be beneficial to the child. Being labelled from birth as a potential offender could produce a self-fulfilling prophesy.The most effective early intervention programmes are those that make a commitment to the children themselves that aim to make them feel valued as members of society and offer them the best opportunities.Many of the early intervention programmes explored, such as Communities That Care (CTC) concentrate on notions of bringing the community together and building social capital from within the community. We cannot expect children to act as responsible members of the community unless they are treated as such. Not just gathering their views but involving them, involving them in planning and maturation of programmes as will see constant criticism from the children is nothing actually happensDisenchantmentThe delinquent child (Hawkins, 2008)Looking at how the child is framed within early intervention programmes. Is it to make them feel valued, important and give them the best opportunities? Or is it to sort them out for the sake of wider society?Government initiatives Identifying those at risk of offending at birth (Blair, 2008). Fits with governments crack-down on anti-social behaviour and ASBOs.More positive Sure Start, parenting programmes.Want to prevent the p roblems before they start, but such approaches label the child before they have even offended. This is likely to alienate them further from society. Not helpfulDistribution of powerCTCProgramme is systematically applied from the outsideCommunity driven and the community identifies problems they believe need addressingBut, research by (Brown et al 2007) into the Community Youth Development StudyLeaders were those who already held leadership positions i.e. mayors, city managers, police chiefs, school superintendents. These were the people who were interviewed, alongside tail fin referred leadersNo effort to break down power relationships. Study itself is not representative. We do not hear the views of different community members.Older respondents and those from law enforcement were more likely to report higher baseline levels of collaboration than younger respondents or those from other community sectors (Brown et al 2007). So again criminal justice system taking the lead.Ultimately, people sacrificing their time and finances can do such impressive things for the need of their communities.And I think thats what our world is desperately in need of lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about. Shane Claiborne (The Irresistible Revolution, 2006)Define what can be meant by social issues in this essay.What does it mean to deal with social issues?What is effectiveness? How can we measure such a relative/ idiosyncratic thing?What types of early intervention are there?Government programs SurestartVoluntary sector- charity work/ people choosing to live in disadvantaged community to help change for the better.Education?Therapists?Health? NHS, midwives, health visitors etc.What reasons are there to believe that these methods work?CTC entropy (large no.s of opinion surveys do these fully reflect true picture?)Case studies?Govern ment studies (truly reliable? Short term? Who are they financed by and for what purpose?)What substitute(a) approaches are there to early intervention? (What are we comparing early intervention to to make the assumption that it is the most effective approach to deal with social issues?Other countries (Norway and Sweden)Are families engaging with intervention projects?Non-engagement (Anning and Ball 2008)Intervention or need of resourcesArnold et al (2003)Specific needs of communities and the individuals themselves within such communities need to be addressed. Great diversity of needsIt is the environment that needs changing not the individual.Brown et al (2007) CTC organizes the adoption of a science-based approach to prevention into five stages that correspond to Rogers (1995) stages of innovation diffusion. Each stage is guided by a set of milestones and benchmarks that are used to monitor CTC implementation p181Diffusion is the process through which (1) an innovation (2) is comm unicated through certain channels (3) over time (4) among the members of a social system (Rogers, 1995).Most individuals evaluate an innovation, not on the basis of scientific research by experts, but through the subjective evaluations of near-peers who have already adopted the innovation. Diffusion is essentially a social process through which people talking to people spread an innovation.

Nokia Company: Organisation and Profitability

Nokia Company Organisation and ProfitabilityIt all began for Nokia when Fredrik Idestam built a topic mill back in 1865. He built an separate factory near Nokianvirta River, Finland, the place whose first five words gave the order its name Nokia. surrounded by the old age of 1865 and 1967 Nokia was recognized as a vital industrial machine though further expansion asked a merger with a telephone circuit companion and another merger with a rubber firm to set up the Nokia fraternity. This was the beginning of the move to electronics crossroadion by the federation. The expeditious phone geological era for Nokia began in 1981 when the first ever international peregrine phone network was built called the Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT).Organizational Structure at NokiaAs of October 1, 2009 the organizational structure at Nokia was extremely mobile and flexible.Nokias organizational structure is horizontal and it al abjects for greater flexibility and speedy communication channe ls between divers(prenominal) departments. The devices unit looks after the development and restrainment of mobile devices portfolio which is targeted at all major consumer segments. The solutions department ensures that it continuously develops solutions whereby ensuring that a particular mobile device has integrate contents and personalized renovations and the output of these three components results into a leading mobile phone for the end user. The solutions unit works with other departments in besotted proximity to provide much(prenominal) solutions.The services department creates and designs internet services that enhance the consumer experience when Nokia phone users interact with the web. The main beas where this unit focuses on allow in messaging, maps, music, and Ovi developer tools. This department also ensures that there is a consistent increase in contrary services as the trade evolves. The other significant department is merchandises which acts same a suppl y chain department for Nokia. The unit is also responsible for sales channels, branding and marketing activities for various products and services.The corporate development department looks for future day growth opportunities and it also plans for future strategic actions that will give the fraternity a competitive advantage against competitors. This department also provides operational supports to other stub departments such as Devices, Services, Solutions and markets. Nokia Siemens Networks is a joint venture with Siemens and it provides network infrastructure which is both fixed and wireless. This division also provides communications and networks service platforms.Finally, the operate major division is NAVTEQ this unit is a provider of detailed navigational maps and digital map data automobile navigation systems, navigation systems for mobile devices, internet mapping applications and mapping solutions to government and other businesses. NAVTEQ is an important part of Nokias operations since it provides downloadable maps and other content that will enhance the experience of consumers who use Nokias pert phones.Corporate GovernanceThe style authority and responsibility is organized at Nokia it shows that the club is exemplary in its approach towards corporate governance. The companys strategic and significant natured decisions be made by the board. These matters might include strategic guidelines, approval of periodic plans and decisions on major divestments or investments.The company charter, article of association and Finnish Companies figure out determine the roles and responsibilities of all directors and executive members. According to the auditors and company information strict guidelines are followed in terms of code of conduct and ethical behavior of severally employee. Similarly the company complies with all carry market requirements of the Helsinki stock market, New York and Frankfurt stock throws. The company provides all necessary d ata to governance at NYSE because the under the rules any firm that complies with its national laws must file any differences that exist between its national laws and the laws to be followed under NYSE.Competitors of Nokia CorporationNokias direct and major competitors include Motorola Inc, Cisco Systems Inc, Research in Motion, LM Ericsson Telephone Co., and QUALCOMM Inc. The company faces stiff contention in the business oriented mobile phone market from RIMs Blackberry series. Nokias E-series phones are geared to compete with the Blackberry series. Similarly the company faces challenges from Samsung and Motorola in the touch screen phone markets and the latest mechanical man based phones that offer efficient and extremely user friendly interface to consumers.In the navigations and maps market Nokia, standardized the traditional manufacturers such as Garmin, TomTom, faces tough competition from the Google and Apple partnership that will make the iPhone the ultimate navigation a nd smart device for this generation. The difference between this navigation process that iPhone will offer is that consumers wouldnt need to download maps for a price or they would not need automotive navigations systems rather they would use their smart phones as navigation devices at very low rates.For the stratum 2009, Nokias market share remained flat at around 38% in the global handset market after consumers continue to encourage Apples iPhone in favor of the N series that Nokia is offering. Nokia also faces competition from Ericsson mobile phones in the music phones Sony Ericssons superior voice quality and speaker quality give its phones an adjoin over Nokias Express music series.Industry Outlook for 2010The expectations of the company for 2010 are considerably flat in terms of the performance of its various divisions. Overall the mobile device industry is expected to increase by about 10% in 2010 in terms of volume compared to 2009. For the year 2010 Nokia expects its mobi le device market share to be flat compared to 2009, a similar sort of expectation also exists for Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks as the venture cons a minimal increase in euro terms for the mobile and the fixed infrastructure services market.Importance of International securities industrys to Nokia CorporationIn 2009, out of the total sales from the company Europe accounted for 36%, Chinas share was 16%, Middle East Africa 14%, North America 5%, Asia-Pacific 22% and Latin America 7%. As we can see from these numbers that about 59% of sales are overture from the maturation world for a company that began operations from Finland that is an important statistics since most of its revenues are coming from international markets especially from exploitation countries.The 10 markets from which Nokia generated the highest amounts of sales revenues are listed below in decreasing order with the highest written first and lowest stated last China, India, the UK, Germany, the United States , Russia, Indonesia, Spain, Brazil and Italy when combined these markets provided 52% of the total sales in 2009. It is important to note here that China and India the fastest growing economies in Asia are leaders for Nokia sales secondly the list also contains growing markets such as Brazil and Russia.It is important to note here that because Nokias main sales device driver is the mobile device market hence there are higher sales potential for Nokia in developing countries. This is because countries such as India and China are experiencing large take up for mobile phones collect to the rapid growth and development of infrastructure especially network infrastructure. The rising levels of GDP per capita and income levels of people in the developing world are increasing their ability to purchase mobile phones therefore we could see that in the near future major growth would come from developing economies.Foreign Exchange exposures Faced by NokiaNokia has businesses all over the worl d this global presence means that assets and sales, liabilities and loans taken or completed in different parts of the world may be higher or lower in value when translated into the Euro or any home base currency. Because Nokia owns substantial assets in unlike markets therefore the company has to hedge and protect itself against the potential of currency adjustments in the negative direction.Nokias foreign exchange policy is developed by the exchequer department of the company which looks after the interests of the company such that foreign exchange exposure is minimized and shareholder value is maximized. Under the policy transactions which are considered of material value are hedged against foreign exchange exposures as long as the hedging tool is not uneconomical i.e. the hedging apostrophize is lower or market liquidity is favorable. The company uses derivative financial instruments such as foreign exchange options and forward foreign exchange contracts to manage hedging and reduce the exposure. The group has a policy of not hedging 2-year or beyond forecasted foreign currency cash flows.New Product and Market developmentNokia operates in a highly drastic and technologically changing industry on the consumer side the company also sees the acceptance and increasing demand for more sophisticated products therefore the company has to remain on its toes and come up with peeled products and services. The recent financial crisis which was coupled with economic downturn as well saw most industries and companies experiencing reduced profits or even losses.If we look at the table above we see that for the period 2004-08 the come RD expenditure as a percentage of sales was around 11%. This explains how important the development of new products and markets are to companies like Nokia. RD expenditure dipped slightly during 2009 by about 1% compared with 2008 figures because of the decline in sales. The reduction in total revenues during the year 2009 was because the brunt of the crisis or the lowest point of the crisis was considered to be the third and fourth living quarters of 2009. The major problem faced by Nokia mobile devices sales was the fact that as macroeconomic aggregates plummeted world wide people were laid off, disposal incomes squeezed and acquire power declined in some regions because of currency depreciation, all these factors led to the decrease in demand for Nokia phones.Despite these tough circumstances Nokia continued to expand product development and introduced new products in the mobile device markets, new systems and networks from Nokia Siemens Partnership and navigation phones under the NAVTEQ division.Capital Structure and Liabilities Management at NokiaThe average basic number of shares during 2009 was 3.705 billion, 2008 was 3.743 billion and 2007 was 3.885 billion. The difference between diluted and basic average number of shares was negligible during all the three eld stated above. about 1% of the shares we re owned by Nokia Corporation during 2009. There was not much change in the capital structure during the three years apart from a buy-back and cancellation of shares that were owned by the company during 2008 and 2009 respectively.If we closely analyze the net debt to equity ratio for the 5 year period we see that initially in the years 04, 05 06 and even 07 the company had surplus assets over total debt. Though this situation drastically declined during 2008 as the credit crunch forced Nokia to borrow money and duad the gap between its working capital. This factor eroded the asset base advantage the company was holding for the previous 4 years before 2008. other important factor was that short-term acceptances rose substantially during 2008. Short-term borrowings increased from 714 million Euros in 2007 to 3,578 million Euros in 2008.The equity ratio represents the amount of assets correspond or funded by the equity holders. From the table above we can see that the assets funded through equity has been on a declining run throughout the five year period. This also explains that as years withdraw passed by liabilities have been increasing used as a way of financing assets. Many analysts believe that borrowing is a lesser expensive way of raising capital compared to equity as interest paid reduces effective tax rate secondly creditors do not have a say in the way management runs the business thirdly no dividends need to be paid out. On the other hand equity has its own advantages such as no finance costs in case of bankruptcy the claim of common shareholders is last simply after other creditors have been paid out. Overall companies are suggested to find an optimum equity and liability combination by working out the WACC at different levels.2007 was considered one of the best years in Nokias history not only did the stock do well but the companys other major indicators were in green as well. For instance the return on equity was around 53% during 2007 that is a phenomenal return for shareholders from a company that competes in such a tough competitive environment. The return on equity declined significantly during 2008. As we see from the table that the value declined to 27.5% from 53.9% in 2007. This again explains the difficulty the company faced during 2008 in terms of low sales volumes, depressed prices and difficult financial conditions.Nokia Corporations shares are listed on the following stock markets NASDAQ OMX, (Helsinki), Frankfurter, and New York Stock Exchange. The company delisted its Swedish Depository Receipts (SDRs) from the Stockholm Stock Exchange. The last day of trading of these SDRs was June 1, 2007. nurture capital and loans from foreign capital markets has a number of benefits and a few disadvantages as well. In terms of the benefits firstly by listing stocks in a market such as NYSE a company like Nokia gave itself exposure to one of the most valuable and important stock markets in the world. New York is the f inancial capital of the worlds largest economy and having the ability to raise funds in such a market builds great reputation for a company apart from substantial capital.Similarly the SDR move into the Swedish Stock Market was a strong move as that would have strengthened the capital structure before the delisting. SDRs provide a substantial capital inflow in lieu of a stable and known cost of capital that gives the firms financial cost structure sustainability and consistency.In terms of the disadvantages economic activities in a foreign country might wedge the shareholder value of the whole group. Though this cost is offset by the point that todays financial markets are so drug-addicted on each other that market risks are almost similar in virtually all countries and their stock markets. The important thing here is that companies like Nokia must be aware of the trade cycles and the economic cycles of the world and individual markets and there relationship between each other bec ause that will determine the impact of raising capital in foreign markets.Impact on Market Value as a Result of Strategies in Foreign Exchange Risk, Raising Capital and Moving into New MarketsTechnological firms generally have higher risk attached to their stock prices and market values therefore we expect them to do extremely well when the economy is booming and the company is able to come up with consistent and high quality products. The case of Nokia is no different the company has successfully established itself as one of the most reliable and advanced manufacturer of mobile devices. Steadily over the years Nokia has moved into new markets which have diversified the portfolio of the company hence spreading the risk over different but related markets.Nokias move to enter new markets has been a good way of diversifying business interests in the sense that the company has not only developed new products but it has also moved into new physical markets. Developing new products has it s own advantages but moving into new geographical markets can benefit companies from the all important concept of economies of new scale. Going into new markets exposes the company to utterly new customers hence increasing the total potential customer base of the company.Raising capital in foreign markets also impacts the market value of the company in a positive way. The company, by raising additional capital in new markets, not only increases its ability to spend money on acquisitions, development, and supply-chain but also gives credibility and higher standing to the companys share in the capital markets and makes the company a strong candidate for a dampen grade from agencies.The above graph is the stock price movement of Nokia stock, listed on NYSE, versus the SP 500 over a five year period. What is evident here is that consistently the Nokia stock has out performed the SP 500 for most of the time period under discussion. In percentage terms the stock has performed extremely well during the later half of 2007 up to mid 2008 even during the tough times of the late 2009 the stock did advance than the overall SP index.The above graph is again representative of the fact that the companys stock performed better than most top company stocks during the boom period of 2007. Credit has to be given to the financial managers of the company since there prudent steps ensured a better than average EPS for the company and subsequently even better share price performance.Evaluation of the Firms Finance ManagersIn terms of hedging and controlling the foreign exchange risk I think the financial managers did a good job by employing a prudent policy of hedging all those cash inflows and outflows which were due within 2 years period. This is a prudent approach secondly if we look at the table below we see that the company has remained profitable condescension the financial and economic crisis that plagued the global markets for the past 2 and a half years.We also see tha t the company gave dividends in all the last six years under discussion this also shows consistency and the right mindset of financial managers who rightly understand the need to rollout dividends in order to ensure continuous investments from investors in the near future.The above graph shows that profitability peaked during the 2007 period and steadily declined thereafter this also shows the difficult financial and economic environment that was weathered by the corporate sectors of different economies. The impact of the crises were so great that profits before taxes almost decreased by 50% in 2008 from 2007 profits before taxes.

In What Way Does The Final Scene of Act 1 Demonstrate Dramatically The

In What Way Does The Final Scene of Act 1 Demonstrate Dramatically TheTensions Between The Characters Which Will Lead to Tragedy?The net scene of Act 1 in Arthur Millers A View From The Bridgedemonstrates dramatic tension in a variety of different ways. It ismade fairly clear from the terminal moments of the act when Alfierireturns to the stage that the play will end in tragedy. Miller showsthis through dialogue between the characters and in the plentifulstage directions with which he munificently sprinkles the text. There isa range of conflict present in the scene. The central conflicthowever, involves Eddies unacknowledged jealousy towards Rodolfothis is the strongest.The above dispute is clearly visible(a) when Eddie goes to visit Alfierifor the first time. He makes insubstantial claims about Rodolfossexual persuasion without ever calling him a homosexual. Eddie assertsto Alfieri that the guy aint right and that he aint no nisus. Hecontinues by adding that if one was to enter a room when Rodolfo wassinging, you wouldnt be looking for him, youd be looking for her.He is incredulous that there is no recourse in the law that willprevent Rodolfo, a submarine or illegal immigrant, from marryingCatherine.When he leaves Alfieris office, Eddie has made it clear he wouldnever betray the cousins. save the audience is made to feelthat he may yet take the recurring theme of personal justice into hisown transfer, if not by inform the authorities of their illegalpresence in the country, then by some other means. This is shown bythe extent of Eddies anger when he says hes stealing from me and heputs his filthy hands on her like a goddam thief. Miller conveys th... ... the characters that will lead totragedy through the way he very carefully structures the play so thatthe central tension, Eddie versus Rodolfo, increases as the actionunfolds. This is true of the minor tensions too, e.g. Beatriceversus Eddie. The tensions themselves are built up by the pithydialogue a nd the meticulous stage directions, e.g. rubbing his fistsinto his palms diverting their management he senses he is exposingthe issue and he is driven on. Miller mimics Greek tragedy with achorus - Alfieri - who comments on the action. Alfieri does this jobwell and is endlessly hinting at the tragic ending he knows is passto unfold. Ironically, after the first few scenes the audience realisethat Alfieri was right at the beginning and the play is going to endin tragedy. How it will come about is still unclear at the end of Act1, however.

Puerto Rican Music in the United States Essay example -- Culture cultu

Puerto Ri preempt medicament in the United States Music has always been a pervasive symbol of identity. It is a mode of expression that crosses gender, ethnicity and age. One need not understand the lyrics to identify with a musical genre identification can be found through rhythm, tone of music, as well as other techniques in the music, unrelated to words. For example, most operas are in Italian and seemingly everyone that attends an opera, does not speak or understand Italian. However, the audience is moved by the emotion conveyed through tone, facial expressions, and beat of the music. I believe this is relevant to the office of Puerto Rican forms of music, and its success when Puerto Rican musicians migrated to the United States. Original forms had to be adopted to set about popular in the United States, often assuming a heavier dance beat, but when the songs and musicians did become popular, it was not because a majority of Americans understood the lyrics in Spanish. For Ame ricans, it was because the music provided lively background entertainment. However, for the Puerto Ricans, it meant much more. The music symbolized their background and struggles, what it means to be Puerto Rican. In tonic York, Puerto Rican musical traditions evolved in accordance with societal change. This was necessary in a society, as Glasser describes where Puerto Ricans lived among a constellation of constantly changing ethnic groups within a protean social environment(Glasser, 7). In Puerto anti-racketeering law there are diverse groups, with different traditions of politics, economics, and music. When Puerto Ricans migrate to the United States, they unite under an identity as Puerto Ricans but there is still diversity within. Furthermore, I believe it is the Ameri... ... difficult as Americans commercialized the entire profession and employment became near obsolete for those prepare musicians. In the U.S. music serves as a representation of the identity of the Puerto Rica n, just as it does for other cultures. Puerto Ricans became disillusioned at the prospect of remaining in Puerto Rico as Rafael Hernndez sang- Piensa remediar la situacin/del hogar, que es toda una ilusin. (Glasser, 165) Music provides a socially acceptable way to express disgust and disillusionment with the status quo and communicate ones identity. Bibliography Glasser, Ruth, My Music is My Flag Puerto Rican Musicians in New York and their Communities, 1917-1940. (Berkeley University of California Press, 1996). Oct. 29 Puerto Rican Music Between Rafael Hernandez and Rafael Cortijo. Guest Lecture by Prof. Lise Waxer, Music Dept., Trinity College

The Subject of Race in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

The Subject of Race in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness In 1899 Joseph Conrad published a short work of fiction called Heart of Darkness. This novella is a lot read, discussed, criticized in belles-lettres programs throughout the world. It is a work that allows us to tackle a variety of topics, and is therefore responded to in a variety of ways. The work itself as one critic puts it might most usefully be considered hyper-canonized (Padmini Why 104). The work is taught beyond the realm of a normal work in the literature program. Many forms of criticism have taken on the subject matter within the book. Feminism, psycho-analytic, Marxism have all had things to say about the novella. Theyve discussed things such as imperialism, the psychological science of Marlow and Kurtz, the role of women in the novella (both literally and symbolically), all these issues are important topics in the novella. For a long time, however one crucial issue in the work was not addressed, that of r ace. It was not until 1975 when Chinua Achebe gave his famous lecture, An Image of Africa Racism in Conrads Heart of Darkness that the issue of race was tackled head on in Conrads work. It is this lecture that has become the cornerstone of writing and criticism of Heart of Darkness. It would be hard to find an essay since then that doesnt in some(prenominal) way discuss or acknowledge Achebes essay. Even critics who do not use take into account historical or auto-biographical details of a work, such as Miller, have written responses to Achebe. In Millers essay Should we read Heart of Darkness he discusses, in his own way, the essence of Achebes argument that the novella should not be read because of its racist undertones. On critic has even gone on to say that Achebes essay has become a work included in the literature canon. The lecture given at the University of Massachusetts in azoic 1975 was published as an essay in The Massachusetts Review, and later republis hed in The Norton Critical Edition Heart of Darkness. Achebes main theme within the essay is the needin Western psychology to set up Africa as a foil to Europe (Image 252). Within the context of this theme he goes on to criticize what he considers a work of permanent literature, Conrads Heart of Darkness.

The Blood Lust :: Personal Narrative Vegetarians Papers

The Blood Lust My parents met at a party in September, 1975. A month later they left Rhode Island and drove cross-country together in the Volkswagen bus that my mom had bought for the trip. They brought along my moms dog Sagebrush and two of her friends. Actually, the two friends, the dog, and my mom brought my papa. He wanted a ride taboo to his friends place in Ohio, but ended up staying with them all the way to California. My moms two friends left in California, and my mom and dad ended up thrust home together. They didnt have much money. By the time they got to Santa Barbara, they were so poor that they stood wearing sandwich boards advertising a soup and sandwich special at the Bluebird Caf in exchange for a free lunch, which they split. They also worked as telemarketers and house cleaners. They ate very cheaply. Lots of cheese, my dad says, and crackers. For two weeks, my mom didnt annihilate she drank only apple juice -not because they were starving poor, but because s he wanted to cleanse her body.Mostly they slept in the bus, but they had friends to visit across the country, and for a while, they stayed in Virginia with my moms fathers cousin, whom they provided knew. The only times they ever ate meat were when it was served to them at peoples houses, for it was far too expensive for them to buy on their own. They began to find, as they made their way across the country, that it felt heavy and unhealthy, especially red meat and pork. When they got back east three months later, they moved into a small house in Narragansett, Rhode Island, with rotting kitchen walls so soft that you could stick a finger through. One day, my mom thought back and realized, slightly revolted, that the last piece of meat she had eaten was a hotdog with sauerkraut and mustard at the Oak Hill Tavern, months ago. Right then and there, she decided that if she couldnt kill something herself, she wouldnt eat it. I was born five years later, and my mom and dad began their parental journey with the intention of raising a family of vegetarians. I was five years old, and pale. My parents were concerned. At about the same time they noticed I was paler than my fellow kindergarteners, my dad came down with pneumonia, from working with the insulation in our unfinished attic.

A Comparison of Antigone and A Dolls House Essay -- comparison compar

Similarities inAntig one(a) and A Dolls House Ibsens A Dolls House has been called the first modern play. The play was considered revolutionary because it broke several molds which had endured for centuries. Incredibly, much of what was considered revolutionary first appeargond in Sophocles play, Antigone - one of the first plays in existence. In merely looking at the surface, one notices right away that both plays are significant in that they avoid the social temptation of using a man as a protagonist. Looking deeper into the stories, however, one can see that in even more contradiction with society, the female characters go against men. Both Antigone and Nora step into the spotlight as the female hero who has been put in a flexible situation and is forced to decide whether it is more important to follow what society dictates, or go with what they feel is moral and just. Antigone is faced with the death of both brothers, one who is to be buried with full military rites, while the other, under dictate of the king, is to be cast aside and allowed ...