Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Brief History of the English Language Free Essays

Brief History of the English Language OLD ENGLISH fifth Century â€three Germanic clans â€- the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes showed up in the British Isles. The Angles were named from ENGLE, their territory of cause. Their language was called ENGLISC from which the word, English is determined. We will compose a custom article test on Brief History of the English Language or on the other hand any comparative subject just for you Request Now The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes got known as the Anglo-Saxons. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes got known as the Anglo-Saxons. A few words, for example, church, diocesan, immersion, priest, eucharis, and presbyter came in a roundabout way through Latin and Greek. The VIKINGS, otherwise called Norsemen, attacked England by the eighth century , which thus, gave English a Norwegian and Danish impact. Center ENGLISH When William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy, attacked England, he turned into its ruler. French turned into the language of the court, organization, and culture. It was the language utilized in schools. The English language turned out to be generally the language of the uneducated classes and was viewed as a disgusting tongue. Comparative article: Failure in English Language The vast majority of the English words established in French are words that have something to do with power, for example, crown, château, parliament, armed force, house, outfit, feast, workmanship, artist, sentiment, duke, hireling, worker, deceiver, and representative. Current ENGLISH Modern English created after Johann Gutenberg developed the print machine in Germany around 1450 and William Caxton built up England’s first print machine at Westminster convent in 1476. Printing additionally brought normalization of English. Between the eighteenth to twentieth hundreds of years, the English language kept on changing as the British Empire moved over the worldâ€- to the USA, Australia, New Zealand, India, Asia, and Africa. American and British variations are the INTERNATIONALLY acknowledged variations of the English language. Contrasts of AE and BE Spelling centerâ€â€ focus program†program colorâ€â€ shading The most effective method to refer to Brief History of the English Language, Essay models

Friday, August 21, 2020

The Latest Stats on Women in Tech

The Latest Stats on Women in Tech In the last couple of decades, the world has made huge strides when it comes to women involvement in the workforce. According to a report by Catalyst, women make up nearly half (46.9%) of the total workforce.Despite all the progress that has been made by women, things do not look so rosy when it comes to the tech industry.For decades, careers in the tech industry and other STEM fields have not been so welcoming to women.There is a huge gender gap between men and women in the STEM fields.This gap manifests itself through various aspects, including employment opportunities, wages, leadership opportunities, perception at the workplace, and so on.In this article, we are going to take a look at some of the latest stats to give us a better picture of the state of affairs for women in tech today. WOMEN ONLY HOLD A QUARTER OF ALL TECH JOBSEver wondered how many women work in the tech industry?According to Adeva IT, as of 2018, women held only 25% of all the jobs in the tech industry, despite women making up almost half of the total workforce.What’s worse, this number is lower than the percentage of tech jobs held by women back in the 1980s.GIRLS ARE LESS LIKELY TO STUDY STEM SUBJECTSOne of the reasons why there is a lower percentage of women working in the tech industry compared to other industries is that girls are less likely to study STEM subjects compared to boys.According to a Women In Tech report by PWC, among the students participating in the research, more boys opted for STEM subjects compared to girls, except for biology.This is true both in high school and in university.According to the research, 83% of boys in high school opt for STEM subjects, while only 64% of girls opt for STEM subjects.The report also found that 17% of boys study physics, compared to just 7% of girls.The same gender disparity is evident at the university, where 52% of males take STEM related courses, in contrast to only 30% of females.The gap is even bigger when it comes to courses lik e engineering. 13% of the surveyed male university students were taking engineering courses, compared to just 2% of female university students.There are a number of reasons why girls are less likely to study STEM subjects compared to boys.According to the report, some girls avoid STEM subjects because they feel that they are better in humanities and other essay based subjects.Others avoid STEM subjects because they do not find them interesting.Some girls also avoid STEM subjects because they don’t consider them to be relevant to the career paths they intend to choose.Other reasons include the need to get the highest grades they can to increase their chances of university placement (STEM subjects are considered to be harder) and teachers making STEM subjects appear unappealing.The report also found that the intended career choice has varying influence on choice of A-Level subjects between boys and girls. 53% of girls choose their A-Level subjects based on their preferred career, co mpared to just 43% of boys.This means that while girls are more likely to think ahead when choosing their A-Level subjects, a significant number of them avoid STEM subjects because they don’t see themselves following a career in technology.The reason behind this is explained in the next point.MORE THAN TWO THIRDS OF FEMALES DO NOT CONSIDER A CAREER IN TECHThe gender disparity that starts in high school and university becomes even more pronounced when it comes to making career choices.The research by PWC reports that of all the female respondents, only 27% said that they would consider a tech career.This is in contrast to 62% of males. In addition, only 3% of females would opt for a tech career as their first choice, in contrast to 15% of males.There are a number of reasons why females are less likely to consider a career in tech. First, many females do not consider a tech career because it is not being put forward as one of the options they can take.Whereas 33% of male respondents reported that they had someone suggest a tech career to them, only 16% of females reported to have received similar suggestion.The fact that careers in tech are not suggested to females helps to further the stereotype that the tech industry is a man’s world.This view of the tech industry as a male dominated field has also kept a significant number of women from considering careers in this field.In addition, many females are less likely to consider a career in tech because they don’t have enough information about what working in the technology industry entails.Another reason why females are less likely to consider a career in the tech industry is that there are not enough female role models within the industry.When asked to name someone they would like to emulate in their future careers, 34% of the respondents had no trouble naming a successful person in the industry they were interested in.Most importantly, there wasn’t any significant disparity in the genders of the named pe rsonalities.Yet when the respondents were asked to name someone that inspired them to follow a career in the tech industry, 83% of female respondents were unable to name someone. In contrast, only 59% of male respondents were unable to name someone.This shows that there aren’t enough role models in the tech industry for females.In addition, when the respondents, both male and female, were asked to name a famous man in the tech industry, 66% were able to do it.However, when the question was flipped and they were asked to name a famous woman in the tech industry, only 22% could do it.This shortage of female role models in the tech industry also helps to reinforce the perception that careers in the tech industry are generally not for women.It’s good to note that the shortage of female role models in the tech industry does not mean that women haven’t made any significant contributions to the field.Women have actually been the brains behind some of the biggest achievements within t he industry.Unfortunately, their contributions have gone unrecognized in most cases. In some cases, men have even taken credit for the achievements of women.For instance, the Electrical Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) â€" the world’s first electric computer, which was used during The Second World War â€" was programmed by six women.However, these women were given no credit for their work, despite the fact that ENIAC couldn’t have worked without their contribution. Instead, they were only referred to in photos as “models.”They weren’t even considered important enough to be invited to the ENIAC project’s 50th anniversary celebrations.Such cases of the efforts of women in the tech industry going unrecognized have led to the perception that women have not made any significant contributions, hence the lack of female role models.WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO QUIT TECH INDUSTRY JOBSAlready, there are less women getting into tech careers than men.To make matters even worse, women are more likely to quit these jobs compared to men.According to a report by the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), the turnover rate for women in tech industry is 41%, compared to just 17% for men.Among women who leave, 24% completely quit the industry and take up non-technical jobs, 22% opt for self-employment within the tech industry, 20% take a break from being part of the workforce, and 10% take up jobs with startup companies.EQUALITY DECREASES WITH RISE IN SENIORITYThe proportion of women in tech jobs decreases as you rise up the career ladder. In other words, the ratio of women to men is lower in executive and other leadership positions within the tech industry.According to a report by Entelo, there are about 19% of women in entry level and mid-level roles in the tech industry. At the senior level, however, women hold only 16% of positions.As you go even higher, this number drops even lower, with women holding just 10% of executive level posit ions.Aside from being passed over for top positions, the growth of women in tech careers is also delayed.A survey conducted by HackerRank found that 20.4% of women over the age of 35 in the tech sector remain in junior level positions, in contrast to just 5.9% of men over the age of 35.Actually, the survey found that women are more likely than men to hold junior level positions in the tech industry, regardless of their age. Source: EnteloWOMEN IN THE TECH INDUSTRY EARN LESS THAN THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTSAccording to Adeva IT, the median man in Silicon Valley earns 61% more than the median woman.TechCrunch also reports that 63% of the time, men are given higher salary offers than women, despite being in the same job at the same company.This disparity in salaries between men and women in tech results in women losing a significant portion of the lifetime earnings they would have taken home had they been paid the same as their male colleagues.This disparity is not restricted to just salaries either. It applies to investments as well.In 2016, female-led companies received investments worth $4.5 million on average from venture capitalists. In contrast, male-led companies received investments worth $10.9 million on average.WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE PERCEIVED AS INCOMPETENTAside from women being less in the tech industry, being paid less than their male counterparts, and being passed over for top positions, wom en in tech are also more likely to be seen as less skilled than their male counterparts â€" even if they are not.In other words, work done by women is perceived to be of a lower quality just because it was done by women. The same work would be perceived as high quality work if it was presented by a man.In a study conducted on GitHub users, it was found that code written by female coders was accepted 78% of the time.This was 4% more than the acceptance rate of code from male coders. However, this was only true provided the gender of the coder was unknown.In effect, this means that women are better at coding than men, provided their gender is not revealed.WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE PUSHED TO NON-TECHNICAL ROLESThe bias against women in the tech industry can also be seen in the kind of roles women are assigned.One study found that women in the industry are more likely to be pushed into roles termed as “execution” roles, which are generally non-technical.Men, on the other hand, are more likely to be assigned the more technical “creator” roles.For instance, the top position for women in tech is “Project Manager,” whereas the top position for men in tech is “Software Engineer.” This bias is based off the stereotype that women are not good in technical roles. Source: Fairy Good BossWHAT DO THESE STATS MEAN?The above stats show that despite all the huge strides that have been made in regards to representation of women in the workforce, there is still a lot of inequality in the tech industry.What’s more, it doesn’t look like this inequality will end any time soon.In addition, the world is at a point in time where most aspects of our working and personal lives are becoming shaped by technology.Unfortunately, the low number of women in tech means that most tech products and services are designed from the male perspective and to meet the needs of male users, even if they are meant to be used by both men and women.The key to making the needs of women met when designing and building tech products and services is to bring more women aboard in the tech industry.Finally, the gender gap in the tech industry means that women are not getting enough opportunities to play a part in shaping the future of society.Considering that the technology being built today has a huge influence on the future of mankind, the gender disparity means that at the moment, men are playing a much bigger role in shaping the future compared to women.THE WAY FORWARDHaving established that there is a huge gender gap, there are a number of steps that can be taken to increase the number of women working in the tech industry. These include:The Industry Should Get Involved in Educating Students About Tech and its Role in Shaping the WorldWe saw earlier that one of the reasons why females are less likely to consider a career in tech is that they don’t have enough information about what working in tech entails.To help provide this information and present tech as a viable career option, players in the tech industry should partner with schools to develop modules that can be used to teach students about careers in tech.The aim of such partnership is to show students, both male and female, that technology is an interesting career option that plays a huge role in shaping the future of the world.Considering the desire to make the world better is one of the major reasons for choosing a career among females, showcasing technology as a tool for positive change will inspire more females to go into tech careers.What’s more, this partnership between players in the tech industry and schools should start at a much earlier age, before students are required to choose their A-level subjects.Increased Access to Tech CareersIn addition to educating students and creating awareness about careers in the tech industry, effort should also be taken to make careers in the tech industry feel within the reach of students.Players in the industry can once again partner with colleges and universities to provide alternative entry routes to tech jobs.These include providing attachments and apprenticeships to students from partner universities, direct hires from college, and so on.Increased Visibility of Female Role Models in the IndustryThe best way to get females interested in tech careers is to show them that tech is not a male dominated field, and the most-effective way of doing this is by increasing the number of visible female role models in the industry.Fortunately, women are increasingly holding the top and highly visible positions in big tech companies. Some high profile women in tech include:Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg: Being the COO of one of the leading tech companies, Sandberg is one of the most renowned women in tech. Sandberg has also served as Vice president of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google and has appeared in the Time’s 100 Most Influential People list. Sandberg has done a lot in encouraging females to join the tech industry and in making tech a more comfortable space for women. She has authored a book titled “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead,” which talks about some of the challenges facing women in the professional world.YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki: Yes, the CEO of the world’s largest video sharing platform is a woman. Susan has also served as Google’s Senior Vice President of Advertising and Commerce. She was head of Google Video when she proposed that Google should acquire YouTube, which was a small startup at the time. After her proposal was approved, she oversaw the $1.65 billion acquisition, before going on to be appointed YouTube CEO several years later. Like the Facebook COO, Wojcicki has also appeared in the Time’s 100 Most Influential People list.IBM CEO Ginni Rometty: Not only is she CEO, she also serves as the company’s Chairman and President. She has held the position of IBM CEO from 2012 to date. Rometty has appeared in Fortune Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women In Business for more than 10 consecutive years, and has also made it to the Forbes Magazine World’s 100 Most Powerful People list.Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer: Marissa was the CEO of Yahoo since 2012 up until it was bought by Verizon in 2017. Before joining Yahoo, she also held an execut ive role at Google. Like the other female role models mentioned above, Marissa has appeared both in the Fortune Magazine list of the Most Powerful Businesswomen and the Time’s 100 Most Influential People List.Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman: Whitman served as the CEO of HP from 2011 â€" 2017. She has also held other high profile positions in the tech industry, including serving as president and CEO of eBay for 10 years. She has also appeared in the Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women list.While the women named above are some of those acting as role models for females who consider joining the tech industry, more effort should be taken to promote other women holding high profile positions in the tech industry to make them more visible and show that women can thrive in tech careers as much as men.More Should Be Done Too Help Women in the Industry Reach Their Full PotentialWe saw that there is huge inequality against women who are already working in the tech industry.They are paid l ess than their male counterparts, they are passed over for promotions, they are pushed to non-technical roles, and so on.Such factors have contributed to keeping women away from tech.Why bother majoring in software engineering if you will end up being a project manager anyway?If more women are to join the tech industry, tech companies need to do more to create a level playing field for women.Ditch the Damaging DialoguesIf you work in the tech industry, you have probably heard someone say something like this to a woman: “For a woman, you are really skilled at this,” or “You are too beautiful for an engineer.”On the surface, these statements look like compliments.Even those who say them probably do not mean any harm.They are simply giving a compliment. Unfortunately, these seemingly harmless comments help reinforce the stereotype that the tech industry is a man’s world.For instance, by telling a woman that she’s really skilled at something, it shows that you believe that m en are generally better at the said task.Which means that if you had to choose between a man and a woman to perform the task, you would probably choose the man.See the bias? For this to stop, people (both male and female) in the tech industry have to learn to ditch such seemingly benign comments that nevertheless perpetuate the stereotype that tech is a male dominated field.WRAPPING UPThe numbers above make it clear that despite all the progress that has been made in the last couple of decades, the tech industry is still a “boys only” club.Women are still underrepresented in the industry, and there is still a lot of inequality against women.Still, there are some steps that can be taken to remedy this, including educating students about tech and its role in shaping the world, increasing access to tech careers, increasing visibility of female role models in the industry, leveling the playing field for women to enable them achieve their full potential, and ditching damaging dialogu es that perpetuate the stereotype that tech is a man’s world.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

The Appropriateness Of A Mean Variance Simulation Model...

The appropriateness of a Mean-Variance Simulation Model for a Commonwealth public sector defined pension benefit fund Kevin Lian October 20, 2014 In this section, we will examine the use of a mean-variance simulation model on a commonwealth public section defined pension benefit fund. Firstly, we will examine the expected medium term returns using the reverse optimisation approach and discuss whether any adjustments are necessary. Secondly, we will examine how appropriate the model is for the fund. Lastly, we will discuss how to determine any inconsistencies if a mean-variance model is used. Expectations for medium term returns The market portfolio consisted of 8 asset classes 1 , in which we used an adjusted allocation size based on APRA†¦show more content†¦This is emphasised by the near singular correlation matrices 2 . Furthermore, the results are extremely sensitive to these mean and variance assumptions due to the structure of the M-V model. This exposes our results to a potentially unbounded error size. Thus, we suggest a Bayesian adjustment is needed to reflect our uncertainty about our assumptions. 1 AE - Australian Equity, IE - International Equity, LP - Listed property, UP - Unlisted Property, AFI - Australian Fixed Interest, IFI - International fixed Interest (Hedged), Cash - $AUD 2 This can be seen by determinants of the 5, 6, and 7 year correlation matrices, which were 2.31258E-48, -9.99469E- 34, and -1.72439E-20 respectively 1 Group B Part D ACTL4303 Assignment Student ID: 3374652 Furthermore, the results in Table 1 also requires some adjustments due to tax and the inherent assumptions of the reverse optimisation approach. In general, the returns of each asset class need to be subjected to the appropriate tax deductions and transaction fees. In particular, Australian equity returns have not accounted for the franking credits. In addition, the method used to calculate the risk-aversion coefficient result in time-invariant equity returns. Thus, adjustments are needed to reflect time-vary equity risk premiums. In

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Elementary School Science Fair Projects

It can be a challenge to come up with an elementary school science fair project idea thats fun and challenging. Even at the grade-school level, there will be fierce competition to come up with the winning idea—but winning first prize should not be the focus of your childs project. Learning and making the project fun and encouraging a genuine interest in science should be your top priority. Elementary School Science Fair Project Basics Elementary school projects arent supposed to be rocket science (though of course, they can be). Keep in mind, judges will disqualify projects if they suspect parents did too much or all of the work. Part of science is making a reproducible procedure. Resist the temptation to let your child make a display or do a demonstration. Instead, gear the project toward answering a question or solving a problem. Start by finding a video an online tutorial for a project that appeals to your child and then let him or her try to reproduce it. Make sure to follow all directions and safety precautions outlined in the experiment to the letter. Documentation is also essential to the success of your childs project. Keeping careful notes and taking pictures as the project progresses is a great way to document data. These notes should include how well his or her results match those of the original project. How Much Time Should Be Devoted to the Project? Time is a factor that has to be considered for all science projects. Even though the actual number of hours spent to complete any given project may be the same, some science fair projects can be done over the space of a weekend, while others that involve recording data over a period of time (say, 10 minutes per day over the course of a few weeks). Finding out if theres going to be a year-end science fair that your child will be expected to participate in will allow you to plan accordingly. Weekend Projects The following projects can be accomplished fairly quickly. Make sure your child sets a specific goal to be achieved or question they will be attempting to answer. Gather the specific items needed to complete the project in advance. Have your child document the steps in the experiment as they go along and also record his or her conclusion at the end. Try making colored bubbles. Can you color them with food coloring? If so, what differences do you notice between colored bubbles and regular bubbles?Can you predict what things will glow under a black light?Will chilling an onion before cutting it keep you from crying?What ratio of vinegar to baking soda produces the best chemical volcano eruption?Are night insects attracted to lamps because of heat or light?Can you make Jell-O using fresh pineapples instead of canned pineapples?Do white candles burn at a different rate than colored candles?Compare using saltwater (a saturated solution of sodium chloride) and freshwater to dissolve Epsom salts. Will the saltwater dissolve the Epsom salts? Does the freshwater or saltwater work more quickly or effectively?Does the shape of an ice cube affect how quickly it melts?Do different brands of popcorn leave different amounts of unpopped kernels?How do differences in surfaces affect the adhesion of tape?If you shake up different kinds or brands of soft drinks (e.g., carbonated), will they all spew the same amount?Are all potato chips equally greasy (you can crush them to get uniform samples and look at the diameter of a grease spot on brown paper)? Is greasiness different if different oils are used (e.g., peanut versus soybean)?Can you use a household water filter to remove flavor or color from other liquids?Does the power of a microwave affect how well it makes popcorn?If you use invisible ink, does a message appear equally well on all types of paper? Does it matter what type of invisible ink you use?Do all brands of diapers absorb the same amount of liquid? Does it matter what the liquid is (water as opposed to juice or milk)?Do different brands of batteries (same size, new) last equally long? Does changing the device in which the batteries are used (e.g., running a flashlight as opposed to running a digital camera) change the results?Is the nutritional content of different brands of a vegetable (e.g., canned peas) the s ame? Compare labels.Are permanent markers really permanent? What solvents (e.g., water, alcohol, vinegar, detergent solution) will remove the ink? Do different brands/types of markers produce the same results?Is laundry detergent as effective if you use less than the recommended amount? More?How does the pH of soil relate to the pH of the water around the soil? You can make your own pH paper, test the pH of the soil, add water, then test the pH of the water. Are the two values the same? If not, is there a relationship between them?Do clear flavored drinks and colored flavored drinks (same flavor) taste the same? Does it matter if you can see the color?What percent of an orange is water? Get an approximate mass percent by weighing an orange, liquefying it in a blender, and measuring the strained liquid. (Note: other liquids, such as oils, will be present in trace amounts.) Alternatively, you could bake the weighed orange until it is dried and weigh it again.Does the temperature of a soda affect how much it sprays?You can refrigerate a soda, warm one in a hot water bath, shake them up, measure how much liquid is sprayed out. How do you explain the results?Do all brands of soda spray the same amount when you shake them up? Does it matter if its diet or regular soda?Do all brands of paper towels pick up the same amount of liquid? Compare single sheet of different brands. Be sure to use a teaspoon to measure incremental additions of liquid and record the number accurately. Continue to add liquid until the sheet until it is saturated, let any excess liquid drip off, and then squeeze the liquid from the wet paper towel into a measuring cup. Week-Long Projects These projects may take more than a few days to complete, as the processes they involve dont always happen overnight. If one of these projects interests your child, make sure he or she will have enough time to see it through to its conclusion, and again, make sure they document the steps they take along the way. What type of plastic wrap best prevents evaporation?What plastic wrap best prevents oxidation?Figure out how much of a weeks worth of your familys trash could be recycled. Compare the recyclables against the total amount of trash to determine what percentage is thrown away what could be re-used.Does light affect the rate at which foods spoil?Do the same types of mold grow on all types of bread?How does temperature affect the growth of Borax crystals? Crystals can be grown at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or in an ice bath. Growing crystals takes from two to five days. Since boiling water is required to melt the Borax, make sure to supervise your child.What conditions affect the ripening of fruit? Look at ethylene and enclosing a fruit in a sealed bag, temperature, light, or nearness to other pieces or fruit. Plant Germination and Growth (Long-Term Projects) Projects that involve growing plants over a period of time to see how different factors affect growth rate and germination are very popular with kids but they do take time and careful tending. You want your child to be excited by science. If it seems like a chore, they may lose interest. Younger children or those with short attention spans may be better off with a project from which they can see the results more quickly. If your child is good at keeping up with commitments and has the patience to watch things unfold, these projects are excellent examples from which they can learn and draw their scientific conclusions. How do different factors affect seed germination? Factors that you could test include the intensity, duration, or type of light, the temperature, the amount of water, the presence/absence of certain chemicals, or the presence/absence of soil. You can look at the percentage of seeds that germinate or the rate at which seeds germinate.Is a seed affected by its size? Do different size seeds have different germination rates or percentages? Does seed size affect the growth rate or final size of a plant?How does cold storage affect the germination of seeds? Factors you can control include the type of seeds, length of storage, the temperature of storage, light, and humidity.Does the presence of detergent in water affect plant growth?What is the effect of a chemical on a plant? You can look at natural pollutants (e.g., motor oil, runoff from a busy street) or unusual substances (e.g., orange juice, baking soda). Factors that you can measure include rate of plant growth, leaf size, life/death of the plant, the color of ​the  plant, and its ability to flower/bear fruit.Does magnetism affect the growth of plants? Science Fair Projects Beyond Grade School If your child loves science and is nearing grade school graduation and you want to keep their enthusiasm engaged, you can plan ahead by getting familiar with these science project ideas geared toward more advanced levels of education. Middle School ProjectsHigh School ProjectsCollege Projects

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Analysis Of Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale

Sohul Kapil Mrs. Lilley Advanced Placement English Literature 9 September 2014 Freedom or Freeâ€Å"doom† Gilead’s society is oppressive and unjust to the point that the oppression causes delusion for the women. Gilead, through extensive efforts, tries to simmer their civilians by claiming that the incessant restrictions are for their own good. No restrictions are more stringent than those bestowed on the women, and more specifically, the handmaids. Although, Gilead claims to be built on a principal set of values, its principles are ignored and challenged to ensure everything runs smoothly in the eyes of Gilead’s patriarchy. In Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, the Republic of Gilead, a corrupt government adamant on supporting a better way of life for females, undermines their very own beliefs. There is more than one kind of freedom...Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don t underrate it (24). Gilead presumes that they offer females with freedom from both sexual harassment and the indiscretion of men, but instead Gilead only supports the harassment and indiscretion. Offred, the protagonist, states, â€Å"No man shouts obscenities at us, speaks to us, touches us. No one whistles† (24). Daily, the handmaids are able to stroll through the streets of Gilead sans being eyed by men as fresh meat. On the other hand, young men are, â€Å"watching†¦ touch with their eyes instead† (22). Gilead keeps women out of theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Margaret Atwood s The Handmaids Tale 1405 Words   |  6 Pageshave witnessed the corruption of governments before even if we didn’t even realize it. From communism to democracy, world wars to civil wars, genocides to religious upraises, government involvement has always been silently exalted. In Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaids Tale’, we see the fear of the Gileadian society caused by a rà ©gime government who practices its inhumane beliefs through everyday life in Gilead. The uses of military corruption, fear, and oppression are things that describe the everydayRead MoreAnalysis Of The Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1401 Words   |  6 Pagesand psychologists, but surprisingly, a writer - Margaret Atwood has successfully described if not answer the issue of independence and passivity in The Handmaid’s Tale. A dystopian novel set in the post-apocalyptic America now so-called Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian government. With the critically low reproduction rates due to biological warfare, the Handmaids are allocated to give births within the oppressive regime. The story of the Handmaids has clarified the definition of freewill and independenceRead MoreAnalysis Of Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale1825 Words   |  8 PagesIn Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, we meet Offred, or so they call her, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, a futuristic dystopian society. Gilead tarnished traditional values and replaced them with shear corruption after the rebels killed the President as well as most of Congress, took over the government, and decided to throw out the constitution. Instead the society relies on the bible to justify its barbaric rules, limitations and practices. In a totalitarian society of decreasing birthRead MoreAnalysis Of Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale843 Words   |  4 PagesUnorthodox Characters â€Å"I feel thankful to her. She has died that I may live. I will mourn later† (Atwood 286). Many sacrifices and hard decisions are made by unorthodox people to keep what they believe in alive. There would be no rebellions and no change without these nonconforming people. Offred, the main character and a Handmaiden, would have faced eminent death in her strictly orthodox world had it not been for the rebelliousness of those who died before her wanting change. The Republic ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale Essay1623 Words   |  7 Pagesthe id, ego, and superego. When examined using this theory, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian novel about a patriarchal totalitarian government that has replaced the United States of America, is particularly interesting. The story’s protagonist and narrator is a woman referred to as Offred, who lives in the fairly new Republic of Gilead which has taken the place of the United States. She is what is known as a Handmaid; alarmingly low reproductive rates led to young women whomRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Atwood And Sylvia Plath s The Handmaid s Tale, And Moira Of Margaret Atwood1905 Words   |  8 Pagesis in this despondent frame of mind, the woman of Sylvia Plath’s poem, Edge, and Moira of Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaids Tale, find themselves accepting their condemnation as their destiny. Both Margaret Atwood and Sylvia Plath use their works as emotional outlets to express the hopeless disposition one comes to embrace having reached the point of exhaustion. Together, Moira from The Handmaid’s Tale and the â€Å"perfected woman† from Edge exemplify the quality of life or lack thereof, one isRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1249 Words   |   5 PagesDystopian Research Essay: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood In the words of Erika Gottlieb With control of the past comes domination of the future. A dystopia reflects and discusses major tendencies in contemporary society. The Handmaid s Tale is a dystopian novel written by Margaret Atwood in 1985. The novel follows its protagonist Offred as she lives in a society focused on physical and spiritual oppression of the female identity. Within The Handmaid s Tale it is evident that through the explorationRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale, By Margaret Atwood1629 Words   |  7 Pages Atwood s novel, The Handmaid s Tale depicts a not too futuristic society of Gilead, a society that overthrows the U.S. Government and institutes a totalitarian regime that seems to persecute women specifically. Told from the main character s point of view, Offred, explains the Gilead regime and its patriarchal views on some women, known as the handmaids, to a purely procreational function. The story is set the present tense in Gilead but frequently shifts to flashbacks in her time at the RedRead MoreMargaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale931 Words   |  4 Pagesthe concept of gender becoming a multi- layered shifting hypothesis to which society is adapting. Since the 19th-century, philosophers and theorists have continued to scrutinize gender beyond biological and social interpretation. Margaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale captures the limitations and social implications forced upon a set gender based on societal expectations. Gender is a social construct that limits the individua l to the restrictions and traditions of a society, or if it’s an individuallyRead MoreThe Reconstruction Of Power By Margaret Atwood943 Words   |  4 PagesHaley Hollimon LTC Bozeman EN 102, L19 3 February 2015 The Reconstruction of Power Throughout The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood utilizes various elements of fiction to develop and question the concept of power and control in the patriarchal society of Gilead. Offred, the main Handmaid, is the instrument of which Atwood delivers her message about corruption and power. Offred’s vague diction, unreliable characterization, and erratic tone illustrate the distress of this transitional society (Abcarian

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Non-Profit Enterprise in Market Economics

Question: Discuss about the Non-Profit Enterprise in Market Economics. Answer: The equity financing is defined as a methodology that helps to raise capital of a firm by selling the stocks of the corporation to its investors. Thus, in turn of the investment, the investors earn ownership interests to the firm. It can be said that the equity finance is more appropriate than any other sources of finance, especially for the long term funding companies, for example: banks. The reason behind this is that the banks are associated with long term bank loans. The major advantages of equity finance include firstly, the process of funding is associated with the business and the particular project. However, in this system, the shareholders can understand their investment only when the firm runs well (Nan and Wen 2014). Secondly, it helps to maintain with the costs of the serving bank loans and even with the debt finance that allows utilizing the capital for the activities of the business. Thirdly, the equity finance helps the external investors to expect regarding deliverin g values by the firm and thus it will aid in executing and exploring growth ideas. In addition to these, equity finance guides the venture capitalists to bring in valuable skills, experiences and contacts to the long term businesses. Therefore, it helps in expanding the long term funding companies. Furthermore, the equity finance also helps in making key decisions and strategy regarding operation of the business. As per the entrepreneur, the stakeholders also possess interest regarding the success of the business, its profitability ratio, continuous growth and expansion and raise in the value (Finnerty 2013). Lastly, it can be said that the equity finance assists the investors in providing follow-up funding with the growth of the organization. It has been found that maintenance of a healthy position of cash or cash reserve is considered as a vital factor for expanding a business. Therefore, the retained earnings are counted as profits that are kept within a corporation. Moreover, retained earnings of a firm are like personal savings account but it is for a company that is generally used in case of emergencies. Firms can run its daily operations by the help of its retained earnings. Additionally, this can assist the firm in capital investment or acquisitions, or can be used for paying expensive operating debts (Kaplan and Atkinson 2015). The expansion of the business is regarded as an important capital investment, thus, it has both merits and demerits. However, it has been found that advantages of retained earnings are relatively more than its total disadvantages. The reasons behind this include the process of funding by help of retained earnings is regarded as a powerful strategy for the businesses as it is not added to t he debt profile (James and Rose-Ackerman 2013). In addition to these, the particular conservative opinion also helps the firm to maintain and control the entire operations of the company and it reduces any kind of complication regarding new partners, creditors and external investors of the firm. Furthermore, internal funding through retained earnings assists the corporation to remain firmly in the seat of the driver. However, the process of retained earnings is slow; thus, opportunities of business might be missed out. References Finnerty, J.D., 2013.Project financing: Asset-based financial engineering. John Wiley Sons. James, E. and Rose-Ackerman, S., 2013.The Non-Profit Enterprise in Market Economics. Taylor Francis. Kaplan, R.S. and Atkinson, A.A., 2015.Advanced management accounting. PHI Learning. Nan, L. and Wen, X., 2014. Financing and investment efficiency, information quality, and accounting biases.Management Science,60(9), pp.2308-2323.

Saturday, April 4, 2020

chp 7 quiz questions Essay Example

chp 7 quiz questions Paper After presenting groups of research participants words like thread, eye, pin, syringe, sewing, sharp, and thimble, a memory researcher asks the participants whether they remember seeing the word needle. The fact that many participants do is an example of permastore. memory illusion. amnesia. dà ©jà   vu. memory illusion A key theme that has emerged from the memory research literature is that all explicit and implicit memories are stored in the hippocampus. memory illusions are evidence of serious memory problems such as Alzheimers disease or amnesia. We will write a custom essay sample on chp 7 quiz questions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on chp 7 quiz questions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on chp 7 quiz questions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer the passage of time has little or no effect on the accuracy of our memories. we actively reconstruct our memories using the cues and information available to us. we actively reconstruct our memories. You watch LeShon wave his 4th of July sparkler as he runs. As you watch the light, you notice a circle of light rather than just a single point of light. This effect demonstrates the functioning of your echoic memory. flashbulb memory. iconic memory. short-term memory. iconic memory After you finish reading this sentence, the information will remain in your ________ as you consider each of the answers below. photographic memory short-term memory sensory memory long-term memory short-term memory Kira is jogging down the street listening to her portable music player. Abruptly, her batteries die and the music stops. Which of the following accounts for her ability to still hear the last part of the song that was playing? Eidetic imagery Short-term memory Echoic memory Iconic memory echoic memory While driving her children, Adrianas car broke down. She called her husband on the cell phone for the number of a towing company. If the childrens behavior prevents her from repeating the number to herself, most likely Adriana will need to dial the phone number within the next __________ or she will forget the number. 15 seconds minute 2 seconds 45 seconds 15 seconds Shanna has a quiz covering research methods for both her biology and psychology classes. As she studies, she is continually getting information confused between the classes. The resulting memory loss is explained by retrieval failure. serial position effects. interference. distortion interference Which of the following best illustrates retroactive interference? Susie struggles to learn how to play the violin, after playing the guitar for many years. Chet struggles to learn the names of the new players he added to his fantasy baseball roster. Coach Todd calls one of her old softball players the name of one of her new players. Professor Jones struggles to learn the names of his new students after teaching for many years prior. coach todd calls one of her old softball players the name of her new players In high school, Deanna took three years of Spanish. Upon enrolling in college ten years later, she registered for a remedial French course. When required to speak in French during class discussion with her teacher and classmates, Deanna frequently responds with Spanish words instead of French words. This is one example of decay. blocking. proactive interference. retroactive interference. proactive interference The Magic Number of short-term memory is fifteen plus or minus two. seven plus or minus two. nine plus or minus two. seven plus or minus three. seven plus or minus two Liv has just seen a commercial advertising a fancy kind of make-up that she would like to buy. She does not have a pen or a piece of paper to write down the telephone number, so she repeats to herself over and over again while she runs into the kitchen to find the telephone. Liv is currently using the process of ________ rehearsal to keep the telephone number active in her short-term memory. distributed semantic maintenance elaborative maintenance According to the research on the primacy effect, if your father read you a list of 10 items to pick up at the hardware store you would most easily recall those items from the end of the list. from early in the list. that are most distinctive. in the middle of the list. from early in the list Which two types of memories are both considered to be part of explicit memory? semantic and episodic reconstructive and recalled semantic and procedural conceptual and schematic semantic and episodic Jasmine needs to remember an 8-line poem for her 5th-grade English class next week. Her mother suggests that she link the first few words from each line with a different part of their home, starting with the front door. This suggestion is most similar to the memory strategy known as the method of loci. the pegword method. an acronym. the keyword method. the method of loci Although you have never taken a class with Dr. Hua, you walk into class, sit down, open your notebook, and wait for the professor to begin his lecture. What concept is being illustrated? Schema Priming Storage Primacy effec schema Who is engaging in distributed practice? Geoff, who has been studying an hour a night over the last three weeks for his anatomy final Kris, who made flash cards last night for his psychology final today Angela, who just read through her notes on the way to take her algebra final Alan, who pulled an all-nighter to get ready for his biology final geoff, who has been studying Which of the following is the best example of chunking? Andrea creates a sentence using all of her vocabulary words. Caroline uses the first letter of each of her vocabulary words and spells out the word, butterfly to help her remember. Cedric is able to remember all of the names of the kids in his class. Katie writes down an example for each of her vocabulary words. andrea creates a sentence using all of her vocabulary words Evidence suggests that when the real criminal is NOT included in a live line-up, most witnesses will refuse to answer and ask to leave the police station. will be accurate and inform the police that the person is NOT present. will be inaccurate and select the person who most closely resembles the real criminal. None of the above will be inaccurate and select Although both Clive Wearing and a patient known as H.M. had severely damaged hippocampi or removed hippocampi, they both showed evidence of ________ memory. implicit explicit eidetic episodic implicit Following a car accident, Jane and Joan both suffer head injuries with resulting amnesia. Joan cannot remember events that occurred before the accident, while Jane cannot remember events that occurred after the accident. Joan suffers from __________ amnesia and Jane from __________ amnesia. proactive; retroactive retroactive; proactive anterograde; retrograde retrograde; anterograde retrograde;anterograde There are various techniques available to help people improve their ability to recall material. For instance, when you remember something new by connecting it mentally to something you already know, you are using levels of processing. elaborative rehearsal. distributed study. a mnemonic device. elaborative rehearsal Which mental phenomenon can be defined as the retention of information over time? Knowledge Understanding Memory Thinking memory Which of the following is NOT one of the three major processes of memory? Long term Storage Encoding Retrieval long term We can use mnemonics to help us ________ information we want to retain in our memories. encode retrieve store comprehend encode Most people cant accurately remember anything they experienced in their earliest years. This phenomenon is known as retrograde amnesia. juvenile amnesia. anterograde amnesia. infantile amnesia. infantile amnesia When we arent sure where a memory really came from (Did it really happen? Or was it a dream?) we can use cues such as how vivid and detailed the memory is to determine the answer. This process is called cryptomnesia. initial recollection. considered recollection. source monitoring. source monitoring Over time, children develop greater knowledge of their own memory abilities and limitations. The term for this is comprehension. meta-memory. habituation. learning meta-memory Brains of people with Alzheimers contain senile plaques and ________, abnormalities that contribute to both synapse loss and the death of hippocampus and cerebral cortex cells. amygdala cells beta-adrenergic receptors propranolol neurofibrillary tangles neurofibrillary tangles A memory that is actually false but feels real and can be triggered by, for instance, looking at a list of associated words, is called a(n) representative heuristic. memory illusion. active reconstruction. paradoxical memory. memory illusion First observed in the hippocampus of rabbits in 1966, ________ refers to how repetitive stimulation of neurons over time will gradually strengthen connections among the neurons involved. glutamate pathways long-term potentiation engram assemblies retrospective bias long term potentiation What type of graph would be used to illustrate the primacy and recency effects? Ebbinghaus curve Histogram Enneagram Serial position curve serial position curve A group of students were told they were being given the drug ________ before taking the SAT while another group was told they were taking a dummy pill. Their unaffected SAT scores coupled with their very different perceptions of mental functioning and alertness suggested that the placebo effect was at work. Provigil Adderall Ritalin Modafinil ritalin Scientists devise ________ in order to ensure that the memories elicited in their false-memory-implantation experiments are actually false. cryptomnesia proofs plausibility estimates statistical estimates existence proofs existence proofs A researcher named Mitchell asked participants in a laboratory study to view 100 line drawings for a few seconds. They were able to identify the drawings at better-than-chance rates ________ later. 30 days moments 12 months 17 years 17 years The number of digits a person can remember is called the Magic Number. At about the age of 12, a childs memory is usually sufficient for a Magic Number of _______ (plus or minus 2). 3 9 7 11 7 Studies have shown the students perform slightly better on exams if they are tested in the same room where they learned the material. This is evidence for state-dependent learning. context-dependent learning. encoding specificity. retrospective bias. context dependent learning To demonstrate the ________ effect, Loftus and Palmer used a variety of words like hit, collided, or smashed to elicit very different estimates from study participants about the speed of vehicles involved in a traffic accident. reportage plausibility eyewitness testimony misinformation misinformation Alzheimers disease accounts for only ________ percent of cases of dementia. 60 to 75 25 to 35 50 to 60 10 to 20 50 to 60 Which of the following is more highly correlated with memory span in children? Age Shoe size Intelligence Position shoe size The remembering method that associates rhymes to a list of words in a particular order is called the keyword method. schema method. method of loci. pegword method. pegwood method The type of sensory memory that is used for visual stimuli, such as television or movies, is called iconic memory. super short-term memory. reconstructed memory. implicit memory. iconic memory The fact that people usually correctly remember where they were when they learned of the September 11th attacks but are less exact about what they were doing or who told them, leads researchers to believe that ________, while not completely reliable, contain substantial kernels of accuracy. flashbulb memories source monitoring initial recollection recovered memories flashbulb memories Which of the following describes the term schema? Process of getting information into our memory banks Process of keeping information in memory Organized knowledge structure or mental model that weve stored in memory A learning aid, strategy, or device that enhances recall organized knowledge structure Memory is NOT always accurate because memories tend to be actively reconstructed. unintentionally recorded. passively reproduced. deliberately deceptive. actively reconstructed In the 1920s, Karl Lashley hoped to discover the ______, the actual physical trace of a memory in the brain. He later concluded that memories are not stored this way. assembly postsynaptic receptors hippocampus engram engram

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Letter of the Alphabet Not Found in Element Names

Letter of the Alphabet Not Found in Element Names The letter J is the only one not found on the periodic table. In some countries (e.g., Norway, Poland, Sweden, Serbia, Croatia), the element iodine is known by the name jod. However, the periodic table still uses the IUPAC symbol I for the element. About The Element Ununtrium There was speculation the newly discovered element 113 (ununtrium), might get a permanent name starting with a J and element symbol J. Element 113 was discovered by the RIKEN collaboration team in Japan. However, the researchers went with the element name nihonium, based on the Japanese name for their country, Nihon koku. The Letter Q Note that the letter Q does not appear in any official element names. Temporary element names, such as ununquadium, contain this letter. However, no element name starts with Q and no official element name contains this letter. Once the final four elements on the present periodic table get official names, there will be no Q on the periodic table. The extended periodic table, which includes undiscovered superheavy elements (atomic numbers greater than 118) would still contain the letter Q in temporary element names.

Friday, February 21, 2020

This is a Book report see details below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

This is a Book report see details below - Essay Example Jesus as a figure in history is undoubtedly a very important and pertinent topic for today. There is a persistent question about Jesus that defies an easy answer. Which Jesus is easier to accept and believe The Jesus that the gospels proclaim as the Son of God who came to be born of a virgin with his divine attributes and claims, two millennia ago Or the Jesus that history is willing to accept and record to the extent science and circumstances allow us to explain and prove This treatise is intended to explore the aspect of Jesus as an historical figure. For this purpose, it is necessary to go into the various details that denote history. Details such as ancestry, creed, social and religious customs and background of the relevant times, Jesus' personality, occupation, credentials, circle of friend, relatives and acquaintances, political scenario, and so forth. The study of the historical Jesus naturally implies the study of the old and new testaments as well as church history. In order to secure the views of every reliable source, fairness demands that nothing must be seen to be explained away as irrelevant, immaterial and conclusive. As of date, the socio-rhetorical interpretations technique is ideal in getting close to the historical Jesus because of its meticulous approach and openness to scrutiny. It uses insights from sociolinguists, semiotics, rhetoric, ethnography, literary studies, social sciences, and goes on to interrelate ancient, modern and post modern systems and schools of thought.(1) Nothwithstanding the means available to get to the details on the history of Jesus, questions galore. Enigmatic rationalists and cultists crop up ever so often with profound and radical claims relating to the history, personality and even "matrimonial facts" about Jesus. Controversies exist relating to even simple incidents as: Was Jesus really baptized by John Did he really feed the four and five thousand Did he really raise Lazarus from the dead What did Jesus mean when he said the kingdom of God was at hand And so forth and so on. (2) The Present Status Until the Middle Ages, leave alone Jesus, it was difficult to gain access to the scriptures for simple meditation. Those who did encourage study of the scriptures like Martin Luther and William Tyndale, who had to pay for it with his life, were publicly ridiculed and warned to desist by the custodians of faith at the highest levels. Of course, their successors regret it now! Even after the scriptures became accessible to the common man, for a long period of time, a study of Jesus in the historical context was frowned upon as akin to apostasy. As a student of history, questions on Jesus could not be freely discussed which otherwise in theological context could have been considered too provocative and even sacrilegious. For instance, the question on the virgin birth of Christ is bound to figure prominently in the historical context whereas in the theological sense it could mean inviting trouble. Coming to healings, miracles and exorcism, the controversy only generates more heat and dust and very little light. Historically, as of now science is in no position to unearth evidence of events and oral statements recorded as having been made but for which there exist no solid proof except their confirmation by the

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Cows research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cows - Research Paper Example However, the degree at which people value and keep this animal significantly depends on their culture, religion and background. In Latin America cows are predominantly used in bullfighting, in Africa, they are a sign of wealth and prestige while in India; the cow is a holy being that is to be revered. In the media, cows are often portrayed as big, domesticated and fertile animals. More and more farmers are slowly abandoning cattle keeping because the cost of feeding them, veterinary cost is quite high as opposed to cultivating other cash crops. There are many different breeds of cows depending on their use. Ranchers mainly keep beef cattle while there are those who keep dairy cows. This also depends on the conduciveness of an area’s climate. The importance of cows to the economy cannot be under-rated since the Cattle industry is a multibillion dollar enterprise that significantly boosts the economy of many countries. Cows provide milk, beef, hides used in making leather and shoes. The value of cows is profoundly undermined and therefore, it is for this reason that I decided to base my research on the importance of cows and the connection that exists between man and cows. Cows are easy animals to see, unlike other animals like tigers and leopards. Though easy to see they are the most unseen animals and the least appreciated of creatures; nevertheless, they have among the biggest benefits to mankind. I wanted to find out peoples attitude and beliefs about cows. To conduct my research, I deliberately chose to carry out interviews with different people in order to learn about their views and attitudes about cows. Interviews are an effective way of getting in depth information, and it is also quite helpful in discovering how individuals feel and think about a particular subject matter. Therefore, with this in mind I conducted four interview sessions with people of different cultures and who had lived in different parts of the world (Dr.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Market position and strategy for KRAFT FOODS INC

Market position and strategy for KRAFT FOODS INC According to Drucker, the vision answers to the question: what do we want to become?Kraft Foods Mission Statement try to describe the firms vision for the future: Helping People Around the World Eat and Live Better. The firm justifies the vision saying that this sentence captures the essence of who the firm is. It shows trough this sentence that the firm cares about customers life and needs facilitating the cook in the daily life in order to offer more time to the customers to do what they want and also to help them to easily eat in a more healthy way. According to Kraft web site: Were constantly looking for fresh ideas to improve our workplace, our partnerships, our communities and our world. To make today delicious, we begin with our consumers. We listen, we watch and we learn. What we do. We make delicious foods you can feel good about. Mission According to Drucker, the mission answers to the question: what is our business? The mission statement consists of three words according to the Kraft Foods Inc. Web site: Make today delicious. Their mission reflects who they are, just like the vision. They refuse to limit the firm to be just a business that sells food and try to meet consumers expectations and making food an easier, healthier, more enjoyable part of life. Kraft Foods underlines the importance of health and wellness and also embodies all the ways we can eat and live better, eating easily and quickly in an environment of safety thanks to the Kraft services. Values and principles: According to Krafts web site, the firm uses values and principles to communicate customers what they can expect of the brand and to demonstrate their leadership, because they want to be recognized as a leading company able to attract customers and workers through ideas like: Innovation   Satisfying real-life needs with unique ideas Quality   Fulfilling a promise to deliver the best Safety   Ensuring high standards in everything we make Respect   Caring for people, communities and the environment Integrity   Doing the right thing Openness   Listening to the ideas of others and encouraging an open dialogue They put consumers first because they want to strength the Brand Value propositions and new product innovations to drive faster top line growth. They work simply, listening to the customers, but act quickly to increase the speed and flexibility in order to reduce costs for reinvesting in making famous the brand finding the right balance between the business and the employees needs to ensure that the work environment is flexible and supportive. Strategies According to Krafts Web site, the firm seeks to become a huge snacks powerhouse  and unrivalled portfolio of brands people love, eat and buy. According to an article of News Bites US Markets, 2010: The brands of the Company span five consumer sectors: snacks, beverages, cheese, grocery and convenient meals As advised by F. David, Kraft focuses its strategy on the complementary nature the companys portfolio which is supposed to lead the brands growth: Delight global snacks consumers.   The worlds Consumers are looking for on-the-go options because they are always in late for something in work or just life. Theyre also looking for simple indulgences and healthier options, which is a paradox because people dont have time to cook in a healthy manner but they have to be healthy for the work and thin in the daily life. Thus, Kraft provides delicious snacks to these consumers, like  LU  biscuits or wellness products in order to meet their expectations. These iconic heritage brands are loved by consumers all around the world, according to a Nexis Source: Roughly 80 percent of these heritage brands hold number one or number two positions in their respective categories and are household names. In a leadership state of mind, the firm considers that, to win the market, the brand has to win on every levels of the chain: from the consumers to the suppliers. So, according to Fred David example pg 104, to succeed, the firm counts on its values (explained in the mission statement) like safety, respect or quality and especially on the fact that the brand acts like an owner, open to the discussion but who decide at the end. Through this image, Kraft also entrust the shareholders, and offers them interesting returns on their investment like: Organic revenues growth of 5 percent or moreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Mid- to high-teens marginsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And EPS growth of 9 to 11 percent, according to the Kraft Foods Web site. According to F. David, Krafts Current Strategy for 2009 planned to evolve trough a turn-around process in order to follow the example of the sustainable growth. The result of the operation was that a lot of savings had been made due to the simplification of organisational structure and some closing. The external and internal audit The PESTLE Political The stability of the political environment According to K. Blanchard, 2009, the decrease in companys results is due to foreign currencies, it could also be linked to the inflation and soaring of raw material and petroleum. Local taxation Kraft in based in Switzerland, in Zoug, this area is appreciated for the low rate of taxation. For example the income tax represents less than 16% of the benefits of the company. (F. Therin, 2010) Government involved Irene Rosenfeld declared in an interview of David Lieberman in 2010, I dont think theres any indication that having the government involved will necessarily make that a more effective process or have the desired outcome. Theres ample evidence that we can in fact work together in a productive way, and thats a more effective way to address the issue. This answer illustrate that the government is neither apart from the policies of the company nor influencing strategies. Social welfare policies According to the Right vision news, 2010, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been buying shares for seven years and now owns a piece of at least 80 companies, including McDonalds and Kraft Foods. It hopes to influence their animal welfare policies on such things as how chickens are slaughtered or buying pork from suppliers that keep pregnant sows in small crates. That means Kraft should take social policies into consideration as it appears to be relevant in people mind and consumer behaviour. Economic Interest rate According to an article of the Business Wire, 2010, Food companies continue to seek acquisitions and organic growth, particularly in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), to boost their overall growth rates. Proactive refinancing of upcoming debt maturities is likely to continue since companies are able to issue new debt at very low interest rates. Debt reduction is not likely except for Kraft and Ralcorp Holdings, Inc., since both companies increased leverage materially for acquisitions in 2010. Level of inflation Northfield-based Kraft and ConAgra, two big pork producers, have both raised their prices in recent months because of the market increase. Janet Kidd Stewart explains this increase in 1996 by the inflation. As a food, bakeries, and biscuits producer Kraft is very sensible to the rate of raw material, corn, milk, flour, eggs. Employment levels According to Ellen Simon, 2006, when Kraft Foods bought Nabisco, 25% department was laid off on the same day in 2004. Long term prospect In a Just Food article, 2009, The Unite union, which represents Cadbury workers in the UK and Ireland, seems to be concerned that Kraft would not sufficiently invest in the long-term prospects of the business and its brands as it looks to reduce costs to service debt. Exchange rate Adapted from what Timothy McLevish (Chief Financial Officer) said in the Earning conference call in November 2010, Kraft Foods has a very complex portfolio of currencies, which explains why they are less impacted by just a decline in the value of the dollar or an appreciation of the dollar because we have a lot of our input costs. Sociocultural Lifestyle trends In this part we have to take into account the issues of obesity, lack of sport, health, organic products, and natural medicine. According to Kristopher J. Blanchard, 2009, the rate of obesity in Canadians boys increased from 11% in 1980s to over 30% in 1990s, and from 4 to 14 in Brazil. Those trends represent an opportunity for Kraft. Demographics With the current population ageing, seniors represent a huge share of the market, they consume healthy and diet products. Unfortunately children stay the target of Krafts bakeries and biscuits. Consumerism popular attitude Kraft interest is following consumers habits and adapt their products e.g. to get concentrated on food conforming the rules of religions. Work and leisure Managers target new segments like snacks, beverages, convenient meals. This strategy fits with the sociological trend that consists in mixing time for work or leisure with meal time. That allows Kraft Foods to get concentrated into quick and healthy food containing fewer calories or more vitamins to suits to any consumers needs. (K. Blanchard, 2009) Technological Level of research In 2007, Alexis Douglas deals with the new research facility of Kraft Food based in Asia and the following strategies engendered. The research center will : serve as its regional hub for food product and development service for its Asia units include a pilot plant and packaging laboratory for testing new products and packaging materials aimed to make the research facility a center for excellence in developing beverages Environmental Environmental issue Jonathan Horrell, corporate affairs director put forward Krafts implication in environmental issue across the cycle journey, which highlights the fact that we are taking a more active attitude towards environmental issues. Ecological The sustainable strategy of Kraft began with the raw material used, the methods use to produce, the transportation and ends with the packaging and rubbish recycling. Lobbies Danny Fortson, 2010, wrote that Greenpeaces war against Golden Agri has been fierce. () Kraft Foods also said that it will no longer buy its palm oil. This can put forward the influence of Greenpeace over firms. Waste disposal Jordan Ammann, 2009, Fifteen months after its launch, Kraft Foods manufacturing plant in Bahrain is making substantial headway towards its sustainability goals. The plant has achieved reductions of 25% in energy consumption, 50% in water consumption and 16% in waste from 2008. In 2009 the plant has targeted a further 5% reduction based on its 2008 average. Legal Legal protections Due to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions affair in which Kraft was sued, the company has agreed to train managers on laws prohibiting age discrimination. (Reuters, 2002) Consumer laws, right to consumers products, components According to Anna May Kinney, 2008, During September 2000, Kraft Foods Inc. scrambled to recall taco shells made from StarLink corn, a type of genetically modified corn unapproved for human consumption. While its true that the EU has approved some GMO crops to be grown and sold, they have stood firm in giving their consumers the right to know what they are eating and the right to choose GMO food or non-GMO. Internet External vendors (European), attracted because of the difference in rates between the dollar and the euro Barriers to entry, low or not The initial investment necessary, entrance fees, patents already in place, standards, protectionist measures, the image Industry and established businesses, U.S are not famous for the wellness of the food, so foreign firms more famous for this type of market like Sweden or China can enter in the market. Cultural barriers, globalization help to erase barriers as food tend to become a more international fashion / trend. Porters five forces model Threat of entry  : POTENTIAL ENTREY OF NEW COMPETITORS Threat of entry  : POTENTIAL ENTREY OF NEW COMPETITORS Environmental sustainability concern Social responsibility Economic viability Many consumers are cutting back on their spending by switching to store-brand products. The power is strong when : The customers are concentrated :a lot of consumers who want he same thing: The suppliers are numerous and dispersed There are alternative sourcing ; (Conagra) The customer changes suppliers, the cost of transfer is low Conagra, same prices, nearly same products There is a threat of upstream integration from the customer. Suppliers  : BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS Rivalry  among competing firms 1st competitor: Nestlà © with international sales whereas Kraft only sales in North America (CON AGRA in the U.S market) HEINZ SARA LEE Restaurant, vending machines, foodservice providers, are competitors too, even if the brand is not strong/famous. (alternative competitors) Weakness: Krafts dont produce beauty or others types of products like Nestlà © or Conagra, whose are diversified (beauty , petcare, ethanol) Changes appareas in the competitors strategy => Conagra focuses now on food, stop ethanol and fertilizer,this is a new threat because Conagra will be even more competitive in the exactly same market. New CEO since 2005 for Conagra, GARY RODKIN, new force =>like a competitive advantage as a rival to ROSENFELD. Foreign rivals: monopoly con Conagra in the U.S but competitors also outside of the country , moreover, the $ become increasingly high which is not good for the market because external products could be seen as cheaper . The high price of petrol which up the value of raw material, give strengh to the suppliers =>bad thing for the industry which have to face a loss. A low number of suppliers : a strong brand Very speficic / diferenciated products are facts that increases the price of the change of suppliers, so increases the suppliers power too. Buyers  : BARGAINING POWER OF CONSUMERS Substitutes  : POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS Wellness  and health / obesity Generic produces Retailer brands Wholesalers Cooperatives When the prices are increasing good for the subsitute because it will be more attactive. Porters value chain The support activities Profit MarginAdministration means infrastructure(leadership and management)and concerns the important persons of the structure Human Resources management concerns the decisions made concerning employees Technology development concerns the efforts and money invested for the future of the firm Resource procurement concerns the manner to find a product and supply the firm. According to Fred David, this kind of organisation can be explained by the fact that it took time and efforts to follow the Phillip Morris plans, the firm had to know several changes, for example, the New CEO since June 2006 in Irene Rosenfeld which embodies the beginning of the chances in the firm and she is now the chairman of the Board. This change is relevant because she embodies the head of the firm with her position. Thus, the management team is divided into 10 parts. The primary activities Inbound logistics Operation Outbound logistics Marketing sales Services (Kraf Food Inc, 2009) The primary activities help the support activities to make their completion easier, like for example: Inbound logistics The Technology development managed by the segment of Jean Spence can help the Inbound Logistic by finding new raw material, or, according to the Kraft Munich website, improve new products like in Munich, the responsible for Product and Process development where food, Refreshment Beverages, Salted Snacks, Confectionery, Biscuits are always improved; or discovering an alternative to the problem of the rising price of petroleum which increases the cost of the raw materials and also the cost of transportation. Operation Human Resources managed by Karen May can help the Operations establishing a climate of trust and respect between employees in order not to slow down the production or avoiding the sicki effect of a bad climate at work. Outbound logistics The Resource procurement can helps the Outbound logistics negotiating new or more advantageous contracts, for example group rates can be an idea if several subsidiaries like Oreo, Lu etc will be delivered by the same transports firm. Marketing sales In order to be proactive address the evolution of trends like the dining out trend or health food trend, vitamined drinks trend against the obesity, marketing can be supported by the technology development to develop new products or to help selling these products with the internet, because attracting web sites with games for subsidiaries like Oreo and The recipe Box for Kraft itself help the brand to be more human to sale more. Also, according to a News Bites US Markets document of 2010: thanks to the companys annual week of community service (Delicious Difference Week) organized by the Human Resource segment, Krafts employees were a record numbers to participate as volunteers to help the nonprofit project. This kind of action help the marketing and sale segment showing to the customers how social responsibly the firm is. Services The Services segment Focus on the reputation and perceived value among the consumers, thus, the administration can be helpful taking the crucial decisions they have to be respectful, reasonable and ethic. According to F. David example pg 109, customers want the firm to understand them and accept the social responsibility, thus, when the board temporarily shut down because of a risk of contamination, this action reinsure the consumer, enhance the positive image of the brand and support the Service segment. Trough the web site, Kraft tries to come closer to the customers culture and social identity, to show that as the people, the brand is able to evolve and be concerned by the environmental problems. Internal strengths A developed Strategy followed and understood by the employee, whereas Conagra has a vision, but no strategy and depends on operating companies and functional silos which is really risked and it lacks of internal cohesion. So, more segmentation and prioritization than the competitors. A developed Human resource management segment which aloud trust between employees firm with some concepts like: Policy of non discrimination , responsibility Community Involvement Compliance and Integrity People and Diversity Workplace Safety This climate of respect and trust give to the employees the will to work well and to be the height of the firms expectations. A good and dynamic CEO /Chairman which has chosen a good organization and repartition of the support activities. According to elements of the Krafts web site, Mrs. Rosenfeld also helps to improve the corporate Reputation and Responsibility of the firm and thus aloud the firm to receive some prize like: Worlds Most Respected Companies, Reputation Institute 2009 (third consecutive year) Corporate Reputation Top 10 (Canada), Marketing magazine 2009 (second consecutive year) Ozone Layer Protection Award, US Environmental Protection Agency 2009 Banksia Foundation Agriculture and Food Award for sustainability practices, (Australia) 2009 The New York Academy of Medicine awarded Kraft Foods for our long-standing commitment to health and wellness(2009) Adapted from http://www.zonebourse.com/KRAFT-FOODS-A-13256/actualite-analyse/Un-spin-off-a-surveiller-18414/ : International and Tough brands (Cà ´te dOr, Toblerone, Milka, Maxwell, Carte Noire, Tang, Jacques Vabre) Strong advertisement trough years help Krafts food to maintain the competitive advantage: According to F. Davids historic introduction of the firm, A key to the success of Kraft Foods was James Krafts commitment to using innovative advertising methods. Now, this is steel an asset according to an article from the Lab Business Week, 2008: The Krafts Director of Global Interactive Marketing has leaded some of the world most successful and awarded digital branding campaigns for the likes Altoids, Oreo or Planters. Because of this success the advertising industry has recognized Krafts accomplishment prestigious awards like Gold and Bronze Clio Awards(C), a Webby Award, Silver and Bronze One Show Pencils(R), a Gold EFFIE(R), a Silver ADDY(R), an ANDY Award, and a Cannes Lions. Internal weaknesses A low growth market and the impact of the commodity prices (milk, coffee, cocoa) which made the firm less competitive according to Fred David. The fact that Kraft is a young firm in comparison with the main competitors like ConAgra which was built over several decades and which had made numerous acquisitions. Kraft on the international as a negligible impact in comparison with world competitors like Nestlà ©. More, according to F. David, Kraft is just a food company which is not a competitive advantage in the world market. Strategic capability Because of the current economic conditions, F. David said that some analysts criticized Rosenfeld managerial approach because of the 2008 compensation, however, 2009 results show that she made the good choice. In 2009 the net revenues of the company has soared compared with previous years. Despite the increase of the cost of sales that can be due to the inflation rates, the gross profit is better. To keep and maintain the competitive advantage and moving forward, the firm has to  focus on the coordination. The problem here is that we can notice a lack of connexion between Kraft Foods Europe, Kraft International and Kraft North America. Even if the fact that the support activities are all bounded together is positive, this kind of grouping seems irrelevant if the company is regarded like two separate entities like North America Versus International and not like a single entity. The objectives The generic strategy and competitive advantage Bowmans clock Denise Dollimore, 2010, Slide Business Strategy Generally speaking Kraft Foods is a producer of high value products (organic, healthy and specified). The company is not involved in any low cost strategy. All the brands are well-known and considered as the top of the product on the market. According to Browmans clock the firm is focused on diversification and differentiation. To get concentrated on this diversification Irene Rosenfeld agreed to modify firms strategy, by simplifying the organizational structure. In 2009, savings have been realized, nevertheless it can also be explained by the closing of 36 plants and 19000 positions have been eliminated. Adapted from Kraft Foods Inc., K. Blanchard, 2009. Michael Czinkota, 2010, One can look at Kraft Foods Inc.s recent acquisition of Cadbury PLC as evidence of a U.S. companys recognition that it needs to build both market share and management strength to be successful in global markets. In 2006, approximately one-third of Krafts revenues came from outside North America. Cadbury boosts the international share of the combined companys business more than 50 percent. Otherwise, this strategy illustrates that Kraft intend to differentiate its products and markets to maintain its international presence. We believe scale will be an increasing source of competitive advantage in both the confectionery category and the global food business as a whole, said Rosenfeld, in 2010, who pointed out that the tie-up will allow Kraft to become the worlds leading confectionery company with a market share of 14.8%. (Andrew Clark, 2010) The assess of the strategy As advised by Fred David (108-109), referring to the customer issue, more people are dining out which may adversely affect Kraft Foods as a grocery retailer. Further caused by mobile customers there is less time for preparation of food and therefore declining customer demand. Also the development of health foods e.g. products containing less trans fat or only organic ingredients could be a challenge for the company although Kraft Foods touched on this area in recent years. Whereas there is a paradox between the steady growths of packaged and processed foods because of less time and high demand for healthy foods which is mostly to class with homemade foods. Customers today view food as an expression of their cultural and social identity and therefore asking a lot more from producers than just good quality. David is still talking about that this attitude causes to pay more attention to branding than quality because it can transfer a more emotional positioning, understand your environment and customers unique needs and taste, depending on their culture. Moreover, competition is increasing because the market is attractive and has potential such as the increase of bargain stores or trademarks (Aldi). Therefore it is difficult for Kraft Foods to raise their prices. Further there are strategic issues in the supply chain such as cost efficiency matter. When the costs of petroleum are rising it causes an increase in raw material costs and hence rising production and transportation costs. Furthermore, corporate and brand reputation of a company are gaining more and more in importance which causes raising competition as well. One more strategic issue could be the economic crisis which affects the consumer to spend less money than usually. The issues of rising prices, increasing competition and customers are willing to spend less but want more in health, cultural and social identity cases are difficult to solve. The solution could be to use synergies and identify cost drivers for higher cost efficiency. While offering diverse products, with strong branding fulfilling customer demand and differentiate from competition. Also keeping the brand reputation high by ensuring food safety programs are applied could be a possible approach. The SWOT Matrix of KRAFT FOODS INC. Strengths According to Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods has a strong brand image and diversified product portfolio. Additionally, it operates in domestic and international markets. His well recognized brands with operations encompassing five core divisions include snacks with 37.2% of the total revenues during 2009, beverages with 19.9%, grocery with 10.1%, cheese with 16.8% and convenient meals with 16%. Replication of its brands is very difficult and only a few firms are able to imitate these. To maintain market leadership position needs launching new products with innovative ingredients. The brand Alpen Gold is very popular and leading chocolate brands in Russia. Kraft Foods pays a great importance to research and development (RD). The RD is rising year after year and reached in FY2009 an expense of $499 million. In addition the company has about 2400 food scientists, chemists and engineers. Therefore RD supports to maintain a strong market position. According to Datamonitor (2009) Kraft Foods has 316 distribution centers and depots worldwide, 303 in North America and 13 outside America in eight countries. Thereby company ´s multi-category distribution and consumer awareness are its major strengths. This boosts the selling efforts through three principal sets of activities: consumer advertising in broadcast, prints, outdoor and on-line media; consumer incentives such as coupons and contests; and trade promotions for supporting price features, displays and other merchandising. Kraft Foods has two distinct distribution operations as follows: warehouse delivery and direct store delivery. This important strength qualifies the company to manage its inventory in a powerful manner. Weaknesses Refer Datamonitor (2009) Product recalling could be one of Kraft ´s weaknesses which were noticed particularly in march 2009. The voluntary recall in the United States of Planters and Back to Nature products containing pistachio nuts is the latest one. The reason was the potential to be contaminated with the Salmonella organism which can cause serious infections. Kraft Foods operating margins, net margin and net profit margin is decreasing in spite of an increase in revenues since FY2006. Further company ´s operating profit fell from $4,154 million in FY2006 to $3,817 million in FY2008. The reasons for the declining include increase in input costs primarily related to higher raw material cost, unrealized losses in hedging activities, to energy derivates heating oil and natural gas contracts. Kraft Foods decreasing margins caused by inefficient cost structure could be a pressure on the company ´s future financial plans. Refer Datamonitor (2010) additionally unfunded post retirement benefits would cause making periodic cash contributions which would reduce cash available for growth plans. Also because of the Cadbury acquisition Kraft Foods debt burden has increased from $5,556 million to $18, 990 million EBITDA. The increasing debt ratio will be a concern for the company ´s solvency and liquidity position. Opportunities Refer Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods new line of low-fat products causes to strengthen the market position of the company. The increased preference for fat-free and healthy food products in the United States drive Kraft Foods tapping into people ´s growing health and wellness concerns by its developing the nutritional profile of its snacks portfolio. For instance, introducing whole-grain versions of snacks, eliminating trans-fat in most of its products, reformulating fat-free cookies (e.g. launching low-fat Oreo) are remarkable opportunities. Moreover the company has four key opportunity areas that meet consumer needs such as weight management, nutrient delivery, performance nutrition, and natural and organic Reducing the sodium in many of his products, launching the South Beach Living line in the US. According to Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods tries to strengthen its portfolio recently through acquisitions and divestitures such as the flavored water and juice brand assets and similar trademarks. Furthermore, the company decided to sell the Artiach biscuits business in Spain to Panrico which caused an ongoing focus in Spain to grow its portfolio. (Source 1 Datamonitor) Moreover the US coffee sector grew in the recent years and accounts for 70.8% of the total US drinks. K

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Affirmative Action Essay -- Rights Equality Inequality Papers

Affirmative Action Since its implementation in the United States in 1965, affirmative action has been a heated topic of debate. Designed to address the issue of inequality in American society, affirmative action is a number of programs and policies designed to give women and racial minorities more opportunities in education and the job market. As a result, affirmative action has received opposition, mainly from blue collar white males who feel that it compromises their best interests. In this paper, we will attempt to evaluate the impact of affirmative action on all Americans and its effectiveness in addressing the issue of inequality. History: Affirmative action was first mentioned in executive order 10925 on March 6, 1961. On July 2, 1964 the Civil Rights act was signed by President Johnson to guarantee equal rights to all Americans. President Johnson introduced affirmative action on June 4, 1965. He gave a speech defining the concept of affirmative action as a way of countering the discrimination that had continued despite the passing of civil rights laws and constitutional guarantees. On September 24, 1965 executive order 11246 enforced affirmative action for the first time (Brunner). Affirmative action was met with both support and opposition. Conservatives saw it as opening doors of opportunity for minorities while shutting them for whites, calling it reverse racism. Because many conservative Americans prided themselves on hard work and making a fortune out of nothing, they resented what they thought of as blacks getting a free ride. They argued that Jews and Asians also underwent harsh forms of racism and discrimination but are largely successful now without the use of Government aid (Brunner). Supporter... ...center.org/DB/factsheet/historical-trendsII.htm {scholarly primary, print via internet; authoritative} â€Å"Housing and Household Economic Statistics.† U.S. Census Bureau. www.census.gov/hhes/income {scholarly primary, internet only; authoritative} â€Å"Race: Overview.† Public Agenda. 2004. http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/overview.cfm?issue_type=race {scholarly secondary, internet only; authoritative} â€Å"Race: Quick Takes.† Public Agenda. 2004. http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/angles.cfm?issue_type=race {scholarly secondary, internet only; authoritative} Ward, Dr. David. â€Å"Affirmative Action.† 2001. http://enlightenment.supersaturated.com/essays/text/david ward {scholarly primary, print via internet; authoritative} R. Yetman, Norman. â€Å"Race and Ethnicity†. Sociology McGraw-Hill. 1994 316-359 {scholarly primary, print, authoritative)

Saturday, January 11, 2020

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Walt Disney Company

In organizations where there seems to be an increasing focus on unethical behavior within public companies from senior managers, it is vital that organizations establish policies and processes to ensure that it is complying with the rules and regulations put in place by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Walt Disney Company is able to meet its reporting requirements for the Security and Exchange Commission by using the following resources. The availability of technology, internal disclosure controls, internal controls over financial reporting, and independent accounting auditors who verify that these controls are in place and working as intended. The SEC requires that Disney posts all Interactive Data Files. These files are required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months. Viewing the Investor Relations tab of The Walt Disney Company corporate website shows that historical SEC filings are listed by category for a variety of required reports, including forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, 11-K, S-8, 425, S-4, and proxy statements. Disney uses internal disclosure controls by their policy that all SEC filings be signed by a senior member of the management. These people are President, CFO, Managing VP and Internal Counsel helps ensure that the filings are correct, comply with reporting requirements, and are communicated to the other stakeholders in the management of Disney. These are Board of Directors and other Senior Members of the management team. In an era where CEOs and CFOs are continually being called before US Congress to testify on the financial situation within their firms, this policy adds a layer of accountability to senior management. Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. Company management explicitly acknowledges their accountability for being able to create accurate, reliable, sufficiently detailed, and timely external financial reports Independent Accounting Auditors. Disney makes use of PricewaterhouseCoopers as an independent auditing firm to provide a third party analysis of their internal controls over financial reporting. In addition, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ own report to the Board of Directors and Shareholders of The Walt Disney Company is included in the Annual Report and discusses the process by which Disney’s internal controls over financial reporting are tested and audited to provide a reasonable level of assurance that the controls are working and that external financial reports are being reported based on generally accepted accounting principles as required by U. S. Law. By following all of the procedures that Disney has put into place they can be positive that they are following the SEC rules and regulations.