The Switch

After my second year in high school, I made a decision that would turn out to be life changing. This decision wasn't life changing in the way that getting married or going to college would be, but I really learned a lot about myself that summer. What I'm about to tell you is what happened when I switched from Marching Band to Football. I will explain to you why this switch was such a big deal to me and what I learned about myself from it. Switching from Marching Band to Football after mySophomore year of high school changed the way I saw myself because I found I have a strong enough will to follow my heart despite controversy with others, I have a strong desire to be in control of my life, and I have an aggressive side that had not shown itself before. While making the decision to change from one activity to another, my own self- reliance and confidence really took over and helped me to deal with the controversy among my friends and teammates. My friends and band director wanted me t o stay in the marching band because I was a section leader with three years of experience ho was up for the Drum Major position.Naturally, this put me under a lot of social pressure. On top of that, my new teammates on the football team weren't exactly thrilled to have a tuba player trying out for the team. They used to make fun of me quite a bit, until I proved myself out on the field, that is. Another significant hurdle was telling my parents that I wanted to switch. I knew that my parents said they would support me in any decision I make, that isn't life threatening, but I wasn't sure if they would condone me playing football, which is probably one of the most angerous sports in the world if you don't practice proper technique.The fact that I was able to deal with all this and still stick to my guns showed me I was strong enough to follow my heart and cut my own path. Especially after considering the craziest part out of this whole thing, before this I never had been one to go ag ainst the grain. I had been a people pleaser my whole life and was afraid of making anyone mad at me. So, now that IVe explained the situation I found myself in, the reason I put myself in that position was because of a realization I had while sitting in the stands with the and at a football game during my sophomore year.I realized that I didn't enjoy sitting on the sidelines watching the action happen. I wanted to be out there in the middle of it. It made me think about how I always took the path of least resistance in every aspect of my life. I was always trying to make everyone around me happy when I wasn't completely happy myself. Watching that football game, I felt like I was the stands watching it go by, powerless to influence to course of fate. This mindset is what helped me to strengthen my will to follow my heart and do what I wanted to do. That night, I discovered my desire to have control of the direction my life was going in.On top of wanting to steer my life in the dire ction I wanted, that night I also discovered that I have an aggressive side that makes want to prove what I'm worth, fght to win, and be remembered. In every sport I'd ever done up to that point in my life, from Baseball to Karate to Wrestling, every single one of my coaches I'd ever had told me that I don't have a mean bone in my body, and I thought they were right. I always had a hard time with being competitive because I didn't want to hurt anyone nd I was somewhat content to sit in the dugout or on the sidelines unless subbed in.That is, until I had this self-realization one day in the stands. After that, a fire lit in my belly that hadn't been there before and I was ready to show everyone what I could do. This fire didn't go away and, actually, still hasn't to this day. And so, I Joined the football team and said good bye to the marching band as my first official act of taking control of my life. Looking back, I don't regret being in the marching band for three years, but I do ish I had played football all four years of my high school career.Unfortunately, I never felt the urge to play until that moment of self-realization that my life would pass me by if I didn't take hold, that night in the stands. And I never would have had the determination to follow my heart without that fiery passion in my gut that was ignited that night. In the grand scheme of things, this decision was very minor in nature, switching from one extracurricular activity to another. However, for me, it was a very momentous and self-awakening experience where I discovered how strong I can be.

Knowledge to Assess Essay

Sources A and B agree with the interpretation that the creation of the Kingdom of Northern Italy was due mainly to the support of France with Source A arguably providing the strongest argument for this. Both the Sources confirm that France was committed to providing military assistance to Piedmont with Source A clearly stating that France has ‘decided to support Piedmont with all [their] power in a war against Austria’ and Source B backing this up by saying ‘Piedmont might rely upon our vigorous support if attacked by Austria’. Both the Sources also prove that French support was important as both Sources show concern for the diplomatic consequences in the event of war with Austria with Source A saying ‘provided the war could be justified in diplomatic circles and in the eyes of†¦French public opinion’ and Source B confirming this by saying ‘my first duty was to my country and its interests’. Both Sources are reliable as evidence that the creation of the Kingdom of Northern Italy was due mainly to the support of France. In Source A, Cavour is attempting to persuade the King to support war as Piedmont has the support of the French. The author and purpose prove reliable as at the Congress of Paris after the Crimean War, a healthy relationship was established between Piedmont and France. Cavour is right to say such things in his letter as Napoleon did in fact show a great enthusiasm for the Italian cause and was a dedicated supporter of the Carbonari in his youth. In Source B, Napoleon is attempting to gain support from Queen Victoria of England whilst not alarming her at the prospect of war with Austria, a country whom she was pre-disposed to liking. What Napoleon says in Source B is unsurprising and he is correct to say such things as 7 months have passed since the ‘secret meeting’ at Plombieres which was in fact no longer secret by now. Tensions had been raised and Napoleon had become alarmed by this. The author, date and purpose of Source B prove reliable in Source B as well as Source A. The importance of French support is also mentioned briefly in Source E where Victor Emmanuel states that Piedmont has ‘gratitude to France for the services she has rendered to Italy’ and makes a ‘sacrifice’ for France. Again Source E is reliable as  concessions in the form of Savoy and Nice were made to France in return for their support in the 1859 war against Austria. Arguably Source C also implies that French support was important in creating the Kingdom of Northern Italy. Piedmont are seen to be struggling alone and French support was therefore important in victories such as those at Magenta and Solferino where French military support was the main factor in securing the victory. To conclude, Sources A and B provide the strongest evidence that French support was the main reason that a Kingdom of Northern Italy was created with Sources C and E also backing this up. Source A and B are reliable, accurate evidence considering opinions from both the French and Piedmontese making this group in support of the interpretation very strong. On the other hand, Sources C, D and E disagree with the interpretation that the creation of the Kingdom of Northern Italy was due mainly to the support of France with Sources E and D providing the strongest argument for this and claiming Piedmontese initiatives to be of greater importance. Both these Sources state that the work of Piedmontese citizens were far more important in securing the creation of a Kingdom of Northern Italy with Source E clearly stating ‘central Italy has been delivered thanks to the remarkable courage of its inhabitants’ and ‘Lombardy has been freed thanks to the glorious exploits of our heroes’ and Source D backing this up by saying ‘Assemblies which now exist in central Italy’. Contrastingly, Source C claims that French support was extremely lacking and accuses Napoleon of inactivity and duplicity, forcing the burden of the war effort to be shouldered by Piedmont whilst implying that France were self-interested and enquiring as to what they would get out of it. Sources D and E are reliable as evidence that the creation of the Kingdom of Northern Italy was due to Piedmontese initiatives. In Source D, Walewski is warning the Piedmontese of the consequences of sidelining the French in the Central Duchies. Walewski is right to make such warnings as the French had concerns about instability spreading into the Papal States and that therefore the terms of the Villafranca agreement would be invalid and Piedmont would not be guaranteed the possession of Lombardy. In Source E, Victor Emmanuel is attempting to explain to the Parliament in Turin why he has ‘sacrificed’ ‘Savoy and Nice’. What Victor Emmanuel says in source E is also unsurprising as it is typical of him to make a Risorgimento speech crediting Italians rather than the French as he was a believer in ‘Italia fara da se’. The date of Source E also makes it reliable as in April 1860, the war against Austria had finished and, when compared with source C and D, Victor Emmanuel has the advantage of hindsight enabling him to comment on both the importance of Italian initiatives as well as French support, despite leaving ‘the services’ that France rendered to Italy undefined. However, Source C is far less reliable as evidence that the creation of the Kingdom of Northern Italy was not due to the support of France. In Source C, the English political cartoon is attempting to belittle the importance of French support by making the French out to look greedy. What the cartoonist shows in Source C is unsurprising as British hostility toward Napoleon and the French was rife due to the long wars with Napoleon Bonaparte which ended in 1815 and the bitter relations that then existed between the British and the French. To conclude, sources B and D, written by the French Napoleon and Walewski stress the importance French in regard to diplomacy and agreements made between France and Piedmont. Sources A and E however, written by the Piedmontese Cavour and Victor Emmanuel stress the role of Cavour’s diplomacy and Italian heroes whilst simply acknowledging moral and military support of the French. In summary, the importance of the French was an extremely important factor in the creation of a Kingdom of Northern Italy as France provided military support at the battles of Magenta and Solferino and gave Lombardy and eventually Venetia over to Piedmont thus creating a Kingdom of Northern Italy.

Attitudes Of University Students In Lebanon Towards Homosexuality

Attitudes Of University Students In Lebanon Towards Homosexuality Recently, almost all cultures have witnessed increasing trends in homosexuality. As a result, more and more organizations protecting gay, lesbian, and bisexual rights have emerged. One factor that seems to affect the emotional and social development of gays and lesbians is the attitudes of society toward them (Bowen Negy Landen Grapes, 2006). Studies conducted in the United States, Australia, Turkey, Hong Kong, Sweden and Canada have indicated that most attitudes towards gays and lesbians are negative in general (Negy Landen Hopwood Schellenberg, Hirt, Landen Hopwood Schellenberg, Hirt, Negy Landen Grapes, 2006; Jonathan, 2008). Because of the lack of empirical evidence on the attitudes in Lebanon towards gay men and lesbians, it is important that this study be conducted so as to set stable grounds for this issue. The purpose of this study was to measure the attitudes of undergraduate university students in Lebanon towards gay men and lesbians. Hopwood and Connors (2002) examined the attitudes of undergraduate students toward homosexuality at a university in Australia. The first hypothesis was that homophobic males were most likely to be religious and politically conservative. The second hypothesis stated that levels of homophobia would be more prevalent among business majors than humanities majors.

Critical factors for successful implementation of ERP systems Research Paper

Critical factors for successful implementation of ERP systems - Research Paper Example Organizations are struggling to integrate new systems, introduce different ways to survive, and acquire the latest strategy possible. Successful system integration efforts provide competitive edge. The Information revolution has spawned numerous technologies geared towards automating the office. Information Systems has created new paradigm shifts in organizational processes. The trend in organizations is implementing Enterprise Resource Planning and Information Systems solutions such as groupware and enterprise applications, for example databases or shared repositories, intranets, workflow, imaging systems, and other customized applications. Technological advancement and continuous innovations have motivated organizations and businesses to react to changes in the global competition. Organizations have to reorganize, reevaluate and reprogram outdated functions and activities, and realign them to the present trends for improvement and competition. Personnel and field people, ordinary employees, including middle-level and top management have to refocus along the line of technological innovations. IT applications provide easy handling of strategic operations and other supervisory and managerial functions of the organization. External and internal environments in organizations are becoming complex; thus they are handled with a globally-oriented brand of management, with the aid of Information Technology. Corporate management is now handling a global-scale brand of management, requiring a different kind of strategy, much distinct from traditional management. Changes in the system demand new ways to integrate functions in the organization. Successful system integration efforts provide competitive edge. Motivations to integrate revolve around technological issues and globalization. Organizations however have limited options, and have to migrate to newer technologies (Mische,

The Uranium Problem On Navajo Reservation Research Paper - 3

The Uranium Problem On Navajo Reservation - Research Paper Example The legal problems associated with the mines concern the state-corporate crimes, which motivated the need to engage in the mines for government and corporate profits at the expense of the local community. The uranium problem on the reservation has persisted for several decades without any solutions while the native inhabitants on the reserve are increasingly affected environmentally, economically, in terms of health, and legally by the crimes the government had engaged in. The uranium mines have made life unbearable for the natives and social ills within the reservation have been on the rise. It is, therefore, important that the problems on the reservation be addressed to ensure that the native community lives a meaningful life like any other individuals across the country. The uranium problem on the Navajo reservation affects the environment on the reserve immensely. At the end of the World War I, mining of vanadium began around Navajo nation, and later uranium. The uranium extracted from the local mines on the reservation were heaped in containers and shoved to the side. After a while, the significance of uranium increased and its extraction increased. The stacked uranium materials on the reserve were removed by affluent ventures, which had the ability to invest in the resources therein. Uranium mined on the reservation increased and so did the negative environmental effects it posted on the reserve. Unfortunately, neither were the native community on the reserve sensitized on the environmental consequences of the mines nor did the government take any measures to preserve the local environment from pollution. During the 1950s, the environmental problems of uranium mining in the Navajo Nation were brought to the attention of the government and the bure aucrats, but they ignored the warnings (Robinson, n.d.).

Strategy, Analysis, Recommendation and Implementation of the Company Essay

Strategy, Analysis, Recommendation and Implementation of the Company Gap Inc - Essay Example Competitors such as Ambercrombie and Fitch are already moving towards this direction. However, given the Company's expertise, it is not yet late to launch the Banana Republic, Old Navy and Forth and Towne brands; and to capture a substantial share in these potential markets. The last five years have been commendable for GAP Incorporated due to the revived customer interest in its product lines. A lot of innovations were introduced in the previous year which reaped rewards for the Company, which includes the following: 2. Hands-on management of executives, from the centralized procurement of supplies, to ocular visits to the factories; these would ensure that products are manufactured in accordance with the company's penchant for quality, reliability and compliance to set international production standards; 3. The compensation package plus rewards system afforded to deserving executives achieved wonders for the company. In return, extra effort has been rendered, countless hours have been spent so that products could be delivered on time; 4. Massive shop expansion was a very aggressive stance of the company that helped prop-up sales. But some shops are not strategically located, if not poorly thought of, so that upper management decided to close these shops eventually. This hurt the image of Gap Incorporated and also transmitted wrong signals to competitors. Downsizing these shops would have been a better option since these shops are being used also by internet shoppers to pick up orders purchased online. Also, a rewards system for employees was not installed at the company's manufacturing plant. This is necessary in order to boost production and maintain quality standards in the product. Workers are after all the backbone of a company. 5. Increased online purchases really spiced up sales. Recommendation To increase Gap's profitability and create an extended market for its specialty apparel products, the company should expand in other countries. It is important to note that more than half of the world's population is concentrated in Asia which makes countries in this region a large potential market for Gap's various product lines. Furthermore, what is recommended is to adapt the sound and solid strategy employed by Gap Incorporated in the US; but only after some fine tuning stated as follows: 1. All efforts should be geared towards penetrating the Asian market with modifications employed to fit market preferences, i.e. Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam who are fairly conservative people will most probably require simple and conservative clothing as well. The fashion capital of Asia is Hong Kong. Neighboring countries, such as the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, to name a few do most of their shopping in this former British Colony. So, what is "in" in Hong Kong, will influence the choice of apparel throughout Asia. 2. Hire topnotch Asian designers to collaborate with Gap Incorporated's designers in the US for the development and introduction of new designs or product lines in these new markets.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 64

History - Essay Example A powerful and epic movie, stuffed with splendidly colorful anecdotes that the medieval age can supply. The director departs radically from tradition and vividly exposes Muslim motivations and strategies. The movie gives both Christians and Muslims perspective on the holy war. The movie offers piercing insight while it exposes the full horror, barbaric grandeur and passion of the crusading era. Thomas Asbridge uncovers aspects that drove Christians and Muslims to uphold the ideals of crusade and Jihad. The movie also reveals how wars reshaped the old era and why they continue to influence world activities to this day. The movie contains the strange history of the Papacy from two thousand years ago up to the time in power of Pope John Paul II. The fascinating movie would interest anyone willing to comprehend the account of the Catholic Church and the political, cultural and ideological forces that have shaped the current world. The movie also contains an introduction to modern civilization and how it was influenced by the church. The director demonstrates the papal roll of respect and disrespect and carefully re-creates the social, economic and political background to various

Week 10 Ethical-legal issues as an Advanced Practice Nurse Assignment

Week 10 Ethical-legal issues as an Advanced Practice Nurse - Assignment Example nurses to recognize that they should expose themselves to opportunities that allow them to take part in policymaking, as well as to influence changes that will improve the country’s healthcare system (Kjervik & Brous, 2010). In the second passage, the writer is equally up to the task of briefly discussing the influence that a nurse has in outcomes in healthcare using ethical models and frameworks in solving ethical and moral dilemmas. With regards to the role of ethics, many nurses are faced with practice dilemmas when it comes to situations that involve individual care for the patient (Jansen & Zwygart-Stauffacher, 2010). The writer, however, should have gone further to mention the manner in which ethical justice principles should guide equal and fair treatment for all patients and how nurses have to deal with the consequences that arise due to a limitation in societal and organizational financial resources (Grace, 2009). As aptly covered by the writer, the skills and knowledge of a nurse are essential factors that contribute to a practicing nurse’s ability to influence patient care in a way that is

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Summary - Essay Example As ethics cannot be defined on the basis of feelings, science, cultural norms and laws it is difficult to identify the ethical standards. Experts have recommended five sources that are likely to help in developing the ethical standards. The first one is the Utilitarian approach in which ethical action is expected to produce ‘the least harm’ or ‘the most good’. In the second approach which is ‘the rights approach’, an action that respects and best protects the moral rights of all those who are involved, is the ethical. In the justice approach, all individuals are treated equally by an ethical action. The common good approach says that the ethical reasoning is based on the interlocking relationships that exist in the society. The fifth approach i.e. the virtue approach suggests that ethical actions should be consistent with specific ideal virtues which help the process of development of humanity. One may find it difficult to identify the ethical s tandards even after using all these approaches together (Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University). Ethical decision making requires enough sensitivity to various ethical issues as well as a method that is already practiced for exploring different ethical aspects. A framework is developed for making ethical decisions. According to this framework, ethical decision can be made by following few steps. The first of these is to identify the ethical issue which is followed by the collection of facts regarding the issue. Once this is done, alternative actions are needed to be evaluated by asking few questions that would be based on the five approaches that are already discussed. Finally a decision can be made and tested. Based on its outcome, further modifications can be made to make it more ethical (Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara

English-Drama Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English-Drama - Assignment Example erican Dream does have some common elements such as a house, leisure time and the natural result of average effort, yet each individual must realize that their idea of home and their concept of leisure might be vastly different from another person’s. Unless you know what the dream means to you, it remains impossible to attain, but many people fail to provide themselves with that clear sense of definition. In his play, Death of a Salesman, playwright Arthur Miller presents the story of Willy Loman and his last ditch efforts to achieve the American Dream he envisions for himself and his family. This paper argues that Miller’s play illustrates the problem of fuzzy definition, discovers the actual elusiveness of the American Dream and that the play itself argues for an adjustment of our concepts of this term in favor of something more personal. Throughout Miller’s play, Willy Loman continues to compare himself to a vague notion he has of the American Dream. The idea of the house being an integral part of the Dream is brought in almost immediately as Willy observes to his wife â€Å"Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and there’s nobody to live in it† (4). This statement reveals the emptiness Willy has found in the accomplishment of providing his family with a home of their own as his sons prepare to leave again. As Linda tries to soothe him, he reminds her â€Å"some people accomplish something† (4). By making this statement, he is indicating that simply owning a home and raising a family isn’t enough to give him the sense of satisfaction he’d thought he’d have at this point in his life. Willy’s ideas are shown to be flawed as he talks with his boys in several memory scenes. In these scenes, he is seen to be attempting to inflate his own importance and the prestige of his job: â€Å"they know me boys, they know me up and down New England. The finest people. And when I bring you fellas up, there’ll be open sesame for all of

State of the U.S. economy for the first half of 2008 Essay Example for Free

State of the U.S. economy for the first half of 2008 Essay In the first half of 2008, four things are pummeling the typical American: the housing bust, the credit crunch, higher fuel and food costs and, most recently, a weakening labor market. The unemployment rate rose to 5. 1% in March, while the private sector lost jobs for the fourth month in a row. Consumer confidence is in a 26-year low. Feeling poorer and with fewer people prepared to lend money, consumers are cutting back. Seeing that consumer spending accounts for 70% of American demand, makes it more difficult for the economy especially when it is coupled with a collapse in the once mighty construction industry. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) now officially predicts an American recession in 2008. (The Economist). For the first time, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke conceded that the U. S. economy may slip into recession but said growth should pick up later this year as the impact of interest rate cuts and other emergency steps take root. Bernanke told a congressional panel that the economy appeared to be growing, but warned it could shrink in the first half of 2008 as housing and financial markets remain distressed despite dramatic Fed interest rate cuts and emergency lending (Reuters). Volatility and crisis were the watchwords of the U. S. economy in 2007 buffeted by rising oil prices and the subprime mortgage crisis. Their combined impact stretched into 2008 especially in the first half, slowing economic growth. The impact of these factors was felt in the broader economy undermining both business investment and consumer confidence. The U. S. Chamber of Commerce appears to be more optimistic predicting modest growth averaging about 2% in the first half of the year, an improvement over a weak fourth quarter of 2007. Growth should increase to 2. 5% in the second half, as the housing sector bottoms out. Job growth will continue, albeit at a relatively slow pace-with the unemployment rate rising slightly above 5%. Corporate profits should improve as 2008 progresses and business investment will pick up modestly by the middle of the year. Export growth will continue to brighten the overall economic picture. Inflation will be in the moderate range, making further interest rate reductions less likely as the year progresses (US Chamber of Commerce). As 2008 progressed, many Americans experienced a growing despair as they watched their largest asset- the family home- decline in value. The United States is experiencing its worst housing recession in more than 15 years. Underscoring the breadth of the real estate recession, sales of existing homes fell in 45 states and Washington D. C. and prices dropped in more than half the metro areas it tracks according to the National Association of Realtors. In fact, homes are selling at a price 24% less than year ago as foreclosures continue to increase dramatically at 57% in Southern California. The slide in sales are predicted to persist and prices will likely fall throughout 2008, according to a majority of economists surveyed last month by USA TODAY (Knox). The housing downturn is spreading more broadly through the economy. Employers are shedding jobs, consumer confidence and spending have been shaken, and lenders have pulled back. If not for stronger demand for U. S. goods brought on by a weaker dollar, the economy would be in worse shape. To cushion the effect of the on-going crisis, the Federal Reserve has slashed interest rates, promised more cuts if the economy stays weak and perhaps most importantly sharply reduced the odds of financial-market catastrophe by extending its safety net to investment banks. The Federal Reserve has lowered benchmark interest rates by three percentage points to 2. 25 percent since mid-September to help put a floor under an economy hit hard by a housing slump and credit market turmoil. Bernanke said those rate cuts and other emergency measures to thaw frozen credit markets should promote growth over time. Also, Bernanke staunchly defended the Federal Reserves decision last month to broker JPMorgan Chases (JPM) takeover of investment bank Bear Stearns, (BSC) including approval of a loan backed by $30 billion of Bear Stearns assets. According to Bernanke, â€Å"A Bear Stearns default could have sparked a chaotic unwinding affecting the overall economy. Given exceptional pressures on the global economy and financial system, the damage caused by a potential Bear Stearns default could have been severe and extremely difficult to contain† (Kirchhoff). In retrospect, if the Federal Reserve did not intervene bankruptcy was inevitable which might have caused the U. S. and global markets to collapse. Even though the economy is slowing, inflation, boosted by skyrocketing energy and food prices remains a concern and constraint for the central bank. Another factor would be the declining value of the dollar; if the dollar buys less, inflation rises. The Federal Reserve data show that the U. S. dollar has declined about 10 percent over the past year against a trade-weighted basket of currencies from major U. S. trading partners. Moreover, the dollar sank to new lows against the euro in the days following March 4, 2008 after a series of dour reports on the U. S. economy and expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue slashing interest rates. Indeed, with the falling of the dollar, prices of all the things bought are rising. The Producer Price Index for one month was up 1. 1% in March with the price of wheat and rice up at least 100 percent than last year. The price of oil reached $114 a barrel and gasoline is also at a new high of $3. 38 per gallon. Purchases of crude oil jumped, reflecting increases in the number of barrels bought and a record price surpassing $100 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange early this year. The U. S. is the worlds biggest consumer of crude oil and higher fuel costs are making imports more expensive (Bloomberg). America is in fact the worst food and energy inflation in two decades and consumers take a direct hit. The pace of job losses in America has been relatively mild compared with previous downturns. However, data showed the economy during February shed the biggest amount of jobs in nearly five years. Because of the high fuel prices, budget airlines are bleeding and are filing bankruptcies resulting to further job losses. Frontier airline was the fourth airlines to do so in just two weeks. There is also slow spending in malls everywhere as increasing number of consumers struggling to make ends meet causing retailers such as Sharper image, Levitz Furniture and stores like Ann Taylor, Zales Jeweler and Footlocker to close. General Electric (GE), second largest company on Earth, reported a 6% loss in income for the first quarter. It was a surprise result that rattled Wall Street with the stocks of GE experiencing its worst one-day loss since the 1987 crash. GE had a lot of trouble selling commercial real state and people are not buying appliances. Economic figures indicate a weakening economy. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecast that U. S. real gross domestic product would contract from $11. 577 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2007 to $11. 563 trillion in the first quarter of 2008, then decline to $11. 542 trillion in the second quarter. U. S. Stock prices continue to slip, with the blue chip Dow Jones industrial average closing down at the 12,000-level. Prices for U. S. government bonds also fell, as did the value of the dollar. As waves of bad news began to wash in- foreclosures, tumbling dollar, falling retail sales and more recently investment bank rescues- exporters were the only thing keeping the national nose and lips above the recessionary waters. The decline in the value of the dollar relative to other currencies, notably the euro, has helped make U. S. goods less expensive for overseas buyers and therefore more attractive. This fuelled a healthy global demand for U. S. products and services resulting to earnings from exports rising to a new record (Chandra). So what can be done in order to address the crisis? The government should introduce a fiscal stimulus, which would help create new jobs in 2008, and induce consumer spending through tax rebates in order to keep the economy moving. To try and keep the subprime-mortgage crisis from escalating, the Federal Reserve should propose changes for loans including requirements that creditors should strictly verify a prospective borrower’s income and assets before providing actual loans. The government must offer mortgage advice to homebuyers who may not have understood the risks. Often borrowers did not even realize that their monthly payment would rise if interest rates went up. Subprime borrowers on adjustable interest rates, whose mortgages make up just 7% of the total, accounted for more than 40% of the foreclosures begun in the fourth quarter of last year (The Economist). And if the subprime mortgage crisis gets worse, the government should consider a possible bailout for the housing market. For a long-term solution, a new version of a deliberate program to build up the middle class must be instituted similar in nature with postwar programs like the G. I. Bill, interstate highway system and other measures with job-creating investments in biomedical research, alternative energy, roads, railroads and education (McIntyre). The G. I. Bill, created after World War II, was one of America’s most successful investments. According to the 1988 report for Congresss Subcommittee on Education and Health of the Joint Economic Committee by 1952, the US government had spent $14 billion (1952 dollars) on educational and job training benefits for 7. 8 million veterans. Of these funds, $7 billion was spent on college and graduate school for 2. 2 million G. I. ’s. ? The first benefit from this investment was increased growth in the economy. The report calculated that about 40 percent of those who took advantage of the G. I. Bill would not otherwise have been able to attend college. The extra output those people created in the economy amounted to $35. 6 billion (1952 dollars after factoring out inflation) over the next 35 years. America is in the bleak of a recession and a sound economic plan should be in place to cushion its effect. References Chandra, Shobhana. â€Å"U. S. January Trade Deficit Rises 0. 6%; Exports Gain (Update6)†. Bloomberg. 29 April 2008. 29 April 2008. http://www. bloomberg. com/apps/news? pid=20601087refer=homesid=aynvcWrnI 8w. Doggett, Tom. â€Å"UPDATE 2-U. S. economy to contract in 1st half of 2008 –EIA†. Reuters. 11 March 2008. 2 May 2008. http://www. reuters. com/article/oilRpt/idUSN1148909720080311. Kirchhoff, Sue. â€Å"Fed chief Bernanke defends Bear Stearns deal†. USA Today. 4 April 2008. 2 May 2008. http://www. usatoday. com/money/economy/2008-04-02-bernanke economy_N. htm . Knox, Noelle. â€Å"Falling home sales problem spreads to 45 States†. USA Today. 14 Feb 2008. 2 May 2008. http://www. usatoday. com/money/economy/housing/2008-02-14 housing-q4 nar_N. htm. McIntyre, Jamie â€Å"Tenth anniversary of the Gulf War: A look back† CNN. com In-depth specials Gulf War. 16 Jan. 2001. 24 April 2008. http://archives. cnn. com/2001/US/01/16/gulf. anniversary/index. html. MoneyNews. â€Å"Treasury: Economy May Improve in 2nd Half 2008†. MoneyNews . 24 April 2008. 2 May 2008. http://moneynews. newsmax. com/money/archives/articles/2008/4/24/085350. cfm. Subcommittee on Education and Health of the Joint Economic Committee (1988). A Cost Benefit Analysis of Government Investment in Post-Secondary Education Under the World War II GI Bill. The Economist. â€Å"Getting it right on the money†. The Economist. 3 April 2008. 8 April 2008. http://www. economist. com/displaystory. cfm? story_id=10958702. US Chamber of Commerce. â€Å"The Economy in 2008†. US Chamber of Commerce. 2 May 2008.

Early Childhood Website Critique Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Website Critique Essay Earlychildhood. com is a website that provides an ample amount of information on providing the proper care and educating young kids at a low cost. This site offers teachers, caregivers and parents ideas and concepts related to child development. Moreover, the early development stages are the most crucial time for children because this is the point when they get a chance to explore the things that surround them. More so, the guardians of these children must be responsible and knowledgeable enough to gear them towards the right direction. There is a comprehensive collection of date incorporated in this website which is comprised of tips on where to buy discounted school supplies, sources for childcare, forum about enhancing the learning environment and many others. Overall, this site is like a one-stop shop for those who want to know everything about child development from learning materials to scholarly resources to the opinions or words of wisdom from fellow teachers, caregivers and parents. Among all the sections featured in the site, the Discount School Supply was the one that caught my attention. It contains a list of equipment and materials needed in educating children. Additionally, it is a 500 pages online catalogue of â€Å"arts and crafts materials for early learners with a single focus which is to offer the highest quality products at the lowest possible cost supported by an extraordinary level of service. † Also, another aspect of this section that suggests high-quality products and services is the inclusion of â€Å"e-commerce websites, a news magazine and thousands of arts and crafts materials, school supplies, educational toys and instructional materials† wherein most of these were designed for earlychildhood. com (Earlychildhood. com, 2008). I believe that this part of the website can really help in giving teachers, caregivers and parents awareness on the variety of learning products out in the market. More so, it provides free delivery to all the products that will be ordered making it an inexpensive and yet practical way of acquiring resources which are usually expensively priced, to enhance the development and progress of children. Meanwhile, in terms of strengths and weaknesses of the site, there are features that have advanced the objective of website and there were also missing elements that would have made the look of the site more professional and more interesting. For the strengths, the site had tackled the different aspects needed to properly and successfully teach adults about the significance child development for the welfare of the children. Also, the websites or the sections embedded within Earlychildhood. com were well-structured and the contents were highly-informative and very helpful to the readers. Meanwhile, for the weakness of the site, the layout of the main page was not systematically arranged and some vital information was excluded such as the background information about the site and the people behind it. In addition, it should have a site map in order for the readers or viewers to easily navigate the entire website. If these things are addressed by the website coordinator or designer, Earlychildhood. com can provide a trouble-free access to all those who want to see and obtain helpful information about proper childcare. Furthermore, this website can serve as a reliable source for a research that involves childcare and child development. It has all the necessary facts and information including current news, teaching modules, learning materials, scholarly articles and recommendations from professional or people working within the field. Through all of these, collection and dissemination of information will be uncomplicated which is very beneficial when doing research. References Earlychildhood. com. (2008). Discount School Supply. Retrieved October 3, 2008, from http://www. discountschoolsupply. com/Help/HelpFAQTopic. aspx? help_faq_id=25

Improving Pay for Performance with SOP

Improving Pay for Performance with SOP INTRODUCTION: Executive pay has been a big controversial issue over the past twenty years due to various governance failures which have generated a forceful policy debate on the appropriate role of shareholder voice in corporate governance (e.g., Bebchuk 2007; Bainbridge 2006). Some say the pay is too high and is set by captured boards while some say it reflects the marketplace in action. Therefore, some companies are either willing to or mandated to give shareholders an advisory vote on the prior years compensation of top executives-a say on pay (SOP). SOP is a term used for a rule in corporate governance whereby stakeholders are given the opportunity to vote on the enumeration of executives. SOP potentially not only gives shareholders an advisory vote on pay practices, but also increases scrutiny from shareholders over top managements compensation at most companies. Therefore, this study illustrates how SOP improves pay for performance. Under certain circumstances, this study will show that pay for performance has been increasing significantly after the adoption of SOP. When further decomposing executive pay into its cash-based and equity-based components, this study finds evidence of an increase at most companies in the relationship between performance and these compensation components, and the potential to enhance transparency, governance, and accountability, which, in turn, should lead to greater efficiency and social responsiveness (Bebchuk, Friedman, and Friedman, 2007). MAIN: This study is going to discuss further about the principal of SOP and its effect on pay for performance in firms and the related principal-agency problems in corporate governance. SOP might have not been a new concept in corporate governance in the UK, but some firms in developed and developing countries have been implementing this concept over these years around the world. SOP is known as one of the recent phenomenon of shareholder activism, a voice mechanism for shareholders (Hirschman, 1970). It is the effectuation of providing shareholders the right to vote on executive compensation program at the annual meeting. The regulation changes a variety of attitudes toward corporate governance and disclosure habitudes of all public companies. This concept allows shareholders to either raise their voices or express their opinions against executive compensation programs. In other words, instead of letting top executives to decide the level of compensation plans, shareholders can use their voting rights to either approve or give advice on executive compensation plans that link to top executives performance. To clearly justify, SOP is seen as a friendly tool to express, improve the dissent, giving advice on remuneration, but not an aggressive governance rule to destroy firm value or dissociate the relationship between principal and agent. While companies are not bound by SOP advisory votes, the act not only requires firms to disclose the vote results after the shareholders meeting, but also report whether and how the board considers the voting results in the following year. Consistent with this argument, De Franco, Hope and Larocque (2013) find that additional disclosures improves board effectiveness at monitoring executive c ompensation and in strengthening the link between pay and performance. SOP was used formally in UK in 2003, but in fact it was unofficially started and practiced in July 1999 as non-binding vote on executive compensation or remuneration. In the early of 2001, there are various companies beginning to propose the remuneration committee report, and there is an evidence that the number of firms submitting the proposal grew rapidly in 2002. After the UK, several EU countries consequently adopted this principle such as Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, then it spreaded to Australia and USA. It has been lasting for nearly 15 years in the UK while in the USA, this concept started in 2010 and became compulsory in the same year, which is relatively brief and the current knowledge of SOPs results and effects are still limited along with many academic discussion and practices. Basically, the objectives and models of SOP vary considerably across the world. Under Dodd-Frank, SOP in the USA requires companies to hold a non-binding vote on compensation at least once every three years. Afterwards, firms are also required to request shareholders to regulate the frequency of future say on pay votes at least once every six years but no less than that, also the shareholders are given the option of doing annually or every two or three years. However, in the UK, the government presented the Directors Remuneration report to record for a shareholders vote on current level of compensation at every annual general meeting. Pay for performance is currently a big issue in corporate governance due to several executive compensation scandals. Additionally, House Report 110088 noted that the average of a CEO in a top company earned approximately 140 times higher than the pay of a regular employee in 1991; nonetheless, this ratio increased exponentially to about 500 to 1 in 2003. The compensation for CEOs is divided into 2 parts which are fixed compensation such as cash and bonuses, and variable compensation ,also called performance-based compensation. The variable compensation which strongly relates to CEOs performance, including option grants, stocks option,.etc will be determined comprehensively in this study so as to favour the practical impact of SOP. Refer to Jensen and Meckling (1976), the traditional principal-agent theories stated that the owner of the firm constructed the compensation contracts to the agent in terms of maximizing the value of the firm. Muller-Kahle (2013) finds some evidence that, w hen CEOs have a dominant ownership stake, firm monitoring is diminished and firm performance suffers. However, most of public companies generates it infeasible for shareholders to debate the managerial compensation. In the phenomenon, the executive compensation scandals occurred frequently and severally than we could imagine. For examples, Tyco International was reported a CEOs scandal in 2005, its CEO Dennis Kozlowski and CFO Mark H. Swartz were convicted of stealing $600 million, these money was symbolized as the excess of executive remuneration, i.e. Kozlowski gave his wife $2 million birthday gift on Islands Mediterranean at companys expense. From our point of view, if Say on Pay was introduced and implemented earlier, those compensation scandals would had possibly not happened and also its reasonable to achieve and practice the SOP policy at the moment. According to Vicente Cuà ±at, Mireia Gine, and Maria Guadalupe (2013), the main purposes of Say on Pay is to raising shareholders voices, concentrating on the shareholders interests but also focusing on values that CEOs added to the firm and the transparency of CEOs interests. It leads to the improvement of the agency problem. Although a variety of evidence are against the benefits of Say on Pay, Bebchuk (2007) contended that a formalized say on pay vote is able to overcome the psychological barriers and support the negotiation of better compensation contracts. Indeed, many articles suggest that the approach of SOP does have a positive correlation between both firms value and the issue of pay for performance. We believe that there is nothing 100% right or wrong in all circumstances and its inherently difficult to determine precisely influences of any corporate governance regulation. Hence, the objective of this paper is to approve the improvements of Say on Pay on pay for performance in corporations in terms of increasing firms values, shareholders values, reducing agency problems and enhancing the transparency of executive compensation under certain conditions. First condition is firms with excessive or ineffectiveness CEO remuneration, as stated by Core at el. (1999), less effective boards are regularly related to high abnormal CEO compensation and low sensitivity pay for performance, which means that SOP is likely to benefit to the firm with weaker corporate governance and incompetent remuneration design. Secondly, firms with independent-minded shareholders willing to vote against management are likely to face more pressure if the say on pay is achieved; thirdly, firms are willing to b oost performance, enhance compensation and reform as a consequence of shareholder pressure. Due to Baird and Stowasser (2002), the first benefit of implementing SOP is certainly promoting accountability and transparency in the compensation report. To earn stakeholders support or prevent litigation, boards not only have sought to enhance disclosures concerning executive compensation plans but also publish an annual directors remuneration report over the past year, which causes directors more carefully to consider shareholder interests when designing executive pay plans. The recent trend confirmed the increased directors accountability after the introduction of say on pay (Cai et al. 2007, 2009; Del Guercio et al. 2008). As found in the previous articles, Davis (2007) stated that the Say on Pay proposal did associate smoothly with the communication and relationship between shareholders and board of directors. Refer to the UK evidences, after annual general meeting and the accurately analysis of remuneration report, there is a substantially development in the connection and tr ansmission between compensation committees and shareholders. Firms are more opened to a dialogue with shareholders to justify a broader compensation decisions and practices. Companies will not only have the opportunity to include additional resolutions on specific compensation decisions, but also have the opportunity to ask shareholders views on specific compensation decisions, including decisions related to various aspects or categories of pay. Each company, however, will be required to permit shareholders to vote on a resolution addressing all of the compensation disclosed in the annual proxy. This finding may advance scrutiny and also lead to more informed voting decision and the acceptance of a remarkable premium. Also, Deane (2007) and Davis (2007) suggested that SOP probably superior adjusts for principal-agent interests and enhance corporate governance and performance. The SOP allows shareholder to raise their voices in executive which definitely better align with CEO and shareholders interests, consequently, it comes up with the reduction of agency cost and a more adequately compensation contracts. Due to Peter Iliev and Svetla Vitanova (2015), the market reacted positively to the practices of Say on pay votes and the general supports of directors from shareholders are spotted to be increased. In practices in the UK, the impact of SOP was found to be positive as well, Fabrizio and David A. Maber (2013) analysed that the adoption and implementation of say on pay to the UK regulation was escorted with positive stock price reactions at firms with high dissent compensation conflicts and particularly practices diluting punishment for poor performance. By the same token, enforcing SOP may potentially increase Earnings per shares (EPSs), Return on assets (ROA) and Return on equity (ROE), the appliance also gains profitability and efficiency, higher growth in labour yield and constructive effect on accounting statement in the following years after the binding vote. As a result of Vicente Cuà ±at, Mireia Gine, and Maria Guadalupe (2013), the shareholder value increased by 5.4 percent after Say on Pay implementation, this such high market gains were explained by the improvement of CEOs performance under shareholder pressure and the effect of better alignment of pay for performance and also the reduction of pay for failure. Those evidences are consistent with the aims of this study that say on pay is used as a value-creating governance mechanism to contribute value to firm and shareholders. According to Stephen Davis Millstein Center Fellow (2007), advisory Say on Pay votes are extensively seen as having been an influential committing factor in taming the rate of increase, reduce controversial compensation of CEO, pressure firm to increase sensitivity between compensation and performance curbing opportunities for reward for failure and tying compensation dramatically closer to performance. As we mentioned above, not every firms reported the same results on the impact of SOP. However, we do find the strong positive influence in the firm with high dissent between shareholders and directors and the firm with excessive CEOs compensation based on the managerial power viewpoint (Bertrand (2009), Frydman and Jenter (2010), Murphy (2013). As documented by Fabrizio and David A. Maber (2013), their tests were coherent with Core et al(1999) s research that the introduction of SOP was followed by positive stock price reaction, especially in the firms with controversial compensation report and those which abate penalties for poor performance. Correa and Lel (2013) also recorded a numerical decrease in CEO pay of 6.1% after implementation of Say-on-Pay regulation in a sample of countries. Moreover, by using regression analysis on large sample of UK firms, Fabrizio and David (2013) tested on some vital elements in CEO pays including bonuses, equity awards to evaluate whether the sensitivity of CEO compensation is highly adequated to performance along with economics factors before and after the regulation. In general, they concluded that even though others economic elements persist unchanged, there is still a significant rise in the sensitivity of CEO pay to poor performance in less observable elements of pay. Moreover, this finding is consistent with the result of Ertimur, Muslu, and Ferri (2011) which is the most pronounced in high dissent firms and firms maintaining excessive executive compensation before SOP, means that SOP policy does reduce the excessive performanced-base salary to create value and link the remuneration more dramatically to the performance. Various companies either removed or altered provisions that investors considered as rewards for failure such as generous severance contracts and low performance hurdles, often in response to institutional investors explicit requests. Fabrizio and David A. Maber (2013) examined this issue on high dissent(HD) firm (with 20% dissent vote) and low dissent(LD) firm (with less than 5% dissent vote) before and after the vote , the result showed that the high dissent firms reducing the notice periods of severance contracts after the first vote (80%) are likely to be higher than before the vote (20%) and also substantially higher than the low dissent firms (33.3%). Therefore, this figures suggested that say on pay is the reason of reduction of controversial compensation, besides, 70% of low dissent firms scaling down the notice period before the vote which is the evidence of elimination of dissension between shareholders and executives. Moreover, a variety of firms established a formal proces s for proactive consultation with their major shareholders going forward (Ferri and Maber, 2011). As a result, the threat of a vote was effective in inducing firms to revise CEO pay practices ahead of the annual meeting and decreasing the situation of pay for failures and the growth rate of pay. Meanwhile, they also analysed the second most influenced remuneration item which is performance-based vesting conditions in equity grants. During the following years that performance targets are not accomplished, this retesting provision is seemed to contribute for reexamining and subsequently assists for the potential pay for failure. After the research, they concluded that before the first vote, HD firms and LD firms achieved 5% and 25% respectively to reduce or remove this issue. Nonetheless, the result changed significantly after the SOP vote, HD firms agreed to shorten or abolish retesting provision with statistically 76.3%, while the LD gained 28%. Generally, several evidences support that these contractual modification are the direct repercussion of SOP regulation. Base on the top 100 companies 2016 surveys in the US, SOP is raising shareholders voices and putting more pressure on CEO in order to perform better, however, we found that shareholder doesnt empower themselves to manipulate the CEOs compensation. In fact, the number of companies adopting this policy is increasing, in 2016 there are 95 over top 100 US companies holding say on pay vote in 2016, 94 out of 95 firms held approval say-on-pay votes which is higher than 2015 and only 1 firm didnt approve which also failed in both 2014 and 2015. As being reported, 41 corporations reviewed and elected not to significantly change the compensation report, while 20 noted modification into the remuneration in response to the vote. In table 4, the Say on Pay approval rate in 2016 is relatively high with 78% receiving approval rates in excess of 90% and only 6% for-voting below 70%. This figures coordinate with data in the last 2 years 2014 and 2015, which the approval rates are comparably high. Th is finding suggests that the even shareholders have more control power in the firm, they are not likely to destroy the value or raise the unfairness and dissension through the firm. In contrast, they seem to use this policy as a friendly tool, not an aggressive regulation, to raise their voice and cut down excessive expense in compensation. Furthermore, this regulation is contributing to the competitiveness of the British economy and the attraction of London as an international capital market (Stephen Davis Millstein Center Fellow,2007). The UK Department of Trade and Industry confirmed that the votes lead to a better planning by corporations, fewer surprises, better dialogue with shareholders, and apparently, it can reduce downside risks and big scandals among quoted companies in recent years. Due to London Stock Exchange, by involving Say on Pay voting rights, London will possibly be equipped with a more competitive border in order to attract capital, comparing to New York. Last but not least, while companies are not bound by SOP advisory votes, it requires companies to disclose the vote results after the shareholders meeting. In addition, firms must report whether and how the board considers the voting results in the following year. Ferri and Maber (2013) study the market reaction in 2002 to SOP that mandates non-binding but advisory vote on the compensation report and find that firms with high dissent alter the compensation composition, thereby improving pay for performance. Moreover, in a sample of the largest UK companies from 2002 to 2006, boards reduced excess salary as well as the dilutive effect of stock option grants in response to past negative non-binding votes (Carter and Zamora,2009). Consequently, shareholders right of non-binding votes could provide a useful mechanism that addresses the potential problem of incomplete firms management, suggesting that monitoring and reward mechanism dynamics can effectively coexist between owners and firm managers, thereby improving corporate governance (Kimbro and Xu, 2016). Conclusion To conclude, we investigate the impact of the right of shareholders non-binding but advisory votes on say-on-pay. We find evidence that firms either modified or altered their compensation structures in order to win shareholders positive votes. CEOs compensation decreases in most firms while larger decreases are found in firms that overpaid their CEOs in the previous year. Similarly, affected firms linked their pay mix to more close for performance. In terms of voting itself, shareholders are not more likely to vote for executive compensation when the firm pays excessive pay for top management, or has a large increase in CEO compensation compared to previous years. Moreover, among the components of the compensation plan, shareholders are more likely to vote against the plan when they contain other compensation, such as private bonuses unrelated to performance, which have been opposed by critics of executive pay. Most importantly, SOP does not limit the level of compensation or empower shareholders to control the interests of top management. It can be seen as a friendly corporate governance tool to prevent conflicts of the issues between top management and shareholders regarding pay for performance. Additionally, this study finds that the increase in pay for performance after the implementation of SOP is larger in firms with excessive pay for CEO relative to firms with average level of pay for CEO. The evidence suggests that SOP do increase the executive compensation monitoring ability for investors who care about the long-term value of a firm but who are lack of the ability to influence executive compensation structure before SOP. By contrast to most prior studies on the impact of SOP on executive incentives and compensation, the evidence shown in this study is consistent with SOP improves rather than weakens the alignment of managerial wealth and shareholder interests in certain circumstances. References: Bainbridge S. 2006. The Case for Limited Shareholder Voting Rights. UCLA Law Review, 53: 601-636. Bainbridge, Stephen M. The Corporate Governance Provisions of Dodd-Frank. (2010). Bainbridge, Stephen M. Is Say on PayJustified?. (2009). Baird, J. and Stowasser, P. (2002) Executive compensation disclosure requirements: The German, UK, and US approaches, PracticalLaw.com, PLC Document 4-101-7960, September 23. BBC News. 2003. Glaxo defeated by shareholders. May 19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3038381.stm Bebchuk, L. (2007) Written testimony submitted before the Committee on Financial Services, United States House of Representatives, Hearing on Empowering Shareholders on Executive Compensation, March 8. Bebchuk, L., Friedman, A. T., Friedman, W. J. 2007. Empowering shareholders on executive compensation: hearing on H.R. 1257 before the H. Comm. on Fin. Ser., 110th Cong. 68: Cai J. and R. Walkling. 2007. Shareholders Say on Pay: Does It Create Value?. Working Paper, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. Cai J., J. Garner and R. Walkling. 2009. Electing Directors. Journal of Finance   forthcoming. Carter, M. E., Zamora, V. 2009. Shareholder remuneration votes and CEO compensation design, Work. Pap. Boston College. Cheffins B. and R. Thomas. 2001. Should shareholders have a greater say over executive pay? Learning from the US experience. Working Paper, Vanderbilt University Law School, Nashville, TN. Choi, S., J. Fisch and M. Kahan, 2009. Director Elections and the Role of Proxy Advisors. Southern California Law Review 82, 649-702. Core, J.; R. Holthausen; and D. Larcker. Corporate Governance, Chief Executive Officer Compensation,and Firm Performance. Journal of Financial Economics, 51 (1999), 371-406. Core, J., and W. Guay. The Use of Equity Grants to Manage Optimal Equity Incentive Levels. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 28 (1999), 151-184. Cuà ±at, V., Ginà ©, M. and Guadalupe, M. (2013). Say Pays! Shareholder Voice and Firm Performance. Review of Finance, 20(5), pp.1799-1834. Davis, Stephen. Does say on paywork? Lessons on making CEO compensation accountable. Policy Briefing 1 (2007). Deane, S. Say on Pay: Results from Overseas. The Corporate Board (July/August 2007), 11- 18. De Franco, G. Hope, O.K., Larocque, S. 2013. The effect of disclosure on the pay-performance relation. J. Account. Public Policy 32(5), 319-341. Del Guercio, D., L. Wallis, and T. Woidtke. 2008. Do Boards Pay Attention When Institutional Investor Activists Just Vote No? Journal of Financial Economics 90: 84-103. Deloitte, Executive Directors Remuneration (London: September 2006) Digital.shearman.com. (2017). Corp Gov Survey 2016 Corporate Governance Survey. [online] Available at: http://digital.shearman.com/i/739764-2016-corporate-governance-survey/59? [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Ertimur, Yonca, Fabrizio Ferri, and David Oesch. Shareholder votes and proxy advisors: Evidence from say on pay. Journal of Accounting Research 51.5 (2013): 951-996. Ertimur, Y., F. Ferri, and V. Muslu. 2011. Shareholder Activism and CEO Pay. Review of Financial Studies 24(2): 535-592. Ferri, F., and D. Maber. Solving the Executive Compensation Problem Through Shareholder Votes? Evidence from the U.K. Working paper, Columbia University and Harvard Business School (2007). Ferri, F., Maber, M. 2013. Say on pay votes and CEO compensation: Evidence from the UK. Rev. Financ. (17), 527-563. Financial Times (1998) The fat cats keep getting fatter, August 1. Fortune.com. (2017). Surprise surprise: Say on Pay appears to be working. [online] Available at: http://fortune.com/2015/07/08/say-on-pay-ceos/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Gordon, J., 2009. Say on Pay: Cautionary Notes on the U.K. Experience and the Case for Shareholders Opt-in. Harvard Journal on Legislation 46:323-64. Hodgson, Paul. A brief history of say on pay. Ivey Business Journal 73 (2009): 1. Kimbro, Marinilka B., and Danielle Xu. Shareholders have a say in executive compensation: Evidence from say-on-pay in the United States. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy 35.1 (2016): 19-42. Jensen, M. C., and W. H. Meckling. Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 4 (1976), 305-360. Jeffrey N. Gordon, Say on Pay: Cautionary Notes on the U.K. Experience and the Case for Shareholder Opt-in, 46 Harv. J. Legis. 323, 325 (2009) Larcker, David F., et al. Ten Myths ofSay on Pay. (2012). List25.com. (2017). Cite a Website Cite This For Me. [online] Available at: http://list25.com/25-biggest-corporate-scandals-ever/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. Magnan, Michel, and FCA Claudine Mangen. Is say on pay an effective governance tool? Analysis and recommendations. (2011). Manifest and MMK, The Executive Director Total Remuneration Survey (London: May 2007); RREV, Trends in Executive Remuneration 2006 (London: April 2007); New Bridge Street Consultants, The 2006 FTSE 100 Executive Directors Remuneration Survey (London: 2006); PIRC Corporate Governance Annual Review 2006 (London: 2006). Muller-Kahle, M. I. 2013. The impact of dominant ownership: The case of Anglo-American firms . J. Manage. Gov. 19(1), 71-89. . SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, 2010. Concept Release No. 34-62495, available at:http://www.sec.gov/rules/concept/2010/34-62495.pdf

Case Study Review - Reviving an Ancient Therapy to Manage Chronic Pain :: essays research papers

Title: Reviving an Ancient Therapy to Manage Chronic Pain Reference: Podiatry Today, December 2003, pg. 46-53 Author: Nicholas A Grumbine, DPM Rating: 4/5 Abstract Objective: This article was written to increase people’s awareness of leech therapy in healthcare to manage chronic pain. Case studies on were designed to determine whether leeching would improve chronic pain in a safe and effective manner. Background: Chronic pain results when there is delayed healing. Grumbine claims that chronic pain ‘produces a fear in the patient and a panicked feeling that the pain will return or increase’. Grumbine also explores other biological treatments like leech therapy, and the effects that medical leeches have on their patients. Usually, medications were used to control chronic pain, such as sleep medications and antidepressants. Now it has been observed that leeching prevents blood clotting and severe burning pain. The ingredients of leech saliva help stabilize cellular membranes and the overall well-being of the skin and body functions improve. As blood flow increases and improves circulation, the arteries, veins and capillaries dilate, and there is a reduction of oedema, shunting and congestion. Study Design: Case studies were designed to determine whether leeching procedures would affect patients with chronic pain, and by what amounts. These were patients aged from 13 to 96 that were defiant to usual tradition procedures. Five case studies were made. The case studies were performed on two elderly patients; one diagnosed with RSD , and the other patient suffering from burnings, oedema and hyperesthesia. Three other patients were also treated; a 16-year-old adolescent also with RSD and a severe hypertrophic scar, as well as a patient with Berger’s disease and a war veteran with ‘scrape metal wounds’. Results: Preoperatively, patients’ levels of pains were at an average of 8.6 out of 10. After leeching procedures, pains were significantly reduced to an average of 3.5 out of 10. Not only did the pain dramatically decrease, but there were dermatological signs of improvement. Leech therapy aided all of the patients that were case-studied. One of the elderly patients, a 53-year-old with RSD, had oedema reduced from her foot and her pain controlled with medication and fitted orthotics. The 16-year-old patient recovered well from her severe painful hypertrophic scar, after having 10 leeches ‘engorged 3 to 5 cc of blood’ and having 50 percent of the incision faded and 80 percent reduction of pain which allowed her to walk again ‘pain-free’. The third patient, a 52-year-old, had reduced swelling of her feet from severe burning, hyperesthesia and ‘forefoot oedema’ after the application of 12 leeches.

The Application Of Science To Engineering :: essays research papers

The Application of Science to Engineering   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Improvements in engineering are very important to the industrialization and prosperity of a country. Although engineering improvements sometimes come through trial and error they are most often achieved by applying pure science and mathematics to engineering. Canadian engineering was improved a great deal in this manner. The engineering associated with building materials and long distance communication, two of Canada's most important industries, was improved through the application of pure science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most important scientific discoveries of all time was the law of electromagnetic induction discovered by an englishman, Micheal Faraday, in 1831. This discovery was applied to mechanical generation of electricity which made tremendous improvements to communications throughout Canada. The electric telegraph, first discovered in 1837 by Samuel Morse, was a great improvement over the mechanical telegraph which required the use of a telescope and was much less effective. It encodes messages electrically, transmits them over facilities such as copper wire, coaxial cable, and fibre optics to their destination where they are decoded into their original form. Combinations of long and short bursts of electric current are sent through a circuit thereby encoding each letter of the alphabet. More efficient transmission facilities were developed as the mining industry developed. The discovery of electricity sped up the development of mining through electric lighting and better machinery and ventilation, which led to better materials for wires and cables. Telegraph lines were set up along the CPR in 1885 as a convenient root, but also to relay information about the position of each train along the track to avoid collisions. The telegraph was also the main source of information for newspapers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Like the telegraph, the telephone wouldn't have been possible without the discovery of electricity. The telephone was discovered by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 and is much more advanced than the telegraph. It encodes variations in sound waves into variations of electric waves through vibrations of a diaphragm which are then transmitted. Electromagnets are used to send these vibrations through a cable, which are received on the other end by another diaphragm. For it's first few years the telephone was for public use only ( for calling fire stations, doctors†¦). A central exchange system was then set up and wealthy people began to gain access. The telephone quickly became essential in unifying and further developing the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the construction industry there were several huge advances in the technology of building materials. Two related materials with similar methods of production are cement and bricks. Cement production in Canada began in 1889 in Hull, Quebec. Portland cement was the principle type and consisted of lime, The Application Of Science To Engineering :: essays research papers The Application of Science to Engineering   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Improvements in engineering are very important to the industrialization and prosperity of a country. Although engineering improvements sometimes come through trial and error they are most often achieved by applying pure science and mathematics to engineering. Canadian engineering was improved a great deal in this manner. The engineering associated with building materials and long distance communication, two of Canada's most important industries, was improved through the application of pure science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most important scientific discoveries of all time was the law of electromagnetic induction discovered by an englishman, Micheal Faraday, in 1831. This discovery was applied to mechanical generation of electricity which made tremendous improvements to communications throughout Canada. The electric telegraph, first discovered in 1837 by Samuel Morse, was a great improvement over the mechanical telegraph which required the use of a telescope and was much less effective. It encodes messages electrically, transmits them over facilities such as copper wire, coaxial cable, and fibre optics to their destination where they are decoded into their original form. Combinations of long and short bursts of electric current are sent through a circuit thereby encoding each letter of the alphabet. More efficient transmission facilities were developed as the mining industry developed. The discovery of electricity sped up the development of mining through electric lighting and better machinery and ventilation, which led to better materials for wires and cables. Telegraph lines were set up along the CPR in 1885 as a convenient root, but also to relay information about the position of each train along the track to avoid collisions. The telegraph was also the main source of information for newspapers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Like the telegraph, the telephone wouldn't have been possible without the discovery of electricity. The telephone was discovered by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 and is much more advanced than the telegraph. It encodes variations in sound waves into variations of electric waves through vibrations of a diaphragm which are then transmitted. Electromagnets are used to send these vibrations through a cable, which are received on the other end by another diaphragm. For it's first few years the telephone was for public use only ( for calling fire stations, doctors†¦). A central exchange system was then set up and wealthy people began to gain access. The telephone quickly became essential in unifying and further developing the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the construction industry there were several huge advances in the technology of building materials. Two related materials with similar methods of production are cement and bricks. Cement production in Canada began in 1889 in Hull, Quebec. Portland cement was the principle type and consisted of lime,

Cruelty of Society in Frankenstein, Master Harold, and An Enemy of the

Cruelty of Society in Frankenstein, Master Harold, and An Enemy of the People â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and the Boys, St. Joan, and An Enemy of the People show that society shows hate and cruelty to people who are different or who do not share similar ideas as other people do. For example, in â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and the Boys, Hally’s racist attitude toward Sam and Willie is a result of his experiences in society. In Frankenstein, society is cruel and hateful to the monster because he looks different than other people. In An Enemy of the People, society persecutes Dr. Stockman because he attempts to gain support for the repair of the Baths. The stories that are presented here illustrate the cruelty and hatefulness of society. In â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and the Boys, the cruelty of society is depicted in the form of racism. The story takes place in South Africa, a place where racism is prevalent. Hally is a seventeen-year-old white person whose mother owns a restaurant. Their two employees, or â€Å"servants†, are uneducated black men. During the story, Hally acts as though he is superior to Sam...

Relation of Physical Education to the Personality Development of the Students Essay

According to Harrison (2005), in the field of human resource management, training and development is the field concerned with organizational activity aimed at bettering the performance of individuals and groups in organizational settings. It has been known by several names, including employee development, human resource development, and learning and development. According to Robbins and DeCenzo (2000), training has traditionally been defined as the process by which individuals change their skills, knowledge, attitudes, and/or behavior. In this context, training involves designing and supporting learning activities that result in a desired level of performance. In contrast, development typically refers to long-term growth and learning, directing attention more on what an individual may need to know or do at some future time. While training focuses more on current job duties or responsibilities, development points to future job responsibilities. However, sometimes these terms have been used interchangeably or have been denoted by the single term performance consulting, which emphasizes either the product of training and development or how individuals perform as a result of what they have learned. Training is an educational process. People can learn new information, re-learn and reinforce existing knowledge and skills, and most importantly have time to think and consider what new options can help them improve their effectiveness and performance at work. Effective trainings convey relevant and useful information that inform employees and develop skills and behaviors that can be transferred back to the workplace Robinson and Robinson (1999). The goal of training is to create an impact that lasts beyond the end time of the training itself. The focus is on creating specific action steps and commitments that focus people’s attention on incorporating their new skills and ideas back at work. Training can be offered as skill development for individuals and groups. In general, trainings involve presentation and learning of content as a means for enhancing skill development and improving workplace behaviors. These two processes, Training and Development, are often closely connected. Training can be used as a proactive means for developing skills and expertise to prevent problems from arising and can also be an effective tool in addressing any skills or performance gaps among staff. Development can be used to create solutions to workplace issues, before they become a concern or after they become identifiable problem. Development perspective examines the current environment, the present state, and helps people on a team, in a department and as part of an institution identify effective strategies for improving performance. In some situations, there may not be anything â€Å"wrong† at the present time; the group or manager may simply be seeking ways to continue to develop and enhance existing relationships and job performance. In other situations, there may be an identifiable issue or problem that needs to be addressed; the Development process aims to find ideas and solutions that can effectively return the group to a state of high performance. Development implies creating and sustaining change. Training and development describes the formal, ongoing efforts that are made within organizations to improve the performance and self-fulfillment of their employees through a variety of educational methods and programmed. In the modern workplace, these efforts have taken on a broad range of applications—from instruction in highly specific job skills to long-term professional development. In recent years, training and development has emerged as a formal business function, an integral element of strategy, and a recognized profession with distinct theories and methodologies. More and more companies of all sizes have embraced â€Å"continual learning† and other aspects of training and development is a process that â€Å"strives to build the capacity to achieve and sustain a new desired state that benefits the organization or community and the world around them†. Development perspective examines the current environment, the present state, and helps people on a team, in a department and as part of an institution identify effective strategies for improving performance. In some situations, there may not be anything â€Å"wrong† at the present time; the group or manager may simply be seeking ways to continue to develop and enhance existing relationships and job performance. In other situations, there may be an identifiable issue or problem that needs to be addressed; the Development process aims to find ideas and solutions that can effectively return the group to a state of high performance. Development implies creating and sustaining change Charnov, Garavan, Costine, and Heraty (2000). According to Marmer (1999), training and development describes the formal, ongoing efforts that are made within organizations to improve the performance and self-fulfillment of their employees through a variety of educational methods and programmed. In the modern workplace, these efforts have taken on a broad range of applications—from instruction in highly specific job skills to long-term professional development. In recent years, training and development has emerged as a formal business function, an integral element of strategy, and a recognized profession with distinct theories and methodologies. More and more companies of all sizes have embraced â€Å"continual learning† and other aspects of training and development as a means of promoting employee growth and acquiring a highly skilled work force. In fact, the quality of employees and the continual improvement of their skills and productivity through training are now widely recognized as vital factors in ensuring the long-term success and profitability of small businesses and in addition create a corporate cultu re that supports continual learning. For the most part, the terms â€Å"training† and â€Å"development† are used together to describe the overall improvement and education of an organization’s employees. However, while closely related, there are important differences between the terms that center on the scope of the application. In general, training programmed have very specific and quantifiable goals, like operating a particular piece of machinery, understanding a specific process, or performing certain procedures with great precision. According Ambler (2006), effective training and development begins with the overall strategy and objectives of the small business. The entire training process should be planned in advance with specific company goals in mind. In developing a training strategy, it may be helpful to assess the company’s customers and competitors, strengths and weaknesses, and any relevant industry or societal trends. The next step is to use this information to identify where training is needed by the organization as a whole or by individual employees. It may also be helpful to conduct an internal audit to find general areas that might benefit from training, or to complete a skills inventory to determine the types of skills employees possess and the types they may need in the future. Each different job within the company should be broken down on a task-by-task basis in order to help determine the content of the training program. According to Schwartz (2000), in measuring the effectiveness of train ing, researchers have typically relied upon the subjective reactions of participants (Baker & Titus, 1982; Heppner & Reeder, 1984; Pfaff, 1981; Pritchett, Clay, & Nichols, 1984; Twale & Muse, 1996; Upcraft & Pilato, 1982). Other measures that have been used previously include the performance of task activities within the context of training programmed (Baker & Titus, 1982; Forney, 1986) and follow-up questionnaires designed to assess trainees’ subsequent emotional states (Winston & Buckner, 1984) or their ability to apply programmed content to hypothetical situations similar to those encountered on the job (Schuh, Stage, & Westfall, 1991). With the exception of one study by up craft and Pilato (1982), in which ratings of job performance were used as a criterion, there appears to have been little or no published research dealing with the effects of training on actual job performance. Importance of Training and Development on Job Performance Training is one element many corpora tions consider when looking to advance people and offer promotions. Although many employees recognize the high value those in management place on training and development, some employees are still reluctant to be trained. Training and development offers more than just increased knowledge. It offers the added advantage of networking and drawing from others’ experiences therefore it is not uncommon to hear excuses regarding why someone has not received training. (Choo 2007) According to Bowley (2007), training in an organization can be mainly of two types; Internal and External training sessions. Internal training occurs when training is organized in-house by the Human resources department or training department using either a senior staff or any talented staff in the particular department as a resource person. On the other hand, External training is normally arranged outside the firm and is mostly organized by training institutes or consultants. Whichever training, it is very essential for all staff and helps in building career positioning and preparing staff for greater challenges. While the applications of training and development are as various as the functions and skills required by an organization, several common training applications can be distinguished, including technical training, sales training, clerical training, computer training, communications training, organizational development, career development, supervisory development and managemen t development. According to Mondy, R.W. and Adeniyi, (1995), is of the opinion that for every employee to perform well, there is the need for constant training and development. The right employee training, development and education provide big payoffs for the employer in increased productivity, knowledge, loyalty, and contribution to general growth of the firm. The reasons behind employee training and development cannot be overemphasized. Local According to Roberto G. Medina, training is regarded as an attempt to improve the employee’s ability to perform his job so the goals of the organization can be achieved. The person mainly responsible for training is the supervisor who is assisted in some ways by the personnel manager or the training director. The supervisor of the new employee is the best position to provide training. This is so because he knows what output his unit needs. In addition, the supervisor has the abilities, the skills, and the right attitude needed to be imparted to the new employee. According to Jose P. Leveriza, training starts before the employee walks through the door of the place of work for the first time. However, learning about the employer starts with the job advertisement and continues through the selection process. As a result ‘training’ in its widest sense could be deemed to have begun, albeit subliminally, several weeks, or even months, before a new employee is added to the payroll. It is important at this stage to make a clear delineation between training or development as a result of some initiative taken at work, and education that is undertaken before and is mutually exclusive to the work situation. Education at school, college or university may be undertaken as part of an individual’s development programme, but for the process of this discussion, achievements in these areas outside and prior to employment will be regarded as qualifications required to gain employment, and thus not within the employer’s control. According to Florence M. de Guia, training is ‘a planned process to modify attitude, knowledge or skill behavior through learning experience to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of activities. Its purpose, in the work situation, is to develop the abilities of the individual and to satisfy the current and future needs of the organization’. This is a wide-ranging remit, but the confusion with the education which has a more abstract, formal and lengthier connotation must be established at the outset. Related Studies Foreign The study conducted by Joseph Kennedy (2009) â€Å"The Impact of Training and Development to Job Performance†. The Judicial Service of Ghana as a Public Service Institution is the organ responsible for the day to day administration of the Courts and Tribunals of the land. To achieve the above function of the Judicial Service of Ghana, part of its budgetary allocation has been earmarked solely for training of judges, magistrates and judicial staff to enhance their capacity to perform their duties effectively and efficiently so as to achieve the vision and mission statements of the Service. To this effect, the judicial training institute which has the mandate to promote effective training of judges, magistrates and judicial staff, has over the years conducted and continue to provide training to judges, magistrates and judicial staff to build their capacity to perform their functions effectively. Notwithstanding the huge investment in training by the Judicial Service of Ghana, the service is confronted with a lot of challenges in achieving its vision and mission statements. These challenges include delays in the processing of court cases and the need to constantly upgrade the skills of judicial staff, judges and magistrates to cope with new trends in efficient justice delivery. This study seeks to evaluate the impact of the huge investment made in training on job performance of judicial staff. The researcher used both primary and secondary sources of for the conduct the research. The research findings revealed that the training conducted by the Judicial Service of Ghana for its employees was very negligible. The research further recommends that the frequency of Training provided by the Judicial Service of Ghana should be improved to ensure that more employees have access to Training and Development. Again, Training and Development offered by the J udicial Service of Ghana should ensure a better understanding of the Mission and Vision statement of the Judicial Service of Ghana so that, employees can identify themselves with the organizational values in the discharge of the duties. The study conducted by Ayesha Mirza (2010) â€Å"HR Process and Impact of Training and Development on Employee’s Performance at PSO† This project discusses research that was undertaken about the HR process and impact of training and development on employee’s performance at Pakistan State Oil. I have studied all the HR practices of the company but the main focus was to study the impact of training and development on employee’s performance in the company. A theoretical framework is developed from a literature search and this issued by me as a model for further research. I have collected data within this framework and analyzed it according to the requirements of the project. To collect the data required I have also visited regional office of PSO in Karachi and also collected data from several outlets of PSO. The web site of PSO is also used as source of data by the group. At PSO, they strongly believe that Human Resource is the asset that should be appreciate d with the passage of time. Consequently, PSO considers the strong focus on training and development of their employees a value added and worthwhile investment. Then, in the last by the detailed study of the impact of training and development practices used by the company some recommendations are made and on the basis of the analysis of company’s practices conclusions are drawn. Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter deals with the methodology to be applied in. It covered the research design, respondents of the study, research instruments, and procedure in gathering the data, determined of sampling technique, and the statistical treatment. Research Design The researchers will use the descriptive design to find out and make a comparison of training and development and job performance of the newly hired employees of Card Mutually Reinforcing Institute and to determine the levels of training and development. The correlation design will also use to determine if there is a significant relationship between training and development and job performance. Population and Distribution of the Study The populations of the study are the newly hired employees of Card Mutually Reinforcing Institute in San Pablo City. The researcher selected fifty (50) newly hired employees in the said company by administering a self-made test questionnaires. The respondents randomly selected by the researchers by dividing them into two (2) batch , which consist of twenty five (25) member per batch by giving them thirty minutes allotted time to answer the provided questions given by the researchers. Research Instruments The researcher prepare self made test to measure the effectiveness of training and development to the job performance of the newly hired employees. The constructed test includes the profile factors such as age, gender and socio-economic status. Self- made Tests. These are the 15 item questionnaires made by the researcher which were use to measure the effectiveness of training and development to the job performance of the respondents. The questionnaires generally consist of general information and evaluation to test the effectiveness of training and development to the job performance of the employees. The questionnaires were then validated by the experts of the field. Research Procedure In order to get the necessary materials needed for the review of related literature and studies, the researchers visited different libraries namely San Pablo Colleges, City Library, University of the Philippines Los Banos and Colegio De San Juan De Letran. The researchers’ visit and surf different websites to gather more information and data to have a better understanding of the studies. The researchers made test questionnaires to determine the effectiveness of training and development to the job performance of the newly hired employees. The fifty (50) respondents of Card Mutually Reinforcing Institute divided into two batches for not to interrupt the workplace of the respondents. For gathering the data of the study, the researchers ask for their consent before making them as the respondent of the study. Also the researchers ask the respondents to answer the questionnaires with all their honest and sincerity. After the respondents have finish answering the questionnaires, the researchers will collect and sort it out and tabulate the scores then analyze and interpret it.

African Americans in the Reconstruction Era Essay

The Reconstruction era was put into effect by Congress in 1866 and lasted until 1877. Reconstruction was aimed at reorganizing the Southern states after the Civil War. The reconstruction plan granted the means for readmitting the southern states into the Union, and tried to come up with the methods by which whites and blacks could live together in a non-slave society. America’s position as a country was established on principles of freedom but those beliefs were weakened by slavery. At the end of the Civil War, many blacks felt that they were entitled to start collecting the benefits that had been denied for so many years. Being able to vote, own land and have a voice in political affairs were all goals that they believed were reachable. The white, however, saw reconstruction as an embarrassing, revengeful annoyance and did not welcome it. Reconstruction was meant to give the blacks a chance for a new and better life. Many of the African Americans stayed with their old masters after being freed, while others left in search of opportunities through education and land ownership. The Southern white conservatives did not want blacks to own property, have political power, or have the right to vote in elections. In addition, the whites strongly believed that they were superior, and they worked hard to make sure legal limitations were in place to prevent the blacks from gaining any type of equality or power. President Johnson’s reconstruction plan included the black codes, which stated that the African-Americans were required to have a curfew and carry identification on their persons at all time. These regulations also bound the ‘freedmen’ to their plantations. The freed slaves merely wanted the opportunity to continue the family-based shared work methods contrary to having to accept the individual piecework structure. Former slaves wanted to be able to continue to live on the land their ancestors had farmed. African american’s lives were improved in many ways during the era of Reconstruction; one way their lives were enhanced was the establishment of the Freedmen’s Bureau. The Freedmen’s Bureau was an organization developed by Congress that assisted African-Americans to acquire an education and provided necessities of life such as food and clothing. It was important for African-Americans to become educated, because it would prevent them from being dominated by white supremacists and helped them obtain well-suited jobs. During the years after the war, white teachers who were mostly from the North, missionary organizations, churches and schools worked hard to give the emancipated population the opportunity to learn. Former slaves of every age took advantage of the opportunity to become literate. Grandfathers and their grandchildren sat together in classrooms seeking to obtain the tools of k to gain their freedom. During Reconstruction, blacks were often seen not heard. It was usually the white man’s word over the black man’s word. Even if there was a crowd of people that saw what happened, unless they were black, the people sided with the white man. However, when the situation involved a white man getting hurt or killed for supporting the black community, that’s when the government stepped in to put an end to it thus leading to the Civil R A of 1875. Many regulations were passed to help blacks during this period. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 prohibited segregation in public facilities and various government amendments, which gave African-Americans even more guaranteed rights. With government guidelines, the newly dubbed freedmen were still discriminated against by most people and were soon to be segregated once again under government decisions. The Reconstruction, although short-lived, showed the first real attempts of inclusive freedom for African-Americans. Gains were taking place, for instance, in citizenship, voting, education and politics. Consequently, the failure of Johnson’s reconstruction caused the Congress to propose its own plan, the 14th Amendment. The Amendment was designed to prohibit state governments from restricting the rights of former slaves after the Civil War. However, it had been used to grant all the personal liberties and rights conveyed in the Bill of Rights. Among other things, this prohibited ex-Confederate leaders from holding political office, and also gave the freedmen their citizenship. The rejection of the 14th Amendment paved the way for the Reconstruction Act of 1867; this dismantled all Southern governments and launched military control over the South. The Reconstruction Act guaranteed freedmen the right to vote under new state constitutions and required the Southern states to approve the 14th A With the addition of African American votes in the southern elections and the help of â€Å"Carpet  Baggers† and â€Å"Scalawags,† the Republican Party gained almost complete control over the South. Throughout this time, the ranking of freedman was significantly increased, and by 1868; many state legislatures had African American delegates. All of America, as well as the South, had to be rebuilt, and, despite the South’s hostile resistance, African-Americans were slowly and gradually becoming part of this nation. The long-awaited citizenship for Blacks was confirmed in 1868, by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. By 1870, the 15th Amendment had been added to the Constitution, which gave blacks the right to vote. The 15th Amendment forbids the states from denying the right to vote to any person on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Whites both wealthy and poverty-stricken were ruthlessly and completely against the emancipation. The poor people feared the competition in the labor force, and the rich encouraged an attitude to keeping a strong separation in the blacks and the whites. In the early years after the Reconstruction started, there was some violence towards blacks. As the years went on the violence increased, and Terrorist groups were formed. One such group known as the Ku Klux Klan better known as the KKK, surfaced to torment and commit violent acts against blacks and strong white Republicans. Because of the ratification of the 13th Amendment ending slavery in the south, the KKK emerged with a cause that has yet to be put to rest†¦the rise of white power. The KKK was formed mostly to restore slavery to America and to reinstate the Caucasian race as the most superior race in the world. A former Confederate general and Freemason, Nathan Bedford Forrest, founded the KKK in 1866 because Negroes were being allowed to enter the brotherhood of freemasonry. He held this office while he was simultaneously Sovereign Grand Commander of Scottish rite, Freemasons, and Southern Jurisdiction. Members of the KKK were very violent and used harsh actions to get their point across, but their actions were supported by their strong belief in their religion and the culture in which they were brought up in. The KKK did things based on what they believed according to their culture and how they were raised; Which, at that period of time made them extremists. Although slavery was abolished, racism was not. Because the government started recognizing African-Americans as more than just slaves, the KKK decided they would have to take matters into their own hands. They began their protest by lynching, taring and feathering, whipping, beating, and killing African-Americans in the south. Since Blacks had been given rights, the KKK felt it was their duty to prevent the former slaves from using them. Racist Groups such as the KKK operated mainly in the South; however, discrimination against the African Americans was also an issue of a smaller degree in northern cities. The KKK would destroy any black polling booth and shoot, intimidate, and kill any black person trying to vote; especially in Mississippi. KKK members went on â€Å"night rides. † On â€Å"night rides,† the KKK members dressed in white robes and went to houses belonging to empowered blacks and used threats toward family and loved ones to instill fear into their hearts has a means of control. The KKK would threaten these blacks with what would happen if they voted or took positions of power. At the end of the 19th century and the Reconstruction era, many of the whites used violent behavior to scare the African-Americans from white neighborhoods. The Whites organized protective associations, so homes in white neighborhoods could never be sold to a black man. This was also very noticeable in the makeup of many of the northern cities; these cities had well-known residential neighborhoods for African Americans. In conclusion, during this time, a country that was so well-known for its freedom, opposed in large the very definition of the word. After the Civil War, America saw a great many changes regarding civil rights and black suffrage. Many laws were passed to give African Americans more rights. Since the Reconstruction era, we as a country have come a long way. With the utilization of great leadership like Lincoln, education and recognizing our shared humanity, we could decrease the gap of equality.