Calveta’s Dining Services, Inc: A Recipe for Growth? Essay

Higher chances of attaining goals and will obtain desired market penetration Increases Calveta’s geographic coverage and market share GSD is presently in a good position, when the revenue generation is taken into consideration. Calveta would attain a great deal of customer potential as it was maintained by GSD. The organization hierarchy could be restructured so that it could accommodate significant growth while preserving the company’s core values. The disadvantages of choosing this option are: Very risky Plagued with labor issues and management turnover Quality of service may suffer. Higher debt load Does not have a strong balance sheet but has great income potential. Jennifer Calveta COO of firm: Could have been CEO instead of her brother Very detail oriented and concerned about preserving the company’s culture Is concerned about the acquisition of business for growth expansion Is concerned with the organizations structural modification 1. What role (if any) have Calveta’s values played in the organization’s success? Calveta has clearly defined values to guide the staff’s behavior. The immense growth of the organization confirms that Calveta’s is doing an excellent in embedding their values in their employees’ actions and management decisions. The values necessitate the inclusion of everyone and the exclusion of none. The organization’s values enabled all levels of management to usher the employees toward a continuous growth. 2. Does Calveta’s operating approach offer a sustainable competitive advantage? Calveta’s operating approach offered a unique competitive edge over many of its competitors. While their competitors focused on highly regularized systems and standards, Calveta chose to build local food service teams and menu offers to serve each facility distinctively. Additionally, Calveta’s wait staff treated the residents like family following their behavioral standards. This type of customer service garnered rave written reviews from the facility’s residents. Finally, implementing programs that increase efficiency while satisfying the needs of bed ridden or immobile residents confirm a very innovative operating approach that resulted in a sustainable competitive advantage. 3. Why haven’t other food service providers copied Calveta’s approach? Calveta’s competitors were not focused on conducting a profitable business without straying away from its core values. Passion, customer service and efficiency remained at the forefront of every decision. On the other hand, their competitors were focused on growth, meeting financial goals and increasing market share. Rarely do we find companies who keep both service and profit as a priority. 4. Given Calveta’s communication and internal organizational challenges, how important will training and development be to maintaining growth and culture? The internal challenges within Calveta confirm that the organization must continue to rely on training and development to ensure success. However, training and development should not be done in a manner that reduces quality or at the expense of the residents’ positive experiences. Upper management must create systems that focuses on the development of new managers and establishes a solid means of communication between staff and management. Growing pains is inevitable but it cannot become a deterrent to taking the company to the next level. 5. Calveta’s fifth goal is profitable growth. Goals one through four is more ethical in nature. Is goal five inconsistent with the first four? Establishing growth as a goal is consistent with Calevta’s other goals. However growth, whether by acquisition or market penetration, should not mean that â€Å"Antonio’s Way† is watered down in any way or removed from the way Calveta conducts business. Calveta’s unique approach to business cannot be lost while increasing revenues and market share. As long as Calveta’s values remain the guiding force to management decisions and employees’ actions, having growth as a priority should be expected. 6. How, if at all, should Calveta’s organizational structure be changed to resolve communication issues, preserve the company’s culture, and support future growth? Calveta’s uses the top-down management structure. This structure contains layers of managers (rank structure) which all communications must pass through. With each layer there is a risk of distorted information being sent to the next level. Each level adds to the communication becoming more confused and out of context. Therefore more layers mean a greater risk of distortion and confusion among the staff. Such distortions cause a lack of productivity, frustration, confusion, and inept management. Conversely, management is receiving feedback from the field that is invalid since the original plans, orders, and ideas were not acted on; the same risk of distortion exists with the return flow. The end result of this is that customer service suffers. The image and prestige of Calveta is damaged. Calveta should simplify its management structure, implement an information network, combine some positions and eliminate others. The implementation of a more flat management structure will reduce the chances of distorting communication. 7. Should Frank Calveta move forward with an expansion into the hospital sector? With the proposed acquisition? Calveta should focus on making serious internal improvements before piling on debt, increasing the chances of management turnovers, and getting into business with an organization known to not have the best reputation. Calveta has a great reputation and its ability to function and grow with little debt confirms that their balance sheet is in excellent condition as well. An internal restructure and a recommitment to its values and goals should be the number one priority. Calveta should not move forward with the expansion into the hospital sector at this time. On the other hand the acquisition of GSD may be an excellent move for Celveta. This acquisition will increase Celveta’s geographical presence and increase its assets without increasing its debt load. With some management restructuring done within GSD, Frank should be able to meet his father’s financial goal to double profit in 5 years.

English language Essay

Why choose Westminster Kingsway College? Our central London location: courses take place at our Victoria Centre which is a five-minute walk from Victoria mainline and underground stations Our facilities and resources: the centre has a very well-equipped Learning Centre with IT facilities and an extensive range of teaching and learning materials Our online Virtual Learning Environment ‘Moodle’: this allows access to a range of support materials on your home PC Our experience: we have been running teacher training courses for over 25 years and have a well-deserved reputation for extremely high quality, effective teaching Our training team: we have a large team of highly-qualified and experienced teacher trainers. They have all worked in the public and private sectors in the UK and overseas and some are CELTA assessors. You can find out more about them in the â€Å"Trainer Profile† section Our quality assurance systems: in addition to external monitoring by Cambridge, we are part of the public sector and are inspected by OFSTED Our success rates: we have a proven track-record of extremely good pass rates on all our courses The level of individual attention we offer: our trainers are involved at every stage of your course, from initial enquiry to post-course advice and guidance The profile of our teaching practice groups: our students are highly motivated and come from a very wide variety of linguistic, geographic and social backgrounds. Some are asylum seekers and refugees whilst others are living and working in London for a relatively short time. This mix of students means that your teaching practice gives you experience to equip you to teach in a range of contexts in both the private and public sector in the UK or overseas. It also helps you decide which sector you would prefer to work in Extremely high level of trainee satisfaction: see â€Å"What CELTA did for me† for comments from past trainees Advice and guidance on employment opportunities: all our courses include sessions on finding teaching work, and some of our candidates go on to work in Westminster Kingsway and other colleges If you have any questions, or would like to discuss your application, please contact one of our trainers on 020 7802 8940 / 8343 / 8378. The College is closed over Christmas, Easter and during the summer holidays. During these times, you will hear a voice-message giving you further information.3 About Westminster Kingsway College: Teacher Training Westminster Kingsway College’s Teacher Training courses are based at the Victoria Centre, right in the heart of London, about 5 minutes walk from Victoria underground and main line station. In addition to Teacher Training courses, the College offers part-time day and evening courses in English/ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). We are part of the public sector and receive government funding for our courses. This means that our fees compare favourably with other teacher training providers. Our facilities include a large cafeteria, a very well-equipped Learning Centre and computer access for all learners. Our Teacher Trainers All our team are qualified teacher trainers, with extensive experience of teaching EFL and ESOL in a range of contexts, both in the UK and overseas. The majority are also Cambridge-accredited external assessors. They are all directly employed by the College and regularly update their teacher training skills and expertise. Trainer Profiles Katerina Ashiotis: Katerina started her teaching career as an EFL teacher in the private sector in London soon after leaving college. She travelled, then taught in Greece for two years in a private school. She then returned to London and worked as an English teacher teaching adults full-time. She worked in three different private schools as an EFL teacher, Senior Teacher and Director of Studies and started teacher training in 1994. Katerina has a Diploma and an MA in Linguistics and in 2002 completed a PGCE in FE (PCET with ESOL Specialism). Parallel to working and training in the private sector she worked as a visiting EFL lecturer at Westminster Kingsway College for over 12 years. She started working at Westminster Kingsway College full-time as an ELT lecturer and teacher trainer in 2002. In addition to the CELTA course, Katerina is also a teacher trainer for PTLLS and DTLLS courses. Most recently, she has been involved in the design and delivery of a number of training programmes for teachers from South Korea and Albania. Chris Brain: Following a degree in history and a PGCE at the University of London, Chris started teaching EFL in London in 1979. He then worked in Italy from 1980 to 1988 and took the RSA Diploma at International House in Rome in 1986. He returned to London in 1989 and subsequently trained as a CELTA trainer. He continued to work in the private sector, became a CELTA Assessor in 1992 and a DELTA trainer in 1998. Chris joined Westminster Kingsway College in January 2000 as a full-time member of staff and has worked on a variety of courses including EFL, ESOL, CELTA and DELTA. Michael Harmsworth: Michael began teaching in 1982 and became a teacher trainer in 1986. He has been at Westminster Kingsway College since October 1997. Before that he was Director of Teacher Training at two private language schools in London after spending a total of eight years working abroad, in Greece, Italy and Spain. In 1992 he became an Assessor for the CELTA course. Michael has an MA with Distinction in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and the Cambridge/RSA Diploma with Distinction. He has delivered an extensive range of training courses at all levels. His current studies are focused on his obtaining Associate Membership of the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA). Gabriel Mulcauley: Gabriel completed a degree in English Literature at the University of Sheffield followed by a PGCE in English and Drama at the University of Leeds. Her first experience of teaching English was in a Summer School in Greece. Having spent several years travelling and teaching in private language schools, Gabriel came to London in 1991 and took the Diploma in TEFL at Waltham Forest College in 1992. She began working in Further Education in 1994 at Hackney Community College before joining Westminster Kingsway College in 1998. Gabriel started training to be a teacher trainer in November 2004 and is enjoying this interesting new challenge. 4 Our English/ESOL courses and students Our English/ESOL courses are suitable for adult learners (19+) who are living in the UK either permanently or as refugees or asylum seekers and for European migrant workers. We offer a variety of courses to meet a wide range of needs. Some courses are more suitable for EU migrant workers and enable students to gain a qualification quickly. Others are more appropriate for students who need to catch up on other skills, such as basic literacy. All courses are part-time, either day-time or evening, and last either for one term or one semester (18 weeks). Students study either every day (Monday – Friday) or two evenings per week (Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday). There are two study options on the daytime courses: ESOL Extra and ESOL Express. On ESOL Extra learners study for 2.5 hours per day and on ESOL Express they study for 2 hours per day. On the evening courses, hours are the same: learners study for 2.5 hours on two evenings per week. Qualifications All the courses lead to an examination: this is usually a Trinity Skills for Life Certificate. We offer these qualifications at 5 levels from Entry 1 (beginner) to Level 2. Students take an examination in Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing. 5 The Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages: CELTA (incorporating the award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector: PTLLS) What is CELTA? CELTA is an initial qualification for people with little or no previous teaching experience. It is the best known and most widely taken initial ‘TESOL/TEFL’ qualification of its kind in the world. Who recognises CELTA? It is accepted throughout the world by organisations which employ English Language teachers. It has also been accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Who is CELTA for? People starting a career in English Language teaching: The course will give you a firm grounding in the fundamentals of language teaching practice, and the confidence to use these effectively in the classroom. People looking for a career change or career break: An increasing number of candidates are professionals who would like a new career path or want to take a short break in their existing career, which may involve the opportunity to live and work abroad. People already teaching English but with no formal qualifications: You may already be teaching English but have no formal teaching qualifications. CELTA will help you improve your teaching, confirm your ability and may lead to internal promotion or a better teaching job. Who is eligible to apply? We recommend that candidates have a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education (normally 2 â€Å"A† levels and above). You will also need good numeracy skills. However, we are happy to consider applications from candidates who do not have formal qualifications at this level but who can demonstrate that they have appropriate language competence, skills, and experience. The course is open to both native and non-native speakers of English. If English is not your first language, you must have a command of written and spoken English that enables you to teach across a range of levels and complete the written assignments. In our experience, most successful candidates have English as their first language and are graduates. What does CELTA involve? The course is extremely demanding and requires a high level of commitment. You are required to attend the whole course, and complete homework assignments. You will have to devote a considerable amount of time to course work outside class hours, and we strongly recommend that you do not do any part-time work or other studies during the course. You should also be prepared to accept constructive criticism from your trainers and other trainees and be willing to reconsider your assumptions about teaching and learning. What does the course cover? The course aims to teach the principles of effective teaching and a range of practical skills for teaching English to adult learners. You will have hands-on teaching practice, observe experienced teachers and complete four practically-focussed written assignments. 6 There are five main units of learning: Unit 1: Learners and teachers and the teaching and learning context Unit 2: Language Analysis and awareness Unit 3: Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing Unit 4: Planning and resources for different teaching contacts Unit 5: Developing teaching skills and professionalism. How will I be assessed? You will be assessed throughout the course: there is no final examination. An external assessor, appointed by Cambridge ESOL, moderates each course. There are two components of assessment: Teaching Practice: You will teach for a total of six hours, working with classes at two ability levels. Assessment is based on your overall performance at the end of the six hours. Written Assignments: You will complete four written assignments: one on adult learning and learning contexts, one on an aspect of the language system of English, one on an aspect of language skills and one on classroom teaching and the identification of action points. Assessment and Grading Grading of candidates is by continuous assessment. There is no final examination. Successful candidates are awarded the â€Å"Cambridge CELTA† at one of the following grades: â€Å"Pass†, Pass â€Å"B†, and Pass â€Å"A†. On average, about 60% of our trainees achieve a Pass, 30% achieve a Pass â€Å"B† and 5% are awarded a Pass â€Å"A†. About 5% do not succeed. While everything on the course is taken into account, and you must complete the written assignments satisfactorily, the most heavily weighted factor is your teaching performance. You will receive written feedback, including an assessment of your teaching, on all the lessons you teach. You will have at least two individual tutorials to check that your perception of your progress agrees with that of your trainers. If there is a danger that you will fail, your trainers will make this clear and discuss where and how you can improve. We aim to be as clear and open as possible about your development. As part of the Cambridge scheme, every course is moderated by an external assessor, who visits the college for one or two days. In addition to checking that we are complying with course regulations, the assessor is available to listen to any points you or your group would like to make. If you feel that we are giving you unfair assessments, you can discuss this with the assessor. Applying for the course Selection to the course is based on an interview, lasting approximately two hours and a written task. Please complete the application form at the back of this booklet and submit it with your personal statement to the Course Organiser. You will be given the written task at the interview. 7 Frequently Asked Questions Is it a problem that I’ve never taught before? No. The course is an introduction to English language teaching. People who already have experience sometimes find it a drawback as it can be difficult to unlearn old habits and learn new techniques. I have got lots of presence, I know a lot about English and I am used to standing up in front of people and telling them things, so I am bound to be a good teacher, right? Wrong. The abilities to relate well and listen to learners are more important than an over-emphasis on â€Å"telling†. Does it matter if I miss any part of the course? Yes. 100% attendance is expected other than in exceptional circumstances. What happens if I am ill during the course? The Cambridge rules stipulate that if you miss more than 20% of the whole course or any of the 6 hours of assessed teaching practice, you are not eligible for the certificate other than in exceptional circumstances. Will there be much paperwork? You will be responsible for maintaining a portfolio of your work during the course and this constitutes your official assessed record. You will also need to be able to keep records and retrieve papers easily. I have never been able to spell properly: does it matter? Yes. Learners of English expect their teachers to be able to spell reasonably accurately. Also, Cambridge rules require candidates to be able to write in English that is â€Å"essentially free of errors†. Part of our interview process is designed to check this. Will I have to follow any particular methodology? Our aim is to provide you with a range of techniques and approaches which you will be able to select from. I have never learned grammar before: is this a problem? Many native speakers of English know little about the mechanics of their own language and are unconfident about teaching grammar. Part of our selection process is to check that you have the potential to follow the grammar component of the course. When I have completed my CELTA, what further teaching qualifications should I take? It depends on your career plans. If you intend to work in Further Education, the Cambridge ESOL Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector will give you the qualification you need. If you want a qualification which has a more international bias, and if you are interested in developing your EFL career more broadly, the DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults) may be more appropriate. We do not currently offer the DELTA course at WKC. If I am successful in CELTA, can I take the Cambridge ESOL Diploma course immediately afterwards? We recommend that you gain at least 50 hours practical teaching experience before starting the Diploma. You will have to go through a selection process which involves an interview and completion of a task. Also, we can only accept you onto the Diploma course if you already teach, or are planning to teach, in the Further Education sector. 8 Useful Books There is no official reading list, but here are some useful titles: Methodology Learning Teaching, Jim Scrivener (Macmillan Heinemann). The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th edition), Jeremy Harmer (Longman). Grammar Practical English Usage, Michael Swan (OUP). Grammar for English Language Teaching, Martin Parrot (CUP). What CELTA has done for me? For many of our trainees, success on their course has led to some very positive changes in their lives. This is what two of them told us: â€Å"I was 51 when I did my CELTA course†¦ a bit old, and my only regret is that I didn’t do it 20 years earlier. My day job had become excruciatingly unbearable and it was when I was doing Spanish evening classes that I got the idea of doing a CELTA when I realised what a pleasant life my Spanish teacher was having. The 4-week course was intensive but that was part of the enjoyment. The three tutors were very supportive throughout and always gave us frank and honest advice. The students were a friendly mix of people and were always patient and good-humoured with their rather clumsy and inexperienced teachers. It was a very rewarding experience and at the end of the course I felt that I had got my brain back. I would advise it to anyone, but especially those who are free to go abroad and teach, as schools in this country tend to want teachers with experience unless you do a Summer School. Nevertheless, a CELTA is a very versatile extra string to anyone’s bow, and with it you should find it way to find a job anywhere in the world.† Mick Hutchinson â€Å"I did a CELTA course when I was 24 years old. I had just finished a contract as an Events Assistant in the city and was looking for something different to do. I had heard a lot about CELTA and TEFL courses and how useful they were if you wanted to go travelling and even to teach English in your home country. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and it was a very satisfying as well as challenging experience. However, be warned that for one month it is hard work, but it’s well worth it! â€Å"When I completed my CELTA I taught English to Italian students for a while but went back to work in the city. However, I always knew I would use the CELTA at some point and I am now about to spend the summer in Ecuador teaching English!† Diana Chapman What motivates students? What can you do to keep motivation high? Teacher Training with Westminster Kingsway College Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions and it provides you with the opportunity to interact with people of all ages and from all walks of life. Westminster Kingsway College offers a number of teaching courses that will help you to progress into teaching as a career and develop your skills for the classroom. Careers at a glance: Teacher Lecturer Headteacher Social Worker Researcher School Administrator Teaching Courses at Westminster Kingsway College: This is a selection of the teaching courses at the College – contact us for further details. CELTA: Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Access to Higher Education Diploma: Education Studies and Teacher Training Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) Visit www.westking.ac.uk for further details about Westminster Kingsway College

America in Comparison to Other Countries

If more grammar classes ere added during high school, our country could be on the right path to catching up with the education in other countries. Every day, kids are exposed to poor grammar. Many songs, television shows, movies, and magazines use incorrect grammar. Songs often include phrases instead of complete thoughts, and some songs even contain words that don't exist. If that is all that students see and hear, they won't be able to make a distinction between the correct and incorrect way to speak.Text messaging has also caused kids to have poor writing skills. Testing causes kids to write by using fragments, Incorrect spelling, and poor punctuation. Americans don't take the time to write correctly because they are so worried about getting things done quickly. U. S. Citizens don't want to be bothered with making sure their punctuation Is correct or their comma Is In the right place. Students need repeated, dally practice to get away from the high-speed lifestyle they are used to , in order to be able to utilize grammar in the right way.Focusing more on grammar during English classes will reinforce proper grammar, and eliminate the issues that text messaging and new technology bring. As a country, understanding grammar can impact our lives. We need grammar to succeed in everyday life. When applying to a college or a Job, grammar is extremely important. College essays are a major part in being accepted in college, and making a good first impression. Once in college, English classes focus a lot on grammar In essays and research papers.Students would quickly fall behind If they were not familiar with basic grammar skills. Also, going to Job interviews requires you to use proper grammar. To be hired, the employee needs to speak well so that the boss knows the company will be well represented. Future Job applicants could end up being unemployed, simply because they weren't grammatically educated to speak urine an interview or a board meeting. America would be low ering its standards if the education system decided to eliminate grammar from the curriculum.This basically gives permission for U. S. Citizens to be unmotivated and lazy. Colleges would have to lower their admittance standards, since SAT scores, ACT scores, and college essay scores would all be lower. This would put us even further behind other countries and their educational progress. The United States would regress from an already low educational level. We would fall so far behind other countries, and never be able to catch up. If grammar continues to be pushed to the side over the years, it will eventually be eliminated.Grammar may not seem Important, but It can change our lives. Speaking properly helps us In college, Jobs, and even social events. Focusing more on grammar In English curriculums Is a small change could make a difference for our country. It may not put us at the highest ranking for education, but s certainly a start we need to prove to toner countries Tanat we are not quilters, and we certainly will not lower our standards. If anything, we should try to higher our standards so that we will not be so inferior to other countries.

Should gay couples be Able to marry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Should gay couples be Able to marry - Essay Example It is an abnormal attitude no doubt, but this abnormality is found at noticeable rate in several developing as well as developed societies. Because of this homosexual attraction, people are found searching legality to legalize the activity. However according to several schools of thoughts the upshots of this practice are different but still questionable. When two males are indulged in the said practice, it is known as gay’s marriage whereas when two females are found in the same state of physical relationship, it is called lesbian marriage. Throughout the paper, here is the several aspects of gay marriage will be discussed briefly including religion, legality, socialism etc. Christian sexual ethics are referred as controversial so far. There are two famous beliefs of Christianity i.e., Catholicism and Protestantism. However both of them are interrelated to each other. The primarily components to form the religion are not more heterogeneous. As far as sexual beliefs concerned, there are many interpretations found such that it has taken a shape of unanswered in a satisfactory manner. The bible reveals that love should be paid to different than one. This indicates heterogeneity in sexual ethics because it is the natural way which is prescribed by God in His revelation. The so called liberal experts are also found discussing on this issue. The increasing number of gay marriages has become a point to be considered for authorities. The religious leaders have recently joint together against gay marriage plans. The issue was taken serious in such a way protestants as well as catholic leaders were stood together to protest against an unethical activity. The natural way of heterogeneity in marriages is advised in order to avoid several kinds of social as well religious issues. Still it is a controversy because many religious leaders are also found in support of this activity in the name of so called self-awareness and freedom of actions. They claim that a human be ing is born free and he is free to do anything to get happiness. The excessively spreading abnormality in the society is gay marriage. It is a kind of social illness. Medical science has reported a number of psychological and physical diseases that could occur because of this practice. Empirical studies show that this is a cause of numerous psychological diseases. Homosexuality is not a normal symptom in a human being because it is completely opposite to the rules of nature. The new generation is getting affected because of this emerging practice. The philosophical as well as the psychological hindrance come in the way of this illogical concept which has been adopted by many people in modern world. The history of gay marriages is not new. It is as older as the issue itself is. In ancient times, the roman slaves were found indulged in such activities but it was practiced in a hidden manner. But nowadays it has been practiced in a completely open manner. Gays are found wondering openl y which causes a bad impact on other people’s minds who are just viewers including little kids. The psychology refers it as a mental disorder because it deviates from the natural behavior of sexuality that is sought to be present in human beings. It has certain therapies as well as treatments in order to get cured. It is morally as well ethically ill practice which must be estopped by authoritative bodies. Legal issues regarding homosexual marriages are questionable as well as a matter of condemn in religious and

Comparative Economic Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparative Economic Systems - Essay Example While proponents of this global economic model argue that this is the best possible system, there are also those who strongly oppose various aspects of this system. Taking a historical perspective, we see that the events of the two centuries are shaped and defined by the practice of capitalism. In a way, the peaking of European colonialism coincided with the consolidation of capitalist economic theory, which ultimately replaced it. In other words, the power and influence wielded by large multinational corporations today (which are the faà §ade of global capitalism) is nothing short of a variant of imperialism. While conceding that concentrations of power and finance in and of themselves do not lead to oppression and injustice, empirical evidence of the workings of the capitalist model suggests such an outcome. Similarly, while neo-liberal economic paradigm might have improved the Gross National Products of individual nations and improved the general standards of living, there are ot her aspects to human wellbeing that is not easily measured and fulfilled (Dixon, 1998, p.125). For instance, when assessing economic systems, it is only logical to consider the consequences to the environment alongside measures of human standard of living. There is an emerging consensus among intellectuals and research scholars that there is indeed a strong correlation between the two concepts. In other words, it is rarely a coincidence that poverty thrives in hostile geographies and that affluence is usually seen in ambient landscapes. Apart from the literal sense of the word, ‘environment’ could also be taken to mean the political and socio-cultural context of a particular geographic space. Further, global capitalism has led to the practice of exploitation of cheap labor offered by Third World nations. So, while global capitalism is further developing the length and breadth of its reach, it benefits certain

Alternative Measures of GDP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Alternative Measures of GDP - Research Paper Example However, there are few restrictions identified in this system of economic growth measurement which calls for the requirement of alternate methods to present more accurate detail of the economic health of a geographic and political division (Mankiw, 2011). These alternative computations of GDP would be considered in this paper in order to evaluate their impression over the interpretation of GDP. Alternative Measures to GDP Studies have revealed that there are a few inadequacies in the concept of GDP and for the reason of which the need for corrections in the factors included in the GDP along with some substitute computations were identified by various economists. It was stated by Giovannini & Hall (2010) that a collection of indicators needs to be developed which could offer an increased surrounding explanation of the living standards as well as the well-being compared to just a single indicator which is the GDP. For the period of 1970s, a collection of communal gauging methods were u sed with the intention to measure the socio-economic growth by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). These techniques were considered to be the alternatives of GDP among which few were developed on the foundations of the concept itself (Giovannini & Hall, 2010). Some of the substitute measures also tend to consider the concept of GDP as well as the nationwide accounts to be their groundwork. These have been adapted to appear more accurate than the GDP measure with a few modifications in the traditional method of measuring economic growth. The modifications involve certain additions and deductions of a few indicators concerning the environmental problems, and sustainability problems among others so as to reach to a broader computation of well-being (Commission on the measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress, 2010; Boarini & Et. Al., 2006). Another alternative is said to be the well-being indicators which does not entail GDP in their computa tions and thus, act as a substitute to the concept. The main substitute amongst the approaches have been learned to be the ‘economics of happiness’ that intends to measure the welfare of the residents in the economy. This method merges practices made by economists as well as psychologists with the intention to determine the degree of happiness in a particular society along with the policy that contributes to it. This particular method goes more from the economists’ perception of happiness which centered on ‘revealed performance’ along with the beliefs that increased unpaid options that were available to an individual and make that individual happier (Nallari & Et. Al., 2011; Schepelmann & Et. Al., 2010). The results from the happiness assessment point out that the unpaid options did matter, similarly as did an individual’s comparative earnings in the society along with the percentile position of those earnings. To be precise, it was found that after an amount of certain per capita earnings gained per annum, the total earnings did not contribute to happiness. Therefore, this method established that total earnings were crucial in describing the individual’s well-being which in turn was essential in gauging the GDP. Another substitute method for GDP so as to measure the economic growth of a country has often been categorized to be the

Cayce Pollard and the significance of logos and advertizing in pattern Essay

Cayce Pollard and the significance of logos and advertizing in pattern recognition - Essay Example In the book, â€Å"Pattern Recognition,† by William Gibson, there is a direct reference to aesthetics and how these link to logos and advertising. This is defined by the perspective of Cayce Pollard and her ability to recognize the meanings that are surrounding the various logos and ads. Identifying the advertising and logos and seeing how this relates to communicating different ideas is important not only in the identity of Cayce Pollard and in the ideologies behind trends. The logos become significant with the ability to show how the perspectives which Cayce holds also influence the basic functions and patterns in society and what is expected from various individuals. The Story of Cayce Pollard as a Cool Hunter The characteristics of Cayce are one which is able to point out and define logos, colors, trends and fashions from the aesthetic viewpoint. Cayce is important in the book because of these recognitions and the ability to take the regular images, logos and trends and allows them to stand out. This concept is one which can be defined as a cool hunter, meaning that the character has the capability of finding trends through images and knowing what works and what only becomes segmented into the pattern. The pattern is defined as an image that states the same message or level of communication through the color, shapes and other ideas that are represented. In Cayce’s understanding, there are very few logos that stand out, which is what causes them to become patterns. For instance, when looking at a variety of fragrances, Cayce is given the special slant of needing to find something that stands out while noticing that all follow repetition in the communication and message that is used. â€Å"Zaprudered into surreal dimensions of purest speculation, ghost narratives have emerged and taken on shadowy but determined lives of their own, but Cayce is familiar with them all, and steers clear† (Gibson, 24). This example shows how Cayce recognizes the patterns of logos, advertisements and the sameness that each brings, while trying to find something which stands out from the usual aesthetic repetition. The approach which Cayce takes begins with finding the denotational meaning, or symbolism. The symbolism is based on finding the colors of various objects, all which are used to describe and signify something about an individual, trend or logo. This is combined with the belief that each item which one has tries to say something or several things to create meaning. This is noted from the beginning when Cayce introduces her fashion as well as other comparisons and how this relates to patterns of how one thinks and acts. â€Å"Dorotea may have attempted to out  œ minimalize her this morning, Cayce decides. If so, it hasn’t worked. Dorotea’s black dress, for all is apparent simplicity, is still trying to say several things at once, probably in at least three languages† (Gibson, 10). The symbolism which is seen from the viewpoint of Cayce includes color for simplicity, making statements with styles and trends and using this to convey a specific message in different languages. The denotational meanings Cayce finds leads to her being a cool hunter, meaning that she can find something that stands out from regular patterns. She has the natural ability to see trends and ideas that continue to make specific statements about an individual or company. The second way in which Cayce creates meaning and becomes a cool hunter is by looking at the connotative meaning. This is done by looking the words, ideas or the significance behind different concepts or objects. Cayce believes that this is able to show more than the basic and super ficial ideologies, but moves into deeper levels of the object. For instance, wh

Insular Insurance Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Insular Insurance Company - Essay Example The analysis that is presented in this essay reveals that managers of the Insular Insurance Company act as a constant guidance and director for employees in their work activities. It is suggested that this could act as a major hurdle for them as they would not be allowed to work independently at their will. These conditions could create pressure on employees causing organizational stress. It is also seen that Insular Insurance Company has a convention of treating all its employees on the same platform and considering them as members belonging to the same family. The researcher states that it is important for successful manager to reduce stress levels of the work community by allowing employees to work independently towards work objectives and strive towards creating a competitive culture and environment in which employees are recognized as per their merits and performance at the workplace. The essay also analyzes the role of work teams and the importance of distribution the work acti vities among work teams by manager. Manager in here plays the role of motivator, mentor and constant support for members of the team. The researcher then recommends for the Insular Insurance Company that according to the best practices of leadership, it is recommended that the leaders must be chosen from amongst the team members, rather than placed from the top position. To conclude, these recommendations will keep employees motivated and faithful towards the organization and eliminate interpersonal conflicts out of issues.

Case 1 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

1 - Case Study Example 1. Innovation: Innovative approaches to cost-cutting like simpler ticketing system, personal TV for every passenger, uniform and efficient flight machines, usage of technology to reduce wastage, time etc have contributed to the successful establishment and sustenance of JetBlue during economic slowdown. Providing work-from-home opportunities for ticket reservations and planning also added to their cost-savings in infrastructure and staff. 2. Standardization: Low and uniform operating costs were an advantage to the then market conditions that demanded short passenger trips. Standardization in their services, like uniform class and trained interchangeable crew members also helped in saving costs and improving efficiency. 3. Competitive advantage: JetBlue’s cost-cutting strategies worked well while providing services better than counterpart low-cost airlines. JetBlue focused on cutting non-value adding costs to provide better quality. They invested higher amounts in equipment that required low maintenance; for example, personalised televisions versus meals; leather seats versus fabric ones. 4. Hiring: Neeleman’s strategy of hiring the best and experienced people in industry, like Dave Barger, and enthusiastic customer service professionals was advantageous of not only acquiring more customers but also in retaining their customers during testing times. 5. Customer focus: Their strong customer focus and genuine service helped increase customer base by word of mouth and also earn customer loyalty. Eventually, JetBlue has established a brand of its own with unique features and services. 6. Marketing strategy: JetBlue’s fun-filled and eye-catching marketing strategies that were supported equally by their practices were visible to and experienced by their customers, which helped improve their brand value. 1. Firm value and debt: JetBlue’s high debt makes

Reflection on the Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection on the Research Paper - Essay Example This is because, as I was reading through the articles, I made a list of all the cited causes. To be honest, my main concern was the identification of all causes and writing as comprehensive a research as possible. As this strategy turned out to be incorrect, I had to reread the articles with a different purpose in mind - the identification of the root causes. As none of the articles accessed or handed out as part of our class readings outlined the root causes for the failure of retail chain internationalization projects, I had to reflect upon the various causes, establish correlations between them, and relate them back to theory. Not only did doing so give me a deeper understanding of the problems confronting the internationalization of retail chains but, it gave me a better grasp of theory. Accordingly, the very nature of the assignment, and the supposed imbalance between word limit and the vast array of causes for failure, were learning experiences in themselves. As my initial approach had been incorrect, forcing me to reread each article more than once, I gained a greater familiarity with the different writers in the field, to the extent that I was able to compare the worth of each. While not claiming that any of the writers or theorists whose material we studied lacked substance or value, I personally found the most informative, hence more valuable, to be Brown and Palmer.

The Future World System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Future World System - Essay Example According to realists, anarchy and polarity are the two types of systems dominant on the globe today. Anarchy refers to a situation in which the state holds the ultimate power and authority. Polarity is concerned with the number of sates that exercise power over other states in the international arena states (Haas 235). The liberals are of the thought that the international system is anarchical in which individual states act out of self-interest in an effort to preserve their sovereignty (Haas 55). On their part, radicals view the international system as being characterized by stratifications pitting the haves and the have-nots against one another (Haas 251). This stratification is brought about by the availability of resources in individual states, whereby the states with a lot of resource exercise power over those with limited resources. Constructivists differ with the other theorist by asserting that international relations are not characterized by material resources, but rather by social norms (Haas 235). Polarity is a type of international relations system that is advanced by realists who argue that international politics are controlled by a certain number of states where power is concentrated, allowing these states to exert power over inferior states (Arreguin-Toft & Mingst 243). As such, there exist three forms of polarity that exist in international relations. A unipolar system is characterized by a situation in which a single state has absolute power over international politics. Currently, the United States is considered the most powerful state in the world, meaning that the international arena is unipolar. When two rival states are fairly equal and exercise the same level of influence over international affairs, then the international system is considered as bipolar. A perfect example of a bipolar system is the state of affairs after World War II which set the United States against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In a multipolar

Nurse symbolises Essay Example for Free

Nurse symbolises Essay In contrast to these three characters, the next characters show the opposition facing the accusations. Firstly I will discuss the protagonist of the play John Proctor, whom I have already mentioned. Proctor is a steady man, in whose presence a fool felt his foolishness instantly. He is described as a man in his prime, with a quiet confidence, and an unexpressed, hidden force, which reveals his nature to the reader. Despite his affair with Abigail that becomes the source of the accusations, the reader feels sympathy towards him due to his preference of rationality over the supernatural, and his modern quality in his logic and his willingness for a better life for future generations. The Nurses, particularly Rebecca Nurse, are represented as near saints who rely upon practical wisdom and experience. Miller reveals that the Nurses have held a grudge against the Putnams both over land, and also over Putnams wanted man in the ministry. Rebecca Nurse symbolises the good in the community although this does not affect Putnams motivations and the accusations that are made. The last character is Giles Corey. He is a man who didnt give a hoot for public opinion, but is able to oppose Putnam and Parris due to his contentious, and combative manner. Finally, there is the Reverend John Hale, who approaches religious matters with the conviction of a scientist. He holds the belief that they cannot rely upon superstition to solve the girls problems but they may find a supernatural explanation for the events. Although he does not side with anyone, he is wrapped up in the hysteria that has been created, and evokes further paranoia. He shows the essence of the conflict of religion and superstition that is at the foreground in The Crucible. The First Act of The Crucible shows several significant themes that continue during the play. I think that one of the most important themes is the ability for accusations to snowball, gaining pace and involving others that were in the background. An early example of this is the charges against the girls and Tituba. At first they are accused of simply dancing, then of dancing naked. These accusations proceed until Tituba is deemed a witch, and others are accused of Satanism. Another important theme is the shift of blame from one character to another. This is largely due to the minority of people willing to accept the consequences of their actions. The ability of characters to choose whichever position suits their self-interest is encompassed in the First Act largely with Abigail, who uses everything for her own purpose. As I mentioned during my introduction, the play is aptly named The Crucible, which serves as an instrument in which tensions reach a climax under the cloud of accusations. In Act Three, Danforth refers to the title in saying We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment. This is true in the sense that all the motives of the characters are revealed, but these have to be firstly explained, and this occurs in Act One. Miller uses imagery and language to add to the tensions and conflicts encountered in the First Act. He uses double negatives as a way to emphasise and also to set the play in the right period of history. Miller uses such imagery as sweated like a stallion: an image taken straight from the farm to reflect the themes and set the period. Miller writes that Abigail states that Let either of you breath a word sun go down. This quote contains very powerful language and gives a sense of the harshness of the atmosphere that they lived in. After Act One, the accusations spiral out of control with countless others being accused including Elizabeth Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and John Proctor himself. The mass hysteria reaches a climax with the accused being hanged after refusing to confess to a sin that they did not do. Reverend John Hale sides with Proctor and says that these accusations are not based upon anything, just personal vendettas. In conclusion, Arthur Miller uses the First Act of The Crucible as a strong foundation for the mass hysteria and the intensity of the paranoia that follows in the play. The themes of the play need to be sown into the play quickly and effectively so as to ensure the quick rise of tension. The main issue throughout the play of the conflict of religion and superstition is involved straight away and Miller establishes the stem of all the accusations of Abigails affair with Proctor quickly, as well as giving an insight into the motivations of the other characters. Miller establishes the characteristics of the Salem community that make it so receptive to the witch hunt and how accusations can ignite fears and panic which can seize a town to such a great extent. The Crucible, thought of as an allegory to the McCarthyism that gripped America is elaborately constructed to illustrate how fear and hysteria mixed with an atmosphere of persecution may lead to tragically unjust consequences. The seeds of future conflict are intricately sown in the first Act to provide The Crucible with a solid base on which the accusations raise the tension and conflict to such extreme heights and where characters are wrapped up in the hysteria that make the play so compelling. All the important themes are encompassed during the first Act, such as the shifting of blame, and the conflicts of characters, that allow the rest of the play to spiral out of all proportions permitting The Crucible to be so powerful and utterly riveting.

Shipping companies listed on New Yorks Stock Exchange

Shipping companies listed on New Yorks Stock Exchange This study was based on 21 shipping companies listed in New York Stock Exchange, over the period of 2005 to 2009. On the table below the selected shipping companies are shown. Shipping Companies listed in the New York Stock Exchange DIANA SHIPPING INC NAVIOS MARITIME HOLDINGS INC 3 SAFE BULKERS INC 4 GENCO SHIPPING TRADING LIMITED 5 TEEKAY CORPORATION 6 TSAKOS ENERGY NAVIGATION LIMITED 7 EXCEL MARITIME CARRIERS LTD 8 DANAOS CORPORATION 9 AEGEAN MARINE PETROLEUM NETWORK INCORPORATION 10 FRONTLINE LIMITED 11 SEACOR HOLDINGS INCORPORATED 12 NORDIC TANKERS 13 GLOBAL SHIP LEASE INCORPORATION 14 GENERAL MARITIME CORPORATION 15 SEASPAN CORPORATION 16 SHIP FINANCE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED 17 KIRBY CORPORATION 18 OVERSEAS SHIPHOLDING GROUP, INC 19 DHT MARITIME INCORPORATION 20 INTERNATIONAL SHIPHOLDING CORPORATION 21 TIDEWATER INC This paper seeks to examine the relationship among three corporate governance mechanisms (board composition, chief executive status and audit committee) and some firm performance measures (return on investment capital, return on equity, Return on Assets and Current Ratio). Also, the essay examines the relationship among these three corporate governance mechanisms and the operating performance (Net Sales to Operating Cost) of the corporations. Part 1 Corporate Governance Corporate governance is the set of processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions affecting the way a corporation (or company) is directed, administered or controlled with the objective to enhance shareholders wealth. Corporate governance also includes the relationships among the stakeholders involved and the goals by which the corporation is governed. It is supposed that better corporate governance leads to better corporate performance by preventing the expropriation of controlling shareholders and ensuring better decision-making. Corporate governance is a priority along with financial indicators when evaluating investment decisions according to investors. The majority of them are prepared to pay a premium for companies having high governance standards. On the opposite, there are also bad forms of corporate governance that lead corporations to problems. Good corporate governance is considered to be a fundamental necessity to run a firm successfully. Moreover corporate governance is a process which can ensure growth for a firm and the economy in general. Most of the selected shipping companies are foreign private issuers established in Marshal or Bermuda islands. The minority of the selected companies are U.S corporations. Consequently most of them are not required to comply with the corporate governance practices followed by U.S. companies following the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listing standards. However, they are required to state any significant differences between their corporate governance practices and the practices required by the NYSE according to Section 303.A.11 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual.  Furthermore almost every chosen shipping company adopts NYSE required practices, such as having a majority of independent directors, establishing audit and compensation and nominating committees as well as adopting a Code of Ethics.   NYSE requires companies to adopt and disclose corporate governance guidelines.   The guidelines should address to the director qualification standards, the director responsibilities, the director access to management and independent advisers, the director compensation, the director orientation and continuing education, management succession as well as an annual performance evaluation. However,   most of the shipping companies trade in NYSE are not obliged to comply with these rules due to that they are foreign private issuers as well as most of them are offshore. For these companies there is no obligation of complying with any corporate governance guidelines or code of ethics. Shareholders can be informed via the annual reports and Code of Ethics, both of which have been publicly filed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission available on the companies web-sites. Corporate governance guidelines and shipping companies intend to publish an overview of the Companys gu iding principles which focuses on social issues. This Code cannot cover every applicable law or provide answers to all questions that may arise but it can set out general principles about an organization belief on matters such as mission, quality, conflicts of interest, internal reporting, privacy or the environment. Furthermore, it may define proper procedures to determine whether a violation of the code of ethics has occurred. Code of ethics and corporate social responsibility is a neglected issue in the shipping industry. Traditionally there is no reason for the shipping companies to invest in advertising or in any other activity that could improve their image. Consequently the main goal of the management of a shipping company is to attract as many as possible new clients. Any characteristic that can improve the reputation of the company is not a priority for the managers of a shipping company. Many years have passed and shipping companies were not obliged to follow some rules of social responsibilities. Fortunately, the last decade various regulations have been imposed to the operation of a shipping company, although the control mechanisms were not always efficient. Board of Directors An important aspect that influences the corporate governance is the board of directors. The board of directors plays an important role to the company operation. It oversees top management and is entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring and supervising the company resources and operation. Moreover, it undertakes the obligation of appointing a qualified person as the Chief Executive Officer and other management staff. Therefore, the board is seen as a team of individuals with fiduciary responsibilities of leading and directing a firm, with the primary objective of protecting the shareholders interests with high sense of integrity and commitment to the firm. The role of the Board is significant in designing efficient corporate monitoring and ratification mechanisms. With respect to reducing agency costs at the Board level, Boards of directors have three key decision rights: (1) Monitoring (2) Ratification (3) Reward and punishment rights. They may even remove top managers from their positions and sanction them for their decisions. NYSE rules require the size of the board of directors not to be smaller than three members. As it can be observed by the survey the size of the board of directors of the sample is between five and seven members. Although there are some shipping companies that have more than seven members in the board and some others that have less than five members. It can be concluded that the majority of the board members in the board of directors are outside directors (member of a company board of directors who is not an employee or stakeholder in the company). The role of independent directors on the board of directors is to effectively monitor and control firm activities in reducing opportunistic managerial behaviors and expropriation of firm resources. The majority of the board members are outsiders for most of the companies; some of them use relatives as well as acquaintances as board members. This indicates a tendency for the shipping companies to be governed by a closed team of people. In accordance to NYSE rules the board should have audit, compensation, and nominating committees made up entirely by outside directors. Almost all of them are consisted by the three obligatory committees opposed to the majority of the selected shipping companies that do not have the obligation to comply with the NYSE rules. The role of these committees is significant; they are assigned to evaluate the board The role of the Audit Committee The purpose of the Audit Committee is to: Monitor the integrity of the firm financial statements. Monitor the qualifications, independence and performance of the company independent auditors. Monitor the performance of the company internal audit function. The audit committee ensures that the books of the company are not fake and that shareholders are properly informed of the financial status of the firm. In this essay it is made an effort to examine the importance of the audit committee in shipping companies listed in the New York Stock Exchange. NYSE requires from a listed U.S. company to have an audit committee with a minimum of three members. But it is permitted by Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that audit committees of foreign companies can have less than three independent members in the audit committee. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Status The Chief Executive Officer position and the whole management team is an important position to hold in a corporation. They are responsible for Operating the firm in an effective way. Preparing the annual operating plans and budgets. Establishing an effective system of internal control. In this essay it is examined the role of the Chief executive officer (CEO) in the shipping companies. There are two types of leadership structure i.e. combined leadership structure and separated structure. Combined leadership structure happens when the CEO is also the chairman of the board. On the other hand separated leadership structure takes place when the Chairman of the board is a different person from the CEO. Many studies identifying the implications of CEO duality exist. It is thought that the operating performance may be improved as a result of less debate among the CEO and chairman and/or other directors. From the sample of the shipping companies that it was taken a significant tendency cannot be provided. In some of the shipping companies the CEO is also the chairman of the board while in others is not. Part 2 Methodology The aim of this research is to figure out if the corporate governance mechanisms have an effect on firm performance. Therefore, the measurement of firm performance is primarily comprised of two factors: operating and financial performance. The data used for this research were extracted from the audited financial statements of 21 shipping companies listed in the New York Stock Exchange. The survey covers the time period through 2005 2009. The sample consists of the annual observations for the board size of every company, for the CEO status and for the size of the audit committee of every shipping company. The aim of the research is to find if these corporate governance mechanisms influence the operating and financial performance ratios. Consequently regression models have been constructed in order to prove the association between the corporation governance in operating and financial performance. Microsoft Excel and the statistical package Eviews were used so as to collect the data run the appropriate regressions and identify the results. Moreover except from the companies annual reports a lot of information was extracted through the Thomson Database. In the end panel data methodology was adopted because it combined time series and cross sectional data. The method of analysis is that of multiple regressions and the method of estimation is Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). By running the appropriate regressions via Eviews and by using Return on equity and the profit margin as the dependent variables, the results were considered inadequate. Consequently it was considered integral to proceed to further research. That is why the below financial ratios were used as dependent variables. For the financial performance: Return on equity ratio: Profitability ratio, it can indicate the management effectiveness Return on assets ratio: Profitability ratio, it can also indicate the management effectiveness Return on investment capital ratio: Profitability ratio, it can also indicate the management effectiveness Current ratio: liquidity  ratio Finally in order to measure the operating performance: The above formulas contributed on calculating the ratios of the shipping companies for the time period of 2005 2009. Moreover, many independent variables were used to define the most accurate and specifically those that would give some results. Consequently as independent variables are defined the above: Out_Board = the proportion of the independent directors over the total directors. CEO = if the same person occupies the post of the chairman of the board and the Chief executive is defined by valuing with zero, otherwise value with one. Audcom1 = the proportion of the audit committee. In the end in order to run the regression, the economic models should be defined. For the return on equity: For the return on assets For the return on investment capital For the current ratio So as to measure the operating performance of the shipping companies the above economic model was used. Furthermore the above parameters should be defined. ÃŽÂ ²o:Constant term ÃŽÂ ²1:Coefficient of the regression ÃŽÂ ²2: Coefficient of the regression ÃŽÂ ²3: Coefficient of the regression eit: Disturbance term Empirical Results and Discussion It is important to mention some important data before continuing to comment on the outputs of the regression. First of all the regression outputs will be tested for all the three confidence intervals 90%,95% and 99%. In order to have a statistical significant output the t statistic has to be greater than 1.64, 1.96 and 2.576 respectively. Moreover so as to have a statistically significant variable the p value has to be less than 0,1 , 0.05 and 0.01 respectively. As it can be observed from the table below, the three independent variables are statistically insignificant because the t statistics are lower than the critical values. Moreover it can be confirmed because all the p values are greater than the level of significance. Dependent Variable: ROE Method: Panel Least Squares Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 99 Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. OUT_BOARD -0.00683 0.552604 -0.01236 0.9902 CEO 0.017437 0.17098 0.101982 0.919 AUDCOM1 -0.002796 0.101423 -0.027571 0.9781 C 0.18661 0.529641 0.352334 0.7254 R-squared 0.000114 Adjusted R-squared -0.031461 F-statistic 0.003613 Prob(F-statistic) 0.999698 S.E. of regression 0.791347 Dependent Variable: ROA Method: Panel Least Squares Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 99 Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. OUT_BOARD -0.095721 0.061678 -1.551956 0.124 CEO -0.032232 0.019084 -1.688972 0.0945 AUDCOM1 0.009389 0.01132 0.829387 0.409 C 0.140099 0.059115 2.369954 0.0198 R-squared 0.078318 Adjusted R-squared 0.049212 F-statistic 2.690791 Prob(F-statistic) 0.050602 S.E. of regression 0.088325 Dependent Variable: ROA Method: Panel Least Squares Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 99 Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. OUT_BOARD -0.104552 0.060653 -1.723773 0.088 CEO -0.028425 0.018493 -1.537033 0.1276 C 0.171387 0.045439 3.771807 0.0003 R-squared 0.071644 Adjusted R-squared 0.052303 F-statistic 3.704289 Prob(F-statistic) 0.028204 S.E. of regression 0.088181 It is evident from the tables above that there is a correlation between return on assets and the independent variables. On the first table it can be observed that the CEO independent variable is statistically significant on 10% confidence interval. Also R- Squared is 7.16% of the variability of the return on assets and is explained by the regression. On the second table one independent variable is excluded from the regression in order to prove that the proportion of the outside directors over the total number of the board is also statistically significant at the 90% confidence interval. It is evident that these two variables influence the financial performance of the shipping companies that are selected in the sample. On the table below it is shown the regression output between the return on investment capital and the independent variables. It can be observed that the proportion of the outside directors and the CEO are statistically significant on the 90% confidence interval. It implies that the majority of the sampled firms, in the period under study, have separate persons occupying the posts of chief executive and the board chair. Dependent Variable: ROIC Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 97 Method: Panel Least Squares Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. OUT_BOARD -0.108758 0.062348 -1.744367 0.0844 CEO -0.031869 0.019189 -1.660741 0.1001 AUDCOM1 0.00542 0.011377 0.476405 0.6349 C 0.199476 0.059341 3.361532 0.0011 R-squared 0.081182 Adjusted R-squared 0.051542 F-statistic 2.738981 Prob(F-statistic) 0.047783 S.E. of regression 0.088251 Dependent Variable: CURRENT_RATIO Method: Panel Least Squares Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 99 Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic OUT_BOARD 0.554821 1.498786 0.37018 CEO -0.636588 0.463736 -1.372737 AUDCOM1 0.538569 0.275082 1.95785 C 0.954122 1.436504 0.664197 R-squared 0.047648 Adjusted R-squared 0.017574 F-statistic 1.584356 Prob(F-statistic) 0.198271 S.E. of regression 2.146311 Another ratio so as to observe the financial performance of a company is the current ratio. By running a regression it can be concluded that the audit committee size is statistically significant at a 90% and 95% confidence interval. Because of the different financial performance ratio it can be observed a different correlation between the dependent and the independent variable. On the particular output the positive relationship between the liquidity ratio and the audit committee seems to be a very reasonable result. Shipping companies follow the corporate governance guidelines which are given by the NYSE for the audit committees. In the end a regression was run for the operating performance of the shipping companies. On the table below it is shown that the proportion of the outside directors is statistically significant at 90% confidence interval with t statistic greater than the critical values. Also it is shown that the audit committee variable is also statistically significant for all the confidence intervals. But the R squared of the output is very low which means that only the 8.76% of the variability of the dependent variable is explained. Dependent Variable: OPER_PERF Method: Panel Least Squares Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 99 Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. OUT_BOARD -0.951585 0.50254 -1.893552 0.0613 CEO 0.083654 0.15549 0.538005 0.5918 AUDCOM1 -0.23875 0.092234 -2.588514 0.0112 C 3.109729 0.481657 6.456321 0 R-squared 0.087671 Adjusted R-squared 0.05886 F-statistic 3.043024 Prob(F-statistic) 0.032629 S.E. of regression 0.719653 Descriptive statistics The table below presents the result of the descriptive statistics analysis between the dependent variables and the independent variables by measuring the mean, the standard deviation and the percentage of distribution range of the pooled years of the sample under study. Descriptive Statistics Oper_Perf Roa Roe Roic Cur_ratio Out_Board CEO AUDCOM1 Mean 1.741854 0.078202 0.18183 0.11603 3.243112 0.762211 0.474747 2.808081 Median 1.527139 0.072055 0.156449 0.110134 1.86132 0.777778 0 3 Maximum 5.409894 0.513177 3.84573 0.368966 70.57955 1 1 5 Minimum 0.889839 -0.42841 -4.60062 -0.41285 0.1406 0.428571 0 1 Std. Dev. 0.737746 0.090581 0.779185 0.09045 7.100746 0.153031 0.501903 0.816623 Skewness 1.867152 -0.45139 -1.94635 -1.54254 8.614659 -0.20659 0.101139 0.250996 Kurtosis 8.233289 16.32647 24.76835 14.17857 81.7566 2.085215 1.010229 3.44567 Jarque-Bera 177.3846 735.9403 2017.183 549.1192 27351.86 4.156112 16.50043 1.858795 Probabil. 0 0 0 0 0 0.125173 0.000261 0.394791 Sum 179.411 7.741993 18.00119 11.3709 327.5543 75.45889 47 278 Sum Sq. D. 55.51539 0.804091 59.49867 0.793579 5042.06 2.295021 24.68687 65.35354 Observ. 103 99 99 98 101 99 99 99 As it can be referred from the table above the number of the observations is all close to the hundred. This is because some of the data were not available and could not be extracted from the financial reports. Moreover another reason of the lack of some data is that some of the shipping companies were listed in the New York Stock Exchange after 2005. Conclusion The aim of this essay was to prove that there is a relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and firm performance using a sample of 21 shipping companies which are listed in the New York Stock Exchange from 2005 until 2009. The study used firm performance ratios and three mechanisms to prove the above relationship. Panel data methodology is employed; the method of analysis is multiple regressions and the method of estimation is Ordinary Least Squares. The study concludes to the followings: There is no significant relationship between ROE and none of the independent variables. There is a significant relationship among ROA and CEO status and the proportion of the outside directors. There is significant relationship among ROIC, board composition and CEO status. There is a significant relationship between Current ratio and audit committee. And there is a significant relationship among operating performance, board composition and audit committee. Concerning future research, efforts should be made to increase the sample size and the corporate governance variables to achieve a clearer view about the affection of the corporate governance mechanisms on the shipping companies. It can be said that shipping industry has been expanded all over the world from family to family. It is a closed industry which excludes many people. Consequently the nature of the industry makes it very difficult to perform an in depth research and establish an outcome. References Web Sites http://www.investopedia.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org http://www.dianashippinginc.com Home page

Impact of HIV on Society

Impact of HIV on Society The human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) pandemic is one of the most serious contemporary sexual health related issue affecting the human race today. By the end of 2009, it was approximated that 34 million people were living with the HIV virus and deaths related to AIDS were about 1.8 million people. HIV/AIDS has been the worst pandemic since its discovery; having claimed over twenty five million lives by 2005 with the Sub- Saharan Africa being the most affected (Douek, Roederer Koup, 2009). This paper focuses on the impact psychosocial, cultural and economic of HIV/AIDS and its related sexual health problems on the individual as well as the community. HIV/AIDS has a huge impact on the infected individuals family unit and the community they live in. The impact is dependent on the mode in which the virus is transmitted among communities (and who it infects), the diagnosis of infection, and the community setting in which the individual and family live. Introduction Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Two strains of the virus, HIV-1 and HIV-2, have been described. AIDS is a human disease in which there is gradual failure of the bodys defence (immune) system thereby leading to severe and fatal opportunistic infections and cancers (Douek, Roederer Koup, 2009). Infection with HIV occurs through coming in contact with infected body fluids such as blood, breast milk, and sexual fluids such as pre-ejaculate, semen and vaginal fluids. The key modes of transmission are unsafe sex with infected person-both heterosexual and homosexual, contaminated items such as needles and razors, breastfeeding, and infected mothers infecting the newborn during birth. Blood and blood products screening for HIV has greatly eradicated infections transmission through infected blood and blood products transfusions. HIV eventually progresses to AIDS; the individuals mostly succumb to opportunistic infectio ns or malignancies resulting from progressive weakening of the immune system. Different individuals infected with HIV develop AIDS at different rates depending on the host, viral, and environmental factors; many develop to AIDS within ten years but in some it may be earlier or later. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS; treatment involves life-long use of a combination of anti-retroviral drugs and a cocktail of other drugs to treat any opportunistic infections (Douek, Roederer Koup, 2009). Infection with HIV usually has a huge physical, mental, social and economic impact on infected individuals, their families as well as the community in which they live. Stigmatization by other community members aggravates this impact; it hampers the prevention and management of HIV and impedes social support and disclosure of HIV status. The family units mostly affected by the HIV scourge are those of low socioeconomic status, such as drug users, asylum seekers and emigrants. The long-term impacts of living with HIV due to invention of better HIV care and management such as HAART (Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy) have also evolved and changed many social aspects such as parenthood, disclosure HIV status and long term effects of the use of HAART on the individual. Another impact of the HIV is depicted in the inequality and discrimination individuals living with HIV experience when it comes to matters such as securing or sustaining employment and vital services like life assurance . Children have been known to bear the greatest impacts of HIV especially those orphaned and those infected with HIV. The number of orphans has been on steady rise due to AIDS-related deaths of the guardians and the fact HAART is ensuring infants born with HIV can live with the virus till they reach adolescence or beyond. All these factors collectively affect the community around them both socially and economically. The Physical, Psychological and Social Impact of HIV on Individual and Families Infection with HIV/AIDS leads to numerous bodily, mental and social issues that affect the individual and impacts on their families and communities at large. In the contemporary society, the definition of a family shifts from the traditional structure of biologically related members to include socially chosen relationships, for instance, close friends, partners, and close external family relationships such as homosexual men (Green, 2011). Before the discovery of anti-retroviral drugs, infection with HIV meant death within a short period of time. However, after the invention of HAART over a decade ago, there has been a gradual decline on the number of individuals succumbing to AIDS-related diseases in Australia, Europe and the United States. Currently, families have to deal with HIV infection as a chronic disease to be coped with for the life span of the infected individuals (Zuniga, Whiteside and Ghaziani, 2008). The requirement to take complex regime of many drugs is the foremost bu rden for the HIV-infected individual; many patients suffer anxiety, frustration, depression and hopelessness especially when the drugs do not accomplish or maintain the perceived benefits expected from the treatment regime. This could be due to virus mutation and individual resistance to the drugs (Zuniga, Whiteside and Ghaziani, 2008). It is documented that even when the treatment is effective, patients have other form uncertainties and distress. The impact of the HIV treatment is further aggravated by other factors such as worry about employment, sexuality, the prospects of relationships, and the social reactions of other community members. HAART has numerous side-effects, such as cardiovascular diseases and several of which have psychosocial consequences like lipodystrophy (Zuniga, Whiteside and Ghaziani, 2008). Members of the family may also be burdened by giving care to the infected as the disease advances, and they may be distressed by the stigma often associated with HIV infection. Another impact of HIV is the stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS. Apart from having to endure treatment with severe side-effects, they constantly have to cope with rejection and social discrimination. People with HIV/AIDS have to put with being labelled as victims a term that implies defeat, helplessness and dependence upon help from othersÂÂ  (Matic, Lazarus Donoghoe, 2006). The forms of stigma and discrimination vary geographically. Many nations have regulations that control the travel, entry and residence of persons living with HIV/AIDS. By the end of 2010, individuals living with the virus were restricted on long stays of over three months in sixty countries and eighteen of these even applied limitations on short term residence (Stutterheim et al, 2009) In healthcare sector, the common examples of stigma and discrimination experienced are being denied access to facilities and drugs, mandatory HIV testing without individual consent, and breach of c onfidentiality over the persons status. In the workplace, stigma from employers and fellow workers include social isolation and mockery, or experience biased practices, such as dismissal or denial of employment (Stutterheim et al, 2009). Others instances include denial of entry into a country, forced eviction from residence by their families and rejection by colleagues and friends. Stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS greatly hinders efforts to successfully battle the HIV and AIDS pandemic. This fear of discrimination frequently averts individuals from seeking treatment and management of AIDS or from publicly disclosing their HIV status. On numerous occasions, the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS can extend to the family and siblings of the infected individual, creating an emotional burden on those left behind. HIV/AIDS-related stigma modifies over time as infection levels, understanding of the disease and treatment availability vary. For instance, in the Netherlands, the community response to persons with HIV/AIDS is quite positive; understanding of HAART was linked to perception of lower risk, with a positive attitude towards gay people, less fear, and a greater readiness to have personal contact with people with HIV/AIDS. However, in Eastern Europe, discrimination may be more severe, particularly of specific groups, such as gays (Stutterheim et al, 2009). Economic Impact of HIV HIV/AIDS has had the greatest negative effect on the economies of many countries all over the world. The pandemic has been devastating for many nations where it has caused deep poverty both to the individual, families and community. The magnitude of economic and demographic impact of HIV/AIDS infection in third world countries is pronounced due to the fact that it affects persons in the most economically able and productive age. Besides, it is also weighing down on the economic and health gains made in the last few decades. People with HIV/AIDS create a profound burden for public finances, especially in the sector of health. In a number of Caribbean countries, HIV/AIDS patients take up as many as a quarter of existing hospital beds (Green, 2011). The sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected with southern Africa leading with the effects of the virus. The World Bank approximation shows that gross domestic product (GDP) of South Africa reduced by twenty percent in 2010 due to the effects of the deadly virus (Salinas Haacker, 2006). Many other countries are using huge portion of their economic resources in providing treatment and care for people with HIV/AIDS. A research carried out by the University of the West Indies shows that the GDP of countries such as Trinidad and Tobago will drop by over five percent and that of Jamaica by 6.4 percent as a result of HIV/AIDS. The economic impact is poverty, a reduction in investments and savings, and rise of unemployment in vital industries such as agriculture and manufacturing (Salinas Haacker, 2006). The economic impact of HIV is greatly felt by the individual and their families. HIV/AIDS in many cases results in loss of income of the breadwinners and increase in expenditures as a result of caring for the infected. Families affected by HIV deplete their savings and assets in order to cope with increased expenditure and income shocks. Firm profits, savings and investments may reduce due to increase AIDS-related expenditure and lower labour productivity (Whiteside, 2008). According to ILO estimates, close to thirty seven million persons worldwide who are engaged in productive economic activities are HIV-positive. The mortality of these adults leaves the children as orphans and in cases where they were the sole bread winners; the children are left destitute (Green, 2011). Impact of HIV on Parenthood and Children The development of HAARTs has had an impact on pregnancy planning among people living with HIV. In the pre-HAART era, HIV-positive women were faced with their HIV status and the expected bleak outcome of death. The number AIDS-related deaths, however, has drastically gone down in women living with AIDS due to HAART; they now live longer healthier lives. Among the women in the reproductive age who are living with HIV, the decision about pregnancy is becoming an important one; this due to reduction of the risk of vertical transmission of the virus to the newborn (Noroski, 2009). Gains in prevention of mother to child transmission have led to emergence of new dimensions in the way communities view parenthood. Parenthood in HIV infected people is still eliciting many physical and social effects especially due to stigma and discrimination associated with the virus. Noroski (2009) outlines that concerns that might determine parenting decisions among people living with AIDS are the aspirati on for parenthood, religious beliefs, children one had before, the position of spouse and health care providers, and apparent spouse capacity to parent successfully. HIV/AIDS has greatly changed parenthood. Research findings shows that close to seventy percent of all HIV infected parents regarded their family planning to be over, since they did not plan bear any more children, sixteen percent were undecided, while fourteen percent had an explicit longing to have more children (Wacharasan and Homchampa, 2008). Children who are infected with HIV either during birth or later through breast milk now have a chance to survive up to adolescence owing to better treatment regimes. This means that more adolescents increasingly have to cope with the virus. Children living with HIV/AIDS have a high risk of death from opportunistic infections. The virus affects the children psychologically and leads to neurological impairment; as a result they have pronounced cognitive insufficiency or diminished cognitive abilities, have behavioural difficulties, and have a general low quality life. Children living with HIV may also experience challenges in leading a normal life due to the medication they must use regularly as well as problems that result from disclosure of their HIV status (Noroski, 2009). The other main impacts of HIV on motherhood are ethical concerns about the possible danger of spreading the virus to the newborn, the socioeconomic impact, concerns and stigma associated with bringing up a child by a parent who has a potentially fatal disease. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has greatly contributed to increase in the number of orphans universally. In Africa alone, there are over twelve million children orphaned by AIDS pandemic. The children are left destitute; at times the elder adolescents have to take up the parenting roles while majority are taken care of by their extended family members or foster parents. This long term care causes economic difficulties as financial resources are strained. The children become fully deprived of the care, guidance and protection of their parents and social problems begin to crop up. The children find themselves prematurely out of school. Statistics show that many of these children have to drop their education due to lack of resources, stigma and discrimination or simply to take up the role of premature parenting resulting from death of their parents. These effects are more pronounced especially after death of both parents. HIV/AIDS in the long term leads to numerous social impacts on the communit y such increase in crime rates, poverty, drug abuse, illiteracy, reduced productivity and eventual collapse of social system. Impact of HIV on Caregivers and Healthcare Sector The major burden of caring for the people living with AIDS rests with the family and the health care providers. In the era before anti retroviral therapy, this used to be an immensely stressing task because most of times the health of the infected patients deteriorated rapidly, they were bedridden and has to be taken care of. The advent of HAART has greatly improved the need for round the clock help since the patient can now lead a healthier life without need for much help. Important care givers are mainly the family, close friends and health workers. The major impact of HIV on the caregivers is stigma; usually referred to as secondary stigma or stigma by association. Parents of people living with HIV may be held responsible for the immoral behaviour that led to infection of their children with HIV. Wacharasan and Homchampa (2008) reported stigmatization as a primary concern for the caregivers. Rather than face stigmatization, caregivers may try to conceal their care giving activities by withdrawing from social relationships. In clinical practice, family caregivers may exacerbate demands of care giving by driving long distances to avoid community awareness of their care recipients HIV status. Some informal caregivers even avoid employing the professional home services of home health care, infusion therapy hospice, and hospice providers to avoid HIV/AIDS disclosure in their communities. Nurses working with informal caregivers fearful of status disclosure must be sensitive to the familys caregivers fear of discrimination and stigma (Wight et al, 2006). Nurses, knowledgeable of HIV friendly referral agencies with well established histories of providing confidential services can play a role in meeting the need for professional home-centred services and bringing solace to an informal caregiver fearful of HIV stigmatization. Caregivers of HIV-infected children also face stigma. Thampanichawat (2008) found primary caregivers of children with HIV infection dealt with the stigma of AIDS while managing their anxiety and fear of loss. Bore much burden of care and faced many difficulties because of limited resources. Similar studies report increased financial difficulties, problems in child care and support and compromised help-seeking due to stigma. These findings emphasize the need to develop interventions to enable caregivers to seek out and identify financial resources and child care to support and empower caregivers to deal with stigma. Health care providers also may fears stigmatization in their work with HIV-positive patients. Caregivers, both formal and informal, commonly experience stigma from their association with HIV/aids and people living with it. This stigma may influence their willingness to work with those with HIV/AIDS or make their work more difficult. Conclusion Annually, across Australia and the world, many individuals get infected with HIV; thousands living with HIV develop AIDS. The impact of contracting and living with this virus hugely challenging and depends on the society the infected person lives in. The impact may determine the effectiveness of the management program, adherence to the treatment regimen and prevention of new infections. The major challenges are to encourage HIV testing for the risk groups, encourage status disclosure, availing a timely and effective management and care to all people living with HIV/AIDS, to endeavour in developing contemporary prevention methods that consider the variable patterns of the pandemic, and to eradicate the economic, physical and psychosocial impacts of HIV infection. Policies should incorporate the needs of individuals, families and the community in order to effectively address the impact of HIV on various sectors.

Free Catch-22 Essays: Insanity :: Catch-22

Insanity in Catch 22 In all of history, no war seems to have touched the minds of people everywhere as much as World War II. This war brought about some of the worst violations of human rights ever seen. The German military created a system for the public to follow, and if the individual opposed, he was oppressed. This kind of mentality is presented in the novel, Catch-22 (1955). Joseph Heller uses the insane situations of the setting and his characters to show a unique perspective on World War II. A small Army Air Corps base serves as the setting for Catch-22. It is set on a fictitious island called Pianosa. The island is described as very small and is located in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Elba, Italy. It is set in the time of World War II. The island almost serves as a microcosm of the war taking place around it. This setting accommodates nearly all of the hardships being faced by the victims of WWII. The Air Corps dominates this island and its soldier inhabitants. A system is established and it must be obeyed by all the soldiers. This system is kepy alive through a "catch-22". Basically the catch-22 is a trap set up by the military bureaucracy to keep all of the soldiers flying in battle. It is best summed up in a piece of dialogue from the novel. It is shared between the main character, Yossarian, and the base's doctor, Daneeka: "Yossarian looked at him soberly and tried another approach. 'Is Orr crazy?' 'He sure is,' Doc Daneeka said. 'Can you ground him?' 'I sure can. But first he has to ask me to. That's part of the rule.' 'Then why doesn't he ask you to?' 'Because he's crazy,' Doc Daneeka said. 'He has to be crazy to keep flying combat missions after all the close calls he's had. Sure I can ground him. But first he has to ask me to.' 'And then you can ground him?' Yossarian asked. 'No. Then I can't ground him.' 'You mean there's a catch?' 'Sure there's a catch,' Doc Daneeka replied. 'Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy.' "( Heller, 46) This bureaucratic trap is accepted by most of the naive soldiers. This is why the military is able to make the soldiers do whatever they want them to do.

Emerging From Claustrophobia Essay -- Crime and Punishment Amerika Ess

Emerging From Claustrophobia The Bible's notion of the "promised land" has had a profound influence on secular literature. Modern authors have reinterpreted this biblical ideal to include any land of redemption or salvation. This is an important concept in both Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and Kafka's Amerika. While these novels present very different images of the Promised Land, both focus on the protagonist's sense of claustrophobia until the moment of deliverance. Thus, whether their deliverance is mental or physical, both protagonists' salvations lay ultimately in a sense of spatial freedom. Amerika begins with a corrupted ideal of America as the land of redemption. Karl goes abroad because he has inadvertently impregnated a servant; he is sent away to escape from paternity charges and his societal sin. Parallels can be drawn between Karl and the biblical Joseph, who also must leave his home because he is similarly blamed for an older woman's sexual advances. When Karl arrives in America, he is greeted by a bright light: "a sudden burst of sunshine seemed to illumine the Statue of Liberty, so that he saw it in a new light. (3)" This can be likened to the Israelites' exodus, which is guided by a pillar of fire: "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light. (Exodus 13:21)" However, a crucial difference between the biblical guiding light and Kafka's is that, despite its brilliance, the latter illuminates a foreboding entrance---the Statue of Liberty holds a sword instead of a torch. Despite this detail, America, for the moment, remains a landscape of freedom: "The arm with the sword rose up as if newly stretched aloft, and round... ...skolnikov attain spatial freedom from their claustrophobic lives. Of course, we cannot be sure that Oklahoma will be the promised land Karl expects, since Kafka never finished the novel, but the imagery of limitless landscapes that we are left with suggests that Karl's quest will soon come to fruition. Like the Jews leaving Egypt, Karl leaves a land of slave labor for unknown but promising territory. Raskolnikov, however, knows where he is headed but has trouble getting there. The moment of his confession and his realization of love finally allow him access to redemption, and as his delirious and guilt-ridden persona dies, one of love and "gradual regeneration (465)" is created. Like the gospels preach, confession purges one's sins and leads to renewal; thus Raskolnikov, despite being physically imprisoned, is emotionally redeemed and can now strive for a new life.