Oil Production in Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador is the eastern most province of Canada. The majority of the province's population can be found on the island of Newfoundland, as most of the province's source of economy. As the island is located next to the Atlantic ocean, fisheries and fish products have been of the main exports for the province, yet within the last 30-40 years or so, oil has increasingly become an export that contributes to a growing provincial economy.Exploration in Newfoundland waters first began in the 1960s although, there was no rush in finding oil in Newfoundland because at the time, it was much less expensive for oil companies to drill elsewhere in the world. Things changed in 1973 when oil prices increased dramatically and the interest in the possibility of finding oil in Newfoundland also increased. Before any oil was found, but exploration was ongoing, the provincial government of Newfoundland set up a series of regulations on how oil resources were to be developed in the event of discovery, to ensure the maximization of local benefits.In 1979, the Hibernia oil field was discovered, proving that Newfoundland and Labrador had economic potential in the oil industry (Fusco, n. d. ). This discovery meant that the regulations that the provincial government created would have to be implemented. The Hibernia oil field discovery ignited a series of disagreements between the federal government of Canada and the provincial government of Newfoundland.The federal government had their own goals for development and believed that Newfoundland should not have the administrative or decision making authorities for offshore mineral resources, stating that â€Å"oil was too important of a commodity to have under provincial control† (Crosbie, 2003). This dispute resulted in years of legal battles over jurisdiction of offshore projects. In 1985 the Atlantic Accord was signed, this accord initiated a joint management system for the province's offshore resources.The accord also included the creation of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (CNLOPB), a board of six members in charge of managing offshore resources on behalf of both the federal and provincial levels of government (Fusco, n. d. , Fraser, 2009) (See Appendix A for more information on the CNLOPB). Hibernia finally began its oil production in 1997 followed by three more oil field productions; Terra Nova in 2002, WhiteRose in 2005 and Hebron, which is expected to begin production in 2017 (See Appendix B for a map of the locations of oil fields off the coast of Newfoundland). This case study relates to Lesson 9 of the course, which looks at Energy resources that could be found in Canada. Challenges and Opportunities Nearly twenty years passed after the Hibernia oil field was discovered before any official production was made. This demonstrates the magnitude of difficulty the province of Newfoundland experienced just to begin to have oil as one of their main exports.The regulations that Newfoundland and Labrador had implemented after the discovery of Hibernia clearly conflicted with the plans of the federal government, which were to increase profits that would benefit the government of Canada as opposed to the people of Newfoundland. The government of Canada wanted to gain an equity stake in the project with increased royalties during times of high oil prices. Newfoundland's regulations also limited benefits for the oil companies that would be drilling in Hibernia stating that the province was asking for too much and that the companies wanted a fair share of the benefits.Another large obstacle and devastating event surrounding Hibernia, was the sinking of the Ocean Ranger drilling unit, which not only sank completely, undoing all the work that had been done but also resulted in the death of all 84 crew members (Collier, 2010). Investigations later revealed that there were construction flaws and that the crew lacked appropriate training and equipme nt in the event of an emergency. After this disaster, it was decided that Hibernia would be a Gravity Base Structure (GBS), which is an oil platform that is held in place by gravity.Even more challenges were faced with this decision because many of the engineers that worked on the GBS had little experience in this type of structure. Additionally, due to the complicated nature of this project, most of the workforce came from other countries who had more experience which ultimately resulted in less jobs for locals (Fusco, n. d. ). In regards to the environment, oil production in Newfoundland waters, although it may serve as economic gold, also brings the possibility of environmental destruction for the ocean.Since fisheries and fish products are some of Newfoundland's main exports, the fear that exploration and drilling in important areas of fisheries may interfere or damage the overall marine ecosystem is an important challenge. Furthermore, oil spills continue to be one of the oil i ndustry's largest environmental hazards. Not only would the marine ecosystem be affected but any life surrounding the ocean would be permanently damaged (Higgins, 2011). Despite the overwhelming challenges, the overall opportunities that offshore oil production would bring to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador would be worth all of the difficulties.This venture would serve as a boost in the province's general economy which was particularly helpful during the 1990s after the cod fishing industry took a dive for the worst (n. a. , 1998 Fisheries). Not only would the economy be benefitting but the local people would also have new opportunities for employment. All of the challenges that the government of Newfoundland faced in the development stages of this venture ultimately gave the government the experience it needed in order to maintain, control, and manage all future oil field developments.This can be seen in the quick and effective development of the Terra Nova and White Ros e oil fields. There are other issues surrounding the Hebron field, for example, the type of oil that is found in that location is particularly difficult to extract. These issues are part of the reason as to why oil production at Hebron is scheduled to only begin in 2017 (Fusco, n. d. ). Case Lesson Connection In Lesson 9 of the course, it is discussed that crude oil and petroleum contributes to about 31. 3% of the country's energy resources (Mulrennan, Lesson 9, slide 7).Although Alberta has about 39% of Canada's remaining conventional oil reserves, Newfoundland and Labrador offshore developments come second with 28%, not including the oil sands in Alberta, which in that case would account for over 95% of oil in Canada (National Energy Board, 2007). The case study which was examined in Lesson 9 looked implicitly at oil sands in Alberta, in particular, how the extraction of this type of oil is devastating for the environment. Development in Newfoundland is also not environmentally fr iendly, since drilling in the ocean results in the destruction of certain marine habitats.The threat of possible oil spillage that also continues to be an issue. However, both Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador have been working to tighten regulations surrounding the environmental hazards in oil sands and offshore oil production respectively. The Alberta government has demonstrated through the implementation of regulations and outlined plans for measures in protecting the environment, as well as the CNLOPB in Newfoundland who have also instilled regulations in regards to environment protection.The benefit of having a joint management system, such as the CNLOPB is that the federal government is as involved in all issues surrounding offshore oil, including the environment (Fraser, 2009). Similarly, as per the reading for Lesson 9, the responsibility of the federal government in pollution control and environmental protection is crucial in attaining results on a national level. Refer ences 1. Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board. http://www. cnlopb. nl. ca/ 2. Collier, K. (2010). The loss of the Ocean Ranger, 15 February 1982.Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web site. http://www. heritage. nf. ca/society/ocean_ranger. html 3. Environmental Defence (2010). Duty calls: Federal responsibility in Canada's oil sands. Pembina Institute and Equiterre. http://www. econcordia. com/courses/environmental_issues/lesson9/PDF/ed-fedpolicy-report-oct2010-web-redo. pdf 4. Crosbie, J. C. (2003). Overview paper on the 1985 Canada-Newfoundland Atlantic Accord. Royal Commission on Renewing and Strengthening our Position in Canada. 206. Retrieved from http://www. exec. gov. l. ca/royalcomm/research/pdf/Crosbie. pdf 5. Fusco, L. (n. d. ). Offshore oil: an overview of development in Newfoundland and Labrador. Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved from http://www. ucs. mun. ca/~oilpower/documents/NL%20oil%207-25-1. pdf 6. Fraser, G. S. (2009). The Canada -Newfoundland Atlantic Accord implementation act: transparency of the environmental management of offshore oil and gas industry. Marine Policy. 33(2), 312-316. http://0-dx. doi. org. mercury. concordia. ca/10. 1016/j. marpol. 2008. 07. 012 7.Higgins, J. (2011). Oil and the environment. Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web site. http://www. heritage. nf. ca/society/oil_environment. html 8. House, J. D. (2003). Myths and realities about petroleum-related development: Lessons for British-Columbia from Atlantic Canada and the North Sea. Journal of Canadian Studies. 37(4), 9-34. http://0-search. proquest. com. mercury. concordia. ca/docview/203556887? accountid=10246 9. National Energy Board. (2007). Canadian Energy Review 2007 – Energy Market Assessment. http://www. neb. gc. a/clf-nsi/rnrgynfmtn/nrgyrprt/nrgyvrvw/cndnnrgyvrvw2007/cndnnrgyvrvw2007-eng. html#s4_4 10. n. a. (1998) Fisheries. Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Website. http://www. heritage. nf. ca/society/fishery. html 11. Mulrennan, M. E. (2013). Canadian Environmental Issues (GEOG 203) Lesson 9. Concordia University. Appendix A CNLOPB Organization Chart – http://www. cnlopb. nl. ca/pdfs/orgchart. pdf Appendix B Location of Newfoundland oil fields – http://www. cbc. ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2012/05/31/nl-hebron-development-approval-531. html

Classwork

Explain how flexible capacity can be created in each of the following situations: (a) a local library, (b) an office-cleaning service, (c) a technical support helpless. Local library: It has some flexible capacity regarding the entire building, but there are some options that It can be changed in order to make It more flexible. The building or the enable place capacity cannot be changed. HER capacity can be reduced or substituted In rush hours with online self-lending machines.It would save payroll cost for the library and time for the customers. Office-cleaning service: (number of workers, equipment, technology,) In this case we should focus on those times when the demand is higher than the capacity. If there is too much work and we have limited numbers of workers than we should hire part time, cross-train workers In rush periods. Moreover we should ask the employee to time their day-offs after these periods. Also a possible solution could be to develop the skills of the workers (cl eaning speed etc. And also a technical development would be also recommended to buy new equipment with which they can work faster but at the same level of preciosity. Support helpless: (number of lines or helpless) The main capacity what can be influenced is the number of helpless. It is really important for people to wait not too much time. The number of helpless can be Increased In order to reduce waiting times In lines. Also a technological development would be necessary If there are so simple questions, which can be answered by an automatic machine then it would be useful to introduce some self-servicing machines.This option would save HER costs for the company and also waiting times for the customers. 2. Identify some specific examples of companies in your community (or region) that significantly change their product and/or marketing mix variables in order to encourage patronage during periods of low demand. (5 points) Restaurant happy hours: Some restaurants in Pecs have offer ed happy hours meals with some discounts. It means that In those periods of the day when there are low level of demands between 10-11 am and 3-5 pm.Bakery: one of the major bakery chains In Pecs offers discount on In products each day before the closing time. It means that you can buy each product for half price. Swimming pool: The swimming pool of the university has Introduced discounted tickets for the university students in those hours, which are out of the rush hours. It is a perfect opportunity for the students to do some sports and also a good revenue generator I OFF Energy generating companies offer cheaper energy for companies through the night in those hours when the average consumption is much less than through the day. . Select a service organization of your choice and identify its particular patterns of demand with reference to the checklist provided on slide 14. A) What is the nature of this service organization's approach to capacity and demand management? We choose th e Menages solarium company at Razorback Street, Pecs. Usually demands are lower in the summer and it is also fluctuating within a week. Weekend demands are usually higher than the weekdays one. In their communication they focus on seasonal differences in term of the volume of the sunshine.It is a common thinking, that people with browner skin color are more attractive. B) What changes would you recommend in relation to its management of capacity and demand and why? In our opinion the company should make a shift in its communication in order to reach wider or different customer segment. For example for those who work through the summer, or working till evening, or people who don't have a good self-esteem the company should offer special opportunities to use the service. If they can achieve these people as well, they can improve the usage of the capacity.Therefore the demand level would be smoother for the firm. They also can lower their prices before lunchtime to shape the demand. 4. Give examples, based on your own experience, of a reservation system that worked really well, and of one that worked really badly. Identify and evaluate the reasons for the success and failure of these two systems. What recommendations would you make to both firms to improve (or further improve in case of the good example) their reservation systems? (10 points) In the summer we were abroad and we reserved a cruise.When we send the first inquire email, we immediately receive a personal contact person who helped us during the whole reservation process. If we had any problem, we could ask about everything, and our problem was solved. When we wanted to reserve the chosen room, our contact person suggested us a better option for the same price. So we could get the best option, and we were informed about everything. Kodiak Centre It often happens that 2 or more tickets are sold for one seat at the concert hall.If there are not free places available it causes unsatisfied guests and bad re putation for the place. The reason is people can buy these tickets in many places in Pecs and online too. They are not able to arrange and check the sold tickets, sometimes they don't know before the concert how many guests will arrive, how many tickets are available and for which places. A common booking system would be necessary to solve the problem. All ticket offices should use this to centre would be able to

Case Analysis: The Annual Report Essay

1. The basic factors of communication that must be considered in the presentation of the Annual Report are compliance with accounting principles and regulations, accuracy of the information presented, and how much information you are going to disclose. The management has a lot of control over what and how much information it wants to disclose to the users of their financial report. Users can be shareholders, investors, customers, or if you want it or not, competitors. Therefore management doesn’t want to disclose too much strategic details about their future plans. However, it also has to attract prospective investors and therefore needs to give them enough information about the companies’ health. 2. One part of the Annual Report that is very interesting for investors is the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section. It gives the user of the financial report more specific details about how the company has done that year and contains information that cannot be found in the financial data. This section can include coverage over any favorable or unfavorable trends and any significant events or uncertainties in the areas of liquidity, capital resources, and results of operations (Ormiston, 2013). Another section of the Annual Report is the Proxy Statement. It is required by the SEC and solicits shareholder votes as many shareholders don’t attend shareholder meetings. This section also contains voting procedures, background information about nominated directors, executive compensation, etc. This information helps investors and creditors by providing information about the longevity and compensation of the companies’ top management as well as corporate governance (Ormiston, 2013). 3. One advantage of stating well-defined corporate strategies in the Annual Report is to attract investors. Prospective investors in your company want to see that your company is healthy and that you are generating cash flows from operations. They want to know if you are going to be able to pay out dividends. Therefore stating a well-defined strategy for the future can possible attract more investors. Another advantage of stating your strategy is that current investors remain investing in your company when they see that your company has a bright future. Investors like to plan ahead and therefore want to know your corporate strategy in advance. A disadvantage of stating well-defined strategies in the Annual Report is that you also disclose  critical information to your competitors. By doing so, your competitors know what your plans are and can try to position them better to compete with you. Another disadvantage of stating your corporate strategy in the Annual Report is that your customers might not like a change in your strategy and switch to your competitors. An example for this might be deciding to outsource all manufacturing to China. This corporate strategy might outrage your customers and lead them away from your company. 4. The effectiveness of annual reports in fulfilling the information needs for current and potential shareholders is usually good because management tailors the Annual Report as much as possible to the needs of investors in order to attract more investment into its company. Items like the MD&A or Pandora, which includes additional material to attract current and prospective investors, are specifica lly designed to attract more investment while giving the shareholder enough useful information to make a decision. Creditors of the company find the cash flow from operations statement useful because it provides them with information about how much money the company is making to determine their ability to pay their debt back to you. For most employees of the company the Annual Report is probably hard to read and understand because of the complexity and volume of information that it contains. They would most likely suffer from information overload and therefore the Annual Report is in my opinion not very effective in fulfilling their information needs. Most customers of a company are not going to be much interested in reading the financial statements of the company where they buy products. However, if important information about the company’s practices leaks to the public, the customers may switch to a competitor if they strongly disagree with said practice or strategy. Financial Analysts are probably going to find the information disclosed in the Annual Report very effective because they are used to reading these reports and know where to find useful information. However, because management has some control over what information to disclose or not to disclose, there is also some hard-to-find or missing information for Financial Analysts. This information can be employer relations with management, morale and efficiency of employees, or the firm’s prestige in the community. 5. Management knows when creating the Annual Report that competitors are going to analyze their strategy as well as shareholders and other users. Therefore it needs to be careful about  what information they want to disclose. The dilemma here is that you want to disclose enough information in order to attract investments, but cannot disclose too much information because otherwise your competitors are going to position themselves against you. This dilemma affects the decision about what information managers provide in their annual reports. 6. The sustainability report gives information about the environmental, social, and governance performance of a company and is a non-financial report. Many companies utilize this report to create a better image of their company in the public. This report is intended to show the companies’ performance and compliance with environmental standards and ratings. Sustainability reporting started in the 1980s by companies in the chemical industry who had image problems because of their negative impact on the environment. Nowadays, many companies use sustainability reports to improve internal processes, persuade investors, and improve their image in the public. This information can be helpful to investors because it portrays transparency and accountability and assures the investor of a good public image of the company. References Ormiston, A., & Fraser, L. M. (2013). Financial Statements. Understanding financial statements (10th ed., p. 12). New York, NY: Pearson Education.

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

Psychology - Essay Example I begin to focus all of my attention on this tooth, wiggling it more and more. The tooth does not hurt when I wiggle it, but I am sure that if I can just work the tooth loose, I will be able to get relief from the oppressive feelings I am having. Finally, the tooth pulls free and I have an instant feeling of relief. I feel so good to have that loose tooth out of my head! But almost immediately, I feel as though I need to check again for another loose tooth so that I can increase my amount of relief. I have had this dream several times over the course of my life. Some times, I have followed this process to remove as many as three teeth from my head before the dream ends. I really am not sure about what to make of this dream. I think I have connected it to concerns about my personal safety. I have always had this dream when I have been living in dangerous neighborhoods or under dangerous circumstances. I think that part of me is concerned about my safety and so I need to do something extraordinary in order to ensure my safety. But why pulling my own teeth? How is that going to make me safer? I know that it is irrational, but my teeth are something I have great pride in. They are the one part of my body that is flawless. I have never had braces or a cavity. I don’t need to whiten or treat them in any way other than basic hygiene. I believe that my dream represents my willingness to do anything to stay safe when I am in difficult or dangerous circumstances. That includes making great personal sacrifices for my own safety and I hope, the safety of those that I love. This dream is a highly visual dream. I often only have dreams about feelings, but in this dream the colors were vivid. I am in a lush forest. The trees and grasses are all the deepest shades of green. It is not lush in a tropical sense, but more in a fairytale sense. There are bugs and all manner

Leadership, Team Building and Communication Case Study

Leadership, Team Building and Communication - Case Study Example Though such examples are always amongst the academic courses such as strategic management or marketing or entrepreneurship, where examples of Costa and Dunkin Donuts, etc are given, but not when it comes to leadership, team building and communication. This assignment specifically discusses a caf and discusses the said concepts about the same. The owners of the caf are Rose Gray and Ruth Rodgers. Prior to predicting the leadership styles that are adopted by the owners of the caf, it is critically important to discuss and analyze the prevailing environment at the caf, for which, some critical points are quoted below from the extract. In the initial portion of the article, the author clearly states there was a clear indication about the caf being a step ahead of the conventional cafes with a family like atmosphere, a spirit of community, with mutual care and support amongst people. Respect for all is the key term that has been identified as the differentiating factors, whereby respect is for all, including the chefs, the waiters, dishwashers, everyone. Respect comes from within, from the culture, ultimately yielded in the top-bottom approach, and not possible otherwise. Other than this, there are no hierarchies, every person is free to take up a job that they discover and realize that they can do it. Following the same, there are no rigid job descriptions and there flexibility to switch roles within the arena. There is appreciation of creativity and provision of self audit, with responsibilities of actions taken by the person in-charge. Despite there being more freedom and lesser control, there is absolutely no t olerance for bad service due to a bad mood, though these are also individuals and there can always be a bad day, because a good food is no guarantee of bringing the customer back but a bad service would definitely not bring him back. Equality and mutual support are the major fundamentals; the daily menu is decided by the chefs and then moved up, which shows a classical example of a bottom-up approach. The seniors are influential but in an effective and unfelt manner, with no explicit push. The key rule is: 'involve everyone equally' which defines the strategy followed by the owners. There are no uniforms like any other traditional caf, which illustrates the openness of expression and empowerment. Following these evidences, as depicted above from the analytics of the case, it is clearly visible that the leadership style adopted is participative or democratic. The clear motto of such a group is 'let us', and this is precisely how it all proceeds; as the case suggests, there is no bossing around nor there is any delegation of tasks that might be the case in autocratic or delegative style of leadership respectively. For identifying the emotional intelligence competencies used in this assignment, reference is made to the Goleman's five dimensions of emotional intelligence. Goleman identifies two fundamental categories and then the dimensions respectively i.e.: Personal Competency Self awareness Self regulation Motivation Social Competency Empathy Social work As it is wisely said that the changes that are effective, come from the topic, along the similar lines, a brief analysis of the case and as visible from the readings quoted in the previous section, it is clearly vi

Collaborative assignments at a workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Collaborative assignments at a workplace - Essay Example Working with others can be very satisfying experience which takes off the pressure from individual to deliver solutions by themselves. In order for a team to work in an environment that boosts the morale of the members, synergy among the players must be established. Synergy is a state in which the creation of a whole is greater than the sum of its parts (Schermerhorn, et al. 2003). The people working in a collaborative assignment commit to the project and leave their egos and individualistic agendas home. They are fully committed to the team and their work efforts are based on mutual respect, good communication and common goals. It is important to create a corporate culture that promotes teamwork, collaboration, openness and friendship (Nohria & Groysberg & Lee, 2008). There are different scenarios that can hinder the ability of a team to work effective which ends up lowering employee morale and forming teams that are ineffective. One important consideration is group size. The optimal size of a team is one that is between five and seven members. If a team is too small the members have to take too many responsibilities and can not truly perform team exercises such as brainstorming sessions. Teams that are too large are hard to manage and are susceptible to having many members who slack off and let others do the work. Another important consideration is the way leadership is managed within the team setting. It is not good to foster a work environment in which team member and leaders only interchanged ideas and work tasks based on the assumption that they are doing something in exchange of getting some sort of consideration or specific reward back in exchange for the information (Collaborative Teams, 2008). It is better for the leaders of team to beco me mentors that are there to help out the other members of team without expecting anything in return. Under no circumstance should a team leader or any other

Organizational and National Cultures in a Polish-U.S. Joint Venture Essay

Organizational and National Cultures in a Polish-U.S. Joint Venture - Essay Example The Poles believe that only older people have the experience and knowledge to be managers. In addition, it is also more difficult to earn the trust of Poles compared to Americans who are more sociable and trusting. Poles are also more formal in their communication than Americans are while they also expect to have a clear distinction between families and work (Cullen, 2011). In the latter case, they view extra hours at work as being intrusive on their family life. Finally, Polish managers will most likely utilize negative feedback and criticism, instead of giving positive feedback, as a means of motivation. Apply Hofstede’s and the 7d cultural dimension models to explain the cultural differences noted in the case Clearly, the first main difference in Poland is that they possess a power distance society that is higher than in the US. This explains the basis of evaluations or promotions on trustworthiness, while also explaining why they do not like work and seem to accept inequal ity, which, in turn, drives general distrust (Cullen, 2011). The second big difference is that Poland, compared to the US, is a country with high uncertainty avoidance. This helps to explain the reason why Poles value age and seniority. For instance, seniority is used to promote workers, thus reducing uncertainty. Using the 7d model, the first big difference is the neutral dimension. Poland scores highly to provide an explanation for their formal nature. In neutral cultures, people work without revealing feelings or thoughts, while also being under more control. The achievement dimension also varies with lower scores for Poland, explaining why they prefer seniority, as well as their preference for titles (Cullen, 2011). Finally, the difference is critical with regards to internal control with Poland scoring one hundred. This shows their decreased tolerance for volatility and their increased drive to control the environment. Analyze institutional explanations for how the Polish worke rs react to U.S. management style In this case, the most significant explanation involves institutional effects that communism left on Poles and the manner in which it affected its workers. For example, the former communist regimes in Poland saw a dependence on affiliations and connections for success, rather than performance (Cullen, 2011), explaining why they desire to be managers without qualifications. In addition, communist societies oversaw a system that had little or no institutional structures that were meant to guarantee exchange (Cullen, 2011). Therefore, Poles are less trusting of others, preferring to rely on personal affiliations. This low level of trust is also a good explanation for the reason why Poles do not favour teamwork. All new workers in Poland are considered as competition, which makes it difficult to build trust that is, in turn, essential for team building. Finally, the effects of the former communist regime also explain why there is little positive feedbac k between managers and workers. This could also explain their preference for public statements on salaries, which is meant to give them an idea of their status and standing (Cullen, 2011). Recommend the types of cultural adaptations to the U.S. expatriate managers regarding their management styles Working in Poland, expatriate US managers should have more respected for older workers and managers, while also

Mansoor Ahmad Saad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mansoor Ahmad Saad - Essay Example 5.Is the sample appropriate? Is the sample large enough? Is the sample truly representative of the relevant population? What are the particular issues with this population? Are the tasks and materials appropriate? To answer the first question of the critique, the rationale for carrying out the research is discussed. As argued by Prezant and Marshak (2006), parents of children with disabilities need a broad range of support services from service providers and child care units so that they could facilitate positive outcomes for their children and these support services will have to be aimed in a manner that meets the needs of the parents of children with disabilities. The needs of the parents may be varied and they may not always agree with professionals on what actions or services are truly helpful. In order to understand the parents viewpoints on the type of support services required, this research paper by Prezant and Marshak (2006) have focused on the aims of examining provisions of health care services provided to disabled children from the parents’ perspectives. The authors cite Kerr (1984) suggesting that the concept of help may differ from one person to another and that parents may have different opinions of help when compared with the professionals so it is necessary to understand parents view of what constitutes ‘help’. The theoretical framework thus seems strong in this case as the authors provide their case and their argument in a convincing manner, drawing on a conceptual framework of help and service. Help could be understood not only on the basis of unmet needs but also the type of nature of help needed. Marshak and Present (2006) suggest that parental perspectives on the kind of services provided to their children are very important as parents decide on what kind of help should be available to their children and what is most suitable for their children. Considering this, the authors do provide a string rationale

Fracking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fracking - Research Paper Example Any support and activities on fracking is equivalent to sitting on a time bomb and doing nothing about it. It is time for environmentalist to take action and stop fracking activities before the earth is in for irreversible troubles. Fracking and its related activities cause numerous harm to the environment and human beings, in addition to being unethical practice, and thus, it should be stopped. Fracking uses a lot of water, which in most cases is not available at the fracking site. Therefore, the stakeholders involved seek water also used by the community, which leads to depletion of community water sources; depleting water supplies could affect the cost of water for farmers and nearby communities. Transportation of water to the sites is very expensive, and the costs used in this transportation would have been put into better use like supporting the needy in society. Not to forget that clean water is a precious resource and scarce; hence it is very unfair to misuse it for fracking activities (Berkowitz 24). Moreover, transportation of this water uses a lot of energy, which can be put into other useful uses. Furthermore, the tracks for transporting this water release toxic gases into the atmosphere, which pollutes the air and cause environmental degradation. Furthermore, trucks used to transport the fluids cause extensive destruction of roads hence increase in the costs ass ociated with road renovation. The transport trucks are also responsible for noise pollution, not forgetting the large volumes of dusts associated with them. A combination of the above negative effects causes discomfort on the locals around the fracking sites hence in flinching on their rights to clean and healthy environment. Research shows that the chemicals used in fracking have carcinogenic properties; in the event that they escape through accidents or leakages and contaminate ground water, serious health concern arises due to possible

Tim Burton Analytical Essay Example for Free

Tim Burton Analytical Essay The dark lighting showed Edwards loneliness, however, the bright lighting of the town and Pegs house showed how he was able to create a relationship with the towns people, which he was unable to do previously in the tower. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka did not have a good relationship with his father, so the flashbacks of his childhood are in a darker light. The dark lighting in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Edward Scissorhands stresses the importance of relationships. In accordance with dark lighting, Burton also uses contrasting sets exemplify the mportance of relationships. In Big Fish, when Edward Bloom unexpectedly arrives in Spectre for the first time, the town is green and lush with vegetation, and the townspeople are happy and worry free. While he was in Spectre, he promised a little girl he would return. However when he returned after many years, the town was barren and businesses were closed. This contrasting set shows he was not there for the town when they needed him; therefore the town was barren when he returned for the second time. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka creates an amazing hocolate factory to substitute the happiness of having a good relationship with his father. Contrastingly, Charlies house may not be as extravagant as the factory, but Charlie has a loving family. The opposing sets between the factory and Charlies home shows the importance of relationships. In Big Fish and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, contrasting sets show the importance of relationships Moreover, the use of close ups exemplifies the importance of relationships. In Big Fish, when Edward Bloom is lying in the hospital bed, and Will Bloom, Edwards son, inished the story of his fathers fantasy death, there is a close up of Wills face. Will knows his father is going to die and that all of the tall tales that his father told were true. The close up shows that if Will had trusted his father, they would have a better relationship. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, whenever the conversation of parents began, Wonka would act uncomfortable. From afar the viewer does not see the sadness, but the close up shows the sadness in his eyes. Wonka is sad he does not have a good relationship with his father, therefore the close up shows that elationships are important. In Big Fish and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the close ups of the characters show the importance of relationships. Burton has a passion for making movies, and he puts all of his effort into creating extravagant sets and costumes in his movies. As seen in Big Fish, Edward Scissorhands, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Burton creates personal messages to convey his inner feelings. In these movies, Tim Burton utilizes dark lighting, contrasting sets, and close ups to epitomize the importance the importance of relationships.

Current Environmental Laws Of The Philippines Environmental Sciences Essay

Current Environmental Laws Of The Philippines Environmental Sciences Essay There are different laws which are provided for the environment. These are created for the preservation, conservation and protection of the natural resources of the Philippines. Some are intended to preserve, protect and secure human health and our natural environment just like the pollution control laws. Some of these laws will be discussed in the succeeding paragraphs. Philippine Environmental Policy (P.D. 1151) defines the general policies on the pursuit of a better quality of life for the present and future generations and mandates the undertaking the environmental impact assessments for all projects, which may significantly affect the environment. Philippine Environmental Policy (P.D. 1152) defines the policy objectives and the strategies for the various aspects of environmental management, such as air and water quality management, natural source development, land management, and waste management. It launches a comprehensive national program of environmental protection and management, with reference to policies and standards of noise, air quality, water quality, classification of water and waste management. Pollution Control Law (P.D. 984) Stating that it is imperative to strengthen the National Pollution Control Commission (since subsumed by the DENR) to best protect the people from the growing menace of environmental pollution, President Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 984, otherwise known as the National Pollution Control Decree of 1976. The Decree was effective up until its repeal under the Clean Water Act of 2004. This law prevents possible pollution that different commercial and industrial businesses may give to the environment. It provides guidelines for the proper discharge of sewage or industrial waste. The Solid Waste Management Act of 2001(R.A. 9003) an act providing for an ecological solid waste management program, creating the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives, declaring certain acts prohibited and providing penalties, appropriating funds therefore, and for other purposes. This law ensures that there is proper disposal and management of wastes in different areas of our country. There are penalties for those who will break the rules provided by this law. It ensures the protection of the public health. When we conducted a research in Bakakeng Norte last semester, about their solid waste management, we learned that there is a program MRF or the material recovery facility that they are doing. Each barangay of Baguio city are doing this. This law is very helpful not only for the environment but also to the people. Water Code of the Philippines (P.D. 1067) adopts adequate measures to conserve and regulate the use of water in commercial, industrial and residential areas. It also provides other policy guidelines in water quality and management of water resources. This law is very important. It is a tool in ensuring proper management and use of water. Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 (R.A. 9275) is an act providing a comprehensive water quality management and for other purposes. This law ensures and secures the health of every citizen of our country. It ensures proper management of water resources and water quality management in all bodies of water of the Philippines. Water Pollution Control P.D. 600 (amended by P.D. 979) prohibits the discharge of oil, noxious liquid substances, and other harmful substances into the countrys inland and territorial waters. Climate Change Act of 2009 (R.A. 9729) an act mainstreaming climate change into government policy formulations, establishing the framework strategy and program on climate change, creating for this purpose the climate change commission, and for other purposes. Presidential Decree No. 953 is a law requiring the planting of trees in certain places and penalizing unauthorized cutting, destruction, damaging and injuring of certain trees, plants and vegetation. The Forestry Reform Code P.D. 389 (P.D. 705) codifies updates and raises forestry laws in the country. It emphasizes the sustainable utilization of forest resources. Its function is to conserve the public forests of the nation, protect and preserve national parks and provide agricultural land for the people. Presidential Decree No. 953 is a law requiring the planting of trees in certain places and penalizing unauthorized cutting, destruction, damaging and injuring of certain trees, plants and vegetation. Sanitation Code (P.D. 856) places the responsibility in the local government units for the solid waste management in his area of production. It prohibits the improper disposal of garbage 2)How Hospitality Tourism Management is affected by the current environmental laws? Environmental laws are very important in hospitality and tourism industry. They serve as guidelines in putting up businesses. These laws provide penalties for every violation that they may commit. Without these laws, there will be overuse and degradation of natural resources. These laws should be considered by tourism industries before putting up their businesses. These laws set wall or limitation for tourism but compliance with these leads to conservation of our environment and we are not only helping the environment but actually the whole humanity since we are the number one who benefits the gifts of our natural resources. The environmental laws give ideas to the hospitality and tourism employees on how to have a successful operation of their businesses. They help in creating good path to success. These laws remind tourism industries that success is not only having a good relationship with the customers they have but also having a good relationship with the environment and cooperation with the government. 3)How Hospitality and Tourism Management businesses can help improve the current environmental situation of the Philippines? Tourism activities have positive and negative effects on the life of people and in the environment. Tourism can give positive impact on the economy and provides employment for the people but its unsustainable development can lead to destruction of our environment. In developing tourism facilities such as recreation facilities, water supplies, restaurants and accommodation can involve sand mining, beach and sandbank erosion, soil erosion and extensive paving. Tourism activity can lead to land degradation and loss of wildlife habitats and deterioration of scenery. Swimming pools and hotels generally overuse water for maintenance, especially golf courses. This can lead to water shortage and generate waste water. Tourism activities also contribute in unmanageable volume of solid wastes, for example here in Baguio City, volume of solid waste increases during Panagbenga. Hospitality and Tourism Management businesses can help improve the current environmental situation of the Philippines by being socially and environmentally responsible. By doing what is right and not harmful for the environment. By complying with the laws provided for the environment. Tourism graduates must know how to apply in the industry what he learned in his school. Nowadays, sustainable tourism and green tourism are becoming popular. We should not stop in promoting sustainable and green tourism. Tourism businesses can help by conserving water and energy. Practice proper waste management, reduce, recycle and reuse. In developing their establishments use environment friendly products such as eco-friendly paints, offer products which are also eco-friendly. Tourism industry must not only after profit, we must also consider all the things it can affect, specially the environment. Our environment is very fragile. Some resources once depleted they cannot be replaced. Some once damaged , can never be back into their original state again. Some could be but it will take time. The next generation will be the one suffering from the loss of our natural resources today. Tourism businesses should be able to attract customers not by having luxurious destinations. Start promoting the natural beauty of our environment and stop damaging the natural resources we have. They should be a role model and encourage people in conserving the environment. Reference : http://bio427.blogspot.com/2010/10/environmental-laws-of-philippines.html

Definition and purpose of computer accounting information system

Definition and purpose of computer accounting information system This literature review will begins with definitions and the purpose of (AIS) and discussion of the studies of general IT adoption and then reviews studies specifically focused on accounting software adoption. Then it will discuss the Uses,development and the step of AIS. The end of this literature review will discuss the effectiveness of accounting information system. Definition of computer accounting information system (AIS): The computer accounting information system (AIS) was invented by professor Karen Osterheld, It was used as a system of records for business keeps to maintain its accounting system. This includes the purchase, sales, and other financial processes of the business. [1]The purpose of AIS is to accumulate data and provide decision makers (investors, creditors, and managers) with information to make decision, while this was previously a paper-based process, most modern businesses now use accounting software such as UBS, MYOB etc. [1] IT Adoption Factors for computerized accounting: [2] Several studies (Thong 1999; Harrison, Mykytyn and Riemenschneider 1997; Cragg and King 1993; Moore and Benbasat 1991; Treadgold 1990) of IT adoption have identified a variety of motivating factors. Thong (1999) attempted to consolidate the myriad of IT adoption research by developing an integrated model of information systems adoption. This model is a useful framework in reviewing the variables that impact on business owners decision to adopt IT. Thong categorized the variables into four elements: 1. characteristics of the organizational decision makers: 2. characteristics of the technological innovation; 3. characteristics of the organization; and 4. characteristics of the environment in which the organization operates. According to the literature all of the above characteristics influence, to varying degrees, the owner- managers decision to implement IT. Characteristics of the Organizational Decision Makers In large businesses teams are typically involved in the IT decision-making process. This is in contrast to small business where the owner-manager is usually the IT decision maker (Thong 1999). In small business, therefore, the characteristics of the owner-manager are critical in determining the organisations attitude to IT (Rizzoni 1991). The particular owner-manager characteristics important to IT adoption are: innovativeness, computer self-efficacy, level of IT knowledge, education, and IT training experience (Thong 1999). Compeau and Higgins (1995) defined computer self-efficacy as a judgement of ones capability to use a computer. Small businesses that have CEOs (typically the owner) that have undertaken computer training and possess computer self-efficacy are more likely to implement IT (Delone 1988, Raymond 1988). Conversely, owner-managers can inhibit any worthwhile IT achievements through hostility or detachment toward IT (Thatcher and Perrewe 2002). Characteristics of the Technological Innovation The characteristics of the technological innovation itself are also an important determinant in the decision to adopt IT. Applying Rogers (1983) theory to the adoption of accounting software as the innovation, the software must be perceived better than the predecessor system (most likely a manual accounting system); must be consistent with the needs of the adopter, such as capable of handling GST; must be easy to learn and use; the results must be apparent; and the accounting software should be available on a trial basis. Over the past decade, the advent of powerful, low cost micro-computers coupled with user-friendly accounting software, have improved and lifted the barriers to IT innovation adoption. This has led to an increase in the adoption of IT by small business (Thong 1999). Characteristics of the Organization The characteristics of the organization are other variables that influences the decision whether to adopt IT. Organizational characteristics such as: business size, employees level of IT knowledge, industry sector, business location, and information-intensity has been analysed in previous research studies (See for examples: Fink 1999; Burgess 1998; Wenzler 1996; Attewell 1992; Yap 1990; and Delone 1988). Generally, the larger the number of employees, the greater the sales turnover, the more information-intensive the industry the more likely a small business will adopt IT innovation. Moreover, businesses tend to suffer resource poverty (Thong 1999) in terms of financial capacity, available time and IT skilled staff to facilitate innovation adoption. Characteristics of the Environment The characteristics of the environment in which the organisation operates relates to variables such as competition and external agents. For example, Link and Bozeman (2001) established that competition leads to innovative technology adoption. Treadgolds (1990) study indicated that small businesses with high IT adoption rates had been influenced by external agents such as: trade associations, wholesalers, voluntary groups and franchisors. Wenzler (1996) found that small business customers were a significant reason for implementing IT, more so than the influence of competitors. This paper extended the external agent influence to the role of accountants in the decision to adopt accounting software. Many small businesses are impeded by resource poverty, consequently the owner-manager does not have the available time or funds to source, analyze, review and implement software applications. Public Practice Accountants are in a unique position to provide systems analysis, design, implementation and support advice to their clients, thereby spreading the cost of acquiring this expertise among multiple customers. The accountant, therefore, could generally provide this service more efficiently and effectively, than if the small business owner performed the function himself or herself. Furthermore, at the time of this study, the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was an external influence on small business owner-managers decisions to adopt a CAS (see for example Lief 2000). Motivating factors for the adoption of Accounting software [2] The advent of powerful, low cost microcomputers, together with user-friendly accounting software, has allowed a greater number of business to implement IT in recent years (Raymond and Bergeron 1992). The need to facilitate financial management is another motivating factor for adopting accounting software (McMahon and Holmes 1991; Gorton 1999). Moreover, some researchers have identified a link between the use of CAS and enhanced business performance (see Gorton 1999; Smith 1999; and Reid and Smith 2002). An alternative view is that a growing SME faces increased financial challenges and consequently there is a greater need for careful attention to financial management and financial reporting (McMahon 2001). The major benefits of implementing a CAS are to increase business efficiency and to facilitate timely information (Burgess 1997). The impediments to implementing a CAS are lack of time (Proudlock et al. 1999), owner-managers view that the CAS is costly (Head 2000), perception that the technology is not suited to the nature of the business (ABS 2000), and lack of IT expertise (ABS 2000; Burgess 1997). Accounting information systems Technology: [3] Input The input devices that needed win Accounting information systems include: standard personal computers or workstations running applications; scanning devices for standardized data entry; electronic communication devices for electronic data interchange (EDI) and e-commerce. Process Basic processing is achieved through computer systems in the personal computers to large-scale enterprise servers. However, processing model is still the double-entry accounting system . Output Output devices used include computer displays, impact and nonimpact printers, electronic communication devices for EDI and e-commerce. The output can be financial reports from budgets and tax reports to multinational financial statements. Uses of AIS [3] AISs cover all business functions from backbone accounting transaction processing systems to sophisticated financial management planning and processing systems. Financial reporting starts by capture important business transactions such as normal production, purchasing, and selling activities then these transactions are classified and summarized for internal decision making and for external financial reporting. Cost accounting systems are used in manufacturing and service company. This accounting system will help these organizations to track (measure) the costs for the production of goods and/or performance of services. In addition,it can provide advanced analyses tracking the cost of product or service. Management accounting systems are used for planning, monitoring, and control for a variety of activities . This allows managerial-level employees to have access to advanced reporting and statistical analysis. The systems can be used to gather information, to develop various scenarios, and to choose an optimal answer among alternative scenarios Development [3] The development of AIS includes five basic phases the time period associated with each of these phases can be as short as a few weeks or as long as several years. This five phases include: Phase 1 planning : In this phase the entails determination of the scope and objectives of the project, the definition of project responsibilities, control requirements, project phases, project budgets, and project deliverables. Phase 2 analysis :This phase is used to both determine and document the accounting and business processes used by the organization. It include three type of analysis which are: Data analysis is a thorough review of the accounting information that is currently being collected by an organization. Current data are then compared to the data that the organization should be using for managerial purposes. Decision analysis is a thorough review of the decisions a manager is responsible for making. Then models are created to support the manager in gathering financial and related information to develop and design alternatives, and to make actionable choices. Process analysis is a thorough review of the organizations business processes. These processes can then be modified or reengineered to improve the organizations operations in terms of lowering cost, improving service, improving quality, or improving management information. Phase 3: design: The design phase takes the conceptual results of the analysis phase then develops and involves the detailed design of all inputs, processing, storage, and outputs of the proposed accounting system. Inputs may be defined using screen layout tools and application generators. Processing can be shown through the use of flowcharts or business process maps that define the system logic, operations, and work flow. Logical data storage designs are identified by modeling the relationships among the organizations resources, events, and agents through diagrams. Output designs are documented through the use of a variety of reporting tools such as report writers, data extraction tools, query tools, and on-line analytical processing tools. Phase 4 Implementation:The implementation phase consists of two primary parts: construction and delivery. Construction includes the selection of hardware, software and vendors for the implementation;building and testing the network communication systems; building and testing the databases; writing and testing the new program modifications; and installing and testing the total system from a technical standpoint. Delivery is the process of conducting final system and user acceptance testing; preparing the conversion plan; installing the production database; training the users; and converting all operations to the new system. Phase 5 support: This phase has two objectives. The first is to update and maintain the AIS. This includes fixing problems and updating the system for business and environmental changes. For example, changes in generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) or tax laws might necessitate changes to conversion or reference tables used for financial reporting. The second objective of support is to continue development by continuously improving the business through adjustments to the AIS caused by business and environmental changes. These changes might result in future problems, new opportunities, or management or governmental directives requiring additional system modifications. The Accounting information systems is very useful for companies and businesses in order to make the accounting process easier by spacial computer program or other system . Accounting software, make it easier to accumulate financial data for use in taxes, payroll, and other bookkeeping requirements. The step of the accounting system: [4] Step1: Recording ( recording expenses and profits that are very important to keep on file). Step2: Information processed for use (when processed, it is filed in the areas where it is most important). Sep3: Communication phase (common communications of this data will be used for payroll and tax purposes). In the first step all the data recorded in the accounting system in daily basis or minute by minute as sales, profits, expenses, and many other items will be used for future use in financial reports. Much of this data has to be kept on file for a number of years for example tax purpose. The next step that is taken is processing. In this stage most accounting software or programs, have different files and categories where records can be stored this filing or storage can be done manually by the individual or group of people who work on it and can also be set to do this automatically as information is entered into the system. Certain criteria can be set up in the program to allow the program to place files and data in the places or areas where it is supposed to go. The final step is the process of communicating the data in the area in which it should be communicated. First, and most importantly, tax records that are recorded and processed can be communicated at the time that filing taxes is done. Most corporations communicate there financial information on quarterly basis, other companies especially smaller businesses on an annual basis. In large corporations, like major retailers, there are often several smaller stores or branches of the company that must share information through accounting software or systems This information can help the company forecast sales, profits, loss, and a variety of other things. Many corporations share this information on a daily, weekly, or quarterly basis. The process of communication is probably the most important stage of accounting information systems because this is the point where results are known and records will be put to use. Most of the businesses and corporations now use the accounting system and become big part of them. Using resources available through accounting information systems allows major corporations and small businesses to record transactions and other financial information for use in the future. Moreover that the use of the accounting system by this company can make: the process much smoother, save money for the business, and save a great deal of time. easy to file and send documents to the IRS or other interested individuals. no need to take paperwork or other materials to an accountant for tax and payroll purposes. Taking advantage of this type of system can provide many great benefits to a large or small business. Accounting is a very important part of running and maintaining a business and the success of a company will often heavily rely on the practices and procedures that are used in the bookkeeping efforts of the company. The effectiveness of the computerized accounting [5] (Markus- 1983) shown that successful implementation of accounting systems requires a fit between three factors [17]. A fit must be achieved with dominant view in the organization or perception of the situation. Second, the accounting system must fit when problems are normally solved, i.e. the technology of the organization. Finally, the accounting system must fit with the culture, i.e. Systems will be useful when information provided by them is used effectively in decision-making process by users. (Otley-1980)[20] argues that Accounting Systems are important parts of the fabric of organizational life and need to be evaluated in their wider managerial, organizational and environmental context. Therefore, the effectiveness of accounting information systems not only depends on the purposes of such systems but also depends on contingency factors of each organization. (Ives-1983)Accounting information systems are said to be effective when the information provided by them serves widely the requirements of the system users. Effective systems should systematically provide information which has potential effects on decision-making process [12]. Accounting information usually is categorized under two groups: information that influences decision-making and mainly used for the purpose controlling the organization and information that facilitates decision (Huber-1990) [11] argues that, integration of accounting information systems leads to coordination in organization which, in turn, increases the quality of the decisions. (Cameron-1986 / Delone-1992) show that the effectiveness of accounting information systems depend upon the quality of the output of the information system that can satisfy the users needs [3,8]. Generally, accounting information systems; 1) provide financial reports on a daily and weekly basis and; 2) provide useful information for monitoring decision-making process and performance of the organization. (Simon-1987) [22] in his study used the first part of the above statement as measure of control for management and the second part for evaluating the effectiveness of the accounting information systems via continuous monitoring. Accounting information system is a computer-based system that (Nicoloau-2000) [19] defines as a system that increases the control and enhances the corporation inside the organization. Management is engaged with different types of activities which require good quality and reliable information. They also need non-financial information such as production statistics, quality of production and so on. However,( Essex and Magal -1998 ) said that quality of information generated from AIS is very important for management [10]. (Kim-1989) [13] argues that usage of AIS depends on the perception of the quality of information by the users. Generally the quality of information depends on reliability, form of reporting, timeliness and relevance to the decisions. (Doll and Torkzadeh-1988) [9] for studying the satisfaction of users use some concepts to measure the effectiveness of the accounting information systems. These concepts are information content, accuracy, format, ease of use and timeliness.

Essay --

The world as a whole has been using resources from the earth for thousands of years. We used fire for heat and to cook our foods, rocks metals as tools and weapons, and water as a source for drink and washing. As the population grew in numbers, so did the demand for the earth’s resources. It wasn’t until the industrial age that the United States and receding countries began the sole use of fossil fuels to power homes, buildings, cites and vehicles. This increase in usage intensified the search and extraction of the demanded resources. The population of the world had exceeded four, five, and even six billion people, which put a strain on the earth and its recourses. Pollution increased and the atmosphere, water, land were affected drastically. The result of the burning of fossil fuels at such a high rates, caused a rapid depletion of the used fossil fuels. This lead to the search for alternative green energy, including the use of waves (tidal power) to create electricity to meet our demands. Methods of extracting the energy from waves are being created, and others have been put to use already. Wave energy is an environmentally safe form of hydropower that harnesses the energy from the up-and-down motion of ocean waves and converts it into electricity using the sole power of the tides. Tidal power uses the change in the high and low tides to the harness energy. These two types of energy provides us with another source we can use instead of the limited fossil fuels that we use today. Tidal energy is abundant in some parts of the world that have long periods of intense tides. The wave power varies in all parts of the world, areas with abundant wave power include Australia, Scotland, southern Africa, northern Canada, and the northw... ...n it comes to using the waves, the energy is free because no fuel is needed and no waste by product. It is also relatively inexpensive to operate and maintain. The turbines can produce significant amounts of energy which is amazing considering the inexpensive cost to maintain the sites. However, a suitable site is needed for this to function and work to potential. The waves need to be constantly strong to get the maximum output, and the turbines/generators have to measure up to the rough weather out in the ocean. The development of turbines and generators is very costly and they pose a possible threat to navigation from collisions due to being low profile and above water, making it undetectable by direct sunlight or radar. The sites in which turbines and generators are set up can disrupt marine life, including the type and distribution of marine life near the shore.

A High Wind In Jamaica :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A High Wind in Jamaica is set in The Caribbean during the mid-1800’s. The book is about a group of children living on a pirate ship, and gives insight into the world that children live in. Over the course of the book, the children do many bad things, without feeling any guilt: Emily murders a man; Rachael drops a marlin spike from the mast almost killing Emily, and Emily condemns the captain and crew that she had come to love to death or deportation without seeming to care at all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of the story Emily is just an ordinary little girl, but as the story continues she begins to feel herself changing. By the end of the story, Emily has gained self-consciousness and thinks of herself not as an ordinary little girl but as â€Å"Emily†. Emily murders a captured Dutch captain, but she doesn’t feel guilty and no one suspects that she did it. She only worries that she might be found out. She didn’t even think that what she did was wrong:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Near the end of the book, Emily is brought to court to testify against the pirates. When asked about the murder of the Dutch captain, she cries â€Å"†¦He was all lying in his own blood†¦he was awful! He†¦he died.† Sobbing hysterically, Emily is carried out of the box by her father. â€Å"As he stepped down with her she caught sight for the first time of Jonsen and the crew†¦The terrible look on Jonsen’s face as his eye met hers.† Once she is safely in a cab, â€Å"she [becomes] herself with surprising rapidity†. â€Å"She began to talk about all she had seen, just as if it had been a party†¦Ã¢â‚¬  All Emily worries about is whether or not â€Å"she said her piece properly†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Near the end of the book, Captain Jonsen decides to put the children on a steamer to England. Before they are sent to the new ship, he asks them not to tell anyone that he and the crew are pirates. Everyone agrees not to tell, and it seems that all is well. When the children arrive on the steamer, they do not say anything about their stay on the pirate ship. When Emily becomes hysterical a stewardess carries her down to her room. While she is being put to bed, she tells the stewardess about the pirates, breaking her promise to Jonsen, Emily thinks nothing of it, and she feels relieved at having told someone.

Life of William Wordsworth Essay

William Wordsworth is considered one of the greatest poets during the English Romantic Period. He is also considered, only next to Shakespeare, one of the greatest sonneteers. There are some historians that even believe that William Wordsworth, along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped launch the Romantic Period. This statement has been debated between historians, but one thing that they do agree on is, William Wordsworth shaped the literary era. The Romantic Period was a time that allowed artistic freedom. The early 60’s is the closest period of time that can be related to this time in history. The creativity and experimentation of artists, poets, and ordinary people was beginning to bloom. That was a period of great change. The Classical Period was more controlling. There were strict laws of the Classical Period slowly began to change as Romanticism moved away from such control. The Romantic Period was also a movement of literary and intellectual thinking. Romanticism emphasized on imagination, freedom of feelings, and was mostly connected within the visual arts, music, and literature. Imagination was more important than logic. This period is mostly associated with the arts and poets like William Wordsworth. William Wordsworth, the most significant poet of the English Romantic Period, was greatly influenced as a writer by his childhood, love of nature, and his many relationships. According to Judith W. Page, William Wordsworth was the † central poet of his age† (Gale 1). William Wordsworth’s poetry was drawn from his amazing memory, and was mostly based on Nature, people he watched, and personal experiences. Leslie Brisman said of Wordsworth, â€Å"To call William Wordsworth a â€Å"Memory Poet† is to note how he substitutes personal memories for other assurances of continuity, natural or divine. (276-277). Because each encounter partly transmits and partly reformulates a myth of origins, William Wordsworth’s work seems easy to read, when in fact, he may be the most difficult of the English Poets (278). Many of his poems were based on his own life and his interpretation of it. The memories and encounters that William Wordsworth drew from, started when he was just a small boy. William Wordsworth was born at Cockermouth, Cumberland on April 7, 1770. He was the second of five children. His father was an attorney which allowed them to live a generous life style. At home is where he learned to appreciate poetry. It was his father that gave him the gift of memory, by requiring Wordsworth to memorize poems or parts of poems, it help developed his powerful memory. Relying on his memory became the very basis of his art (Anderson 9). Growing up in the Lake District is where Wordsworth gained his early appreciation for the beauty of nature. The river that he would play in at the age of five, also had influenced his writing (Gale 2). He loved the countryside and the freedom he had to roam for long periods of time. During this time, his imagination began to bloom. Although he enjoyed periods of solitude, he was adventurous, imaginative, and strong-minded (Aubrey 2). To all accounts, he had the perfect childhood till his mother passed away in March of 1778. He and his brothers were sent to a school at Hawkshead and his sister, Dorothy, was sent to live at Halifax. During his time at school, he only returned home for the holidays. He was well educated and prospered. When his father passed away he and his brothers spent the holidays with family who would patronized them and made them feel dependent (Watson 1577-1578). It was back at school at Hawkshead where he was cared for and his direction for poetry is nurtured by William Taylor, the Headmaster at Hawkshead Grammar School. The classes at Hawkshead were well ahead of other school and were unusual for that time (Purkis 22). According to F. R. Watson, â€Å"The Prelude† early years is about his childhood at Hawkshead and not Penrith (1577). Geoffrey Hartman writes that nature for William Wordsworth was not an â€Å"object† but a presence and a power; a motion and a spirit; not something to be worshiped and consumed, but always a guide leading beyond itself. Till 1804 Wordsworth thought that nature was guiding him. It was in 1804, that he discovers it was his imagination guiding him through nature. His imagination was his guide. This realization shakes him, but does not change his point of view (85-90). William Wordsworth love for nature started at an early age. Thomas Gale writes about Russell Noyes, who in his book William Wordsworth, recounted how Wordsworth credited the river with having influenced his poetic writing: â€Å"The sound of running water, he often felt, was almost part of his own being†¦ † (Gale 2). During his college years, he disliked his classes and felt he did not fit in. He wrote in the â€Å"The Prelude† that he believed that he was â€Å"not for that hour,/nor for that place. † (Aubrey 2). Although he did write the poem several poems while at school, one of the more famous one is â€Å"An Evening Walk†, which was meant for his sister, Dorothy. The year before graduation he went for a yearlong walking tour of France, the Alps, and Italy. Several of Wordsworth’s poems were created from this year long walk. His love of nature was magnified as he viewed glorious mountains, valleys, and other various landscapes. The walk through the Alps inspired â€Å"Descriptive Sketches†. Wordsworth stated â€Å"†¦. Nothing that I ever saw in nature left a more delightful impression on my mind than that which I have attempted, alas! how feebly, to convey to others in these lines†¦ † (George 10). The walking tour also gave way to the sixth book of â€Å"The Prelude†. The tour gave him some of his greater imaginative experiences of his life. Michelle Lee writes how â€Å"Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey,† were composed on a walking tour of the Wye River. He advocates the power of Nature. † (245) He returned to college and graduated in 1791, without honors. After graduation, he climbed Mount Snowdon, the highest peak in Great Britain. This was an important event that he later incorporates in the final book of â€Å"The Prelude†, giving it a great symbolic importance (Aubrey 2). After climbing Mt. Snowdon, William Wordsworth returned to France i n November of 1792. During this time, the French Revolution was at its peak. This was also the time when he met and befriended Republican soldier, Michael Beaupuy. With the growing friendship between the two men, Wordsworth enthusiastically embraced the revolutionary cause. This was also the time when he had an affair with Annette Vallon, who later gave birth to his daughter. These were times that began to change and shape Wordsworth and his poetry. In 1795 he meets William Godwin and is influenced by his ideas. This is also the year that he is reunited with his sister Dorothy, with whom he is very close to. The relationship between brother and sister is also cause for several of his poems. Two years later the encounter that changes the Romantic Period, according to some historians, occurs when Wordsworth meets Coleridge for the first time. William and his sister, settled at Al Foxden in Somerset to be near Coleridge. Margaret Drabble writes that this was a period of intense creativity for both poets. This period produced the Lyrical Ballads, which was a landmark in the history of English Romanticism. The three friends, William, Dorothy, and Coleridge traveled and explored. They made new friendships notably with Sir W. Scott, Sir G Beaumont, and De Quincey (1085). These were happy times and times when he was taken mental notes that would soon turn into poetry. It was the death of his brother in 1805 that changed his joy to sadness. The death of his brother inspired several poems including Elegiac Stanzas Suggested by a Picture of Peele Castle. With the passing of his brother, William suddenly becomes opposed to Romance and Realism (Hartman 91). His brother’s death was not the only death to inspire some of his greater works. The death of two of his children inspired his sonnet Surprised by Joy (Drabble 1085). William Wordsworth died in April 23, 1850. It was after his death, his sister published â€Å"The Prelude†, his greatest work. His life, from start to finish, is expressed in this great piece of literature. Throughout William Wordsworth life, he went through many changes. He married his long time family friend, Marry Hutchinson and had a family. His view on religion changed, along with his thoughts on the political society. William Wordsworth’s poems are all created from the memories of his life experiences and the visions of his travels. Through many friendships and emotional relationships, Wordsworth created some of the greatest poems of the Romantic Period. He was an influence on great poets such as; Samuel Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and John Keats. There is still a question of whether or not William Wordsworth launched the Romantic Period, but there is no doubt that he shaped the literary work of that time. William Wordsworth, who was greatly influenced as a writer by his childhood, love of nature, and his many relationships, is by far the most significant poet of the English Romantic Period.

A&P Response

This story, in all honesty, did not entertain me or stimulate intriguing thoughts. I felt like the author gave a lot of his time to describe the scene and the appearance of characters that there was nothing really going on. I spent most of my time while reading trying to figure out or thinking what certain things looked like rather than anticipating what may be happening next. Overall this story did not engage me nor hold my interest.I did on the other hand find the way Sammy’s attitude to toward the girls rather baffling because here are these three girls, two of which he mentions are overweight and not on the attractive side, and then â€Å"Queenie† whom he points out is too pale but yet in a sense â€Å"eye candy†. It was strange how he felt a pull towards them as soon as he noticed them and felt the need to quit his job and become their self proclaimed hero. Was he just as strange or just someone who really needs the attention?Sammy meets the need of one†™s standards that may be classified as a normal and average teenage boy. He works, is easily distracted, and has a keen interest in girls. With Sammy’s vernacular and his actions he comes off as awkward by the time the story ends. He describes the girls the best way he knows how but uses a lot of similes and metaphors instead of just stating what one of their skin looks likes or what her body looks like. And when he describes the shoppers he makes them seem like they are suffering from oppression.As if they are they because they have to be just like he is there because he has no choice. And when something goes wrong or something out of the ordinary happens, like him quitting, they seem lost at what to do next. Just like the customers/shoppers when Sammy said â€Å"I quit†, he was not expecting it and was lost himself. And because he decided to quit out of nowhere to be an uncertified hero for these girls that he may possibly never see again, he knows he more than lik ely cannot get his job back and without that job, how is he suppose to survive out in the world with no money?I think the story endorses personal values. And the value of appearance is highly criticized because Sammy talks about how unattractive two out of three of the girls are based off his opinion which does not matter to these girls who may value their appearance and feel comfortable in every aspect of their bodies. Sammy’s actions to quit his job were stupid. He did not need to quit his job and try to be a hero to get their attention.He could of stood up for them without using â€Å"I quit† especially after the girls already make their way to the door and possibly unaware of what he is doing for them. In a way he came off as someone who needs to make a scene to be heard instead of just speaking with assertiveness. In a way this story has no point. It is a great example of realistic fiction. With the way certain descriptions laid out how the store may and even Samm y’s uniform may look. It was believable.

Impacts of Negative Leadership Essay

Leadership carries considerable influence and responsibility within any organization. Leaders are challenged daily with how to manage this influence effectively. Communication plays a key role in this approach and can have significant impacts to the leader and their staff. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impacts of negative leadership behavior regarding communication and effects on the team as well as the overall organization. Experience with Negative Leadership Behavior Over my career, there have been negative leadership behaviors experienced with both direct mangers and senior management. One of the most destructive is lack of communication. Recently, an executive manager was going to be out of the office for an entire week. This leader has four direct reports of which three are group leaders. The executive manager casually mentions to one of the direct reports that she will be out of the office the following week at a seminar. The direct report appropriately relays this information to their team supervisor to address any concerns or open issues in advance of this absence. The same communication was not made to the remaining three direct reports, in any form, by the executive manager. As the business week of the absence began, the other three direct reports incur an issue & require assistance from the executive manager. These managers were rendered unproductive and left wondering when the leader was going to be in the office so that they can discuss the problem at hand. During subsequent discussions, the team supervisor aware of the absence is the one to notify the other three direct reports that their direct manager was out for the week. The gap in communication impacted the teams noted but also other service partners and finally the client due to the delays in resolving the issue timely. It is also important to note that this is not an isolated incident but had happened previously having similar impacts to the same parties noted above. Analysis of Leadership Behavior The leadership behavior described in this experience appears straightforward at the surface but is far reaching in its impact to the firm. The leader showed consistent lack of personal integrity as well as respect and empathy for her staff by not relating her accessibility on a regular basis. It impacts the morale of the direct reports and deteriorates their working relationships & ability to collaborate. The leader did not inform all direct reports of her absence. Without a collective knowledge, a subset of the larger reporting team was less effective and efficient during this time. This also created a gap in escalation when issues arose. Lastly it weakens the culture of inclusion. By being excluded, part of the management staff experienced a decrease in satisfaction subsequently affecting their overall performance. Attrition is a by product as well of this negative behavior. Supporting Research of Negative Leadership Behavior â€Å"For it is character through which leadership is exercised, it is character that sets the example and is imitated in turn†¦. The more successfully tomorrow’s manager does his work, the greater will be the integrity required of him†¦. No matter what a man’s general education or his adult education for management, what will be decisive above all, in the future even more than in the past, is neither education nor skill; it is integrity of character† stated Drucker (1954) reiterating the important of reliability in leadership positions. Leading by example creates the ability for the team to tangibly see this character on a daily basis. Additional leadership duties like consideration and management of emotions are becoming more important in the leader-membership interaction per Meike, Jacobs & Soares (2012). As these duties increase so will the need for leaders to develop empathetic skills with regard to their staff. This will include appreciation, trust and open communication. Per Fuller and Green (2005), leaders are responsible for embedding strategy in the organization by developing an excellent team, picking the right roles and allowing the rest of the team to make the strategic moves. This requires teams that can function in unison with high level of collaboration. Lack of communication will cause a disjointed approach affecting the vision of the organization ultimately impacting the firm’s success. Hoffman, Bynum, Piccolo and Sutton (2011) noted that transformational leaders are able to articulate a vision that emphasizes the way in which collective goals are consonant with follower values, causing followers to regard organizational goals as their own and submit extra effort toward goals and accomplishments. This sets the groundwork for a culture of inclusion within an organization. When strong unified behavior, values and beliefs have been developed, a strong organizational cultures does emerge per Tsai (2011). Leaders have a primary role in growing and upholding the firm’s culture. It encourages performance and leads to long lasting job satisfaction. When this is not present, organizations will see increased conflict, reduced dialogue between managers and teams and a progressively dysfunctional environment. According to social identify theory, unfair treatment from supervisors may arouse a negative identification which in turn leads employees’ negative behaviors in organizations as outlined by Duan, Lam, Chen and Zhong (2010). This emphasizes the pattern of negative leadership behavior that has the ability to funnel throughout the entire organization is not addressed. Recommendation for Strengthening Leadership Behavior Leadership is a dynamic, ever changing role and requires the leader to be aware of her own behavior and the potential impacts of this behavior on the team. In this situation, the leader needs to understand the value of leading by example. For the team to utilize the leader for her depth of knowledge and broader perspective, a level of reliability needs to be established. From a time management standpoint, simple steps like sharing the leader’s calendar with direct reports could alleviate this issue on a go-forward. This type of planning and organization will benefit the leader as well as the staff’s perception of her abilities and character. Interpersonal skills like active listening, feedback and conflict resolution are critical as well for any leader. Being able to engage her direct reports and the larger staff in a meaningful way will allow for the team dynamic to shift to a positive state. These relationships can be developed through mentoring and engaging the direct reports in projects or other work the leader is responsible for providing insight to her managers of the next level and current challenges of the firm. This end to end view develops the direct reports as well as building a more full bodied relationship with the leader. The impact to the organization also needs a voice n acknowledging the effects of this negative behavior. The leader is accountable for the resulting impacts of any action they take while representing the firm. In this case, the lower performance and higher attrition are concrete costs to the organization. The leader needs to answer for the consequences ofher behavior to a higher power like senior management, stock holders or similar. Conclusion Negative leadership behavior comes in many forms and lack of communication is one of the most pervasive. This paper provides an example of this type of negative leadership and the effects to the staff and organization. It also provides an outline of productive steps to modify the leader’s behavior and limit the adverse impacts in the future. References Duan, J. , Lam, W. , Chen, Z. , & Zhong, J. A. (2010). Leadership justice, negative organizational behaviors, and mediating effect of affective commitment. Social Behavior and Personality, 38(9), 1287-1296. doi: 10. 2224/sbp. 2010. 38. 9. 1287 Drucker, P. (1954). The practice of management. New York, NY: Harper & Row. Fuller, J. N. , Green, J. C. (2005). The leader’s role in strategy. Graziadio Business Review, 8(2). Retrieved from http://gbr. pepperdine. edu/2010/08/the-leaders-role-in-strategy/ Hoffman, B. J. , Bynum, B. H. , Piccolo, R. F. , & Sutton, A. W. (2011). Person-organization value Congruence: How transformational leaders influence work group effectiveness. Academy of Management Journal, 54(4), 779-796. Meike, S. , Jacobs, K. , Soares, M. M. (2012). Emotions and leadership. Reason and impact of emotions in the organizational context. Work, 41, 5671-5673. doi 10. 3233/WOR-2012-0915-5671 Tsai, Y. (2011). Relationship between organizational culture, leadership behavior and job satisfaction. BMC Health Services Research, 11(1), 98-106. doi: 10. 1186/1472-6963-11-98

Journey of Brand Lifebuoy

The Lifebuoy story dates back to 1895 when it first entered the Indian market. â€Å"Life buoy' literally meaner the life-saving buoy thrown out to people at sea to prevent them from drowning. This is where the brand got its name from. Lifebuoy is a product of Hindustan Milliner Limited (HULL), India. It was initially launched with the sole intention of targeting men and everything sporty. â€Å"Attendants ski rakish kart ha Lifebuoy' captured the essence of their campaign brilliantly.The premise was made clear. Use lifebuoy and stay strong. The quintessential red chunky bar of soap became synonymous with masculine health and good value for money. The same brand positioning was maintained for more than 100 years. However, sales started dipping in the sass's with the coming of other beauty soaps like Lax, Senator etc. The consumers suddenly had more options and Lifebuoys existing market strategy had nothing new to make the consumers stay loyal to the brand.Also, times had changed an d now women were the decision makers in the family as far as shopping for commensurable household products were concerned. The need of the hour for Lifebuoy as a brand was to become more family oriented in its approach mostly focusing on the health aspect. A brand image built over 100 years had to be changed. The task at hand was challenging but the plunge was taken and the brand was repositioned in 2002. The product was transformed from the traditional masculine bar and given a more curvy look.The carbonic smell was substituted by perfume fragrance. The focus now was on a complete bathing experience for the family and the new tagging â€Å"Kay pap lifebuoy SE Mahayana Kay† did complete Justice to the cause. After this re-launch, Lifebuoys market share in the bath soap sector rose from to 18%. 2002 also saw the launch of aerogram aimed to educate people in rural India about the good health practices and basic hygiene habit of washing hands. The initiative wanted to challenge the age old notion of Missile clean is safe clean†.The brand USPS of providing better protection from germs compared to other soaps along with a strong social message came across as an impressive marketing strategy. The focus has gradually and decisively shifted to healthy hand wash habits as being the main focus of the Lifebuoy brand. Clinical tests were conducted in 2007-2008 that proved how by following the Lifebuoy way washing hands at five key occasions during the day), diarrhea in target children were reduced by 25% and they had 40% less days off school due to illness as was the case earlier.The result of all this has been a complete makeover of the brand from a masculine brand to a family soap which promises mothers a germ free environment for their children. Lifebuoy has time and again came across as one of the more innovative brands across sectors. In the tsunami of branding unleashed at the Mama Gumbo in Allahabad, Lifebuoy came up with the memorable ploy of embossin g assuages about the benefits of washing hands on rot's, after tying up with some popular local Dhabi.Taking this forward, it now aims to change the hand washing behavior of 1 Billion people by 201 5. The ideology remains the same. It wants to promote hand washing with soap at key occasions in the day to reduce infections and and adopted Together village in Madhya Pradesh to help every child living there reach their fifth birthday. This initiative has been widely publicized on the social media to create awareness and to strengthen the support for the cause.All this has n turn lead to further establishment of Lifebuoy as a brand that aims to make a difference to the society and bring about a change in the hygiene habits. In terms of market share, Lifebuoy is today pegged at 12. 1%, a close second to Lax at 12. 8%. (Ironmonger). The future seems bright and promising.

Radiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Radiography - Essay Example At the same time, missing a menstrual period could trigger an indication that a woman is pregnant. Meanwhile, conception can take place anywhere after the 10th day of pregnancy (Russell JR, et al. 1997), making x-ray and radiography procedure likely to coincide with early conception if taken before the next onset of menstruation, when a missed period could signify pregnancy. Radiation protection remain very important in pregnancy, knowing that when substantial doses of ~10 rem are taken on pregnant women, this can cause birth defects and malformations (Health Physics Society, 2014). The 10 days rule therefore comes in as an important methodology or technique that is used to guarantee the safety of early foetuses against any potential damages. Examinations pertaining to the pelvic and abdominal areas therefore have the 10 days rule applying to but in cases of ankle and hand examinations, the 10 days rule may be exempted given to the fact that there is relatively fewer risk in this are a. In a very modernised system, radiographers have taken to the use of interventional radiological examinations that come with therapeutic applications instead of mainstream operations (Queen Mary Hospital, 2007). The 28 days rule in radiography is another form of protective regulation used in radiography procedures to guarantee the safety of potentially pregnant women from undue exposure. This is a rule that can be said to have come to replace the 10 days rule in radiography as the 10 days rules seemed to have some levels of inconsistencies with the identification of pregnancies (Royal College of Radiologists, 2012). With the 28 days rule, the emphasis is on a menstrual period that is overdue. This means that there is no grace period allowed in this instance. But ahead of the application of the 28 days rule, the radiographer will ask the woman if she has any

Is it political culture, social cleavages or inherited institutions Essay

Is it political culture, social cleavages or inherited institutions that has the most significant influence on the current problems facing the consolidation of - Essay Example The repercussions f the Russian and Asian financial crises, together with the apparent fraying f Cardoso's governing coalition and a unilateral moratorium on federal debts declared by some states, exposed the fiscal and political fragility f Cardoso's policy agenda. Brazil's ability to recover quickly from the global economic shocks and Cardoso's success in winning legislative assent on major structural reforms as f May 2000 reveal as much his political skill as the many overlooked strengths and growing versatility f the Brazilian political system. The discussions in the texts to be reviewed here place in crisper perspective the political and institutional conundrum facing Cardoso's administration. The seven books share many features. Each in its own way addresses critical political and institutional issues facing Brazil today. For most f these analysts, the central question is, why has Brazil's new democracy performed so poorly in terms f redistributive reforms and democratic governance Why has the return to democracy resulted in neither good governance nor improvements in the country's profound social deficit While the authors have their own distinctive approaches and ways f framing f the central problem, this review will focus mainly on the themes f democratic governance and social welfare. As a group, the works under review here reveal four shortcomings. First, they understate the achievements f democracy in Brazil. This assessment stems in part from mostly normative hidden assumptions about an ideal type f democracy, in c omparison with which the performance f Brazilian democracy falls short. Second, these authors perceive more continuities than breaks in Brazilian political development, with corrosive practices and institutions f the past remaining intact--or even strengthened-following the transition to democracy. Third, they underestimate the capacity f the three key political institutions in Brazil--the parties, the legislature, and the executive or generalize about their hypothesized weakness. This problem is especially egregious in the analysis by Ronald Schneider, who describes the Brazilian party system as "primitive" and blames the "dysfunctional public sector" as the root cause f the country's economic and political crises. But the problem is equally visible in the books by Souza, Weyland, and Hagopian. Despite a growing body f research showing otherwise, (Martins 78-93) several f the texts reviewed here illustrate how works on Brazilian party systems and legislative-executive relations con tinue to be dominated by outdated, impressionistic, and overdrawn arguments and evidence. The first signs f a modern democratic government in Brazil appeared in 1945 when the military deposed President Getlio Vargas. Vargas had created a "semi-corporatist authoritarian regime (the Estado Nvo) based largely on the military." Once Vargas had been removed from power, Brazil instituted a competitive multi-party system. Multi-party systems are not a requirement for democracy, "but certainly the history f democratization has been associated with the development f parties and their legitimation." This step towards a true democratic government was negated in 1964 when the military forced a reversion to an authoritarian form f rule. The president remained the top government official, but he was