Monday, December 30, 2019

Product Presentation Example

Effectively introducing a product is the main goal of a successful product presentation example. The art of presenting a product to the audience in the most appealing way possible is a trade of skill and creativity. Producing such presentation is a direct responsibility of the marketing department of any company. Therefore, the basic design of a product presentation is an exceptionally common task assigned to students on a variety of marketing-related courses in higher education. As a result, the provided product presentation example may reveal to be an invaluable tool for one’s personal development. Designing an effective product presentation is neither an ordinary nor a simple task. One has to resemble a sufficient amount of common sense and creativity in order to be able to present a product in the most appealing and exciting way to the public. The presentation should focus on important aspects of the product, however, it should not be oversaturated with statistical data and unnecessary information that may seem tedious. It is important to outline how the product is capable of influencing and changing the lives of its consumers. In most cases, a product presentation consists of a number of slides that are produced in specific graphic design software, such as PowerPoint. One should not be discouraged from the use of such software if he/she has never been acquainted with it before since its is very simple in practice and there are numerous tutorials online. As a brief introduction, the presentation may start off from a short background about the company and the history of its product line. Once the audience has been acquainted with the company, the product presentation should emphasize on the following characteristics of the product and the company that is presenting it: The mission: what is the product bound to achieve; The vision: what does the company wish to achieve; Objectives: how will the product’s mission help achieve the company’s vision; Target market: for whom will be the product provided and why; The product: its nature, functions, and characteristics; One may find a brief example of the key features of such presentation below. The Minitendo Snitch Game Console The Minitendo company has been in the video games business for decades. The company has provided numerous successful video game products and aims to achieve new heights with the presentation of the Minitendo Snitch Game Console. The mission of the product is to provide portable and fun gaming experience. The vision of the company is to provide portable and fun gaming experience to everyone. The objectives are to make the Snitch game console an affordable, portable, and fun gaming device that would appeal to all members of the family, from kids to grandparents. The product itself is a small touchscreen tablet with gamepad functionality. Games can be played either on the go or from the TV screen using an HDMI cable, which results in a unique flexibility of gameplay. The presented Snitch game console is bound to unite both hard-core and casual gamers from all age ranges and spheres of occupation. The author is more than sure that it is a product that will benefit both the company and the consumer by providing a fantastic and unique experience in the video game industry.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Being a male or a female is the most important determinant...

Being a male or a female is the most important determinant of the person’s directions and interests in his/her life. To possess and exhibit the suitable gender characteristics is not an easy mission. The rules of this mission are either inherited or placed by the society. Even though no specific person organizes those rules, the society expects everyone to obey. Gender rules may be strict, and they may put the person under unfavorable pressure. Nevertheless, most people accept them, and maintain their gender characteristics involuntarily. Males and females differ in almost all characteristics. They are different in the way they express their feelings, and in the way they react in response to most situations. Gender differences can be†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Hills like White Elephants† depicts the two genders as two people who are strangers to each other; each one lives in his own world, and each one has his own language that the other cannot understand its implication. In this story, the American man’s character is presented as having typical male features. First of all, he is insensitive. The American man does not feel how important that child might be to Jig. He does not think how cruel it is to abort a baby, especially, for the woman who really wants to be a mother. As the American man describes the abortion in the story, â€Å"I know you wouldn’t mind it, Jig. It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in† (526). The man insensitively thinks of the abortion as a simple operation. He does not think of the abortion as a big issue. For males, it might be simple, but it is not as simple for females. Also, the previous quote shows another characteristic of the male in this story. He is uncaring and selfish; the American man cares neither about the baby nor about Jig. He knows that by having this baby, a marriage should occur and he will shoulder more responsibilities, so he thinks about what he is going to lose by having this baby. He hates to be committed to this type of life. Even though he tries to persuade Jig that he cares about her, it is clear that he cares about no one but himself. On the other hand, the man is depicted in this storyShow MoreRelatedFactors Influencing the Propensity to Have Extramarital Affairs5218 Words   |  21 Pagesmorality and wellbeing therefore warrant the economic study of their causality (Fair, 1978). Not only this, but the issue is of such interest it has captured the attention of many psychologists, economists and sociologists (Chernozhukov, Hong, p.877). On the premises mentioned above, the purpose of this econometric analysis is therefore to analyze the determinants of extramarital affairs. This study has been conducted using data from a survey by Psychology Today which involves surveying 601 individualsRead MoreInfluence Of Cognitive Development On Gender Identity3129 Words   |  13 Pagesinner sense of being either male or female (Carlson Heth, 2010). 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Since most prisoners are eventually released, mass incarceration has in turn produced a steep rise in the number of individuals reentering society and undergoing the process of social and economic reintegration. (Travis, 2005). During the period between 1982 and 2007, the number of AmericansRead MoreEthnic Reproduction and the Amniotic Deep: Joy Kogawas Obasan13316 Words   |  54 Pagesattractiveness (p. 438) The attractiveness stereotype (p. 438) The evolutionary approach: sex differences and sexual selection – what do males and females find attractive? (p. 438) The importance of facial symmetry (p. 439) Is attractiveness really no more than averageness? (p. 440) Body symmetry and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (p. 440) Is physical attractiveness more important to men? 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Saturday, December 14, 2019

Estimating a demand function for Fruit and Vegetables Free Essays

Introduction In this project I will examine the quarterly data set for FTVG20 from Ruritania between 1981 and 2010. I will find a functional form which best fits the data and then test for insignificant variables, structural breaks, seasonality and homogeneity. I will use Slutsky’s equation to calculate the income and substitution effects and then interpret the model. We will write a custom essay sample on Estimating a demand function for Fruit and Vegetables or any similar topic only for you Order Now The social, economic, geographic and economic characteristics of Ruritania are not known. The data set shows that the quantity demanded of fruit and vegetables (QFTVG20) is dependent on the following variables: Table 1 VariableExplanation PMTFHPrice of meat and fish PFTVGPrice of fruit and vegetables PTEAPrice of tea PCOFFPrice of coffee PBEERPrice of beer PWINEPrice of wine PLEISPrice of leisure PTRAVPrice of travel PALLOTHPrice of all other goods INCOMEIncome Literature Review Ruel, Minot and Smith use household expenditure surveys in 10 Sub-Saharan African countries and used a Working-Lessor functional form to find that the main determinants of demand are per capita expenditure, household size, households headed by a female, education and location (urban vs rural). A study by Seale considered the effect of price and income on the demand for different food categories. They found that the food budget share of fruit and vegetable consumption is 10-25%, which is much higher than that of Ruritania. They calculated the expenditure elasticity of fruit and vegetables for low income countries (LICs) to be 0.636, middle-income countries (MICs) 0.514 and high-income countries (HICs) 0.281. The Frisch own-price elasticity of demand was -0.514 in LICs, -0.416 in MICs and -0.227 in HICs. There have been several studies considering non-economic factors that contribute to the demand for fruit and vegetables. A study by Nayga found that demand depends on socio-demographic factors such as location, age, family structure, ethnicity, children and education, whilst Pollard, Kirk and Cade find social desirability, habits, sensory appeal, convenience and advertising to be explanatory variables. Block’s research in Indonesia finds that mothers with nutritional knowledge spend a greater proportion of their food budget on foods rich in nutrients and minerals, such as fruit and vegetables. Functional Form Studenmund says that ‘choice of a functional form is a vital part of the specification of that equation.’ He goes on to mention that the use of Ordinary Least Squares means that the equation should be linear in the parameters rather than variables. In determining a demand function for fruit and vegetables I will consider the following functional forms: Table 2 ModelFunctional form LinearQFTVG20 = b0 + b1PMTFH + b2PFTVG + b3PTEA + b4PCOFF + b5PBEER + b6PWINE + b7PLEIS + b8PTRAV + b9PALLOTH + b10INCOME + et Log-Logln(QFTVG20) = b0 + b1ln(PMTFH) + b2ln(PFTVG) + b3ln(PTEA) + b4ln(PCOFF) + b5ln(PBEER) + b6ln(PWINE) + b7ln(PLEIS) + b8ln(PTRAV) + b9ln(PALLOTH) + b10ln(INCOME) + et Log-Linearln(QFTVG20) = b0 + b1PMTFH + b2PFTVG + b3PTEA + b4PCOFF + b5PBEER + b6PWINE + b7PLEIS + b8PTRAV + b9PALLOTH + b10INCOME + et Linear-LogQFTVG20 = b0 + b1ln(PMTFH) + b2ln(PFTVG) + b3ln(PTEA) + b4ln(PCOFF) + b5ln(PBEER) + b6ln(PWINE) + b7ln(PLEIS) + b8ln(PTRAV) + b9ln(PALLOTH) + b10ln(INCOME) + et In determining which functional form is preferable and which variables are significant, I will use the statistical tests detailed below: Table 3 TestIt tests for†¦Null HypothesisAlternative Hypothesis F TestSignificance of overall regression, individual and joint parametersH0: Test statistic critical valueModel is insignificant HA: Test statistic critical valueModel is significant R2Proportion of variation in sample data explained by the regressionn/an/a Ramsey RESET (RR)Misspecification of the model and omitted variablesH0: Test statistic critical valueModel is adequate and there is no misspecification HA: Test statistic critical valueModel is inadequate and can be improved Jarque-Bera (JB)Normality of the error termH0: Test statistic critical valueThe error term is normally distributed HA: Test statistic critical valueThe error term is not normally distributed White’s (WT)HeteroscedasticityH0: Test statistic critical valueThere is homoscedasticity HA: Test statistic critical valueThere is heteroscedasticity Breusch-Godfrey (BG)Higher order autocorrelationH0: Test statistic critical valueThere is no autocorrelation HA: Test statistic critical valueThere is autocorrelation Durbin-Watson (DW)First order autocorrelationH0: Test statistic upper boundThere is no autocorrelationHA: Test statistic lower boundThere is autocorrelation Additionally, when :Lower bound Test statistic Upper boundThe test for autocorrelation is inconclusive Changes In Demand Roberta Cook’s research has shown that per capita fruit and vegetables consumption (pounds) in the United States has increased by 12.4% from 1976-2006. Interestingly, in the same period there was a 28% reduction in the amount of citrus fruits consumed but growth was boosted by non-citrus fruits and vegetables. Cook suggests that the increase in demand is due to changes in lifestyle such as the large increase in the number of two-income households. This has led to a focus on cooking quickly therefore using more fresh produce. The scatter plot below shows the change in quantity demanded for fruit and vegetables in Ruritania over the time period 1981 to 2010. Quantity demanded was constant between 1980 and 1991 before increasing exponentially. The data does not follow the results of Cook’s research but I am able to predict that the data will fit either a log-log or log-linear model. Choosing the Functional Form From considering the four functional forms I obtained the following test results which are in line with my predictions: Table 4 Statistical TestCritical value at 5% significance levelLinearLog-LogLog-LinearLinear-Log F Test1.9162.86* 157.9* 152* 52.81* R2n/a0.852233 0.935444 0.933081 0.828901 Ramsey RESET (RR)3.9231.982 0.0028123* 1.7429* 33.845 Jarque-Bera (JB)5.9941.046 0.25565* 0.093059* 31.152 White’s (WT)1.642.0512 1.0271* 0.93069* 2.1058 Durbin-Watson (DW)DU= 1.898DL = 1.4621.32 2.05* 2.03* 1.27 Breusch-Godfrey (BG)11.0719.306 7.8052* 2.6625* 23.394 Although the linear model and the linear-log model pass the F-test, only 85% and 83% of the variation in the data is explained by the respective regression model. Both models also fail the Breusch-Godfrey test, Durbin-Watson test, White’s Test, Jarque Bera test and the Ramsey RESET test. From these results I can conclude that the demand function for fruit and vegetables is not in linear or linear-log form. The log-log functional form and the log-linear functional form both explain around 93.5% of the data, which is relatively high. They both pass the T-test, Durbin-Watson test, White’s Test, Jarque Bera test, Breusch-Godfrey test and the Ramsey RESET test at 5%. Although they both pass the same tests, the log-log form passes the Ramsey RESET test at 0.0028123 whilst the log-linear form passes at 1.7429. Since the log-log model passes this more satisfactorily, the model will have a lower chance of misspecification. Additionally, a log-log model allows easier interpretation as elasticity is constant and equal to b at every point. I will therefore choose the log-log functional form as the demand function for fruit and vegetables. For analysis, if an independent variable changes by 1% whilst other independent variables are held constant, then the dependant variable will change by the b value of the independent variable. Testing individual parameters Having identified the preferred functional form, I will now test the significance of individual parameters at a 5% significance level. Calculated using a 2-tailed T-test H0: b0 = 0 H1: b0 ?0 Test statistic (t) = b0 – b0 T(N-2) where N = 120 so T(118) Se(b0) If – tc ? t ? tc fail to reject the null hypothesis and b0 is not significant Ift ? tc or t ? -tc reject the null hypothesis and b0 is significant Table 5 Parameter Coefficient Standard Error Test Statistic Intercept 3.35508 2.655 1.264 ln(PMTFH) -0.294682 0.1787 -1.649 ln(PFTVG) -0.576745 0.2888 -1.997* ln(PTEA) -0.524011 0.2585 -2.027* ln(PCOFF) 0.0219395 0.2631 0.083 ln(PBEER) 0.115732 0.2336 0.495 ln(PWINE) -0.191003 0.3137 -0.609 ln(PLEIS) 0.169363 0.1732 0.978 ln(PTRAV) 0.197812 0.1532 1.291 ln(PALLOTH) 2.31373 0.5330 4.341* ln(INCOME) -0.669523 0.2149 -3.116* The critical values for the t – test are +/- 1.98. From the t-test I have found that only four of the parameters are significant at a 5% significance level. They are: price of fruit and vegetables, price of tea, price of all other goods and the level of income. Since the price of meat and fish, intercept and price of travel are close to the critical value, I will keep these in the model. I will now run a second regression excluding the variables: price of coffee, price of beer, price of wine and price of leisure, and will use more t-tests to determine which of the parameters are significant. The results are shown in the table below. Table 6 Parameter Coefficient Standard Error Test Statistic Intercept 2.53817 1.678 1.513 ln(PMTFH) -0.145648 0.1367 -1.065 ln(PFTVG) -0.613409 0.2411 -2.544* ln(PTEA) -0.518472 0.1684 -3.079* ln(PTRAV) 0.125349 0.1283 0.977 ln(PALLOTH) 2.66028 0.2728 9.752* ln(INCOME) -0.662872 0.1934 -3.427* Whilst the intercept is still insignificant, I will continue to include it in the model as removing it can create bias in the regression.The price of meat and fish and the price of travel are still insignificant in this regression so I will remove them from the model. The restricted regression model has the functional form: ln(QFTVG20) = b0 + b2ln(PFTVG) + b3ln(PTEA) + b9ln(PALLOTH) + b10ln(INCOME) + et To ensure the removal of the six parameters improves the model, I will run an F-test on the restricted model: F = (SSRR-SSUR)/r (SSUR)/n-k Where r = number of restrictions in the model, n = number of observations, k = number of parameters in the unrestricted model (including the intercept) The null hypothesis is: H0: b1 = b4 = b5 = b6 = b7 = b8 = 0 HA: Null hypothesis is untrue At 5% significance level, critical value F(6,109) = 2.18 F = (16.7224302 – 16.0433624)/6 (16.0433624)/120-11 F = 0.7689409526 2.18 Since the test statistic is less that the critical value, I fail to reject the null hypothesis so the variables are collectively insignificant and can now be removed. Further Tests I will consider whether there are structural breaks and seasonal changes. Structural Breaks I have chosen to graph QFTVG20 over time rather than lnQFTVG20 as there is a marked increase in fruit and vegetables consumption after 1998 which does not appear on the graph for lnFTVG. This increase in consumption may be due to a structural change. I will therefore split the regression model into two, and carry out a Chow Test, where: H0 = no structural change HA = structural change Chow Test n1 = number of observations in the first regression n2 = number of observations in the second regression k = number of parameters including the constant SSRR = RSS from original model SSUR = RSS from regression 1 + RSS from regression 2 Table 7 Time PeriodNumber of observationsResidual sum of squares 1981 – 19987210.7905333 1999 – 2010485.82816287 1981 – 201012016.7224302 F = (16.7224302 – 10.7905333 – 5.82816287)/5= 0.1373241701 (10.7905333 + 5.82816287)/(72 + 48 – 2?5) At a 5% significance level, the critical value is F(5,110) = 2.29 Since 0.137 2.29 I fail to reject the null hypothesis and can conclude that there is no structural change when tested at the 5% significance level. Seasonal Dummy Variables Since fruit and vegetables grow on a seasonal basis, it is prudent to include seasonal dummy variables to see whether the data follows seasonality. To do this, I will create four dummy variables, however, I will only include three dummy variables so as to avoid falling into the dummy variable trap. This avoids obtaining perfect multicollinearity. The three dummies refer to the difference between themselves and the omitted (reference) dummy variable. With the inclusion of three dummy variables, the model becomes: ln(QFTVG20) = b0 + b2ln(PFTVG) + b3ln(PTEA) + b9ln(PALLOTH) + b10ln(INCOME) + baD1 + bbD2 + bcD3 + et Table 8 QuarterParameterCoefficientEstimated standard errorTest statisticSignificant at 5% (critical value +/- 1.98 1D1-0.02170250.09880-0.220No 2D20.09085330.098770.920No 3D30.1118250.098751.13No This shows that the dummy variables are insignificant at 5% significance level. To remove the dummy variables, I run an F-test to check for the combined significance. H0: ba = bb = bc = 0 HA: H0 is not true F = (SSRR-SSUR)/r ~ F(r, n-k) (SSUR)/n-k F = (16.7224302 – 16.3332741)/3= 0.8890750414 16.3332741/(120 – 8) At 5% significance level, the critical value for F(3,112) is 2.68. Since 0.889 2.68 I fail to reject the null hypothesis. From this, it can be seen that at the 5% significance level, there is no evidence of seasonality. I can now remove the seasonal dummy variables. Homogeneity A demand function is homogenous if when both prices and income are doubled, the optimal quantities demanded do not change. H0: b2 + b3 + b9 + b10 = 0 HA: b2 + b3 + b9 + b10 ? 0 If H0 is true, the equation can be rearranged as: b10 = – b2 – b3 – b9 The regression model thus becomes: ln(QFTVG20) = b0 + b2ln(PFTVG) + b3ln(PTEA) + b9ln(PALLOTH) + (- b2 – b3 – b9)ln(INCOME) From logarithmic rules, the equation can be written as: Ln(QFTVG20)= b0 + b2ln(PFTVG/INCOME) + b3ln(PTEA/INCOME) + b9ln(PALLOTH/INCOME) F = (SSRR-SSUR)/r (SSUR)/n-k F = (17.3810772 – 16.7224302)/1 = 4.529509413 16.7224302/(120-5) The critical value for F(1,115) is 3.92. Since 4.5295 3.92 I reject the null hypothesis and conclude that demand is not homogenous, it exhibits heterogeneity. Laitinen has undertaken a study which concludes that the test of homogeneity is ‘seriously biased’ towards rejecting the null hypothesis. This leads me to believe that my result is acceptable and could be due to this, or the money illusion, where consumers mistake changes in nominal values to be changes in real values. Slutsky The Slutsky equation shows how a price change can lead to an income effect and a substitution effect. To calculate the price elasticity of demand I multiply through by P/Q and multiply the last term by I/I giving: This means: Price elasticity of demand = substitution effect – (income elasticity x fraction of income spent) From table 10 it can be seen that the income elasticity of demand is -0.470995 and price elasticity of demand of fruit and vegetables is -0.626791. The fraction of income spent on fruit and vegetables is 3%. Income effect = -0.470995 x 0.03 = -0.01412985 Substitution effect = -0.626791 – -0.01412985 = -0.61266115 Since income elasticity of demand is negative, this means that fruit and vegetables are inferior goods. The substitution effect must always be negative. Interpretation Of The Preferred Model Having identified that there are no structural breaks in the model and that there is no evidence of seasonality, I can run a third regression with all the insignificant variables removed. The demand function is determined by: ln(QFTVG20) = b0 + b2ln(PFTVG) + b3ln(PTEA) + b9ln(PALLOTH) + b10ln(INCOME) + et The restricted regression model gives the following results to the aforementioned diagnostic tests: Table 9 Statistical TestCritical value at 5% significance levelLog Log (restricted)Log Log (unrestricted) F Test1.91398.5*157.9* R2n/a0.9327110.935444 Ramsey RESET (RR)3.920.26863*0.0028123* Jarque-Bera (JB)5.990.52542*0.25565* White’s (WT)1.640.36082*1.0271* Durbin-Watson (DW)upper 1.898lower 1.4622.01*2.05* Breusch-Godfrey (BG)11.074.8690*7.8052* * Significant at 5% significance level The restricted log-log model passes every test carried out and passes the F test and White’s Test more satisfactorily than the unrestricted log-log model. I will now run further t-tests and consider whether the remaining variables are still significant. The results are shown in the table below. Table 10 Parameter Coefficient Standard Error Test Statistic Constant 0.814700 1.125 0.724 ln(PFTVG) -0.626791 0.2407 -2.604* ln(PTEA) -0.579563 0.1616 -3.586* ln(PALLOTH) 2.80783 0.2372 11.837* ln(INCOME) -0.470995 0.1353 -3.481* The table shows that all the remaining parameters (except the constant) are significant at a 5% significance level. Regression equation for the preferred model ln(QFTVG20) = 0.814700 – 0.626791ln(PFTVG) – 0.579563ln(PTEA) + 2.80783ln(PALLOTH) – 0.470995ln(INCOME) The equation suggests that fruit and vegetables are inferior goods as the coefficient for income is negative. This means that as income increases, the demand for fruit and vegetables decrease. Interpretation of Elasticities Table 11 ParameterCoefficientInterpretation Constant0.814700Autonomous LPFTVG-0.626791Own price inelastic LPTEA-0.579563Complement LPALLOTH2.80783Substitute LINCOME-0.470995FTVG20 is income inelastic and is an inferior good. Constant – represents the value that is predicted for the dependant variable when all the independent variables are equal to zero. LPFTVG – A 1% increase in price will lead to a 0.626791% fall in quantity demand of fruit and vegetables. The average own-price elasticity for fresh fruit from 10 studies combined by Durham and Eales is -0.6 which is very close to the elasticity I have found. LPTEA – A 1% increase in price of tea will lead to a fall in demand of FTVG20 of 0.579563%. This could be due to fruit and tea being consumed together, for example, as part of breakfast. LPALLOTH – a 1 % increase in the price of all other goods will cause a 2.80783% increase in demand for fruit and vegetables LINCOME – A 1% increase in income means the demand for fruit and vegetables will fall by 0.470995%. From this I can conclude that fruit and vegetables are inferior goods. Purcell and Raunikar found that at lower incomes, fruit and vegetables are normal goods but at higher incomes they are inferior goods. They also found that green vegetables are inferior goods for all levels of income from 1958-62. Their results correspond to a recent study (2007) by Ruel, Minot and Smith, who found that in 10 (relatively poor) African countries the average income-elasticity of demand for fruit and vegetables was 0.766, i.e. fruit and vegetables are normal goods for low-income countries. Conclusion In this project I have estimated a demand function for fruit and vegetables (20) in Ruritania. Through using diagnostic tests and regression analysis I have found it to be a log-log model. I was able to remove insignificant variables leaving independent variables of price of fruit and vegetables, tea, all other goods and income. I then tested the data for seasonality and structural breaks and found no evidence of seasonality or structural breaks between 1981 and 2010. I found the data to be heterogeneous and justified this with reference to Laitinen’s research. Using Slutsky’s equation, I found that fruit and vegetables are inferior goods. To improve the model I could separate the demand for fruit and vegetables to see whether they both remain inferior goods. It would also be interesting to consider socioeconomic factors, such as those studied by Nayga. Additionally, since a large proportion of demand for fruit is made up of the demand for juice, it would useful to consider the demand of whole fruit and vegetables rather than that pressed into juice. These factors combined may improve the model so that a proportion of the remaining 6.6% of the data fits my regression model. References Ashworth, J. Durham Economics Lecture Notes Bath Lecture Notes: www.people.bath.ac.uk/bm232/EC50161/Dummy%20Variables.ppt Block, S., ‘Maternal Nutritional Knowledge and the Demand for Micronutrient Rich Foods: Evidence From Indonesia’ Cook, R. ‘U.S. Per Capita Fruit and Vegetables Consumption’ Cook, R. ‘Some Key Changes In U.S. Consumption Patterns’ Durham, C. Eales, J. ‘Demand Elasticities For Fresh Fruit and the Retail Level’ Greenwood, S. ‘Consumer Trends for the New Millennium Impact Fresh-cut Produce’ Han, T., Wahl, T. ‘China’s Rural Demand For Fruit and Vegetables’ Griffiths, W., Judge, G. ‘Undergraduate Economics’ Laitinen, K. ‘Why is demand homogeneity so often rejected?’ Nau, F. ‘Additional Notes On Regression Analysis’ Duke Fuqua Business School Nayga. ‘Determinants of US Household Expenditures on Fruit and Vegetables. A Note and Update.’ Nicholson, W. ‘Microeconomic Theory: Basic Principles and Extensions’ Purcell, J.C., Raunikar, R. ‘Quantity-Income Elasticities For Foods By Level of Income’ Journal of Farm Economics, December 1967 Ruel, M.T., Minot, N., Smith, L. ‘Patterns and Determinants of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Multicountry Comparison’ International Food Policy Research Institute, 2005 Seale, J., Regmi, A., Bernstein, J. ‘International Evidence on Food Consumption Patterns’ Studenmund, A. ‘Using Econometrics’ Wang, X. Durham Economics Lecture Notes How to cite Estimating a demand function for Fruit and Vegetables, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

The Evolution of Al-Qaeda Leading Up to ISIS free essay sample

One of the successful reforms was the formation of the ISIS group, the more heinous version of the core al-Qaeda whose leaders have turned against ISIS. Although the original al-Qaeda network has lost notoriety, it is still known that its offshoot cell-groups and lone wolves throughout the world continue to commit frequent acts of violence to the non-Muslim countries, especially the West and Israel, unless they are stopped by an outside force. Hence, it is of great importance to examine what lies ahead for the two individual groups in light Of the al-Qaeda versions to date. The September 1 1, 2001 attacks were a turning point in the perception of terrorist groups and their merciless attacks. Many counter-terrorism apartments and policies were created during the Global War on Terrorism (Hurwitz, S 2014; Howard, R. , Sawyer, R. 2006435). As a matter of fact, the world had known smaller-scale and frequent terrorist activity in recent history, but this understanding did not come to the forefront until after 9/1 1 when al-Qaeda made it apparent that the western superpower no longer needed to be considered invincible, but an entity that is vulnerable from across the oceans (Post 2009; Howard, R 2006). Numerous extremists all around the world have since created their own organizations in the name of rearranging al-Qaeda. Amid these groups, an unprecedented one emerged with brutal tactics, plenty of resources, and its own territories, and became the worlds richest terrorist group in todays world that is ISIS (Seoul, J 2014). In spite of the enduring nature of the counter terrorism policies put into action since the events of 9/1 1 , contemporary terrorism is continuing to flourish.It seems impossible that one nation, the United States itself, spent more than 10 billion dollars to advance national and domestic security, while it appears that terrorism continues unabated. Consider the cent terrorist cases of the Boston Marathon bombings in the United States, Charlie Hoped shootings in France, the tourists killed at the Board Museum in Tunisian, and the suicide bombing at the Asana mosque in Yemeni as evidence of terrorisms seemingly unhindered march across the globe.Most of these attacks and others like them are the work of terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda or ISIS. Therefore, it seems more crucial than ever to increase counter-terrorist activities and continue research in the eradication of ferocious terrorists such as al-Qaeda-based freelancers and groups such as ISIS in this world. More importantly, learning the history, ideology, and strategies of al-Qaeda and its affiliates can be a springboard to more accurate predictions of future terrorist movements.What is al Qaeda? The origin of al Qaeda meaning base9 began with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan 0 in 1989. Opposed to the communist ideology to absorb the Afghanistan government, Arab volunteers, also known as meaningful 1, joined what is referred to the holy war or jihad against non-Muslim forces. Among those Arab volunteers were men who would become key ringleaders in al-Qaeda, men such as Osama bin Laden, Amman al-Charities, ND Abdullah Zamia.These leaders spearheaded the movement to recruit shadiest from across the Muslim world with a call for victorious jihad not only in Afghanistan, but also around the world. Key to this victory was the destruction of the American ideology that ran intolerably counter to that of Islam (Hellenic, C 2011). There were indeed, following Scams sudden death in 1 989, clear-cut causes as to why Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda targeted the United States as a major enemy. In the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia refused to deploy al-Qaeda-offered jihads forces againstSad Husseins aggression. Rather, the Saudi ruler, King Fad, was partially in favo r of U. S. Military and financial supports, creating a deep division between the Saudi and bin Laden. Another crucial event that provoked Osama bin Laden was King Fads invitation to the U. S. Military forces to travel through the Arabian Peninsula, popularly known as Mecca 15 and is in close proximity to their holy lands (Post 2009). This invitation was a harbinger of new-era international terrorism between the West and the al-Qaeda forces.After transferring headquarters from Sudan into Afghanistan due to the instruction of a tight-knit relationship with the Taliban regime, which furnished a training camp and military garrison, this homegrown organization or network gradually turned their focus to the transnational goals of the destruction of western values and the existent Jewish state of Israel (Hellenic, C 2011 Attacks attributed to al-Qaeda and associated groups began with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and continued to the bombing of the Twin Towers in New York City on September 1 1, 2001 and further terrorist events 7 against non-combatants on a transnational scope. Most of these attacks were brought on because of religious goals. Having identical goals, but envisioning different avenues toward recreating the Islamic empire that once existed caused friction within al Qaeda rank and file.The one group began to split into individual segments. AY-Qaeda Ideology and philosophy The ideology of al-Qaeda can be found in a specific document al-Qaeda operational man where eight chapters of the total contain not only a sophisticated list of instructions for operation methods but also mistakes and lessons cited from other adversaries such as an Israeli Moisakos counter- espionage failure and the Russian KGB elite Alpha Group. Many of the instructions cite certain sugar (verses) of the Quasars as a contrivance to justify their acts of violence. This training manual has afforded one of the best insights into the al-Qaeda leadership.The mindsets of Osama bin Laden and his successor Amman al-Charier were heavily inspired by Stayed Quotes, who was a vanguard of an Islamic fundamentalist revival and laid the foundation for al-Qaeda ideology. Quests definition of the enemy included untrue Muslims as well as Western-Israelis who had wickedly plotted, especially since he Israel independence in 1948, to besmirch the pristine Islamic states. Based on a notion of Socialist shadiest, al Qaeda ideology permitted the slaying of civilians dedicated to other religions as well as unorthodox Muslims such as Suffixs and Shiites, as religiously justified to achieve jihad (Wright 2006:32-59).According to their ideology, al Qaeda has two objectives: one is the collapse of western influence and Israel, and second is the establishment of the Islamic state where one righteous Caliph will rule an orthodox Muslim community according to Sharis law, and eliminate non- Muslim collectives (infidels), who have blemished the pure Islam (Wright 20061175). The Rolling strategies According to an interview with USAF al Adele, one of al Qaeda high-ranking members, the group had a seven-juncture plan from 2000 to 2020 for the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate. Strategic sub-objectives have evolved on a chronological basis as below: (Parrish 2014). The first phase (2000 to 2003) was an awakening juncture that was to drag attention from the west forces and awaken Muslims all over the world to their ultimate goal, a reinstatement of Islamic states.It was assessed as successful since al Qaeda instigated the World Trade Center terror in New York and on the Pentagon in Washington proving the U. S. Was no longer untouchable. However, Americans full scale military raids in Iraq and Afghanistan resulted in the loss of key leaders and a weakened stronghold in Afghanistan. The second phase (2004 to 2006) was, according to the interviewer Food Hussein, a transition from an organization to a movement (Jihads). In this transition, they laid the groundwork for a base while recruiting young men to set up an army. The Long War Journal, in 2005, named this second phase a failure. But, in fact, ore extremists the Islamic State of Iraq and the Eleven (SOILS) were active in Iraq and Syria since its inception in 2004. It, thus, can be called successful in this regard. The third phase (2007 to 201 0) was a period in which al Qaeda masterminds planned attacks on Israel to marshal like-minded terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria. There was a surge of al Qaeda affiliates such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (ASAP) in Yemen, AY Shabby in Somalia, al Qaeda in the Islamic Manager (SWIM) in Algeria, the Libya Islamic Fighting Group (LIFE), the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Iraq, all of which ad carried out terrorist courses of action against civilians, albeit with different visions from core-al Qaeda, which were more or less considered successful.The fourth phase (201 0 to 2013) was the collapse of the hated Arabic government as well as undermining western economy, the backbone of international trade and the world economy, exemplified by a boat packed with explosives in October 2002. 28 This period was a turning point for the group when their administrative structure became more cellular. Bin Laden had previously employed a top-down administrative model. AY Qaeda affiliates, and individuals basing their actions on al-Qaeda vision, managed to operate all over the North Africa, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, and even South Asia. In the wake of Arab Spring, the Syrian Sad regime was seen as a template by a majority of terrorist groups at the time. The fifth phase spans from 201 3 to 2016 during which time an Islamic state or caliphate will be proclaimed while western influence and Israel forces are weakened.Societal order, legitimacy, and politics would be under the al Qaeda oversight. In the present day, despite differences from the original al Qaeda mission, the event can be seen as ongoing through cellular activity or efforts. The creation of ISIS in 2013 as a terrorist state corroborated the idea that this is not an unrealistic narrative. The sixth phase is the period from 2016 onward, which is planned as a direct confrontation between Islamic believers and non- believers. The seventh phase, as a final step, is depicted as definitive victory and should be attained by 2020. The sixth and seventh phase of what lies ahead is indistinct.The Organization in Transitions AY Qaeda The first generation of al-Qaeda, from its birth to the September 1 1, 2001 attack on The United States, operated on a command structure mainly under the guidance of Osama bin Laden, who took control of the group following Abdullah Scams death. For this emerging generation of terrorists, al-Qaeda played an unprecedented role in encouraging young Muslims to resist their enemies: the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Western countries. When it came to recruitment, al-Qaeda did not have a formal hiring system, but relied on familial ties and relationships, mostly started from a brotherhood Status, a similar concept of Muslim Brotherhood. According o the Commission on Terrorist Attacks, there were as many as 20,000 potential terrorists trained at bin Laden-led camps throughout Afghanistan from May 1996 to September 1 1, 2001.Many skillful and feared terrorist attackers involv ed in high-profile strategic onslaughts such as the World Trade Center bombing in 199329, the catastrophic explosion in Saudi Arabia in 1 99630, the East African bombings in 199831 and three years later the attacks of 9/1 1 in New York and Washington, D. C. , came from these training camps, which were considered the main pathway for the next terrorist generations (Post 2009:202-205). The al-Qaeda top-down structure employed four interconnected, but distinct factors: a pyramidal structure to facilitate strategies and prompt decision-makings; a transnational terrorist network to cooperate with other terrorist syndicates to reach every corner of the world; a base force of guerrilla warfare in Afghanistan; and a loose coalition of transnational and domestic groups to minimize differences and emphasize similarities, such as the vision of a common enemy the West (Gunboat, R 2002).Terrorists targets were declared through The Two Fatwas in 1996 and 1998 respectively. The first fatwa, or holy decree, declared war against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places according to Bin Laden. The second fatwa further expanded to Jihad against Jews and Crusaders. It has been a religious obligation for global shadiest to do so thereafter (Watts, C 2013). AY Qaeda 2. 0 Following the declaration of War on Terror in the post-9/1 1 world, al-Qaeda morphed from what has been called al-Qaeda Version 1. 0 into al-Qaeda Version 2. 0 where the network lost the hierarchical control, but its ideology still influenced the global Salami jihad movement.Many regional brigades with efferent titles sprung up far and wide during this juncture and marked post- September 11 attacks in Bali, Yemen, Moscow, Spains, North Africa, etc. As a response to Osama bin Aldens recording: The Islamic nation, thanks to God, has started to attack you at the hands of its beloved sons, who pledged to God to continue jihad, as long as they are able, through words and weapons, to establish right and expose falsehood (Post 2009:211-222). In the face of the losses of the Afghanistan bases and senior leaders, the withered core al-Qaeda force was still not destroyed, but was being operated under he current leader, Sharis, stewardship. The Charier-operated al-Qaeda embraced its rivals to shore up its strengths. One of its rivals was that of ABA Muses al-Serialize, a founder of al-Qaeda in Iraq (IQ, and later renamed ISIS after his death in 2006). In stark contrast to moderate bin Laden and Sharis leaderships, Gizzard utilized more aggressive and indiscriminate means to achieve the political ends, one of which was to purge Shiites. His main purpose was to destroy the whole population of the Shih community in Iraq, rather than to focus on destroying American and Israeli interests (Celli, A 2014). This stage raised concerns about homegrown terrorists who had no central structure. Many Muslim youths not in the Middle East who sympathized with the global jihads movement operated independently. AY Qaeda 3. Less than four years ago, the idea of al-Quaysides was on its last leg due to Osama bin Aldens a heroic and inspirational figure to shadiest passing in 201 1. Since the Arab Awakening started in 2010, corrupt, dictatorial, and secular regimes from Tunisia to Syria have collapsed en masses or near collapsed in case of Basher al-Sad regime, one after another, due to peaceful, pro-democratic protests. However, these collapses failed to touch extremists who preferred to practice violence and follow original Islamic laws (Ridded, B 2014). Thus, the third generation rose in what was known as the Basher al-Sad regime in which Jubbah al-Unusual -? a self-declared al-Qaeda affiliate was created.The Unbar province became the epicenter of ISIS whose leader, ABA Baker al-Baghdad, called upon global shadiest to assemble and reestablish the Islamic States of Caliphate. The reason they were created in both countries was primarily due to the gradual implementation of the Syrian infighting in early 2012, which led shadiest to engage in the sighting on religious grounds. Also, its proximity to US-occupied Iraq made Syria a terrorist attraction venue. Th e Syrian government, which was intent on keeping US forces busy fighting al-Qaeda, brought calamity upon itself by offering a safe haven for world shadiest. A series of peaceful protests triggered by the Arab Spring ultimately wrought some tragic repercussions especially in Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq (Mustang 2014). What is ISIS?The Islamic State has gone through scores of its names from al-Qaeda in Iraq (IQ), Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), Islamic State in Iraq and the Eleven (SOILS), and the latest moniker Islamic State (IS). The group today is considered a monstrous organization due to their tactics, such as beheading, crucifixion, and public execution, practiced on anyone, regardless of gender or age. ISIS is so brutal even the current al-Qaeda organization has distanced itself from the group (Lee, E, Army, M 2015). The expressed aim of ISIS is to erect a Socialist government over the Eleven areas of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Cyprus and Southern Turkey.Little is known about the groups leader, ABA Baker al-Baghdad and the origin of his enmity against literally everyone else. Several eyewitnesses, as well as his n eighbors, have given testimony that he is a very quiet, introverted, and pious person. His origins of ruthlessness, it is guessed, lie in the IS. S. Invasion in 2003 to usurp the Sad Hussein regime. He has spent several years in confinement in Camp Abaca, known as a terrorist university through which have passed many Islamic State leaders(Giovanni, J 2014). When al-Baghdad his real name ABA Du -? was discharged from the camp in 2009, he formed the Islamic State in Iraq, and was nominated as the leader in May 2010.From the beginning, the Islamic State in Iraq had voluminous ambitions and a different agenda from the core al-Qaeda. They abandoned al-Qaeda flag and chose a new one, which is the one they currently use (Newman, A 2014). The Of AY-Qaeda and ISIS There are no natural laws or scientific principles that can be used to predict how the next wave of al-Qaeda affiliates will move. It is hard to foretell the future of terrorist movements despite efforts and analysis conducted by scores of scholars, terrorism experts, and government agencies. The world could experience a complete liberation from terrorism if ways were covered to forestall what might unfold next.Unfortunately, terrorism is still under way every/here even though many counter-terrorism organizations are working to prevent or uproot al-Qaeda franchises and individual cells (Simon, J, 2013, chapter 8, A Look Toward The Future). Since the core al Qaeda has collapsed, a number of cellular groups emerged around the globe. Although major counter-terrorism policies have been reinforced across many countries, radicalized individuals took advantage of off-guard moments as evidenced in the Charlie Hoped shooting in Paris, the events of May 2014 n Brussel s, and those of May 2013 in London committed lone wolves affiliated with al-Qaeda or Islamic extremists.There is reason to believe that nations making visible efforts to eliminate terrorism can have an impact in destroying al-Qaeda creating safe-havens, cutting revenue streams, and hampering would-be terrorists from traveling abroad to participate international terrorist groups. Nonetheless, many countries experienced a low-barrier for self-motivated shadiest who have locally or domestically carried out terrorist attacks such as 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. In this ensue, although many people thought the war was over when bin Laden was shot and officially declared dead in 2011, many counter-terrorism experts commented we are still playing on bin Laden-built game that no longer needed him (The Economists blob 201 1).A new version of violent jihad has emerged on the very corner of the world, indicating that the war against al- Qaeda is a battle of ideas that cannot be won militarily (Hellenic 201 1:162). John Horror, the Center for Terrorism and Security Studies, also commented that the rise of lone wolf terrorism is a sign Of organizational weakness, and et it does not mean that the Western world, considered as a main enemy to al-Qaeda, is free from such larger-scale attacks by al Qaeda affiliates (Named 2015). Unlike the al-Qaeda network, the more strategi cally radical ISIS group, as the latest version of al-Qaeda, has focused more on peripheral regions to build bases all over the Middle East than on Western nations, at least not at this stage.To achieve their objective the establishment of the Caliphate ISIS will likely pay heed to allying other terrorist organizations within the Middle East areas, rather than to attacking a distance target. Clearly, this does not mean that ISIS already has a solid basis on which to achieve their wishes. In some cases, Baghdad succeeded in partnering extreme terrorist organizations such as the Nanas Batty al-Misaims in Sinai, AY-Qaeda branch in Morocco, Book Harm in Uganda, and some Taliban groups in Pakistan, the leaders Of which have sworn allegiance to Baghdad. However, a multiplicity of moderate terrorist groups rejected siding with ISIS on account of different perspectives.Assam al-Barbaric, a modern Salami movement leader and the leader of the Jihad in Jordan, sharply railed against SISS antics killing Shiites, other minorities, and even Sunnis followers who do not show loyalty to SISS indoctrination. This is just one example of the strained relationships and rivalries between the various groups. The incumbent al-Qaeda leader, al- Charier, also condemned their tactics and methodology (Meghan)45, saying that is not jihad, but nothing less than aggression and barbaric crime. In this sense, such dynamics amongst even terrorist groups in the Middle East would definitely hamper SIS S pathway (Barrel, Z. 2014; Celli, A. 2014).Conclusion We have seen the evolution of the al-Qaeda network from its rise to its aspersion, which continues through many versions of terrorist groups and sleeper cells. In the face of the weakened al-Qaeda power, its influence is still prevalent. It remains a force with which to be reckoned in this world. The most heinous al-Qaeda-based group, ISIS, which has performed with a similar, yet skewed, vision, will surely threaten our world in many ways. Despite their haphazard terrorism, their threat to the western and third world countries at this stage is somewhat lessened because al-Baghdad now centers On exterminating fellow Muslims through beheading, crucifixions, ND public executions, activities which have become their trademarks.

Friday, November 29, 2019

INTERIM FINANCIAL REPORTING AND INVESTMNET DECISIONS Essays

INTERIM FINANCIAL REPORTING AND INVESTMNET DECISIONS BY A.A. OWOJORI, PhD, FCA Senior Lecturer in Accounting & Business Education Accounting and Business Education Unit Department of Educational Management Faculty of Education Ekiti State University Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria [emailprotected] [emailprotected] 08033525195 ABSTRACT The main objective of financial report, annual or interim, is to provide information about the reporting entity?s financial performance and financial position that is useful to a wide range of user for assessing the stewardship of management and for making economic decisions. Investment decision is function of information present in financial report. The only means by which the investors and other parties having interest in the coy con know the financial position of a company is through financial reporting which is prepared at the and of the accounting period. At this stage, arbitrage may occur depending on the information gathered from the financial report. To wait or retain ones capital in some companies for a year could be disastrous. This is the reason why most investors prefer interim financial reporting, which keeps the investors informed about the financial progress the company is making with their capital. Quick decision can be made before it is too late. This study delves into the development of financial reporting at international level as well as various r egulations of financial reporting. The paper went further to compare the result of UAC Nigeria Plc and that of University Press Plc?s statement with that which was reported at the end of the year. Finally, the paper identified the limitation to the use of interim financial statement. Keywords: Interim, Financial Reporting, Investment Decision Introduction It is necessary to revise forecast in other to incorporate current business conditions. According to John I. W. et al (2003) interim [less than one year] financial statements are a valuable source of information for monitoring performance. Interim statements are usually issued quarterly and are designed to meet user?s needs. They are useful in revising estimates of earning power and earning forecasts. Yet we must recognized certain limitations in certain reporting related to difficulties in assigning earnings components to period of under one year in length. Timely and accurate financial report is the main stay of investment decision. IAS 34 describes financial report as being annual and interim. The standard define interim period and interim financial report as follows: Interim period is a financial reporting period shorter than a full financial year and interim financial report as a financial report containing either a complete set of financial statement or a set of condensed financial statement for an interim period. The subject of financial reporting objectives has been generally recognized as very important in accounting area since a long time. Many accounting bodies and professional institutes all over the world have made attempts to define the objectives of financial statement and financial reporting which are vital to the development of financial accounting theory and practice. (Jawahar Lal, 2003 P 19) this section describes developments in this area at the international level, particularly USA and UK. It can be rightly said that most of the attempt in this area of financial reporting objectives has been made in USA and UK and accounting development in these countries have great impact on accounting developments and practice in other countries of the world. The Accounting Principles Board (APB) statement No 4 1970 was the first publication which formulated the objective of financial reporting. Trueblood Report (1973) gives the following objective of financial report. 1.An objective of financial statement is to provide information useful to investors and creditors for predicting, comparing and evaluating potential cash flows to them in terms of amount, timing and related uncertainty. 2.An objective of financial reporting is to provide a statement of financial position useful for predicting, comparing and evaluating an enterprise earning power. This statement should provide information concerning enterprise transactions and other events that are part of incomplete earning cycles. Current value should also be reported when they differ significantly form historical costs. Asset and liabilities should be grouped or segregated by the relative uncertainty of the amount and timing of prospective realization of liquidation. The Corporate Report (UK) 1976 alludes to the above by adding that, the report assigned responsibility for reporting to the economic entity. Having an impact on the society through its activities. These economic entities

Monday, November 25, 2019

Nuala Beck essays

Nuala Beck essays Nuala Beck is a highly praised economist and researcher. She writes one column for the Globe and Mail weekly, and is the president and founder of Nuala Beck and Associates, a consulting firm based in Toronto. Nuala Beck has written two books and is in the process of making a third book. The two already finished are Shifting Gears Thriving in the New Economy, Excelerate - Growing in the New Economy, and The Next Century - Why Canada Wins. In her book Shifting Gears Thriving in the New Economy she introduces a new concept called the new technology economy. This concept compares the industrial economies of the old with the industrial economies of the new and how the products that were cheap in the past industrial economies have changed to new and different products in todays industrial economy and are still the cheapest. An example of this is the Mass Manufacturing era which was from 1918 to 1981 and the Technology era which was from 1981 to the present. In the Mass Manufacturing era, the cheap goods and services to buy where energy and oil while in the Technology era it was microchips. Nuala Beck believes that there were three industrial economies. She believes that there was Commodity, from the industrial revolution till 1918. This economy was based on generic large quantities of unprocessed goods that could be processed and resold such as steel, coal, and textiles. The second type of economy was the Mass Manufactur ing economy, from 1918 to 1981. This economy was based on the production of large amounts of goods on an assembly line such as automobiles, and machine tools. The third and final economy that she believes in is the Technology era which was from 1981 to the present. This final economy is based on the breakthrough of innovations, constant improvements in goods and services making it easier and more advantageous for the consumer. Products of this...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

War on Terrorism policies in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

War on Terrorism policies in America - Essay Example rn world, Guy Fawkes is seen as the first true terrorist with his effort to destroy English Parliament in 1605 by placing gunpowder beneath the building. In the American colonies, the Sons of Liberty attacked property of the British in the Americas because of their opposition to British rule and the Stamp Act. Through the rest of the 18th and 19th centuries, noteworthy accounts of terrorist tactics moved further East, through Eastern Europe and into the Middle East coming off centuries of relatively stable rule under the now defunct Ottoman Empire. With the Empire's collapse, armed political groups now vied for power through the vast expanses of the Middle East, which would lead to the political instability still in effect. Modern-day Islamic terrorist organizations oppose the Western world culturally and politically, and attempt to defend or promote Islamic culture by means of violent acts. This is characterized by many supporters as a "war" (or "Jihad"), whether as a means of retri bution or religious punishment for the West's aggression. The United States, in late 2001, responded to terrorist attacks by declaring a so-called "war on terrorism". Terrorism today, to most Westerners, refers to terrorism inspired by Islam. This radical shift to religious, or cultural, aspects of the terrorist act separates it from the 18th and 19th century traditions of strictly political acts of terror. Although Islamic terrorism certainly has political aspects to it, it is still ideologically justified in the language of the Islamic faith. Tokens like the Quran, Allah, and Jihad are used to create support for what are actually political goals. However, Islamic terrorism exists within many different countries in the Middle East, as opposed to past examples like IRA or the RAF, which... Terrorism today, to most Westerners, refers to terrorism inspired by Islam. This radical shift to religious, or cultural, aspects of the terrorist act separates it from the 18th and 19th-century traditions of strictly political acts of terror. Although Islamic terrorism certainly has political aspects to it, it is still ideologically justified in the language of the Islamic faith. Tokens like the Quran, Allah, and Jihad are used to create support for what are actually political goals. However, Islamic terrorism exists within many different countries in the Middle East, as opposed to past examples like IRA or the RAF, which existed strictly in Ireland and Germany respectively. The distribution of this new kind of terrorism makes it difficult to defend against, especially as they infiltrate Western societies to both learn from them and to attack them. The Patriot Act, a statute enabling the United States government additional surveillance tactics to â€Å"intercept and obstruct† terrorism, was enacted in October 2001. These privileges included eases on restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering, additional powers to regulate financial transactions, and increases in powers to conduct searches on the telephone and electronic communication without proper warrants (Chang). By expanding the official definition of domestic terrorism, the Patriot Act created a large umbrella of new powers for combating terrorism on American soil. However, these new powers were created only after severe terrorist attacks.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The impact of Oil price changes on the Gulf Council Countries (GCC) Dissertation

The impact of Oil price changes on the Gulf Council Countries (GCC) stock markets - Dissertation Example The author has rightly presented that energy is one of the most important factors of global economy. A country, which has enough sources of energy, can be one of the richest countries of the world. At present oil is the primary and most used sources of energy in world. Gulf countries are the major sources of oil, so their economy is one of the strongest in the world. The changes of the world economy majorly depend on the changes of oil prices. When the oil price increases, then the manufacturers around the world has to incur more cost in the manufacturing process. The cost of transportation also increases. Because of the increment in the operating cost, the profit of the company decreases. A country’s economy mostly depends on the performance of the companies. When the performance of the company decreases that is the profit of the company decreases, then the economy of the country also get affected. The foreign investors also feel less attracted for the economy of the oil impo rting country. The investors feel that if they invest that amount of money elsewhere then they can generate more return as the efficiency of the oil importing countries have been decreased due to the oil price hike. However, it is also a fact that the present era is the era of globalization. In this era of globalization, the economy of one country has certain effect to the economy of other country. As the oil price hikes so, the country, which imports oil from some other country, found problem in manufacturing. They have the problem in the manufacturing of the products, which are the need of the oil exporting countries. (Aliyu, pp. 8-9). The product price will also be high. The inflation increases and the price of the goods and services increases. The value of the currency comes down for the oil importing countries. For the oil exporting countries the price of goods, which they have to import from any other country increases. Though they make huge profit by exporting oil to other co untries, they also have to pay more than the normal for the goods they import from the other countries. The oil price hike does not only increase inflation, but also it affects other macro economical factors like gross domestic product, unemployment rate of the country. As the productivity of the companies decrease due to the hike of oil prices, the gross domestic product of the country also decreases (OECD, pp.5-6). As the productivity of the companies decreases, the unemployment rate also increases. If the productivity of the company decreases and the unemployment rate increases, the economy would suffer huge blow. The capital inflow in the market would decrease. The stock market of the countries would have less capital flow and the market indices will be down, as it was in the case of the global recession of 2007-2010. In the era of globalization, when the stock market of one country depends on the performance of the performance of the stock market of some other country, then the stock market of the richest countries even get affected. This happens in case of the gulf Council Countries also. The gulf council countries are consisting of Qatar, Baharin, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. All are the countries from Middle East. The countries of the Middle East are one of the largest oil producing countries (International Monetary Fund, â€Å"The Impact of Higher Oil Prices on the Global Economy†). Though they get benefit from the price hike of oil, their stock market also get affect from the events. Objective of the Project The objective of the study is to examine the effect on the

Monday, November 18, 2019

Othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Othello - Essay Example Othello totally believes in the concept of love with full commitment and nobility. He believes in the absolutes. lago subscribes to no particular thought and believes least in human beings. The book’s popularity can also be traced to its modern nature. At the core of intrigue is the very realisation that the play is matter of a private life affair than the other great tragedies. This impression is supported in a number of ways. Othello is a depiction of modern life as the drama depicts contemporary life. The characters appear very close to the readers than in Hamlet or Lear. Many people will realise that Othello employs a sense of beauty that is not available in most plays of the time. Of Shakespeare’s plays, Othello stands out in one important respect: beauty. The play employs much steady rhythm, peculiar phrase and a sense of serious imagination which blend together to create a lucid and clear feeling in the mind of the reader. Indeed, this beauty is only evidenced in two other plays i.e. Romeo and Juliet and Antony and Cleopatra. However, Othello has another form of beauty. Except for the brief trivial section of the clown, everything is much attached to the central issue and nothing requires any solid justification. At best, the drama has a dense of intellectual beauty which fulfils the aspiration for order and harmony between the different parts and the whole. At the same time, the book glows with much moral beauty. We see the figure of Desdemona in a love situation which is not affected even in the worst of events. A sense of incompleteness in the play gives way to innumerable cases of men at odds with one another. Several ‘parts’ exist in the play which create the wholeness albeit with some incompleteness. lago appears universal, because he represents many things at a single instance. His style and temper make him become the villain of the melodrama. He

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The key factors of scientific management

The key factors of scientific management Scientific management is the study of a job and identifying the best way to do the job. Appropriate workers are selected and training are provided to them, so that the performance of individual worker is enhanced, leading to improved efficiency of the firm (Davidson, P., Griffic, R.W Erica, F. 2003). Frederic W. Taylor did the first study of scientific management. He is known as the father of scientific management for his findings in the field of management. Scientific management emerged in 19th century, but still today, large number of companies practice scientific management. Scientific management is widely used in assembly lines and in fast food outlets (Davidson, P. and Griffic, R.W. 2003). In the following essay I have analyzed the how scientific management is applied in the New Zealand based Fletcher Building limited. The company is one of the largest commercial employers of (200,000 workers world wide, with 9000 New Zealand workers) the New Zealand, the organizations operatio ns range from construction, manufacturing and sales of products related to construction. Fletcher building not only operates in New Zealand but also in other countries (Fletchers Building, 2008). The key factors of scientific management are discussed one by one in the following paragraphs with examples for each of key points from Fletcher Building. Followed by the conclusion. The first step of scientific management is to find a standardized method to do a particular job. This involves dividing a complex task into large number of small tasks, each task done by an individual (Samson, D Daft, R.L., 2005). Individual jobs are scientifically analyzed and the best way to the job is identified. As a result, the old rule of thumb is replaced by a more efficient method. However, workers are treated more like robots. Uniformity and repetition of the same task leads to boredom and frustration among workers. In addition to that, skills of labour are lost as multi skilled employees are forced to do only a small part of a complex job; leading to lose of pride in the work, they do. Another set back of scientific management is individual ideas of workers are ignored (Davidson, P., Griffic, R.W Erica, F. 2003). Fletcher Building also successfully implemented standardization in their business activities. All the workers are given specific jobs. Due to this, employees of the company have more understanding in one particular field. This can be seen all over the company. For example, machine operators in Pacific Steel division (New Zealand Steel maker) or a truck driver who works on construction sites of the company. They specialize in their own field, which leads to improvement in the output in all areas of the company. Identifying the best practice for a task is the first step of scientific management. Followed by selecting workers who are appropriate to do the job (Robbins, Belgman, Staga Coultec 2003). In the past workers are selected to jobs without considering whether their skills and abilities. The right person for the right job is needed. Each and every worker tends to have different skills and interests. Under scientific management, suitable workers who match their skills to the task are selected (Samson, D Daft, R.L., 2005). It is the managers job to find the right person with the matching abilities and skill to a particular job. Or else if an inappropriate worker were selected the efficiency and effectives of the company and the rest of workers, whose work are related with the inefficient worker will fall. In Fletchers Building, applicants for a job under-go various procedures to check whether their skills and experience are at the level to perform the task associated with the job. As a result, the most suitable workers are selected for various jobs of the company. The third stage of scientific management is to train workers to their job (Samson, D Daft, R.L., 2005). Employees are trained in the accordance with the best way to do the job. The worker may have knowledge of how to perform the task that s/he was selected for. Previously workers select their own ways to do the job. However, the company needs to train them according to their findings in step one, which is the efficient way to do that task. This training must be ongoing if the managers find a better way to do the job than the previous one. It is the managers duty to keep the training up to date (Davidson, P., Griffic, R.W Erica, F. 2003). Training workers is one of the priorities of Fletcher Building limited. Training is brought down from the top of the companys hierarchy as an important part to be the market leader in todays competitive market (Jayne V. 2007 July). New employees are given training to teach them how to perform the task according to the companys procedure. In scienti fic management, workers are trained only in one way to do the job. However in Fletcher Building Limited workers are trained in according to the need of the company, not only in a simple task. This not only helps to react to the consumer needs, but also this enables the company to face competition in the dynamic market. A well-trained work force is more flexible to adjust to new ways. The next key factor of scientific management is providing support to workers and helping them to plan their work so that interruptions are eliminations or minimized (Samson, D Daft, R.L., 2005). Taylor considered that its managers duty to plan the work and to eliminate any bottle necks in the work. Workers and managers are equal at work. Managers plan and organize work so that interruptions and bottlenecks are eliminated, while workers are the person who actually does the work (Davidson, P., Griffic, R.W Erica, F. 2003). In Fletcher Building, workers are encouraged to discuss any problems associated in their work with higher ups. Moreover, employees are free to submit any ideas to the company. This helps managers to identify any difficulties associated with the work. One of the key factors in supporting the employees is motivating them in the work. Fletcher Building has various schemes to motivate the workers. For example, they have gym facilities in some of the company work sites and provide discount card for those workers who work in a site which doesnt have a gym facility (Leveson, V 2008). This enable worker to be more involved in their jobs and motivates them. The last character of scientific management is performance based wage incentive. Earlier workers tend to work at a slower pace as they get the same salary as others (Samson, D Daft, R.L., 2005). In scientific management, workers are paid according to the output they produce. This led to employees increasing their output to earn more money. As a result, the worker who is efficient produces and earns more. Money is one of the key factors, which attract workers to work more. In piece rate system or performance, based payment workers who produce more are paid extra and those who meet a certain level of output get a bonus. However, this approach tends to treat workers as they are only motivated by money. This approach ignores social and higher requirements of workforce (Samson, D Daft, R.L., 2005). On the other hand, in Fletcher Building Limited workers are paid a set value of wage. However not the only benefit which they get from working for the company .In order to further motivate th e workers, the company provides various benefits. For example discounts cards for workers on their wide range of products (Leveson, V 2008) The main focus of this essay is the implementation of five elements of scientific management in Fletcher Building Limited. The five elements are one best way of doing the job, selecting appropriate workers, providing training according to the best way to do the job, supporting workers to eliminate bottlenecks and paying a performance based wage to boost their performance. Fletcher Building limited implemented most of the factors of scientific management to some extent. Some factors of scientific management have been applied more than others have. Scientific management has played a major role in the running of Fletcher Building Limited and it will continue in the future. Scientific management not only affected the operations of Fletcher Building limited but also in many organizations all over the world. Even though this was established in 19th century still many companies use scientific management in their business day-to-day tasks.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Huckleberry Finn ( Huck Finn ) :: Essays Papers

Huck Finn5 The concept of what truth is, is a prevailing theme in both The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and the essay excerpt by Andrew Lang. Lang writes about truth as being found in lack of distortion from the actual world. Lang’s idea of truth is certainly found in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For Twain, morality is a larger part of his concept of truth than likeness to nature. Truth, for Andrew Lang is factual, precise, and objective. He admires The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as an accurate picture of the time, as if Twain were simply mirroring back an image of his world as told through Huck Finn. Lang admires Twain for crafting a believable, natural character in Huck Finn. He thinks that in Twain’s accuracy, there is truth, just like there is truth in a historical document. For Mark Twain, the â€Å"pursuit of truth† is a pursuit of moral truth. Huck journeys down the river with a runaway slave. The river is symbolic for Huck’s moral journey; Huck is moving down the river while everyone else is standing still. The reader can see that Huck’s unintentional journey towards truth culminates in chapter 31. â€Å"Alright, then, I’ll go I to hell.† (p. 210) Ironically, it is at this moment when Huck believes he is succumbing to his own wickedness that we see he has reached the moral truth the river had been leading him to. But Huck doesn’t see his inability to accept what he has been taught and act accordingly as a new way of thinking; Huck is a reluctant rebel. Twain’s presentation of truth here is masterful; he communicates his idea by saying the exact opposite of what he means. Twain tackles with other aspects of †truth,† throughout the book. Huck lies, wears disguises and schemes. On his journey towards the truth, Huck has proven to be a talented liar. This shows that for Twain, the idea of truth, is more complicated than simply telling the truth. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a masterpiece. I can agree with Andrew Lang on this, but his reasoning behind it, I cannot. Lang sees Huckleberry Finn as, â€Å"a vivid and original picture of life . . . naturally displayed . . . possible and plausible.â€Å" All of these are true, but I believe it is Twain’s strong use of irony in his presentation of truth, and the tension between What Huck has been taught and his instinctively good nature that make The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and extremely well crafted novel.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Learning Journal Having An Interest In Psychology Education Essay

At the start of educational psychological science 2102 this pupil references in their acquisition diary holding an involvement in psychological science and the many countries it is used. However, they felt discerning about their ability to absorb and understand the huge sum of cognition that would be delivered to them over the following 13 hebdomads. In the pupils first few diaries it is evident that clip direction and the huge sum of survey they have to accomplish each hebdomad is a concern to them. After reading all of the pupil ‘s diaries and analyzing their questionnaire consequences, it is evident this pupil is besides holding jobs with self-motivation and self-efficacy during the completion of single appraisal undertakings and the idea of tests. These types of jobs can impede the abilities of pupils to finish and bring forth quality assignments on clip. Besides these types of behaviours can hold unwanted affects such as emphasis and sleepless darks. Excessively much empha sis can hold an consequence on the ability of the scholar to retain information and remember it clearly when it is needed. Aforesaid pupil does place holding jobs treating new information and besides feels without any pier cognition of certain subjects they are unable to hive away this information in their long term memory. In one of the pupil ‘s diaries they identify a specific nexus to their memory dry run pattern ( care ) and understand how this pattern is unequal at traveling freshly learnt information from working memory to long term memory. Although this is non reflected in the pupil ‘s questionnaire consequences, it would look this pupil is fighting with their cognitive ability. The pupil admits being easy distracted, nevertheless has jobs cognizing when their concatenation of idea is broken and how to develop and utilize fix schemes to maintain the acquisition procedure traveling. Said pupil has many positive properties that will assist them come on as a scholar, by besides turn toing their failings utilizing the right theories and patterns they will go more adept and happen larning more gratifying and be on their journey to self-actualisation. This pupil like many others has a job with clip direction. The pupil recognises the demand to structuring their survey clip so they can finish readings and assessment undertakings on clip. Research by Snowman, Dobozy, Scevak, Bryer, Bartlett and Biehler ( 2009 ) into self-regulatory accomplishments found that inadequately regulated academic behaviors can hold durable damaging effects on pupil results such as, lower than mean classs and decreased chances for deriving professional makings and employment subsequently in life. To get the better of this job the pupil downloaded the semester planing machine from chalkboard and allocated clip for each capable country and interruptions on completion of readings and parts of appraisal undertakings. Snowman et Al. ( 2009 ) besides recognised that self-denial and self-regulation are indispensable to accomplishing higher degree of academic accomplishment and that some pupils are better at geting these accomplishments than others. Snowman besides acknowledged the properties that are closely associated to and best explain fluctuations in self-regulation are perceived self-efficacy and self-motivation. Self-motivation is a important portion of being a proficient scholar, without it the scholar will fight with assessment undertakings and tests and are apt to neglect. Missing self-motivation can besides take to low self-pride, if this is non dealt with quickly it can gyrate out of control and have long term affects on the pupil. This pupil is cognizant of their deficiency of motive when finishing single appraisal undertakings and is diffident why this is. This is reflected in both their acquisition diary and questionnaire mark. William, Gloria and Irving ( 2003 ) suggest there are four theories when covering with student motive during undertaking completion. Their desire to take one undertaking over another, the degree of finding with undertaking even when faced with trouble or fatigue, the accomplishment and class class and the most powerful being the pupil ‘s personal features and beliefs. The pupil needs to hold an involvement in the undertaking and topographic point a value on its completion to keep motive. By analyzing the above theories and the pupils graphed questionnaire consequences it would look this pupil ‘s deficiency of self-motivation is caused by their perceptual experience of themself to make will in appraisal undertakings and their contemplation on past failures, which would associate to a theory termed erudite weakness. Learned weakness theory would explicate to some grade why this pupil lacks motive when finishing appraisal undertakings, harmonizing to this theory failure or lower than expected classs in anterior appraisals destabilises the pupil ‘s motive to try future undertakings. This can besides impact the pupil ‘s ability to execute in group work appraisal, the ground for this is a theory termed self-esteem protection. Self-esteem protection theory is based on the impression that the pupil does n't use themselves in group work in fright of being labelled as holding hapless rational accomplishments ( Witkowski & A ; Stiensmeier-Pelster, 1998 ) . However the pupils score in respects to group work is high and they admit they are more motivated in this type of larning environment. After researching the causes behind hapless motive accomplishments, it is evident that self-efficacy is a chief subscriber to self-motivation. Some facets of the pupil ‘s self-efficacy and self-regulation are apparent in their questionnaire consequences such as, general self-efficacy 2.3 and trouble devising determinations 3. However some of their other consequences do n't reflect the self-motivation jobs they have such as, cognition of knowledge 3.7 and a deep attack to larning 4.7. By construing these consequences one would state this pupil is cognizant of their abilities to be a adept scholar, but possibly unaware of how to use these abilities affectively. Their consequences indicate that they have a deep attack to analyze procedures. Butler ‘s ( 2002 ) research recognised that efficient self-regulated scholars decide on, adjust and may even make tactical schemes to finish assessment undertakings. Self-regulated scholars besides analysis feedback and Markss given by instructors on old appraisals. They use this information and remarks from equals to measure their ain public presentation and do accommodation co nsequently. Besides they appear to be comfy with disrupting the new information they are reading and can associate to it. cognition of knowledge By measuring Butler ‘s research in respects to the pupil ‘s questionnaire mark about Need for Approval High mark indicates turning away of undertakings where external blessing is at hazard, Unable to take aid Fear of exposure if external aid sought. This is because, during monitoring, pupils generate judgements about advancement and do determinations that form farther larning activities. Therefore, to advance pupil self-regulation instructors must help pupils to prosecute flexibly and adaptively in a rhythm of cognitive activities ( i.e. , undertaking analysis, scheme choice and usage, and self-monitoring ) . Further, cardinal instructional marks include advancing pupils ‘ building of ( a ) metacognitive cognition about academic work, ( B ) schemes for analysing undertakings, ( degree Celsius ) metacognitive cognition about task-specific schemes ( e.g. , for pull offing work, history studies, reading text editions, composing paragraphs, larning math ) , ( vitamin D ) skills for implementing schemes, and ( vitamin E ) schemes for selfmonitoring and strategic usage of feedback.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Homemade Dry Ice Recipe

Homemade Dry Ice Recipe Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. Its extremely cold and sublimates into carbon dioxide gas, so its useful for a wide variety of projects. While its almost certainly less expensive to get dry ice from a store, its possible to make it yourself using a CO2 fire extinguisher or pressurized carbon dioxide in a tank or cartridge. You can get carbon dioxide at several types of stores (sporting good stores and some cookware stores), or you can order it online. Homemade Dry Ice Materials CO2 fire extinguisher or carbon dioxide tank.Cloth bagHeavy-duty gloves.Duct tape (optional) Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are labeled as such. If a fire extinguisher doesnt specify carbon dioxide assume it contains something else and wont work for this project. Make Dry Ice All you have to do is release the pressure on the gas and collect the dry ice. The reason you use a cloth bag is that it will allow carbon dioxide gas to escape, leaving just the dry ice. Put on the heavy-duty gloves. You dont want to get frostbite from the dry ice!Place the nozzle for the fire extinguisher or the CO2 tank inside the cloth bag.Either clamp your gloved hand around the mouth of the bag or else tape the bag onto the nozzle. Keep your gloved hand clear of the nozzle.Discharge the fire extinguisher or, if you are using a CO2 canister, partially open the valve. Dry ice will immediately begin forming in the bag.Turn off the fire extinguisher or close the valve.Gently shake the bag to dislodge dry ice from the nozzle. You can remove the bag and use your dry ice.Dry ice sublimates quickly, but you can extend how long it lasts by storing the bag in the freezer. Safety Precautions Dry ice freezes skin on contact. Be particularly careful to keep your hand away from the mouth of the fire extinguisher or outlet of the CO2 tank.Dont eat dry ice. If you use the dry ice to cool drinks, be careful not to get it in your mouth. Dry ice is not edible.Dry ice generates pressure as it sublimates. Dont store dry ice in a sealed container or it may burst.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The 14 Best Information Technology Schools

The 14 Best Information Technology Schools SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Information technology is a growing field, with more and more students looking to major in IT or a related subject. If you’re thinking of an IT major or maybe even a master’s degree, it’s vital that you know what the best information technology schools are. In this guide, we explain what an information technology school is and what kinds of jobs you can get with a degree in IT before presenting the14 top information technology schools, including the best online schools for information technology. We’ll then wrap up with some tips on how to find the best information technology school for you. What Are Information Technology Schools? Information technology, or IT, schools are any institutions that offer majors in IT and/or IT-related topics such as informatics, information systems, networking and cybersecurity, computer science, etc. One thing tobe aware of is how IT differs from computer science, though the two are similar. The gist of it is this: whereas computer sciencefocuses on the creation and theories behind computer applications and programs, IT is about using computer programs to send, retrieve, and store information for businesses.For more details, check outRasmussen College’s handy infographic, whichgives a comprehensive overview of thedifferences between the two fields. While some colleges offer an actual information technology major, others offer majors in topics that fall under the umbrella of IT as a whole. Indeed, IT covers a wide range of computer- and technology-related topics: Computer forensics Computer networking and telecommunications Computer programming Computer science Database administration Database management Game design Information science Information technology management Management information systems Network engineering Network management Software engineering System administration Video game programming Web development Information technology schools typically offer an array of IT degrees, most often Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Science (MS) degrees, though occasionally some will offer associate degrees and PhDs in IT as well. What Kinds of Jobs Can You Get With an IT Degree? IT degrees are generally quite flexible and can prepare you fornumerous careers in fields such as technology, business management, networking, website development, etc. Here are some common positions people with IT degrees hold: Cloud architect Computer and information research scientist Computer forensic analyst Computer network architect Computer support specialist Cybersecurity consultant Database administrator Information security analyst IT consultant Mobile application developer Network engineer Web developer Below are some sampleIT jobs; each job includes information about the degree typically needed, its median annual salary, and its employment growth rate for 2016-2026. All data is from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and jobs are listed in order of highest median salary to lowest. Note that the average employment growth rate for 2016-2026 is 7%, so any percentage above this means that the job is growing faster than average. Job Title Minimum Degree Required Median Annual Salary (2018) Job Outlook (2016-2026) Computer and information systems managers Bachelor’s degree $142,530 12% Computer and information research scientists Master’s degree $118,370 19% Computer network architects Bachelor’s degree $109,020 6% Software developers Bachelor’s degree $105,590 24% Information security analysts Bachelor’s degree $98,350 28% Database administrators Bachelor’s degree $90,070 11% Computer systems analysts Bachelor’s degree $88,740 9% Computer programmers Bachelor’s degree $84,280 -7% Network and computer systems administrators Bachelor’s degree $82,050 6% Web developers Associate degree $69,430 15% Computer support specialists Associate or bachelor’s degree $53,470 11% As the chart indicates, in general, the higher your degree, the higher your salary will likely be. You can also see that the vast majority of IT-related jobs are experiencing growth, which means it should be somewhat easier for you to get a job in the field in the coming years (nice!). Now that we’ve covered what information technology schools are and what jobs you can get with an IT degree, let’s take a look at the best information technology schools and how we determined which ones were worth including on our list. Top Information Technology Schools: Ranking Methodology To come up with our list below of the best information technology schools, we took into consideration six main factors: The school’s overall ranking by US News The IT program’s ranking by Niche The IT program’s ranking by College Choice Thebreadth of IT majors, degrees, and classes offered (including whetherthere are online options) Class size (the smaller the class, the higher the school ranked) Acceptance rate (the lower the rate, the higher the school ranked) Each school was assigned points based on how they met these criteria. The higher the score, the higher that school ranked on our list of the best information technology schools. The 14 Top Information Technology Schools Without further delay, here are the 14 best information technology schools for those seeking an undergraduate, graduate, or online degree in IT. Cornell University #1: Cornell University- Ithaca, NY A top-ranked national research university and prestigious Ivy League member, Cornell is home to one of the best information technology programs. Three IT bachelor’s degree programs are available, each at a different college: BA in Information Science (College of Arts and Sciences) BS in Information Science (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) BS in Information Systems and Technology (College of Engineering) There are also two graduate programs in IT: Master of Professional Studies in Information Science PhD in Information Science Students benefit from small class sizes, the opportunity to conduct independent research under the supervision of renowned faculty, and an array ofIT-geared student organizations, including the Information Science Student Association and Women in Computing at Cornell. Finally, Cornell offersa handful ofonline professional certificate programs in IT-related fields, such as website design and digital leadership. #2: New York University- New York, NY NYU isan excellent choice for pursuing an education in IT and related fields at the undergraduate and graduate levels. IT majors at this highly ranked private institution include the following: BS in Information Systems Management BS in Applied Data Analytics and Visualization BS in Computer Science Students learn in small class environments and take a diverse breadth of classes, from math and economics to networking and database design. Many IT graduate programs are also available at NYU, including the following (some of which have an online option): MS in Information Systems MS in Computer Science MS in Computing, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation MS in Management of Technology (on-campus or online) MS in Cybersecurity (on-campus or online) PhD in Information Systems NYU is ranked #2 by US News and #3 by College Choice for its online graduate program in IT. #3: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute- Troy, NY A renowned technological research university and ranked the #1 information technology school by College Choice, RPI takes a unique interdisciplinary approach to the field of IT. At RPI’s School of Science, undergraduates have the option to earn a BS in Information Technology and Web Science, whereas graduate-level programs include the MS in Information Technology and the PhD in Multidisciplinary Science (with an IT track). In both thebachelor's and master'sIT programs,students can choose an area of specialization from a list of more than 20 concentrations, which include the following: Arts Medicine Psychology Law Communication Finance Economics Data Science Information Security Students in these programs learn about security/privacy issues, the ethical and legal impacts of technology, and how to communicate effectively with technology. Jared L. Cohon University Center at Carnegie Mellon (Dllu/Wikimedia Commons) #4: Carnegie Mellon University- Pittsburgh, PA World-renowned for its interdisciplinary research, CMU is currentlyranked #1 by Niche for best information technology schools, thoughits key strengths are more geared toward graduate students than they are undergraduates. CMUhas also been ranked #1 by US Newson both itsbest computer science graduate schools listand its best IT management graduate programs list. Undergraduates can pursue aBS in Information Systems or a BS in Computer Science. In the IS major, students must choose from one of 12 content areas, which include the following: Game Design Design for Learning Quantitative Analysis Business/Enterprise Systems Computing and Information Systems Technology Animation and Special Effects At CMU’s Heinz College graduate school, students have several IT grad programs to choose from, and some of these are available entirely online (noted below): Master of Information Systems Management MS in Information Security Policy and Management MS in Information Technology Management (online) MS in Information Security and Assurance (online) #5: Lehigh University- Bethlehem, PA A highly competitive, premier research university and home to more than 7,000 students, Lehigh offers several rigorous programs in information systems and technology. At Lehigh’s College of Business and Economics, students can enter theBS in Business Information Systems program,which requires them to take courses on management information systems and business data management. Students can also take classes onrisk management, cloud computing, and software ventures. Additionally, Lehigh offersaBA in Science, Technology, and Societythrough its College of Arts and Sciences. This program focuses on the social aspect of technological innovation and scientific research.(Note that this program is currently not accepting new majors or minors.) If you’re interested in the educational application of technology, Lehigh has an MS in Instructional Technology as well as a PhD in Teaching, Learning, and Technology. #6: Brigham Young University- Provo, UT Those looking to study IT in a more traditional and openly Christian environment will enjoy BYU’s top-notch ITprogram, which helped the school nab the #2 Niche ranking for best information technology schools. At BYU, students can choose between two IT-related majors: a BS in Information Technology and a BS in Cybersecurity (which was recently approved in 2018). Six areas of concentration are available for both majors: User Experience Design (UXD) Mobile and Web Development System and Network Administration Internet of Things (IOT) Penetration Testing Digital Forensics IT students must complete a year-long capstone project, which involves meeting the technical needs of a client who sponsors the project. Elective topicsinclude cyber-physical systems, digital forensics, database administration, and web technologies. In addition to undergraduate IT programs, BYU offers anMS in Technology with an emphasis in information technology. Purdue University #7: Purdue University- West Lafayette, IN A top-20 computer science school and home for more than 30,000 undergrads, Purdue is a great choice for those wanting to study information technology and related fields. At Purdue's Polytechnic Institute, students have many options for information technology majors in the Computer and Information Technology Program: Computer and Information Technology Cybersecurity Network Engineering Technology Systems Analysis and Design The program boasts a job placement rate for graduates of 92.5% as well as a starting salary of $65,386.IT majors are extremely flexible and offer the option for interdisciplinary learning. Furthermore, Purdue offersanMS in Computer and Information Technologywithspecializations ranging from bioinformatics to cyber learning to information security. Some master's programs in IT are even available online,such as the MS in Information Technology Project Management and the MS in Information Technology Business Analysis. #8: University of Washington- Seattle, WA One of the top public research universities in the US, UW is currently ranked #3 by US News for its information systems program, making it a great option for IT students. At the Seattle campus, students can earn a BS in Informatics (which is similar to IT and draws upon various fields, including computer science, sociology, design, psychology, and information science). Several areas of concentration are available in the Informatics major, includingdata science, cybersecurity, human-computer interaction, and so on. In addition, there aresix core areas of the Informatics major curriculum: Data Development Design Discovery Ethics Organizations Students in this program must take courses on research methods, databases and data modeling, and design methods, in addition to completing a capstone project. Undergraduates at UW also have the option toget a BA in Business Administration via the Foster School of Business where they canincorporate into their majorthe study of information systems and operations management. Lastly, UW offers highly ranked master’s and doctoral programs in information systems. #9: Illinois Institute of Technology- Chicago, IL Illinois Tech is a small, private institutionmainly known for its impressive range of engineering and tech programs, including a top Information Technology and Management Program. In total, 11 career-oriented specializations areavailableinthis program: Cyber, System and Network Security, and Forensics Data Management and Analytics Digital Systems Technology and Embedded Systems IT Entrepreneurship and Management Management Information Systems Networking, Information, and Communications Technology Software Development System Administration Systems Analysis Web Design and Application Development General Course of Study (for undecided students) Many of these courses of study are available as bachelor's degrees, graduate degrees, and certificates.As part of the IT program here, students work with faculty on cutting-edge projects, examples of which can be viewed on the official website. Moreover,Illinois Tech hasseveral online information technology and management courses (both undergraduate and graduate). Lomb Memorial Drive at RIT (atlexplorer/Wikimedia Commons) #10: Rochester Institute of Technology- Rochester, NY A pioneer in computer science and technological education, RIT is a reputable private institution based in New York. At RIT's B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, students have several options for IT degrees, including the following: AS/AAS/AOS in Applied Computer Technology BS in Computer Science BS in Computer and Information Technologies BS in Computing Security BS in Web and Mobile Computing As part of RIT’s value of experiential learning, most of these IT programs have a cooperative education component, in which students get paid to work full-time in technological corporate settings. RIT also has several graduate degrees available in IT, from an MS in Computing Security to a PhD in Computing and Information Sciences. Finally, many IT courses are available onlinethrough RIT's online learning platform, allowing students to have a degree of flexibility in their schedules. #11: Pennsylvania State University- University Park, PA Founded in 1855, Penn State is a highly ranked public university with arenowned information technology program and- perhaps most impressive- tons of online options for studying IT. Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology offers manyIT degrees: AS in Information Sciences and Technology BS in Information Sciences and Technology BS in Security and Risk Analysis BS in Data Sciences BS in Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations Youcan also earn a BS and MS in IT (or related fields) at the same timethrough Penn State's Integrated Undergraduate Graduate program. Here are the possible degree combinations: BS/MS in Information Sciences and Technology BS in Security and Risk Analysis/MS in Information Sciences and Technology BS in Security and Risk Analysis/MIA in International Affairs As I mentioned above, Penn State offersa superb array of onlineoptions for IT studies, from certificates to undergraduate and graduate degrees, in majors such as information systems and cybersecurity. Penn State isranked #7 by US News and #5 by College Choice for its online graduate IT program. #12: Florida State University- Tallahassee, FL FSU is a renowned public institution known forhaving a strong IT program. At FSU's School of Information, students can get a bachelor’s degree in information technology or information, communication, and technology. Whereas the former degree program focuses more on project management, networking, security, and informatics, the latter program is geared more toward social networking, PR, and promotion. Courses teach a wide range of skills, including website and graphic design, information literacy, technical communication, and applications development. FSU also offers a graduate program: an MS in Information Technology. In terms of online IT options, undergrads who have already completed at least 60 semester hours of credit can take classes online at FSUto earn a BA or BS in Computer Science. There are alsoseveral graduate degree programs in IT available online, including the MS in Information Technology and the MS in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies. These programs are top-quality: FSU is ranked #14 by US News for its online graduate IT program. Eberhardt Hall at NJIT #13: New Jersey Institute of Technology- Newark, NJ A top-50 public university, NJIT is a premier technological university with lots of options for those who wish to study IT at the undergraduate or graduate level.AvailableIT and related degrees include the following: BS in Information Technology BA in Information Systems BS in Business and Information Systems BS in Human-Computer Interaction BS in Web Information Systems BS in Computer Science BS in Computing and Business MS in Cybersecurity and Privacy MS in Computing and Business MS in Computer Science PhD in Computer Science The BS in Information Technology is one of NJIT's most flexible majors, allowing students to choose a concentration from a number of potential specializations: Criminal Justice and Law Management Information Systems Game Development Multimedia Network and Information Security Web Applications Class offerings in this IT program include Introduction to Network Technology, Information Design Techniques, Internet and Applications, and Technical Writing, as well as a capstone project that must be completed in the fourth year of study. Foraspiring grad students, NJIT offerssomeonline master’s degrees and graduate certificate programs,includingan MS in IT Administration and Security, an MS in Information Systems, and a graduate certificate in IT Administration. #14: DePaul University- Chicago, IL A private institution based in Chicago, DePaul is well known for its incorporation of experiential learning into its academic programs, including its IT program. The College of Computing and Digital Media- where IT majors are housed at DePaul- is located in the heart of Chicago, offering students numerous opportunities to work alongside tech companies and apply their skills to real-world situations. Students can earn the following IT-related undergraduate degrees at DePaul: BS in Information Technology BS in Information Systems BS in Cybersecurity BS in Computer Science BS/BA in Data Science BS in Management Information Systems BS in Network Engineering and Security BS in User Experience Design For the bachelor’s programs in IT and computer science, an online option is available for the final two years of the programs,letting students finish up their degrees entirely online. In addition, DePaul offers several graduate degrees in IT,including the MS in Business Information Technology, the MS in Cybersecurity, and the MS in Information Systems, all of which are available in online formats as well. Honorable Mention: ECPI University- Multiple Locations Lastly, I’d like to bring some attention to ECPI, a private, for-profit institution based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Although we don't normally recommend for-profit schools (which are notoriousfor churning out graduates with useless credentials and a ton of debt),ECPI's slightly better reputation compared with that of other for-profit institutions and itsgreat varietyof online information technology programs make it a solid optionto consider forstudying IT. Here is an overview of ECPI’s IT degree programs, available through its College of Technology: BS in Computer and Information Science, withconcentrations in the following: Cloud Computing Cybersecurity Cyber and Network Security Data Analytics Mobile Development Software Development Web Design and Development MS in Cybersecurity MS in Information Systems Many of these programs are available in multiple ECPI locations throughout Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, as well as online. Online bachelor’s degree programs at ECPI can be completed in as little as 2.5 years, saving you both money and time on your degree. Choosing the Right IT School for You: 4 Factors With so many people now looking to get a degree in IT, it’s important to know how to find the best information technology school for youbased on what you’re hoping to gain out of a program. Here are four questions to ask yourself before you apply to an IT school. #1: Does It Offer the Specific Topic You Want to Study? Information technology is a broad field, with an array of potential concentrations and career paths. As a result, you'll need to ensure that the information technology schools you are applying to offer exactly what you’re interested in studying. For example, if you really want to learn more about cybersecurity, it’ll be a good idea to apply to information technology schools that offer an IT major incybersecurity or a closely related topic, such as BYU, Purdue, or UW. This way, you can rest assured that you’ll be focusing on the topics and skills you actually want to study and will (most likely) use in your future career. If you’re not sure what concentration to choose- maybe you’re just interested in IT as a whole- consider looking at information technology schools that offer a lot of flexibility in concentrations and course options so you can take your timeexploring and developing a rich foundation. #2: Do You Like the Location? Location is a big factor when choosing an information technology school because so many degree programs require students to doa capstone project or internship with areal business in the area.This is why most students will likely consider larger cities, such as New York City and Chicago, better locations for IT degrees than suburban or rural areas. Nevertheless, if you’re not the city type and prefer to live outside metropolises, then perhaps an IT school located in a smaller city or town would be a better fit. If possible, try to visit the campuses of the ITschools you’re considering attending so you can get a better feel for their respective environments and what kind of atmosphere might suit you. This tip applies to those considering online IT programs, too. Whether you have a job or don’t want to move to a new location, it’ll probably be best for you to apply only to local and online schools for information technology. #3: Can You Afford the Program? No matter what you major in, cost pretty much always plays a big role in deciding whether or not you’ll attend aparticularcollege. As you probably assumed, not all information technology schools are created equal in terms of cost. In general, you’ll spend less on online programs and public, in-state schools than you will on private, out-of-state schools. The following chart offersan overview of the typical costs for an IT bachelor’s degree at the top information technology schools above (ordered from most to least expensive): IT School Location Private or Public? Avg. Annual Cost (Tuition + Fees) Carnegie Mellon Pennsylvania Private $57,119 RPI New York Private $55,375 Cornell New York Private $55,188 Lehigh Pennsylvania Private $52,930 NYU New York Private $51,828 Illinois Tech Illinois Private $47,296 RIT New York Private $44,130 DePaul Illinois Private $39,975 UW Seattle Washington Public $36,898 (out-of-state)$11,517 (in-state) Penn State Pennsylvania Public $34,858 (out-of-state)$18,454 (in-state) NJIT New Jersey Public $32,750 (out-of-state)$17,338 (in-state) Purdue Indiana Public $28,794 (out-of-state)$9,992 (in-state) Florida State Florida Public $21,683 (out-of-state)$6,516 (in-state) ECPI Virginia Private, for-profit $16,764 (on-campus) BYU Utah Private $11,580 (non-LDS)$5,790 (LDS members) If you’re set on attending a more expensive information technology school, then I advise you to make every effort you can to win some scholarship money.Readour expert guides to learn about the best scholarships for high school seniors and 12 full-ride scholarships you could win. It's important to consider tuition costs before committing to a college. #4: How Competitive Is the School? The last factor tothink about is how selective an information technology schoolis. Someuniversities, such as Cornell and Carnegie Mellon, have prettylow acceptance rates (13% and 22%, respectively), so even if the IT program ata particular school is exactly what you want, there's a strongchance you won’t get in, especially if your GPAand SAT/ACT scores aren’t up to par. The takeaway? Make sure you’re applying to a breadth of IT schools that includes both some reach schools andsafety schools. Recap: The Best Information Technology Schools Information technology is a burgeoning technological field that’s drawing more and more students each year. For this article, we have defined information technology schools as schools that offer IT and/or related majors, such as computer science, information systems, informatics, etc. Most IT degrees offered at schools are bachelor's and master's degrees, though some schools offer associate degrees, certificates, and PhDs, too. There are many jobs available to those withan IT degree; popular fields include consulting, networking, security, and database administration. For our ranking list of the top information technology schools, including the best online schools for information technology, we looked primarily at six factors: The school’s overall US News ranking The IT program’s ranking by Niche The IT program’s ranking by College Choice The variety of IT majors, degrees, and class options offered Class size Acceptance rate Once again, here are the 14 best information technology schools, per our rankings: Cornell NYU RPI Carnegie Mellon Lehigh BYU Purdue UW Seattle Illinois Tech RIT Penn State Florida State NJIT DePaul Honorable Mention: ECPI University When it comes to choosing the best information technology school for you, be sure to consider the following four factors: What kinds of IT programs and concentrations the school offers Where the school is located How much tuition and fees will cost for the school How competitive the school is Asking yourself these questions should give you a clearer idea of which information technology schoolwill ultimately help you achieve your dreams. What’s Next? Maybe the concentration in IT you want to study is graphic design.If so, you'll get lots of help with our rankings of the best graphic design schools in the US. Not that into technology and more interested in the arts? Then perhaps you'll want to take a look at our picks for the best performing arts schools and the best creative writing programs. Need help making your college application the absolute best it can be? Get expert tips with our guides to writing a college essay and scoring high on the SAT.