Capital Market Theories Market Efficiency Versus Investor Prospects Essay

Capital Market Theories Market Efficiency Versus Investor Prospects - Essay Example One example of such services is information technology consultancy provided by the external auditors to their audit clients. This approach was an already existing policy of many good governance advocates. The huge scandals that involved companies like, Enron and WorldCom, who were associated with accounting frauds characterized by presentation of obscure, incomplete and confusing financial data and business relationships that had misled external investors, had suggested the necessity to introduce an act that will impose strict regulations on the accounting system all over the world, thereby giving rise to a robust governance framework. That being said, it is not surprising that following the scandals, the reforms that were brought in the post-SOX governance framework were mostly related to the process of auditing and presenting financial data. The largest dollar impact on the US economy was stimulated by the post-SOX changes made in the auditing regulations. The post-SOX reforms were directed towards eliminating and reducing relationships that may pressurize, tempt or influence an external auditor into acting in a biased manner towards their corporate clients. The underlying idea behind these changes was to render the auditing officials less likely to fall into the pattern of acting as reciprocating relatives. This was done in order to satisfy their interests at the expense of the investments made by the public. As far as the new audit related changes in the board of governance is concerned, the mandates had called for changes to be made in the managerial level in order to reduce any conflict of interest and interpersonal pressures. This reform was brought primarily because it would require the directors to act as judgmental monitors of management instead of acting as a reciprocating friend. In addition to these rules that emphasized on conflict reduction, other standards were also

None Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

None - Term Paper Example These pollutants have migrated off the site which became the basis of the case. In late 2008, families in the small town of Attica, Indiana learned that toxic chemical vapors were entering the air inside their homes.   After getting the bad news, these families turned to The Pollution Lawyers for help.   A class suit was then filed against Kraft Foods Global, Inc. alleging that the volatile organic compounds trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) that was dumped at the manufacturing site by Kraft seeped into the groundwater and traveled underneath over  one-hundred nearby homes (Manzke, 2011).   It was alleged that once these chemicals are underneath these homes, the chemicals worked their way into the indoor air.   This process is commonly known as vapor intrusion (Manzke, 2011).   Vapor intrusion occurs when volatile chemicals from contaminated groundwater or soil â€Å"intrude† into an overlying building. These chemicals contaminate the air, causing a potential health hazard to individuals in the building who are subject to prolonged exposure to the chemicals (Nichols et al., 2011). After two years of litigation, a settlement was then reached. The court approved the amount of $8.1 million out of court settlement of the class action brought by 124 families in Attica, Indiana, against Kraft Foods alleging pollution from a nearby factory contaminated groundwater and caused vapor intrusion in their homes (Stoll v. Kraft Foods Global Inc.,  S.D. Ind., No. 1:09-cv-00364, 5/20/11). Also, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana approved the $2.7 million attorney’s fees that were requested plaintiffs. In addition to the monetary compensation,  Kraft has contractually agreed to remediate the groundwater and indoor air contamination of the site (Manzke, 2011). The $9.8 million ($8.1 million out of court settlement plus $2.7 million attorneys fees

Strategic Management and Business Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategic Management and Business Policy - Essay Example Then there are the consequential decisions which take up a lot of resources and thus demand high level commitment from the people at different levels within the organization. The last characteristic within the strategic decision understandings is that of directive decisions which set precedents for lesser decisions as well as the future actions that take place at varied levels of the organization (Hoffman, 2006). A strategic decision at my workplace has been in the form of an example that I can quote here. My boss once asked all the employees to think about the organization and cut back on late comings so that it could boost performance considerably. This was one consequential strategic decision that was taken by the boss so that the productivity could increase and thus the organization could achieve more success with the changing business times. The same were followed up by the employees and about 90% rate of success was achieved within that

What contribution does Slim make to Of mice an men Essay Example for Free

What contribution does Slim make to Of mice an men Essay For my coursework I am going to analyse the character of Slim and say what contribution he makes in Of Mice and Men. I will describe what he says, what he does, what other people think of him and his relationship with the other ranch hands. We first meet Slim on page fifty five, this is where the lines he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen and the prince of the ranch show how highly Slim is regarded by the ranch hands they use words that describe royalty like majesty, master and prince. Slim is not only respected for his skill as a ranch hand as they say he could kill fly on the wheelers butt with a bull whip without touching the mule but he is seen as a man who thinks things through especially before speaking when it says his ear heard more Finally to show how highly he is respected the text says his authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love. Steinbeck from the start makes Slim above the other men and this is continuous throughout the whole novel till the end of the story. Slim first major contribution is when George confides in him about how him and Lennie travel round together. Slim is clever in the way he brings this topic up as he says funny how you an him string along together. But he says it calmly and invitingly to George, also the tone Slim uses offers confidence to George to talk. There is a line that say Slim neither encouraged nor discouraged him. He just sat back quiet and receptive this shows that Slim is a good listener and does not push people to talk but people after starting a conversation with him start to open up and this is what George does and he has not known Slim long but feels that he can trust Slim and tell him about when he makes Lennie go in the Sacramento river and he gets that off his chest. After being able to confess to Slim about his crime against Lennie George believes that Slim is a good man and trustworthy so he tells him about the situation in Weed and this shows how much integrity Slim has and how he now acquired Georges respect. I feel Slim comforts George when he says he aint mean, I can tell a mean guy a mile off as well as being someone to confess too and talk too. I feel this moves the story forward as we have now filled in gaps out about George and Lennies past and how they met, also how George has learnt of Lennies behaviour and aunt Clara, the bringing together of the two guys You see how Slim is highly respected by the ranch hands when they turn to his decision when Carlson wants to kill Candys old dog. I feel there is pressure put on Slim throughout this scene when both parties of Candy and Carlson turn to him for advice and he has takes time over his decision and thinks it through show that he looks at everyones aspect in depth and decides whats best and this is as reason why ranch hands look too him for advice. I think Slim does not really wanted be involved as it says he seemed to shake himself free for speech. Also during this scene you see how he is admired when the man brings the magazine to share with Slim and it is like he is a little child trying to get Slims friendship but something, which seems treasured within the ranch hands is Slims respect. But Slim is dragged back into the debate of Candys dog right at the end and I feel that Slim has the power over the dogs life but can see why it should be killed as it is getting old and is quality of life is low but he wants the killing to be done properly and that is why he tells Carlson to take a shovel. I feel that when Slim says loudly one of my lead mules got a bad hoof. Got to get some tar off it he is trying to break the silence and say that life still goes on after death. I feel Slim shows the ranch hands that they should stand up to people when he is arguing with Curley and outwits him, but his respect is emphasised by the fact that Curley can not really answer back and he is in a higher position on the ranch, and you are told of Curleys violent nature and not once does he even physically threaten Slim, showing his importance on the ranch. We see in this scene how Slim and Curley are two different people respected for different reasons, Slim is highly respected for sure as this scene shows but Curley is not really respected but feared as he likes to attack and bully the other workers. When Curley starts to beat lennie you are asked the question why does not Slim intervene in the situation but I feel this contribute to the Of Mice and Men it could be that he underestimates Lennies true strength but we will never know. I feel Slim uses his power to his advantage when he tells Curley to say that his hand got caught in a machine, he shows kindness to George and Lennie and true understanding of Lennies condition being physical and mental as he has been informed by George when he confides in him and his strength when he is moving the big bags of hay on the ranch. I feel that you see the strength of Slims character when Curleys wife has died. When he inspects Curleys wife he does it with such softness and grace and shows respect for the dead, but he also understands there is no intention by lennie and the situation he will be in if Curley catches him and this is why he tries to stop Curley from going on the hunt for Lennie when he says I think you better stay here with your wife to Curley. Slim is the only ranch hand that understands the relationship between Lennie and George and so when George kills Lennie Slim is the only one who understands and that is why he tells him a guy got to sometimes and you hadda, George. I swear you hadda. And by taking him to the pub for a drink is his way of comforting but you know Slims understanding goes much deeper than the Carlson and Curley when the last comment is made of the book. I conclude that Slim is a vital person in the book and is the only character apart from George who understands friendship and has a full set of morals. Slim has so much respect it is like a power and he uses this to exercise morals on the ranch hands. He is like the god of the story and is kind of too good to be true and John Steinbecks description makes him ideal. The is one word that can sum up what everyone in the text thinks of him and that is respect and you wish that more ranch hands were like him. Throughout the whole of the story most ranch hands seem lonely but Slim never seems too I feel he has come to terms with the depression and accepts what seems to be the inevitable life of a migrant worker and that is too be alone but sees hope in George and Lennie. Also without a character like Slim, Curley would bully the ranch hands and he is so violent you are not sure what the story would be like without him.

Effectiveness of Play Therapy in Enhancing Social Skills

Effectiveness of Play Therapy in Enhancing Social Skills Effectiveness of Play Therapy in enhancing Social skills in Intellectually Disabled Children by Azka Tauqeer Asjad Abstract The present study was targeted to measure the effectiveness of play therapy in enhancing social skills in pre-diagnosed intellectually disabled children of mild and moderate level. The research was comprised of ten intellectually disabled children of mild and moderate level of ages 5-15 from Army Special Education Academy Rawalpindi. Social skills were considered as dependent variable, whereas play therapy as independent variable in this study. The method of this research was quasi, pretest-posttest type with an experimental and control group. Social Skills Checklist (Heather Thomas, 2013) was administered in pretest and posttest. It was hypothesized that play therapy on experimental group will be effective as it will produce significant positive results in enhancing social skills as compared to the control group. The analysis included paired sample t-test and findings were presented in tabulated form. The current study will help in understanding the use of play therapy to facilitate children with intellectual disability and it will bridge the gap between the mental health needs of exceptional children and the available services. Play therapy is a therapeutic process between the client and the therapist where the therapist uses play as a therapeutic intervention for solving the child’s emotional and social difficulties and for incorporating required skills and appropriate behavior (Association for Play Therapy). Play therapy acts as a mode of communication between the therapist and the child. This method is based on the assumption that play is a way of children making contact with their environment. Play therapy is to children what counseling and psychotherapy is to adults. Young children express themselves comfortably through play when they cannot through meaningful conversation. Therefore, play is an indirect way for therapists to understand and alter children’s perceptions, cognitions, and behaviors. Intellectual disability stands for impairments in overall mental abilities which affects adaptive functioning skills of three multiple domains or areas that arise during the passage of children’s development. Limitations should be present in comparison to other peoples of the same age, gender, and social-cultural upbringing. These individuals show difficulties perceiving and assimilating new informa ­tion, learning new things quickly and completely, applying knowledge and skills to solve new problems, thinking imaginatively and flexibly, and responding swiftly and correctly. The criteria identify three domains of adaptive function ­ing i.e. conceptual, social, and practical. Individuals with intellectual disability should show impair ­ment in at least one domain. The first one is conceptual domain that includes skills in language, reading, writing, mathematics, reasoning, knowledge and the ability to learn and remember information and skills. The second domain is social skills which includes interpersonal communication skills, empathy rules following, social adjustment, understanding others, making and maintaining friends. The last domain is Practical skills and it includes activities of daily living skills including personal care safety, home activities, school/work skills recreational activities and using money. (DSM V) In the case of children with intellectual disability, thorough training is required to integrate appropriate social behavior. If the intellectually disabled children are provided the opportunity to socialize with others during childhood, they will achieve social competency. Therefore training should be started very early (NIMH, 1990). Social development is multidimensional processes through which children gain competencies and the required social behavior that enable them to function in a social environment appropriately, in a way that is favorable to their welfare and to that of others as well. Social skills have been described in various terms. Eisenberg and Harris (1984) have defined it as developmentally related abilities that lead towards achieving the optimal level of social competence. According to Charon (1986), social skills are a composition of skills that enables us to interact, socialize and develop relationships with others. They are comprised of both verbal and non-verb al types of communication. According to American Psychological School Association (2012), schools are a source of enhancing and developing social skills. According to them, social skills stand for the acceptable set of behavior and etiquettes to behave and interact in the society and to refrain from the negative behaviors unacceptable in the community as a byproduct of these positive influences and interactions. If there are services provided in school environment where concern is focused by the counselor on the social skills and interpersonal development of the students, it can also boost the academic performance (McClelland, Morrison, Holmes, 2000). If the children achieved meaningful and positive interpersonal relationships in the elementary years i.e. 6-12 ages; they will have the ability to face the challenges of adolescence and perform much better in their social and academic lives (Feldman, 2014). Wlkinson and Carter (1982), author of the Social Skills Training Manual; included social behaviors which are: greeting behaviors such as hand shaking; smiling; hugging; saying: â€Å"Hi†; in communicating with others, maintaining eye contact and be at a reasonable distance. Inappropriate social behavior of intellectually disabled children may be due to their incorrect perception about their social environment and situations. They may be facing difficulties in understanding and identifying social relationships, misguiding others feelings and inability to understand the required social rules conformity. They may also be unable to understand different manners and ways of communicating with peers, adults and family (Kronick, 1983). Children express themselves freely in play therapy because it is a condition which does not lead to any serious consequences although it is fun and joyful. It helps the child in forgetting the frightening world and it provides a safe environment where risk can be taken and there can be no rules or social conformity and the child is independent from the real world (Skynner Cleese 1983:298). Play is not any artificial environment created by the therapist or experimenter; instead it is child’s natural world where they could be free from obstacles of daily life charades. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights states that play is an undeniable right for every child in 1989. The American Academy of Pediatrics published a white paper to commemorate the significance of play for the healthy growth and development of the children (Ginsberg, 2007). Play therapy provides a safe, nurturing and comfortable environment where children play out what they have experienced, their reactions and feelings about those experiences, what they need in their lives, and how they feel about themselves. Play is also use to teach new skills to the client. Therefore it is a complete therapeutic process. Play therapy is the most effective way as it makes the child feel safer. It is a place which is completely safe, a place where the child is accepted as the person he is. It is an active process where the child is allowed to be creative, make mistakes and be himself. Play is a mode of embracing new information and making it part of their personalities. Social Skills and Play Therapy Social skills stand for the ways which the child could in order to relate with others, to make new friends, to express their needs. It makes the child understand his boundaries, others feelings and needs and he learn cooperation. For the social skills to be developed completely, the child has to understand and be familiar with multiple actions and behaviors and be aware about the consequences. As stated by Landreth (2001), all children can gain positive behaviors and influences by engaging in a controlled play therapy where they are given the chance to exercise their social skills. Group play therapy could also benefit the child in refining new skills, accepting their social self and their peers, identifying their social capabilities and in achieving self-control (Landreth et al., 2005). Counseling provided at elementary level in the school setting help children in learning of new skills as well as in becoming aware and responsive of their customs, values and priorities (Gladding, 2011). Working along a small group who are experiencing the same difficulties enhance the abilities of students to work out their social, psychological and emotional challenges (Campbell Bowman, 1993). Functional skills are important for the intellectual disabled children to learn in the educational process as unlike to normal children who could adopt the required behaviors and skills through observation of their environment and daily experience. The curriculum of intellectually disabled children is planned by keeping in the view the importance of teaching daily life skills. Even the basic things such as putting nuts and bolts together are practiced by the children. The intellectual disabled children require direct training in specific activities and tasks lo learn generalization and to perform the tasks more regularly and easily (Narayan Kutty, 1998). Teaching the age appropriate social skills helps the child in acquiring the skills compulsory for living independently in the social community. The program for teaching such skills differs from the regular academic curriculum and it maximizes the self-esteem, independence and competence in daily life of the children (Heward, 2006). It is stated that a small group intervention can contribute positively in the process of developing social skills (Kayler Sherman, 2009). Group interventions provide the opportunity to develop and sustain relationships as well as enhance the personal characteristics that could influence accomplishment. It is a multidimensional, effective and efficient method of teaching new behaviors and skills (Akos Milsom, 2007). Theories of Intellectual Disability The intellectual disabled also progress through the same cognitive developmental stages defined by Piaget as their peers (Zigler, 1969). The only difference is that their cognitive stages develop much slower and their cognitive abilities cannot be compared with a non-disabled individual. An intellectual disabled individual cannot reach the mature level of cognitive functioning at any point. According to the various studies, intellectual disabled individuals will perform poor on cognitive tasks as compared to the control group of same mental age level. It was known was â€Å"mental-age lag† phenomena (Spitz, 1982). According to developmental theorists, children suffering from intellectual disability also experience the similar information restructuring as explained by Piaget, but their process is much slower as compared to the normal children. According to Anderson, Children with intellectual disability have slower speed of processing and this is the reason that they could understand information in chunks as compared to information in whole. The individuals with intellectual disability, whether they are children or adult, they will face deficits in intellectual abilities and knowledge processing in comparison to the individuals with same mental age. It means that intellectual disability has an enduring and lasting effect which cannot be reversed. The consequences of intellectual disability may differ from person to person as different abilities level present in people without any such difficulty. Approximately 90% of the intellectual disabled are at mild level and they only differ from normal population as they are much slower in learning new set of skills and information. Rest of the 10% will have complications in daily functioning and social skills (Gallagher et al., 2000). If they are diagnosed in early years and a proper individual educational plan is formulated according to their specific needs; they can become a supportive and contributing member of the society. Children with intellectual disability have the capability to learn things in the same 12 learning techniques as other normal children do, but due to their labeling and exclusion from normal education, they are often failed to see as learners. This is the lead reason which cause low literacy level in intellectual disabled population. The researcher conducted a meta-analysis of the researches on intellectual disability and learning in special education and only one of the research results pointed out that special education proved useful for children with intellectual disabilities. In the other researches, learning at home and normal institutions also seemed to benefit the intellectual disabled (Jackson, 1994).

War on Drugs: Germany compared to the Netherlands Essay -- Drug Enforc

The War on Drugs One of the key aspects to consider when evaluating domestic political actors preferences towards policies pertaining to illegal drug use in both the Netherlands and Germany is to evaluate their ideological differences. The Netherlands attitude towards drug policy revolves around limiting the negative impacts illegal drug use has on society by implementing laws catered towards decriminalization. On the other hand, Germany considers drugs a detriment to society and promotes legislation that proactively restricts the flow of supply and demand of illegal drugs within the country. Now that both countries ideological differences have been brought to light, we must also consider the origins of those ideas and how they transcended into public policy. One of the significant driving forces behind the shaping of any policy are those political actors who reside in the country. The objective of any political actor is to influence public preference by sponsoring changes in policy. Just like the U nited States, both Germany and the Netherlands have organizations within their own country that promote policies to the public in an attempt to sway their opinion on an issue. The investigation of political actors in Germany and the Netherlands will allow one to obtain a greater understand of why their stance on illegal drug use is the way it is. German policies reflect a hard-line approach on drug enforcement. Non-governmental organizations such as the Jeunesse Anti Drogue promote, â€Å"Stiffer penalties for individuals charged with the sale of illegal drugs within the proximity of a school† (Jeuness Anti Drogue 2005). Many organizations similar to Jeunesse provide a supportive platform for parties such as the National Democratic Party... ..., we are able to better understand why policies differ from country to country. Works Cited 1. German Youth Against Drugs. 2005. Jeuness Anti Drogue.2005. (Accessed February 3, 2012). 2. Netherlands Drugs Policy Foundation. 2009. Stichting Drugsbeleid. (Accessed February 3, 2012). 3. Startseite Der Webseite. 2006. Des Verein Fà ¼r Drogenpolitik (Accessed February 3, 2012). 4. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2005. German Non-Governmental Organizations (Accessed February 3, 2012). 5. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2005. Netherlands Non-Governmental Organizations (Accessed February 3, 2012).

College: Worth It or Not Essay

â€Å"College is a Waste of Time and Money† by Caroline Bird suggests that a college education is forced upon those who attend. As a student you shouldn’t lack the enthusiasm or motivation or it won’t be what you thought it would be. Bird states that those who think that going to college is a way to prepare for your future job are wrong, for there are students who are successful because of their family background. Bird makes valid points in her essay, but it isn’t all true to say that college wastes a student’s money and time and showing that going to college can benefit you in the end by giving you a well-paid job and having knowledge of new skills. Throughout high-school, students are taught that college is a great route to take. Bird states, â€Å"This is the way it used to be with women, and just as a society had systematically damaged women by insisting that their proper place was in the home, so we may be systematically damaging 18 yr-olds by insisting that their proper place is in college† (p.9). They even have classes now that prepare you for that next big step, like taking AVID classes. AVID is a college readiness system for elementary through high school. AP classes are also available to students in high school. AP stands for advanced placement classes, which have a curriculum that you get when in college. Many may say that it is not worth taking classes like that, but also some may say that it is beneficial even if you don’t go to college or not. It has become â€Å"The thing to do’ says Bird. Going to college has now become something like a popularity contest, where you attend because everyone else is and your parents think it is right. Parents go along with it, not â€Å"thinking of the â€Å"higher† good at all. They send their children to college because they are convinced young people benefit financially from those four years of higher education† (p. 24). Parents are only thinking of the money that will come from spending money on that education. My parents in are complete opposites of all that. They encouraged me to go college so I can better myself as a person. I will be the first, also, to go to college to get my degree in a profession. Students also feel like ‘they are not needed† so they attend college where they can feel like they may become something. Bird argues and tells us that we should force our students to go into college, and according to a study by Leon, 200 of 300 students felt that college education is a waste of money, so forcing them to go may not even work. (p. 18) Bird isn’t in an agreement that college education will help the students to make money in the future: â€Å"if making money is the only goal, college is the dumbest investment you can make† (p. 24). Bird furthers this testimonial by comparing the money that would be spent on education versus money that is put in a bank for interest. Even when the graduates do succeed in having good jobs, there is no evidence that money comes from the college education as college can attract students who have a wealthy family background (p. 31). There are those who just go college to go, but than can take over a family business or something. Then their wealth comes from that. College can open doors to jobs in the areas of teaching, medicine and research though such opportunities are scarce. Bird says that studies show that very often, the work attached to the jobs is totally unrelated to their college education and this is true for architects, nurses, teachers and other professionals (p. 48). So those who go into a profession that is meant to help others, you don’t take what you learned from college into that profession, you learn throughout your working years. This means that college education does not prepare the student for the job market. Bird is convinced that â€Å"college doesn’t make people intelligent, ambitious, happy or liberal. It’s the other way around. Intelligent, ambitious, happy, liberal people are attracted to higher education in the first place† (p. 52). Bird concludes that college education is for students who can afford money and time to read and learn and there must be alternatives provided for youngsters to have a good future. â€Å"College is a Waste of Time and Money† does give valid points in what Bird was trying to argue. College has become more expensive for a few days of school work that may not even help you in the future and students do have the wrong perception on what college is. But a college education does have its upsides. A college education is a journey that everyone, who has the right attitude about education, should take. College prepares a student for being independent by teaching them learning skills that can be used lifelong. The values you learn, leadership and social skills that you can gain, and the character and attitude of a student is enhanced by going to college.