Audit

Explain the impact of key court cases on the public accounting profession. 4. Describe auditor liability, discuss auditor responsibilities, identify possible auditor defences, and discuss possible remedies and sanctions available under both common law and statutory law. 5. Identify professional requirements that help assure audit quality and minimise auditor exposure to liability suits. 6. Describe defensive actions that audit firms can take to limit the effects of litigation on audit firms and individual auditors. 7.Apply the decision analysis and ethical decision-making frameworks to issues that could result in litigation. Teaching Suggestions Even though most audits are properly performed, a significant ppercentage of the gross revenue of public accounting firms is spent on professional liability insurance and litigation costs. Litigation costs and settlements caused Andersen, once the world’s largest public accounting firm, to declare bankruptcy. In today’s litigiou s environment, it is extremely important that auditors use due professional care to minimise such costs.Even when due professional care is exercised, the government, iinvestors, and clients may still sue auditors. This chapter discusses the legal environment and concepts related to audits, and approaches to minimising exposure to liability. It also looks at several key court cases and their impact on the profession. The challenge when teaching this material is to impart to sstudents a genuine understanding of the legal environment in which auditors operate without overwhelming them with material to memorise that they are unlikely to remember.This challenge is heightened by the need to stress the importance of ‘liability avoidance’ without leaving the impression that it is the major focus of the audit process. Begin by reviewing pertinent legal terminology. Then discuss the litigious climate for auditors and how that climate has changed over the past few decades. Reasons for the increase in litigation, often settled out of court include greed on the part of unscrupulous financial report users and preparers, ignorance and neglect on the part of auditors, and a volatile business climate characterised by numerous business failures.Public distrust adds to the problem. Stress the impact of litigation on the profession: (1) considerable resources expended to litigate, (2) some distrust and loss of credibility in the public accounting profession which is heightened by negative media coverage, (3) proliferation of new auditing standards, and (4) pressure from stock exchanges which has resulted in the establishment of audit committees and ‘comfort letters’ to underwriters. It is helpful to go over the concept of due care found in tort law.Ask sstudents how they view their liability if, as new employees, they are asked to complete a task that they do not feel qualified to do. Explain the imprecision of the ‘reasonable man’ concept a nd the problems that arise when ‘ordinary citizens’ sit on juries involving technical matters with which they are unfamiliar. The text outline can be followed when discussing the specific legal concepts that affect the auditing profession including the auditors’ liability to clients and third parties.

Perfect Competition Essay

The spectrum of market structures varies diversely from highly competitive markets where there are a large number of buyers and sellers, each of whom having little or no power to alter the market price to a situation of pure monopoly where a market or an industry consists of one single supplier who enjoys considerable control over the market price, unless specific restrictions are placed directly by the government. A market structure such as the Chicken Meat Industry can be deemed as â€Å"Perfect Competition (PC)† as it fulfills the following mentioned assumptions: 1. There are many producers in the economy as mentioned in the question.   2. Each individual firm in the market is a Price Taker- the firms cannot control the price of chicken being sold in the market instead they have to simply accept the designated going market rate as the price of their product. This happens due to two major characteristics of Perfect Competition: a. As there are a large number of suppliers, each of them has a relatively small share of the overall market. As a result, these individual firms are unable to affect price by directly bringing about a change in its own supply because by assumption, each firm is small in size b. Due to the enormous competition faced by each firm, no single firm can increase the price that it charges above the price charged by the other firms in the market without losing business caused by a large substitution effect away from that firm 3. All firms produce identical goods, as in the case of Chicken Meat Industry where the product i.e. chicken is homogenous. The characteristics of chicken do not vary much from supplier to supplier as a result they are substitutes for each other. 4. Buyers are perfectly aware of the nature and quality of chicken being sold to them as well as being well informed about the price being charged by each seller. 5. All firms, present and future, are assumed to have equal access to all factors of production as well as any advancement in technology in the production process. 6. The chicken meat industry is characterized by freedom of entry and exit. There are no barriers to entry or exit of firms in long run as a result the present the market will always be open to competition from new entrants. 7. â€Å"No externalities in production and consumption so that there is no divergence between private and social costs and benefits†. (tutor2u.net) Market Analysis Short Run We know that Economic Profit is the difference between the Total Revenue (TR) and Total Cost (TC) where TC consists of both explicit and implicit costs. As Opportunity costs are the next best alternative forgone, a chicken meat supplier can have can have a significant accounting profit with little to no economic profit. In the Short Run, economic profits for individual chicken meat suppliers depend on the position of their Average Total Cost curves. (investopedia.com) In the short run the equilibrium market price, P1 is determined by the interaction between market demand and supply. This price is taken by each of the firms as their selling price which in turn is constant for each unit sold. Therefore, the AR curve also becomes the Marginal Revenue curve (MR). We know, a firm maximizes profits when marginal revenue = marginal cost, therefore the profit-maximizing output for a given firm is Q1. The firm sells Q1 at price P1. Because the ruling market price is greater than the Average Total Cost (P>AC), the firm will make positive economic profit as indicated by the shaded area below.

An Old Woman.

Having lost the promises of her past, she is reduced to her present state. As the speaker views her squarely, he, in a sort of ‘revelation’, becomes aware of the decay which has set in her person and which is extended to the decaying tradition symbolized by the hills and the temples. Without using many words, the old woman forces the narrator to look at her from closed quarters. It is then that he realizes the hypocrisy of society and the decadence of the social system that has ruined the old woman to a beggar. he finds that the social fabric is destroyed, architectural features go into ruins. Human values are forgotten. The old woman’s condition reduces the narrator to a small status when he feels as insignificant as that small coin in her hand. This poem humbles us to remember our responsibility to society. It reveals the callousness, a failure on our part to take care of the elderly, protect our heritage and preserve our values. In the rush of materialism and the desire to achieve, one takes all that one can from society, but giving the same back is largely forgotten. So the cracking hills, crumbling temples, crumbling of social order is directly a result of our negligence, our failure to act responsibly. Somewhere, the materialistic world has made man selfish, trapping him in a race to accumulate. When society has to face this onslaught, cracks appear, but selfish man forgets to repair the cracks, forgets to salvage lost values, thereby creating a dilapidated social fabric†¦. An Old Woman. Having lost the promises of her past, she is reduced to her present state. As the speaker views her squarely, he, in a sort of ‘revelation’, becomes aware of the decay which has set in her person and which is extended to the decaying tradition symbolized by the hills and the temples. Without using many words, the old woman forces the narrator to look at her from closed quarters. It is then that he realizes the hypocrisy of society and the decadence of the social system that has ruined the old woman to a beggar. he finds that the social fabric is destroyed, architectural features go into ruins. Human values are forgotten. The old woman’s condition reduces the narrator to a small status when he feels as insignificant as that small coin in her hand. This poem humbles us to remember our responsibility to society. It reveals the callousness, a failure on our part to take care of the elderly, protect our heritage and preserve our values. In the rush of materialism and the desire to achieve, one takes all that one can from society, but giving the same back is largely forgotten. So the cracking hills, crumbling temples, crumbling of social order is directly a result of our negligence, our failure to act responsibly. Somewhere, the materialistic world has made man selfish, trapping him in a race to accumulate. When society has to face this onslaught, cracks appear, but selfish man forgets to repair the cracks, forgets to salvage lost values, thereby creating a dilapidated social fabric†¦.

Historical profile for an auction catalogue Assignment

Historical profile for an auction catalogue - Assignment Example Impressionism is the name given to a style of painting in France at the end of the 19th century. The Impressionists were not a formal artistic group as such, more a collective of artists seeking recognition for their innovative techniques and approach to using colour in art.1 The painting depicts four poplar trees standing tall on the banks of the river. Their shadow is seen in the water below. The entire painting has several hues of colours and a vivid use of light is also seen. It is said that Monet preferred to paint this painting from the middle of the river rather than sitting on one bank and painting what is seen on the other side. Monet made the trees slender and allowed them to reach to the end of the canvas. We do not see the top of the trees in the painting. It is because of the impressionist style to paint the moment capturing it as it is. One must appreciate that impressionist painting catch the movement of the moment. The use of brush strokes is small and unfinished in impressionist paintings. In this painting as well we see small strokes of brush creating the bushy impact of the river bank. The slenderness of the tree barks seems exaggerated. The best brush strokes however are the leaves of the trees. Irrespective of the hue blue background the leaves stand out in colour. Poplar trees are tall and slender. Only the bank of the river painted with the grass and bushes separates the reflection of the trees from the trees themselves. The small and unfinished brush strokes also give dense appearance to the grass on the bank and the leaves of the trees. The brush has effectively captured the movement of wind which is seen in the reflection of the trees in water. The simple strokes have created the movement of refection due to wind on water. This movement of wind is the perfect example of impressionist style of painting. Impressionist paintings capture the movement of nature, people etc. Even in the st ill paintings one can see the effects of

Assignment for Operations Management course Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For Operations Management course - Assignment Example With batch manufacturing process, a specific process is designed for the product where it has to go through all stages on by one. Since producing caps undergoes several steps, batch method would be suitable simply because caps must finish production in one stage before the next one. Batch production is suitable when producing similar things. It reduces the time required to change machine or materials in producing things. The suitable production process for the company would be batch production (Schroeder 254). Customers are friends of restaurant simply because they must visit the place in order to have something. Mom’s kitchen restaurant offers a limited menu to customers on a daily basis. In order to retain its customers, Mom’s restaurant has to change its menu slightly. It is the work of the restaurant to ensure that customers have been satisfied. In producing all foods in the right manner and time, job production process is one suitable for the restaurant. Job or single product process is suitable when producing items that have a different style of production. Production of different things run parallel and production of one does not interfere with the production of the other. A team of small people with different skills work towards realizing goals of the company. The reason why job production process suits companies such as the restaurant is because they enable production match the customer’s needs. Customers feel satisfied something that allows him or her return for more services next time. I would ensure that all items of the day are produced parallel in order to ensure they are ready by the time. Customers in a restaurant have different tastes and specifications that may prevent the company from early production. Job production process helps customers give their specifications and in return get their desired services (Schroeder 354). Commonly, Six Sigma theory have

Emerging Market-The Challenges And Opportunities Investing In China Essay

Emerging Market-The Challenges And Opportunities Investing In China - Essay Example It is evident that the emerging markets have flexed their muscles in the global arena, and their effect is expected to increase the more. Companies that have invested in these markets have enjoyed and are continuing to enjoy revenues that emanate from these transactions. China is among the emerging markets that has contributed a great mile to the spending of a huge clientele-base, and that has also attracted numerous multi-national companies (MNCs). With the country expected to dominate the global market by the year 2030, challenges are also not devoid from these transactions. This essay shall attempt to discuss the concept of ‘emerging markets’ using the case study of China. Additionally the essay shall keenly analyze the opportunities and threats facing the investors that are likely to invest in this emerging market. 2.0. Body 2.1. Definition of ‘emerging market’ In the thought of Beridze (2008), emerging markets refer to the nations that have actively bee n involved in business activities that have seen their fast growth as well as a huge development in the industrialization process. Among these countries that are termed to be emerging range from Brazil to China. As seen in the research conducted by Palepu & Khanna (2010), China has retained her position as the third in the list of the emerging markets. ... A good example is China that is export-driven with strong capital inflows and investments from well-capitalized banking institutions. Jain (2006) indicates that the markets are expected to stabilize by the day. Additionally, the growth of the world’s economy is expected to emanate from the emerging markets, and 70% of the growth is anticipated according to the economists (Kvint, 2009). Despite the varying interpretations of the term, the fact about the entire aspect is that emerging markets have been instrumental in recording an increase in the capital share in the world economy, and that their GDP is on the increase. As seen in figure 1, China may be defined as an emerging market as emerging markets are ones that are undergoing transformations from third world countries to developed countries, whilst their markets are now reduced to free markets from the state dominated ones (Enderwick, 2012). On another viewpoint, Mody (2004) says that emerging markets are slowly freeing up both internally and externally, due to the processes of economic reforms, that need to incorporate the rapid economic growth. It is evident that the country has opted to increase their role in the market, and minimize the chances that the government will have avenues to control the planning of the market. Pragmatic ideologies have in this case taken the day in the case of China’s economy. Its emergence cannot be alienated from the fact that the country has shed more energy in perfecting its contribution in the manufacturing industry as opposed to other countries that have opted to focus on the service industry whilst others in the agricultural sector. Figure 1: Real GDP growth (%) in the BRIC and US economies Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (International Monetary

Video Analysis 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Video Analysis 4 - Essay Example At the commencement of 1990s, the company digressed from its dealings with other services and concentrated on telecommunications. Currently, the company leads in mobile communications with sales being approximated to be higher than $31 billion and still offers job opportunities to 56,000 individuals. The company has straightforward mission that is realized through consumer feedbacks thus ensuring consumer contentment. The company focuses on product design, network security and technological advancement experienced within the global environment. The information offered allows readers to understand how the background or foundation of Nokia was established, in order, to make certain that people within different contexts manage to communicate through utilization of its diverse phone brands. Nokia company has undertaken in diversified business ventures, to reach the current state that has enabled connection of billions of people around the globe. The mission that the company utilizes have considerably assisted in ensuring that the company acquires competitive advantage, with relation, to other mobile companies. Companies can easily switch activities provided the substitute has considerable potential and opportunities for receiving enormous sales (Kerin, Hartley & Rudelius,

Memo's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Memo's - Essay Example Fundamental Company included; Ineffective interaction between the internal audit committee and the management, which limited the independency of the company’s internal audit committee; lack of formal manuals and auditing guidelines in accordance with the GAAP with respect to operational, budgeting and financial standard which resulted into over reporting of the financial records of the company; and inadequate financial reporting and accounting systems and processes which would enhance accuracy of the reports and increase the pace of auditing. NetLogic Microsystems, Inc. is a fabless semi-conductor corporation which develops, designs, and sells integrated processors and circuits mainly used in wireless and mobile infrastructure networks. In their financial and auditing report for the accounting period dated Feb. 15, 2012, the company reported a series of limitations in the auditing exercise. As highlighted by the audit committee, auditing process indicated flaws covering from management to financial projections. The internal audit control policy of NetLogic Microsystems is highly influenced by the senior management boards, thus limiting the independence and autonomy of the internal audit body. On the other hand, the audit committee identified the following material weaknesses in the internal control of NetLogic Microsystems, Inc: first, consolidated financial statement analysis and preparation weaknesses. In the fiscal period 2011, NetLogic Microsystems, Inc did revise its net cost allocation methodology to comply with th e GAAP. However, internal auditing report revealed that the proposed methodology of allocation failed to report major program costs. This prompted the officials to reconsider and revise net cost statement to present cost valuations. Besides, it was noted that Managements Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) contained irrelevant information and therefore were incorrectly accounted for

The Name Adithya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Name Adithya - Essay Example The name â€Å"Adithya† originates from being a ‘Descendant of Aditi’ or ‘Belonging to Aditi’, who was the Hindu mother goddess of the sky and fertility. Adithya is an Indian name that has its roots in the Sanskrit language. Other root words of the name are â€Å"Aadi† meaning â€Å"First or beginning†, â€Å"Aadideva† meaning â€Å"Highest God† or Aadinatha† meaning â€Å"the Primordial Master† are all derived from the Sanskrit language and are essentially Hindu names. 33 children, who were born to Aditi, the Goddess of sky and fertility, also known as the mother of God. The name Adithya is quite popular and hence quite commonly used in Hindu circles and is mostly used for the masculine gender and is pronounced as ‘a DEET ya’. This name is widely used in Asian regimes especially in India. On the family and community front, the name Adithya stands as a symbol that represents the sun, and hence he has a strong personality filled with strength and power and a person one can rely on or depend upon. Just as the sun casts its light on the whole of the Earth, giving life to everything under it, so also a person with the name of Aditya would always be a source of help and strength to others around him. Basically, he is a person one can depend upon because he can never let others down. He is the kind of person who hates being alone but loves being surrounded by laughter and cheer because he too revels in the love and good nature of others. He is a good friend and guide and believes in all that is good and right and shuns what is bad and demeaning. People with the name ‘Adithya’ are mostly leaders and very good speakers and are capable of winning the goodwill of others.

Business Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business - Case Study Example This is a point of concern because AIG was in the past, ranked among the world’s best performing insurance companies. Its closure in 2008, before the government bailed it out, happened in a period when the United States and other world regions were experiencing financial heat, because of the financial crisis that had rocked the world. However, the company had itself it blame for its downfall, since the management did not practise caution in running the company, neither did they develop effective business strategies that would see the company withstand any financial storm (Ferrell, Fraedrich &Ferrell, 2013). This case study therefore, raises different issues concerning AIG, its business practices, and its downfall. From its history, AIG was considered a competitive company, having a market value of approximately $200 billion in 2007. However, this changed in 2009 when the market value of this company sharply declined to only $3.5 billion. The government in 2008 came in to rescu e the company from facing total bankruptcy. This was an important move by the government, as it saved other companies, which depended on AIG, from facing equal bankruptcy. The AIG was a big player in the financial market; therefore, total bankruptcy would have worsened the 2008-2009 economic turmoil (Ferrell, Fraedrich &Ferrell, 2013). The factors that led to the decline of the AIG are analysed, and these mostly include internal factors in the company.

Ernest Hemingway Legend Essay Example for Free

Ernest Hemingway Legend Essay Ernest Hemingway is the ideal of an American legend, rugged, no-nonsense, with personal adventures rivaled only by those in his groundbreaking fiction.   His sparse newspaper style created a literary furor and his success came early and grew until the day he died.   In addition to his canonical novels, Hemingway was also adept at short fiction, including one only six-words long.   Besides, his male bravado, he also managed to capture the alienating effects of modern life in his fiction.   The modern themes of abortion, feminism, and alienation are expressed simply and eloquently in â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants. † In the short story â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants,† Hemingway explores modern alienation in a tense discussion between a couple waiting for a train.   Two Americans in Spain, the man is trying to pressure the woman into some operation, though it is never revealed what this operation is.   Throughout the tense, yet sparse conversation, the man insists she have the operation, yet the woman resists.   It becomes increasingly clear that the operation they discuss may be an abortion, and the tension between the two symbolizes something uniquely modern.   Though abortions have been performed for centuries, it remained taboo until the twentieth century. Hemingway, though never specifically citing abortion as the subject in the story, displays the alienating effect it has on relationships and couples:   â€Å"‘It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,’ the man said. ‘It’s not really an operation at all.’   The girl looked at the ground the table legs rested on. ‘I know you wouldnt mind it, Jig. It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in’† (Hemingway).   The man refuses to completely acknowledge the significance of the situation, perhaps suggesting either his refusal or dismissal of Jig’s role as a woman worthy of making her own decision. According to critic Paul Lankin, â€Å"as the man persists in opposing the continuance of Jig’s maternity, he grossly oversimplifies the issue, even to the point of self-contradiction, calling abortion first ‘an awfully simple operation’ and then ‘not really an operation at all’† (234).   His dismissive attitude speaks of a former socially acceptable condescension by men towards women during a time when women were often treated as second class citizens.   This frank discussion between the man and the woman seems only possible in modern literature and seems unimaginable during Victorian times. The tension between the man and the girl is palpable in the short story.   Though they are travelers, imbibing alcohol and waiting for the train to their next destination, the conversation is filled with underlying themes of male dominance and female perseverance.   The man continuously belittles the girl’s feelings towards the pregnancy, and his argument includes many attempts at downplaying the importance.   The man persistently tries to convince her, even though he seems to feign sincerity in much of his words: â€Å"‘Well,’ the man said, ‘if you don’t want to you don’t have to.   I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to.   But I know it’s perfectly simple’† (Hemingway).    The girl does her best to contend with the man, believing that if she listens to him the relationship will be back to normal.   She hides her worry with levity, including her comment about the hills looking like white elephants.   It becomes apparent that more than fear over the procedure, the girl is coming to the realization that her relationship with the man is not what she thought it was: â€Å"the girl clings to a dream of family and togetherness until the last minute, and finally decides to give it all up as the requisite price of staying with the man-not knowing, as the reader does, from the many hints provided by Hemingway, that the man is likely to leave her, even if she goes through with the abortion† (Hashmi 3). Her final declaration that she is fine is the affirmation that a man cannot dictate her womanhood and her life decisions.   In the end, she becomes the one with the strength and wisdom, understanding that the relationship is forever changed.   The newfound disconnect between the man and the girl will be permanent after this episode, exemplifying the theme of alienation brought by many modern decisions. Though the man believes that the only way to preserve the comfortable relationship is to maintain the status quo, even if it means aborting their baby, the woman disagrees.   The American tries to make himself sound perfectly reasonable and rational, but as the dialogue continues, it becomes clear that he is both selfish and hypocritical (â€Å"Overview: Hills Like White Elephants†). The couple’s disagreement, about something as monumental as creating human life, is a clear sign that they have little that bonds them other than their superficiality.   The girl even comments in the beginning of the story how, â€Å"That’s all we do, isnt it look at things and try new drinks?’† The man responds, â€Å"I guess so† (Hemingway).   Later, when the man claims that everything will be the same after the abortion and the baby is the only thing that made them unhappy, it seems like a statement lacking all truth. The very fact that keeping or aborting a baby is a choice, is a uniquely modern issue.   The reality of having to even consider it completely destroys their carefree lifestyle as travelers in Europe, and underlines their existences as solitary beings alienated from each other.   Ironically, the man claims that he only wants her and no one else, but his statements seem insincere. The girl realizes their alienation from each other and the happiness they once knew with the â€Å"claim that Europe ‘isn’t ours anymore,’ which expresses her knowledge that such an innocent return to a secularized American-in-Europe experience of time is impossible† (Grant 3).   Europe is not theirs to share, seemingly as if enjoyment is also no longer theirs to share.   The complexity of their modern dilemma illustrates the true distance between them. Hemingway’s story is one that could only be written during modern times.   Though not many years removed from the Victorian Age, the themes of abortion, feminine independence, and modern alienation have continued to echo throughout the literature of modernity.   While short and devoid of lengthy descriptions, the dialogue and significant themes give â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† a lasting power that only continues to grow as time goes by. Works Cited: Grant, David. â€Å"Hemingways ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ and the tradition of the American in Europe.† Studies in Short Fiction. Summer, 1998. 25 July 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2455/is_3_35/ai_83585388/pg_3. Hashmi, Nilofer. â€Å"‘Hills Like White Elephants’: The Jilting Of Jig.† The Hemingway Review.   Fall 2003. 25 July 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3786/is_200310/ai_n9334110/pg_3. Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants.† The Heath Anthology of American Literature.   Lauter, Paul.   3rd Ed.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants.† Short Stories for Students, Vol. 6. The Gale Group, 1999. Lankin, Paul. â€Å"Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants.† The Explicator. Summer 2005; v63.

Communication Strategies in Nursery Settings

Communication Strategies in Nursery Settings This essay will be exploring the importance of effective communication strategies within nursery settings; also highlighting potential barriers which could be faced by practitioners and managers. It will also be discussing the benefits of staff appraisals, along with implementation strategies for appraisals, grievance and disciplinary procedures. Employment processes will also be discussed within this essay, with particular reference to policies which must be in place within nurseries; in compliance with national standards. Effective management within a setting is important as â€Å"the quality of management is one of the most important factors in the success of any organisation† (Mullins, 2010, P.786). In order to become an effective manager background knowledge and understanding of certain areas is required. Communication takes place within the daily running of a nursery through many different forms, including; verbal and non-verbal communication. However communication may be misread by the receiver if the communicator’s facial expressions, body language or lack of eye contact is misleading; a good connection between the communicator and receiver is essential as it ensure the message is received correctly. Effective communication ensures good working practice and a welcoming atmosphere within settings for practitioners, children and parents. â€Å"Communication is therefore a central component of effective business operations† (Hargle, et al, 2004). Although managers must practice good communication skills with their staff team, it is a two-way process requiring all participants to effectively practice these skills; ensuring positive outcomes. However this is not always possible, as some participants are not always willing to listen to or accept others ideas or opinions. By becoming active listeners’ individuals are consciously practising effective listening skills and promoting good practice; however this may not always happen in daily practice, as the environment plays an important role in effective communication. If the setting is busy or not all members of staff are in the same area, communication would therefore be more difficult; resulting in some messages not being passed on or forgotten. There are three general categories for communication; aggressive, assertive and passive. Good managers and leaders aim to be assertive communicators, to ensure the goal is reached but also ensuring all parties feel valued. Whereas passive and aggressive communication are not effective forms of communication for leaders and managers; as passive communicators do not like to put their ideas forward and go along with others to avoid conflict. Aggressive communicators are â€Å"generally perceived as selfish and unwilling to compromise† (About.com, 2012). These will form barriers to effective communication as some recipients will not be willing to listen to aggressive communications, as they may feel they are being dictated to. The ability to guide practitioners through situations which may arise ensures effective leadership and positive outcomes for children. Although managers are required to implement new requirements, such as the reformed EYFS, many members of staff may not be comfortable with the change. â€Å"Effective leaders understand that any organisational change can have a major impact on the lives of those involved or affected by it† (Rood, 2006, P.186). The leadership continuum, developed by Tannenbaum and Schmidt, shows â€Å"a range of action related to the degree of authority used by the manager and to the area of freedom available to non-managers in arriving at decisions† (Mullins, 2007, P.372). Effective leadership empowers staff members to work towards a shared goal, achieving positive outcomes for children, practitioners and the setting. To achieve this, leaders must inspire others through positive role modelling, collaboration, open-ended conversation and encouragement. Isabelle Albanese’s 4 Cs of communication are comprehension, credibility, connection and contagiousness. â€Å"The 4Cs quickly provide a pocket tool to evaluate the effectiveness of every kind of communication† (PMP, 2014); ensuring communication is precise, understood, captivating and progressing in achieving goals. Therefore by using the 4 Cs managers and practitioners alike are able to focus on essential information within their communication, ensuring the effective running of the nursery. Appraisals are usually carried out within nursery settings on an annual basis, in order to discuss evaluate and track individual practitioner’s performance, progress and future ambitions; with particular reference to training needs and future professional targets. The appraisal form provides a documented account of what has been discussed by management and staff members, with a signed copy of individual action targets agreed by all parties involved in the process. It must also comply with the UK Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, which states that â€Å"It is unlawful to discriminate, harass or victimise job applicants, employees or trainees on the grounds of age† (Compact law, 1996-2014); all correspondence recorded in the appraisal process should not discriminate against the individual due to their age, race, religion or disability. Management training on how to deliver effective appraisal is beneficial as it ensures management are motivating their staff to reach their full potential; whereas ineffective appraisals will make practitioners feel demotivated in their job role. Effective appraisal systems must measure, debate and plan individual development and targets, generating useful feedback in both directions (Hay, 2008). Appraisals also offer practitioners the chance to voice their opinions and ideas on the running of the nursery; therefore managers must be open to ideas and opinions of their staff in order to maintain positive working relationships and improve their setting in the best interests of staff and children. Appraisals are a chance for both managers and practitioners to raise any concerns they may have over working practice, whilst also reflecting on their own performance within their role; both positive and negative. However some practitioners may see appraisals as a chance for management to be ne gative and list issues they may have; therefore it is essential for managers to take into account the views and opinions of practitioners, and offer constructive targets for improvements. â€Å"New staff should be given copies of policies and procedures as part of the induction process and given the opportunity to discuss them with their line manager† (Daly, et al, 2009, P.287).This should include the nursery’s appraisal policy, and should be easily accessible for practitioners to access when they require. The policy should clearly state what is expected from both practitioners and management during the appraisal process. Employees are often required to fill out an appraisal form prior to meeting with management, where they are able to reflect upon their own job performance. It is important for managers to provide practitioners with the last year’s appraisal, to allow them to reflect on whether they have achieved their own personal development targets; also giving them the chance to complete targets they may feel they haven’t achieved. However it could be argued that self-appraisal should be continuous practice throughout the year, in order to maintain high standards of care and learning for the children. â€Å"Self-appraisal should not only be seen as part of the appraisal process. It is also, in a more or less informal way, a regular feature of nursery work† (Sadek and Sadek, 2004, P.140). Performance appraisals are a good tool in identifying particular individuals who are progressing well in their job role, and who may be eligible to progress to the next pay and job level; within some bigger nurseries. They also prove worthwhile in motivating individuals within their role, through personalised discussion and development targets. â€Å"Managers of effective settings provide intellectual stimulation for their staff, along with respectful individualised support† (Miller, et al, 2012, P.288). Although the appraisal process provides a private personalised time where individuals are able to discuss their concerns with managers, it is important for managers to address any pertinent issues with staff as they arise. This therefore ensures that issues are resolves quickly and effectively, rather than being left to escalate. However this is not always possible within larger nurseries whether staff members do not always come into contact with management. Like the appraisal policy the disciplinary and grievances procedures must be clearly set out within a policy, and kept in an easily accessible place for employees to refer to as required. These procedures ensure the safety and protection of all staff in the setting; in accordance with the ACAS code of practice and current legislation, including the Employment Act 2008. They provide â€Å"clear and transparent structures for dealing with difficulties which may arise as part of the working relationships from either the employers or employees perspective† (CIPD, 2014). The policies should also set out what is expected from staff members, in relation to their conduct; therefore trying to avoid such issues; however this is not always possible. Issues which may arise include lateness, capability, bullying and performance of individual practitioners. Disciplinary and grievance procedures aim to deal with these issues in house, without the involvement of a tribunal. The three stages of the disciplinary procedure are as follows; issuing a letter to the employee, a meeting between management and the employee and then finally a chance for an appeal. The ACAS code of practice states that â€Å"employers would be well advised to keep a written record of and disciplinary or grievances cases they deal with† (ACAS, 2009, P.2). This is an important aspect of the procedure, as the records provide evidence in case the issue goes to an employment tribunal. Training is essential in order for management to conduct an effective disciplinary interview; â€Å"Having the appropriate training and knowledge enables you to be in control and manage any situations that arise† (Niched, 2012). Employees should be given advanced notice of the meeting in the form of a letter, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. All facts surrounding the case should be examined and investigated prior to the meeting, ensuring management are aware of all the facts. It is essential that another member of management records notes during the meeting, to guarantee that evidence is collected in case a tribunal is called. All parties involved must be able to put their side across, with plenty of time; this may include relevant witnesses to the case. In order for the manager to make an informed decision they must remain impartial during the meeting, then deliver the verdict to the employee in writing; along with information in case they wish to appeal the verdict. In conclusion to the interview the outcome may involve no action being taken, a warning being issued or the dismissal of the employee. The manager with decide which of these outcomes is appropriate due to the nature of the case; however they must be able to prove their decision is appropriate and reasonable. Instead of filing a formal procedure employees should be able to approach their managers on a daily basis to discuss any issues; however they may not always feel comfortable doing this. The employment of new staff within nursery settings follows three stages; advertisement, selection and recruitment and induction. Nurseries are required to have policies in place to reflect these stages, stating how they aim to employ high quality staff whilst maintaining equal opportunities for all applicants. The wide deployment of advertisements at the same time allows a wider range of applicants to apply for the job, with equal time to apply. The vacancy should be advertised to all areas of the community, which is essential to maintain equal opportunities. To select potential candidates from all the applications managers must review their curriculum vitae against the job description. This is an effective way to avoid discrimination, as they are not being deterred by race, gender or age; it is focussing on their individual skills and attributes, which are appropriate to the role. Having two members of management involved in selecting new members of staff promotes equal opportunities and avoids discrimination; all decisions should be recorded and delivered in writing. Settings must have an induction policy which clearly sets out how new staff will be introduced to the setting; effectively informing them of the daily running of the nursery and settling them into the environment. This should also include the new member of staff being given the nursery policies to look at, making them aware of the policies and procedures; also identifying children with particular needs or allergies. This is an effective tool during the induction as it avoids mistakes being made, for example a child with a dairy intolerance being given milk to drink by accident. In an ideal world the shadowing of a current member of staff would provide the new employee with a mentor and a chance to familiarise themselves with the daily running of the setting. However this is not always the case or possible within settings, as due to the busy nature of the environment existing staff members may not have the time to show them certain things; resulting in the new employee not gaining the relevant knowledge needed. The staff development policy must take into account the ever changing needs of the children in the setting, as well as the changes in legal requirements; such as the reformed Early Years Foundation stage. The key elements of effective practice (KEEP) states that effective practitioners must have, â€Å"knowledge and understanding in order to actively support and extend children’s learning in and across all areas and aspects of learning† (Surestart, 2005, P.3). Individual staff personal development plans identify the training needs of individuals, ensuring they receive this training is essential as high quality care and education is important in ensuring positive outcomes for all children. â€Å"Effective practice in the early years requires committed, enthusiastic and reflective practitioners with a breadth and depth of knowledge, skills and understanding† (Wilcock, 2012, P.50). The settings promotion policy should clearly set out how promotions will be identifie d and given at appropriate times, in accordance with the recruitment policy and equal opportunities; staff appraisals also help to identify potential candidates for promotion. In conclusion effective communication is essential within nursery settings to ensure the smooth daily running of the setting, whilst also achieving the highest outcomes for children. There are many potential barriers to effective communication, which must be overcome by all practitioners to maintain effective practice, and positive working environments. Appraisals are an important factor within staff development as they identify positive aspects of practice, whilst also identifying improvement targets; improving the environment and care of the children. Disciplinary and grievance procedures must be carried out effectively in order to resolve issues quickly and appropriately, within the best interests of all involved. The employment of new staff should reflect equal opportunities, whilst retaining high quality staff appropriate to the role.

Critical Thinking Process Case Study

Critical Thinking Process Case Study As Buckingham and Adams (2000) state, â€Å"getting a better understanding of their decision making processes has important benefits for nurses†, and for their employers and their patients (p 982). Critical thinking in nursing is related to the traditional nursing model of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation, a fundamental nursing process (Lee et al, 2006). Because of the universal application of the nursing process, and its efficacy, there is an assumption that â€Å"the process of clinical problem-solving is well understood† (Taylor, 2000 p 842-849). This essay explores the critical thinking process related to one client, and evaluates the quality of that process and its relationship to effective planning and implementation of nursing care. Some theorists link critical thinking in nursing to diagnostic practice, particularly in relation to advanced nursing practice, and cite this as a new phenomenon (Lee et al, 2006). This author however, would argue that this is a part of nursing practice in every case, and that critical thinking and diagnostic processes are very similar, except it has never been called diagnosis in nursing until recently. However, Lee et al (2006) do cite the means by which nursing judgements on which plans of care are based, including systems-processing type judgements and intuitive reasoning. One of the criticisms of nursing decision making, however, and a problem which continues to trouble the profession, is the reduction of this process to little more than intuitive processes rather than rational ones (Buckingham and Adams, 2000). This is partly because â€Å"nurses have struggled continually to articulate the nature of their expertise† Buckingham and Adams, 2000 p 982). But the literature demonstrates that intuitive processes tend to represent subconscious decision making combined with conscious decision making, and this author believes that both are of equal value and importance in coming to decisions and planning nursing actions and ongoing care. Aitken (2003) suggests that clinical decision making starts with the development of a hypothesis, which is then proved or disproved by further gathering of clinical data, objective and subjective, including objective tests and nursing-process related observations and questioning. â€Å"Hypotheses were used to summarize attributes that had already been acquired, describe the possible problem that existed and direct future attribute acquisition.† (Aitken, 2003 p 481). Offredy (1998) in research on nurse practitioners found that hypothesis generation as part of the decision making process occurred even before the client history had been taken, and that this kind of ‘hunch’ was one which they believed to be borne out in later more objective clinical evaluation. This is related to the level of experience of the nurse (Offredy, 1998). Lee et al (2006 p 61)) cite the following variables as affecting critical thinking processes: knowledge; experience; discipline specific training, which provides the diagnostic labels that can be used to ‘classify and explain the data’ involved ; and the task. Aitken (2003) suggests that the strategies which are applied to nursing decision making is not necessarily a conscious plan but could be a process which is more subconscious. This may be related to what Offredy (1998) describes as pattern recognition. In this case, the critical thinking process was based on Jaslyn’s symptoms and presentation in terms of physical and emotional state, which in turn were identified and informed by the nurse’s own knowledge, nursing and symptom related knowledge, and by the nurse’s experience gained from training and previous practice. There were key factors which highlighted Jaslyn’s state of health/illness and also flagged up the warning signs that signified Jaslyn’s immediate needs. These were identified both through objective data and subjective data, which in terms of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, could be seen as safety and security needs, related to the patient’s expressed suicidal thoughts, and physiological needs, related to her physical condition, which, once met, would allow for interventions to support in meeting her self-esteem and other psychological and emotional needs. Prioritisation of safety and physiological needs may be derived from p revious nursing experience, as already suggested, because, as Aitken (2003) suggests, clinical decision making processes can be affected by the decision-making environment, and also by â€Å"the potential consequences of each of the [potential] alternative decisions† (p 477). Thus previous experience of nursing, combined with knowledge from my training, which is also affected by the socialisation process of nursing, and by the shared knowledge of colleagues, placed the greatest emphasis on the prevention of harm occurring, which led to the decision to provide close supervision of the patient to prevent self-harm. Another attribute of this decision making process, one which I had hitherto not recognised, was the use of what Aitken (2003) calls â€Å"a think aloud† method (p 483). This is very much evident in the kind of decision making I engage in, and critical reflection suggests that I have learned this process from colleagues, because the process seems to be a communal one, in which colleagues (including myself) verbalise their judgements on findings and gain confirmation from each other that their findings and actions are correct. This might also be a means of trying to reduce the potential for error which is inherent in the decision making proc ess, and constitutes the risk element of the process (Buckingham and Adams, 2000; Round, 2001). The application of the nursing process has shown me that processes of decision making are based on experience, but that some of this experience is derived from shared knowledge and experience with colleagues. Throughout the decision making process involved in this case, decision making was more collaborative than unilateral, signifying the fact that no clinical decision is made in isolation. The decision making process was borne out in the clinical progression of the case, and reflection demonstrates that decision making is both objective, and informed by intuition, but that what is called intuition is simply the bringing to bear of knowledge developed through experience. References Aitken, L.M. (2003) Critical care nurses’ use of decision-making strategies. Journal of Clinical Nursing 12 476-483. Buckingham, C.d. and Adams, A. (2000) Classifying clinical decision making: a unifying approach. Journal of Advanced Nursing 32 (4) 981-989. Lee, J, Chan, A.C.M. and Phillips, D.R. (2006) Diagnostic practise in nursing: a critical review of the literature. Nursing and Health Sciences 8 57-65. Offredy, M. (1998) The application of decision making concepts by nurse practitioners in general practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing 28 (5) 988-1000. Round, A. (2001) Introduction to clinical reasoning. Journal of Evaluation in clinical practice7 (2) 109-117. Taylor, C. (2000) Clinical problem-solving in nursing: insights from the literature. Journal of Advanced Nursing 31 (4) 842-849.

absolutism Essay -- essays research papers

Absolutism as Primary Form of Government   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Absolutism became the primary form of government for many Europeans in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It appealed to so many for reasons the same as other governments. â€Å"Absolutists contended that social and political harmony would result when subjects obeyed their divinely sanctioned rulers in all aspectsâ€Å" (Text 594). Absolutists rulers felt God gave them their ability to teach the masses the proper ways to live.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Absolutist rulers had several main goals for successive reign over the people. The first being to eliminate or weaken the national representative assemblies. Next rulers looked to gain support from small local and provincial assemblies. The nobility was always dependant on the king, meaning the king chose his nobility freely, without influence from any outside source. Lastly, nobility was in control and responsible for collecting taxes and other benefits for the king. â€Å"Despite it’s pretensions to represent a political theory, absolutism was fundamentally a mechanism designed to assist ambitious monarchs in their determination to increase their own power through conquest and display† (Text 598).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louis the fourteenth was considered the quintessential absolutist because he truly assumed and embodied absolute control over France. He had very specific rules for politeness that were strictly applied t...

Wakefield Essay -- Literary Analysis, Hawthorne

What Was He Thinking? What would you think of a man who left his family, moved over to the next street to watch their lives unfold, and then returned after twenty years as if nothing had happened? What could drive a man to such bizarre behavior? These are the issues that Nathaniel Hawthorne deals with in the story of Mr. Wakefield. The very idea that a man could possibly do such a thing makes the audience want to understand his intentions. It is hard for a modern audience to make sense of such a story because television shows and movies have made today’s society focus so much on easily apparent themes or morals. Hawthorne used this story to examine society’s motivations. In his short story â€Å"Wakefield,† it is necessary that Hawthorne uses the narrator as a tool to shed light on Mr. Wakefield’s motives as well as to emphasize the story’s theme, that an individual can only appreciate and understand his life by looking in on it from the outside. In Hawthorne’s â€Å"Wakefield† the narrator’s thoughts and comments bring insight into the motivations of the character of the story. The story includes a long introduction in which the narrator, Hawthorne, describes how he heard the curious story of Mr. Wakefield. Hawthorne supplies his audience with a condensed version of the entire plot of the story. With this introduction, Hawthorne has already informed the audience of the story’s intriguing plot and this intensifies the audience’s desire to find out Mr. Wakefield’s motivations because they cannot comprehend why he would do such a thing. The audience will try to make sense of Mr. Wakefield’s actions, but they will not find a logical explanation. The story may seem unreal but the reader must take the story as it is and focus on the charact... ..., would argue that Hawthorne was showing his modernism by writing about the strange habits of human nature. Others, such as Morsberger would argue that the story of Wakefield simply mirrors many of Hawthorne’s other works. I do not disagree with either viewpoint, but I feel that Hawthorne simply wanted to create an intriguing story that dealt with people’s motivations. I would argue that he wrote this story to examine a side of human nature that is often forgotten or intentionally left out of a large portion of literature. Hawthorne is able to place the reader within the mind of Mr. Wakefield through his unique approach to story-telling. The result is a fascinating look into the mind of a very interesting character. Hawthorne has done such a wonderful job of luring in the reader that it takes only a few minutes to read â€Å"Wakefield,† but you will never forget it.

Trapped in the Middle :: Essays Papers

Trapped in the Middle The middle. When one thinks of the middle, he or she may think about the middle of a street, a class, or the middle of the country. One may also consider the middle of thought, traffic, or of an argument. After asking more than ten people what they thought of what the middle was, none of them ever mentioned the middle of two cultures or traditions. In the essay, The Homeland, written by Gloria Anzaldua, Anzaldua describes her homeland as being a little of both Mexican and American cultures. She talks about the history of Mexico and how the borders between Mexico and the United States were created. She explains how the creation of the border has dramatically changed the lives of the Mexican people. She describes the border by using many metaphorical devices; one such example is that of the ocean, â€Å"where earth touches ocean, where the two overlap; a gentle coming together, and at other times and places a violent clash† (Anzaldua, 319). Anzaldua is very rea listic and descriptive in her text. She uses many forms of writing in her personal narrative, which creates an eye-opening and touching story. She concludes her essay with giving the reader a metaphor of what her homeland is to her, a â€Å"thin edge of barbed wire† (327). Anzaldua explains how she is stuck in the middle of two cultures due to a variety of reasons. Those reasons include, the fact that she struggles knowing that the Mexicans must depend on the Americans to live; yet the Americans are too ignorant to even know what is going on. Moreover, the fact that she lives in America yet her heart and soul lie in the Mexican culture causes her to feel split between the two traditions. I, too, feel for Anzaldua, yet I am Portuguese and not Mexican. Though I do not relate completely with her, I do in many ways. After reading The Homeland, I was opened up to a new story about another culture and at the same time it opened myself up to new ideas about my own. After reading Andaldua’s The Homeland, I was shocked to see myself realize that much of the information that she presented had already been exposed to me, yet I never bothered to look at both perspectives.

“Hunters in the Snow” by Tobias Wolff Essay

In â€Å"Hunters in the Snow† by Tobias Wolff, we see three characters who apparently appear to be close friends but then as the story moves they lose their patience with each other. In the story, the reader notices how the cold temperatures started to create an impact on each of the characters. It brings out the complexities in their character. In due course of time the reader comes across the true self of the characters. Their simmering resentment towards each other is aptly highlighted by the author amidst the appropriate setting of the cold bleak winter season. When concentrating on the conversation that takes place between the men the reader realizes that underneath all the friendship there is a cruelness of words that cuts to the deep as the men flaunt the others weaknesses and seem to be ignorant of the effect that the words will have on the emotional state of the other. The atmosphere plays a very crucial role in defining the theme for a story. When used to its full potential it can stir deep feelings in the reader that go beyond rational thought. Tobias Wolff in his short story †Hunters in the Snow† uses this factor to create atmosphere and a sense of crisis. The story craftly uses the setting and thereby makes it a fascinating study in self-absorption. Wolff draws three strongly distinct characters in a small space, and again manages to convey the ambiguities and complexities of human interaction and personal struggle. The story begins with Tub waiting for his friends Frank and Kenny â€Å"for an hour in the falling snow.† In the same paragraph we find Tub is walking down the street, carrying a rifle and seemingly, shooting the breeze. The cold and the waiting surely creates an impact in the mood of the character. Tub is restless from the wait and the cold adds on to it. Besides, aiming at the breeze fairly depicts that the character continues to be impatient and will later ironically reflect the true nature of Tub. The snow let up, but still there was no edge to the land where it met the sky. Nothing moved in the chalky fields. The cold bleached their faces and made the stubble stand out on their cheeks and along their upper lips. They stopped twice for coffee before they got to the woods where Kenny wanted to hunt.   Wolff builds up the story on the platform of cold weather and the impact of the cold on each character slowly builds up. As they ride together in Kenny’s truck, we learn more about them. They are traveling in an old truck with a hole in the windshield, making it a very cold journey.   Once again the cold seems to follow them throughout the journey. On the trip into the woods, and while they are walking around searching for tracks, we realize the fact that Kenny and Frank don’t seem to like Tub very much. Not only that, they seems to exclude him from walking with them in the forest, they make fun of him about his eating habits and even try driving off without him. Tub, had an overweight problem and because of the cold temperatures and the snow he couldn’t keep up easily with his friends. â€Å"When Tub crossed the last fence into the toad the truck started moving. Tub had to run for it and just managed to grab hold of the tailgate and hoist himself into the bed. He lay there, panting. Kenny looked out the rear window and grinned.† Kenny kept taunting Tub about his weight all the while. Even though he appeared to be the most sensitive guy in the group, the reader sees a changed character in him at the end. It is probable that Kenny tortured Tub to an intolerable point and that Kenny’s joke backfired. It is through misunderstanding that Tub shoots Kenny. The difficulty that he was going through walking in the cold weather and troubled with himself bothered him enough and made him more and more impatient with time. Apparently we find the nice guy ending up shooting his friend Kenny. This reaction wasn’t expected from him but the reader can feel the frustration that this character has in his life and how the need of keeping warm made him leave his friend behind. Later in the story, Tub finally reveals to Frank the truth about his gluttony. Tub admits, â€Å"I’ve even got stuff (snacks)†¦ He who is â€Å"self conscious about his weight and in denial about his gluttony† apparently ends up in a confession while he tries to keep himself warm during their journey towards the hospital. Frank, on the other hand, seems much more mature and emotionally stable then Tub, while also seems to be the parent figure of the group. He â€Å"doesn’t care about his wife, and is in denial about his lust.† Frank was troubled with his family. He liked a fifteen year old girl who was his babysitter. The freezing temperature and his confused thoughts kept running through his head all the while. This prevented him from thinking rationally and therefore it did not bother him after Kenny was shot and lay freezing to death in the back of the truck. His selfishness was so obvious when kept talking only about himself. This reached its limit when he tried to keep himself warm and thereby ended up taking Kenny’s blankets and let him back there without any regret. He seemed to be the toughest one among them but when Tub couldn’t take him anymore and confronted him he backed up and showed otherwise. In the beginning, he seems like a simple guy. He just basically does whatever Kenny demands of him, and seems to be the calm, undemanding one of the trio. He tells Kenny and Tub to stop obsessing over the hunting: â€Å"‘Relax,’ Frank said. ‘You can’t hurry nature. If we’re meant to get that deer, we’ll get it. If we’re not, we won’t.’† (142). However, later in the story, the plot of the story begins to prove that Frank is not so innocent. He follows whoever has the most power at the moment. After the â€Å"power shift† from Kenny to Tub, Frank beings to follow Tub’s lead. He seems to not even care that his previous best friend is dying in the back of the truck†¦The hunting grounds and the cold weather makes them invariably confide in each other secrets about their personal lives, and enjoy each other’s company immensely. As the story continues, Tub and Frank become more interested in patching up their differences and less concerned with Kenny, to an extent that becomes strange. Kenny, appears to be the comic character of the bunch, and is always in a kind of light-hearted mood, joking around, even while shooting the dog. He â€Å"doesn’t care about anyone or anything.† Kenny appears to be going crazy in due course of time. With all playfulness he keeps saying â€Å"I hate that tree,† and shoots a tree. Next, he approaches the farmer’s dog, and says, â€Å"I hate that dog,† and shoots the dog. Finally, he approaches Tubs and says, â€Å"I hate you Tubs.†Ã‚   And this was when he was shot in his stomach by Tubs.   This reaction of Kenny’s shows his sheer desperation to an unsuccessful hunting trip. Frank and Tub even lie to Kenny at the end, letting him believe that he is being taken to the hospital even though they had no intentions of doing so. Kenny in the story bears the impact of cold to the maximum. He is left at the back in cold for a long time since Frank and Tubs were busy taking breaks to warm themselves up. His blankets are taken away to keep others warm. The story ends in a highly un- dramatic way, with Tub and Frank changing paths away from the hospital, and Kenny freezing in the truck bed, thinking he’s on his way to safety.   He tried to keep himself warm by repeating constantly that he is on his way to the hospital thereby fooling his own self till the end. His world comes to a standstill and he turns quieter than his usual self in pain and cold. His   pain made his brains numb and therefore even though he knew that he was no where near to the hospital, yet he kept repeating that he was on his way to the hospital. The monotony of words provided him the comfort of warmth. The freezing weather made these characters act erratically in the story. With Frank and Tub being in denial of what is happening, they neglected Kenny to the point of his death. Kenny lay at the back of the truck while Tub and Frank pull off to the side of the road three separate times, once for coffee, once to warm their hands from the frigid cold and a third time so Tub could hoard some pancakes because Frank felt pity for his seemingly unchangeable diet. These stops are increasingly random and seem completely inappropriate seeing that there is a man possibly dying in the back of the truck. This inconsiderate attitude of the three men who apparently called themselves as friends and the effect of their words targeted at each others weak points makes for a rather perverse realization that under these men’s simple appearances lies a cruel complexity of human nature, which is as frigid as the snow on the ground.† The reader realizes how all their internal problems plus the weather got into them and showed unexpected reactions from a group of friends that went on a trip. Wolff has taken an ordinary setting and environment of the woods and the snow,   and turned it into an extraordinary event for the three men participating in it. Literary critic, Karen Bernardo mentions, that the different turn the three friends have taken is away from being human beings, and towards being no better then animals.†    References: http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/26578.html Perrine’s Literature : Structure, Sound, and Sense (Hardcover); Thomas R. Arp (Author), Greg Johnson (Author) Bernardo, Karen. Tobias Wolff’s â€Å"Hunters in the Snow†. Storybites: A Taste of the World’s Best Short Stories. May 21, 2003.   

Ducati

Memorandum Subject: Ducati: In Pursuit of Magic (A) Date: Feb. 19th 2013 Ducati is one of the premium motorcycle producers specializing in sport segment superbike from Italy. The company experienced booming in sales and reputation in 1996-2001. This boost had attracted Texas Pacific Group to pursue controlling interest in the company for higher expected future return. The economic boom somehow masked the mistakes made by Ducati during the period. When sales started to decline during 2002-2005, three major problems started to become more obvious among the management team: * Product discontinuity. Cost disadvantage compared to Japanese producer. * Decline in sales in U. S. market. Ducati needed to addresses these problems to put the company back on track. Before offering solutions to any of the problems mentioned above, we would like to dig into details about the industrial background, company strategic positions, and competitive advantages and disadvantages about the company. These an alyses are especially beneficial to help identify potential opportunities and threats of the motorcycle industry and its sport segment. Five forces analysis are supplemented to our analysis. Threats: * Rivalry: rivalry among industry and the sports segment came from United States and Japanese motorcycle makers. There are intense competitions among brands for entire industry as well the sport segment. A major competitor for cruiser is Harley-Davidson, and Honda and other Japanese motorcycle producers constitute major competitors for the sport segment. * Currency fluctuation: exchange rate posted issues for international operations. Ducati and fellow motorcycle companies engaged in operations all over the world, exchange rate fluctuation generated uncertainty for the company.This is for both the industry and for the sport segment. * Substitutes: there is a high incentive for alternative transportations for the US market. This hurt the industry as well as sport segment. * Government re gulation: Chinese government posted regulations that prohibited motorcycle usage domestically for various reasons. This makes it hard the entire industry as well as the sport segment. * Entrant barriers for industry: low entry barrier due to three reasons. First, people with knowledge can build motorcycle easily. Second, low capital requirement for entrants. Last, there are low switching costs for customers. Opportunities: * Entrant barriers: high for the sport segment due to technology advancement, better design and engineer work, high capital requirement for entrants and distinctive incumbency advantages for established brand. * Buyer’s power: low. This is caused by the brand power and the brand loyalty. People want to pay premium for the bike to feel cool and different. There is a huge demand for motorcycle. * Higher buying power in BRIC. Consumers in those countries are more likely to spend on motorcycle. This is beneficial to the industry, especially the sport segment. M ore diversified riders lead to market growth. There are more women riders than ever before. This is beneficial to the industry and to the sport segment. The following part included company analysis and analysis of company’s strategic position. * Value drivers and competitive advantages: * Use a unique Desmodrimic valve control system to increase the engine performance * Use a engine that were built in a L-twin design to improve aerodynamics and weighted lighter * Special motorcycles had a low-hum sound. * Frame gave greater rigidity, handling power, and enhanced speed.It offered more compact design architecture. * Superb in-house design and external design team teams. * Related field that increase value: Ducati Corse racing, apparel, local Ducati clubs, Ducati museum, Ducati riding experience training course, Ducati. com and Ducati’s multi-franchise distribution points and mono-franchise Ducati retail stores. * Cost drivers: * The large research and development for con secutive years. * Marketing cost associated with selected motorcycle publications. * The production line used the lean manufacturing, which decreases the production costs. Competitive disadvantages: * Cost disadvantage. Japanese motorcycle makers can produce cheaper bike with advanced technology. * Product discontinuity. Evolution of products that consumers do not recognize. * Do not intend to stretch and extend business to cruiser motorcycles, i. e. limited customers. * Relatively low market share than major Japanese companies, which occupied about 78% of total market share. This lead to low brand recognition. Even though Ducati has its competitive advantages, it does not mean that these advantages are sustainable.In order to determine whether Ducati will remain competitive, Barney’s VRIO framework is going to be applied. Hence, four questions are going to be addressed in this part of the case study, which are the Question of Value, the Question of Rareness, the Question of Imitability, and the Question of Organization. * The Question of Value: * Ducati has a group of highly skilled engineers and an in-house design team which allow the firm’s products to have the attribute of speed, performance, and innovation. Such capability helps fulfill customers’ needs and perceptions. Ducati is positioned to be fast with good braking ability. The ability of producing sport bike with speed and safety makes its customers feel safe and reliable while using the product, which helps the firm to build up good company’s reputation. * The Question of Rareness * All the Ducati’s bikes use the Desmodromic valve control system which enhances the engine performance and only Ducati uses this system in the market. * All Ducati’s engines were built in the unique L-twin design which gives the benefit of improved aerodynamics and lighter weight.This design is rare since the two cylinders of the engine are mounted at a 90-degree angle, which it h as to work with the unique Desmodromic valve control system to reach its full ability. Moreover, it gives a unique low-hum engine sound which makes Ducati’s engine even more special. * The Ducati’s tubular trestle frame design was evolved from the Fornula One-inspired tubular trestle with Ducati engineers’ special design to enhance the performance features of the bikes. * The Question of Imitability * With Ducati’s investment in research and development, it would be hard for competitors to just imitate Ducati’s newest technology. Ducati’s in-house design team creates a barrier to imitation since its job is to design completely new model. Moreover, Ducati started to use online resources to gain insight into customers’ needs and perceptions. * Ducati’s Italian styling and origin lower the possibility of its design being imitated, yet it is worth to be noted that MV Agusta is owned by an Italian investment group and its designer M assimo Tamburini had worked in Ducati before, which make it easier for MV Agusta to imitate. * The Question of Organization * Ducati started to invest a lot of money in research and development, which boosted from â‚ ¬3. million in 1997 to approximately â‚ ¬26. 5 million in 2005. Such investment enables the Ducati to fully exploit the potential of its engineers and design team. * The internal culture of Ducati encouraging creativity and teamwork allows the engineers and design team to interact and be innovative. * The building of Ducati museum – the â€Å"World of Ducati† – allows Ducati to give museum and factory tour to enhance visitors’ experience, build up brand loyalty, and signify the company’s ability to be innovative or to create a dream. * Ducati’s purchase of Gio.Ca. Moto and joint venture with Dainese help to build the Ducati brand by selling a wide range of products including Ducati apparel and accessories. * The establishm ent of Ducati Corse Racing team helps to publicize the Ducati brand by participating in professional motorcycle racing. The team also demonstrates Ducati bikes’ high- performance features. * Ducati’s support in enthusiasts’ clubs and the establishment of the Desmo Owners Club (which promotes Ducati’s event to the clubs) help to build the Ducati brand and brand loyalty. The Ducati’s eight country-specific websites not only have information on bike models, but also provide a virtual tour of Ducati’s world headquarters in Bologna, which enhances the customers’ perception to the Ducati brand. Moreover, the websites allow buyers to customize their bikes and also give feedback, which again help Ducati to gain insight into its customers and fully exploit its ability in producing high quality sport bikes. * Ducati has been attempting to build a strong brand by encouraging its dealers to restructure the stores to be in the Ducati-store format. We proposed three alternatives to tackle the problems associated with our problems. 1. We propose to sell Ducati to produce synergy to premium car maker such as Lamborghini. This provided cost savings and promoted efficiency. 2. Improve and extend U. S. market to gain market share and profits by invest in human capital and better IT system. This corresponds to positive U. S. outlook after 2006. 3. Invest in Research and Development to carry out revolutionized products. In this way we are trying to replicate the revolutionized products that help the company out of trouble in 2003.Our recommendation is alternative #1. Before analyzing #1, we would like to point out the drawbacks of the other two options. For alternative #2, it would take two years before the U. S. market become the largest market in the world for the motorcycle business. This postponed schedule is unsatisfied to the investment group who foresee better and immediate solutions for our problems. Another challenge for the U. S. market currently is that in the short run, competition and the low demand makes it hard for individual company to capture large profits.For alternative #3, large amount of research and development input will somehow reduce return for the investment group in the short run. This might not be the primary interest for the investment group that takes controlling interest of the company. On top of that, there are uncertainties involved in the new product even with shortened new product issuance period. Lastly, new product development does not bring current return to the investment group, which is potentially not preferred. Alternative #1 is the best one of all.It can potentially offer the best price for the investment group in that it can eliminate the downside risk for the company to go under. On top of that, business combination with powerful company such as Lamborghini would provide synergy. This synergy will provide cost saving for Ducati. First, since a lot of parts are produc ed in those shops, it is way much easier to produce it for themselves than for outside partners for the company. It can also cut down non-necessary division or labor for the cost saving purposes.Additionally, acquirer with strong financial background can assist in expanding the U. S. market and engage in research and development process to produce a revolutionized product. I predict when the alternative# 1 get implement, the market share of Ducati will rapid increase. Because company such as Lamborghini has enough capitals to innovate different types of motorcycles. With the good fame of Lamborghini, their product will be wide noted and get into the market earlier than the competitors. Ducati will have a bright future and sustainable growth under that company.

Prefrontal Cortex Vs Criminal Behavior

This very broad overview of prefrontal cortex function allows us to appreciate circumstances in which prefrontal cortex function is compromised in a human. Humans comprise a special case when considering this brain region. Despite evidence that the prefrontal cortex in rodents and non-human primates regulates cognition and behavior in ways quite similar to that of the human, we are the most ‘frontal’ of species, insofar as the frontal cortex is its largest, in both absolute and relative terms, in the human.The first realm to consider where prefrontal cortex function is compromised in humans is, quite reasonably, during development. Children show only minimal frontal function, from the standpoints of cognition (for example, in reversal tasks), emotional regulation, control of impulsive behavior and moral reasoning. One of the myths of child development is that the brain is fully developed at some remarkably early age. Instead, brain development is far more prolonged and, not surprisingly, the prefrontal cortex is the last region of the brain to fully myelinate. Remarkably, this process extends well beyond adolescence into early adulthood. Various transient states can compromise prefrontal cortex function.Alcohol is long recognized for its capacity to impair reasoning and impulse control, and surprisingly small quantities of alcohol impair the capacity of the prefrontal cortex to detect errors of commission or omission, as assessed electro-physiologically.Another example concerns stress. Most individuals have experienced severe and/orprolonged stress as disrupting attention, judgment and other purviews of the prefrontal cortex, and this has been shown more formally in both humans and animals;In making sense of this, it should be appreciated that the prefrontal cortex contains some of the highest levels of receptors in the primate brain for stress hormones. Moreover, stress or stress hormones will dramatically alter the turnover of several classes of neurotransmitters in the prefrontal cortex.Prefrontal cortex function is also compromised in another circumstance experienced by all individuals. With the onset of sleep and the transition to deep, slow wave sleep, there is a characteristic decrease in activity throughout the brain, particularly in the cortex. However, with the transition to paradoxical rapid eye movement sleep, there is increased activity in a variety of brain regions, including associational cortex and limbic systems; strikingly, metabolic rate can even be higher than during wake periods.Amid this shift, there is a virtually complete cessation of activity in the prefrontal cortex, producing a relatively metabolically active brain that is unconstrained by the regulatory effects of the prefrontal cortex. It has been speculated that this, in effect, accounts for why dreams are ‘dream-like’: characterized by emotional liability, non-sequential thinking and extreme disinhibition.Amid that, general intellig ence and executive function can remain intact. By contrast, when damage occurs at earlier ages, executive function is impaired and the impulsivity  takes on a more global and malign nature that has been termed ‘acquired sociopathy’, where antisocial behaviors can be markedly premeditated. The issue of brain development becomes relevant when considering individuals with sociopathic and antisocial behavior in which there is no obvious history of prefrontal cortex damage.Moreover, when sociopaths must engage the prefrontal cortex, they activate more of the prefrontal cortex than control individuals to achieve the same level of efficacy. In other words, even when these individuals actively attempt to do the ‘harder thing’, their prefrontal cortexes are less effective. Importantly, among such sociopathic individuals, the smaller the volume of the prefrontal cortex, the greater the tendency towards aggressive and antisocial behavior.The Prefrontal Cortex and th e Criminal Justice System:We have come to recognize numerous realms in which a biological abnormality gives rise to aberrant behavior, and such recognition has often then given rise to an expectation that people now exert higher-order control over that abnormality. For example, as noted, we would never consider an epileptic violent who strikes someone in the process of a seizure: ‘it is not him; it is his disease’. However, we expect that pileptic to not drive a car if their seizures are uncontrolled. Or we are coming to understand the euro chemistry of context-dependence relapse into drug dependency in organisms. Thus, we have come to expect ex-addicts to avoid the settings in which they previously abused drugs.There is a false dichotomy in this manner of thinking. It is as if we artificially demarcate an area in which biology dominates: yes, there is something organic that gives rise tothis person having uncontrolled and synchronous neuronal discharges, or who has cer tain pathways potentiated that project onto dopamine-releasing ‘pleasure’ pathways. But it is as if, with that area of organic impairment identified and given credence, we expect it to be bounded, and for the rest of our ‘us-ness’, replete with free will, to now shoulder the responsibility of keeping that organic impairment within the confines of its boundaries. It cannot possibly work this way.What the literature about the prefrontal cortex shows is that there is a reductive, materialistic neurobiology to the containment, resulting in the potential for volitional control to be impaired just as unambiguously as any other aspect of brain function. It is possible to know the difference between right and wrong but for reasons of organic impairment, to not be able to do the right thing. The most obvious implication of this concerns how individuals with demonstrable prefrontal cortex damage are treated in the criminal justice system. As the simplest conclusion, everything about this realm of contemporary neurobiology argues against the retrenchment back towards a sole reliance on M’Naghten that has gone on in recent decades.Amid the seeming obviousness of this conclusion, there is always a valid counter-point that can be raised: there are individuals with substantial amounts of prefrontal cortex damage who, nonetheless, do not commit crimes. At present, knowing that someone has sustained prefrontal cortex damage does not give much power in predicting whether that person’s disinhibition will take the form of serial murder or merely being unable to praise a nearly inedible meal prepared by a host. This seems to weaken the ‘volition can be organically impaired, just like any other aspect of brain function’ argument; in these interstices of unpredictability seem to dwell free will.However, we can begin to imagine tree diagrams of variables that, with each new layer, add more predictive power. We can already see two l ayers in the realm of prefrontal cortex function. The first layer might query, ‘prefrontal cortex: normal or damaged?’   The second might then query, ‘if damaged: damaged in childhood or later?’ This same structure of increasing predictive power was shown in a recent, landmark study concerning clinical depression.Having a particular variant of the gene 5-HTT (which codes for a protein that regulates synaptic levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin) increases the risk of depression. However, ‘5-HTT: pro-depressive variant or other variant?’ gives only a moderate predictive power, but the authors then demonstrated the adding in of a second layer, ‘if the pro-depressive variant: major stressors during childhood or not?’ now generates an impressive predictive power as to which adults succumb to clinical depression. If free will lurks in those interstices, those crawl spaces are certainly shrinking.Recent U.S College Case Study:By Da niel Strueber, Monika Lueck and Gerhard Roth.On September 13, 2006, Kimveer Gill walked into the cafeteria at Dawson College in Montreal and, without apparent motive, shot 21 people, injuring 19 and killing two, including himself. The same day a judge in West  ­Virginia sent a woman to jail for, among other atrocities, forcing her six children and stepchildren to gorge themselves on food and then eat their own vomit. Also on the 13th, a court in New York sentenced a man for killing his girlfriend by setting her on fire–in front of her 10-year-old son. There was nothing special about that Wednesday. From around the world we hear reports of murder, manslaughter, cruelty and abuse every day. Violence is ubiquitous.But what drives one person to kill, maim or abuse another, sometimes for little or no obvious reason–and why do so many violent offenders return to crime after serving time in prison? Are these individuals incapable of any other behavior? We have evaluated the results of studies conducted around the world, focusing on acts ranging from fistfights to murder, in search of the psychobiological roots of violence. Our key conclusion is simple: violent behavior never erupts from a single cause. Rather it results from a combination of risk factors–among them inherited tendencies, a traumatic childhood and other negative experiences–that interact and aggravate one another. This realization has a silver lining: positive influences may be able to offset some of those factors that promote violence, possibly offering hope for prevention.Indeed, male gender is the most important risk factor for violent behavior. As criminal statistics show, boys and young men commit the majority of physical assaults. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's statistics on crime in the U.S., 90.1 percent of murderers apprehended in 2004 were male and men accounted for 82.1 percent of the total number arrested for violent crimes. Girls and women are not necessarily less aggressive, as was assumed until the 1990s. But women engage in more indirect, covert aggression, whereas men tend toward immediate, outward physical aggression.The causes of these gender differences are manifold. Learned sex roles certainly enter into it: â€Å"girls don't hit,† for example, but â€Å"boys need to be able to defend themselves.† Also, indirect aggressive strategies require a relatively high level of social intelligence, which girls develop earlier and faster. Moreover, neuropsychological discrepancies almost certainly play a role. The small group of males who exhibit chronic violent behavior from an early age typically share other telltale traits, among them a low tolerance for frustration,  ­deficiencies in learning social rules, attention problems, a decreased capacity for empathy, low intelligence and, most characteristic, extreme  ­impulsiveness.Similarly, repeat offenders–particularly those who have long prison records seem unable to keep their aggressive urges in check. The late neu ­roscientist Ernest S. Barratt and his colleagues at the University of Texas Medical Branch interviewed imprisoned criminals in Texas in 1999 and found that many inmates consistently picked fights, even though they knew that their lives would be made more difficult as a result. When asked why they continued to behave in ways that hurt them, many responded that they had no idea. Even though they understood the consequences and resolved to act with greater self-control the next time, they did not trust their own ability to keep their impulses at bay.Preliminary research indicates that biology may handicap some of these individuals, making it more difficult for them to show restraint. Among violent offenders, neuroscientists have found anatomical and physiological differences in both the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex, brain regions that are involved in the development and control of emotions. Some sci entists propose that the orbitofrontal cortex, a region of the prefrontal cortex where decision making takes place, inhibits areas of the limbic system–specifically the hypothalamus and the amygdala, primitive brain regions that are a source of fear and aggressive impulses. Thus, if some defect or injury impairs communication between the limbic system and the frontal cortex, a person might not be entirely able to moderate his or her emotional reactions.References:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.scientificamericanmind.com2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.nature.com/mp/journal/v8/n2/full/4001256a.html3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www. jnnp.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/71/6/7204.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=16934455.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.sciammind.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=33EF147A-E7F2-99DF-3696EF69D814FCFF

The Army and the Organizational Structure

The Army and the organizational structure that makes it run on the surface is a simple one. It is a Hierarchal/ Chain of Command structure, the orders come from levels so far above those of us at my level that we receive them in the form of Fragmented Orders (FRAGOS), Warning Orders (WARNOS), Military Personnel Messages (MILPER Messages) or simple word of mouth from the First Sergeant or my Platoon Sergeant. These are the only two levels above me in a company. Outside of the company, there is only one additional rank other than that, and that is the Sergeant Major and he is the one that passes the information to the First Sergeant.From there, the messages or orders are passed down from me to my employees, or Sergeants and they handle the Soldiers in our ranks. If you look above the â€Å"inner circle† of a Battalion, then you start looking at â€Å"Big Army† or the Department of the Army and then eventually Department of the Defense and those decisions are ones that we have no control over (Walcott, C. E. , Warshaw, S. A. , & Wayne, S. J. 2001). We simply get the order, and execute, the movement of the order is a horizontal and vertical move of the order to ranks.This is the natural order of things and the problems occurs when a subordinate bypasses someone in the Chain of Command and goes directly to a member in the Chain of Command directly, and this can be either way horizontally, because then you start losing track of what that member of the team is doing, or what their level of knowledge of the plan is. (Tanguay, 2006) In a Tank Company, the first level of management that you will actually experience is the gunner. The lowest rank that he can be is a Corporal and is actually promotable waiting to be promoted to Sergeant.From there you have the Sergeant, and these are the Non-Commissioned Officers where the â€Å"metal meets the meat. † They have daily interactions with the employees, the Soldiers and they are responsible for the everyd ay well-being of these guys. The next level of management that you have is the Staff Sergeant and he is the Section Sergeant and runs two Gunners and four Soldiers. His job is to monitor the counseling, and ultimate progression of these personnel. Then you have the Platoon Sergeant who is a Sergeant First Class who is in charge of two Staff Sergeants, four Sergeants, eight junior enlisted soldiers and he monitors the platoon.Finally inside of the platoon you have the Platoon who is a 2nd or 1st Lieutenant who is the youngest officer in the military and is there to honestly learn from us and prepare for his further endeavors. Every Tank Company has three line platoons, with the same make up as listed above. The only addition to those personnel is that the company has a Headquarters Platoon which is made up of a Headquarters Platoon Sergeant who can be a Sergeant First Class or Staff Sergeant and the number of personnel inside of the HQ Platoon vary per company.However, inside this pl atoon, there are two additional tanks, and they are for the Company Commander and the Executive Officer and their crews. The First Sergeant runs the company from the enlisted side of the house and is in charge of all of the enlisted personnel and makes all of the decisions on that side. He is the highest ranking person in the company. The Company Commander is a Captain and all officers in the company answer to him. The final person is the executive officer who is a 1st Lieutenant who is waiting to go to Captains Career Course and get his own company.Decisions, simply flow down through the chain of command and arrive at whichever level you are at. The problem that is noted with the Chain of Command method is that the ability to make any meaningful decisions is diminished (Heathfield, 2013). The mission of the military is simple, to do whatever we are called upon to do by our country whenever and wherever we are sent to do it. Tankers are combat arms and our mission is to close with a nd destroy the enemy. However, in times such as now when there is no rapid deployment actively going on, it falls upon us to constantly train to be ready.While we may simply want to go forth and find the â€Å"bad guy† and destroy him that is not always what we are doing. In the Pacific, we are also a contingency force that is used for humanitarian missions and we have to constantly train for this mission. This means that we can go from training to go to Afghanistan one day and fight Taliban, to the next day going to the Philippines to help with a Tsunami disaster relief. It just depends on the mission that we receive and we are constantly on a two hour recall and we have to be prepared for it. The military is such a different job and it is not a job that is for everyone.Honestly it is more of a lifestyle than a job and it is something that you have to embrace or you will not be successful for any period of time. In this area of operations, adaptability is paramount because w e cannot guarantee where we will go at any time, we recently deployed some units to Afghanistan, while we are preparing to be ready to respond to anywhere in the Asia area of responsibility. To actually try and break it down into another type of organizational structure honestly would not work from a strategic or tactical point of view.