Free Essays on Third Party Mediation Cyprus

Third Party Mediation In The Cyprus Problem â€Å"let us suggest an alternative. There is nothing to gain by stretching the conflict for another generation†¦We will have to bury our dead, they will have to bury their dead and we will end up with the same topography, the same demography, the same problems on the table and it will open a way towards Kosovo-Belfast type situation which we don’t need† What exactly is meant by mediation? â€Å"A process which is aimed attaining a settlement with the help of mediators† The European Union The European Union in not considered a direct or active mediator in the attempts to reach a settlement regarding Cyprus, but has become a major player in the negotiations due to the desire of Cyprus (Greek-Cyprus) to become a member of the European Union. Cyprus has enjoyed close relations with the EU economically, politically, and socially. An EU report on Cyprus in 2000 stated the relationship in due to an â€Å"Association Agreement of 1973 and also a newer Accession partnership which is financially possible by EC council regulation no 555/2000 dated march 13 2000. The European Union only recognizes the Greek Cypriot administration as the legitimate government of the republic of Cyprus. When â€Å"Cyprus† applied for membership into the European Union, the Greek Cypriot government applied on behalf of the both sides. The Helsinki summit in Dec 1999 has linked the Cyprus issue to the inclusion of Turkey as a member of the EU. The Helsinki declaration says that Turkey must support the UN secretary General in efforts to resolve the Cyprus conflict. This concealed pressure was the reasoning behind Rauf Denktas inviting Greek Cypriot Clerdes to direct talks in December of 2001, interestingly enough after Denktas was on record in November of 2000 as saying there was â€Å"no point to stay on the negotiation table† after the â€Å"non-paper proposal† by The UN Secretary General. Turkey pr... Free Essays on Third Party Mediation Cyprus Free Essays on Third Party Mediation Cyprus Third Party Mediation In The Cyprus Problem â€Å"let us suggest an alternative. There is nothing to gain by stretching the conflict for another generation†¦We will have to bury our dead, they will have to bury their dead and we will end up with the same topography, the same demography, the same problems on the table and it will open a way towards Kosovo-Belfast type situation which we don’t need† What exactly is meant by mediation? â€Å"A process which is aimed attaining a settlement with the help of mediators† The European Union The European Union in not considered a direct or active mediator in the attempts to reach a settlement regarding Cyprus, but has become a major player in the negotiations due to the desire of Cyprus (Greek-Cyprus) to become a member of the European Union. Cyprus has enjoyed close relations with the EU economically, politically, and socially. An EU report on Cyprus in 2000 stated the relationship in due to an â€Å"Association Agreement of 1973 and also a newer Accession partnership which is financially possible by EC council regulation no 555/2000 dated march 13 2000. The European Union only recognizes the Greek Cypriot administration as the legitimate government of the republic of Cyprus. When â€Å"Cyprus† applied for membership into the European Union, the Greek Cypriot government applied on behalf of the both sides. The Helsinki summit in Dec 1999 has linked the Cyprus issue to the inclusion of Turkey as a member of the EU. The Helsinki declaration says that Turkey must support the UN secretary General in efforts to resolve the Cyprus conflict. This concealed pressure was the reasoning behind Rauf Denktas inviting Greek Cypriot Clerdes to direct talks in December of 2001, interestingly enough after Denktas was on record in November of 2000 as saying there was â€Å"no point to stay on the negotiation table† after the â€Å"non-paper proposal† by The UN Secretary General. Turkey pr...

Top 6 Key Questions to Ask at Your Next Job Interview

Top 6 Key Questions to Ask at Your Next Job Interview You got the interview!  Things are going well. You’ve smoothly discussed your performance points, you’ve glossed over That Incident We’d All Like to Leave Behind, and you’ve been making eye contact like a pro. Suddenly, the interviewer asks you if you have any questions. â€Å"Oh ho,† you think. â€Å"The interviewee has become the interviewer!† But in the moment, you start to feel a bit of inward panic. You’ve focused so fully on answering any question that could possibly be thrown your way, and now you’re drawing a bit of a blank. The best way to avoid that deer-in-headlights moment in an interview is to be prepared. Ahead of the interview, think of a set of questions to have on hand no matter how the discussion shakes out. If possible, work them in organically during the interview (without seeming too Barbara Walters about it). If they don’t really fit with the flow of the conversation, hold them until the end when y ou might well have an open floor.1. â€Å"How has this position evolved?†This one can give you a sense of how the company sees this role- and, potentially, you. If this is a role that has expanded or updated with each person that has held it, that’s a good indicator that it is a growth position. If it has stayed more or less the same over time, it could be that there is not much room for you to a) make it your own or b) advance beyond a certain point. Not necessarily a dealbreaker, depending on your perspective, but definitely something to be aware of as you go into it.RELATED:  Crush your Next Job Interview with These 12 Questions2. â€Å"In the first year, what is the highest priority for this position?†Five-year plans (a common interview and career subject) are all well and good, but the first year in a position could make or break it for you. Knowing the immediate plans for this role can tell you whether this is where you really want to be. After all, the company’s goals for the position will become your goals if you end up taking the job, so it would be helpful to know as early as possible whether the initial priorities are ones that seem manageable to you and likely to be a challenge.3. â€Å"In this position, how would I be working with my manager?†Speaking of things that can make or break your new job, your boss might be the most important one. We all have management styles to which we respond well- and ones that make us want to run screaming for the nearest exit. The answer to this question can let you know whether you’ll be working shoulder-to-shoulder with your manager, or if he or she expects you to take a ball and run with it, with minimal input or hand-holding.4. â€Å"What are the biggest challenges in this role?†Just like you present the best parts of yourself in your resume and the interview, the employer wants to present the best parts of this job to prospective employees. There is likely mor e to the job than the bare-bones job description, and now is your chance to get some of that extra context if the interviewer hasn’t already offered that information.5. â€Å"What is a typical day like in this role?†If you’ll be spending most of your day on particular tasks, this question can help you figure out whether that will work for you. For example, if you hate fielding phone calls, but it turns out that 75% of this job is working the phones, this is crucial information to have. This can also help you figure out what the priorities will be for the position and help you shape any subsequent answers around that information to show that you would be a good fit for that daily routine.6. â€Å"Is there anything else I can provide to help you make this decision?†This is a good grand finale question once the interview is winding down. It shows you’re proactive and keenly interested in the position, for starters and also gives you a chance to clarif y any vagueness or confusion on the interviewer’s part.Asking questions in your interview is key. It demonstrates that you’re paying attention and are engaged in the process. And by asking smart ones on the spot, tailored specifically to the job description and your pre-interview research on the company, you show the interviewer that you’re a better-prepared candidate than someone who either doesn’t speak up or who ignores the useful opportunity to ask counter-questions.

Joan of Arc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Joan of Arc - Essay Example It is in north eastern part of France. Joan of Arc went through several challenges at a young age. The major turning point in the life of Joan of Arc was being sworn in a prestigious army. During the year 1400, the Dauphin army men were regarded as respected and esteemed individuals within the society. Some of the beneficial factors of Joan of Arc, which sparked after joining army, were informative visions and growing military ideas. The real name of Joan of Arc was Jehanne Romee. Joan of Arc did not get the real name because being unsure of taking surname of mother and father. The voices of catholic saints have exposed Joan of Arc to be much stronger at a premature age. The opinion of the lady was swift aside after arrival at Vaucoluleurs. Joan was send back home. But courage and persistence allowed Joan to join Dauphin army at an early age. Joan predicted the location of sword and took army to Sainte-Catherine (Cunningham, 2002). The fortress of Saint Loup was captured on May 4. The French army was led by Joan of Arc. This astonishing capture of fortress revealed the mental strength and willpower of Joan. She was only 16 years of age during that point of time. After capturing first fortress, Joan of Arc marched to Saint Jean Le Blanc Fort. After arriving to the next city, Joan of Arc found out that all gates are barred and it is impossible task to get inside the city. But Joan and her entire army entered in to Orleans. The unthinkable task was made possible by Joan of Arc’s leadership process. Joan did not want to change their War strategy by ignoring the doors that were locked and barred. Joan was effective in the mission and entered in the direction, which was planned. Plans were supposed to be changed after looking at barred gates. But mental strength and hunger for success defines the heroicness of Joan. The withdrawal of English was more accelerated by capturing other two forts in Orleans. Joan m et Charles after

The Reform in the US Education System Assignment

The Reform in the US Education System - Assignment Example In this regard, the assignment intends to investigate the problem related to the given case study and identify changes required for implementing the same as well as explain the plan that would be used to bring about the change. It can be identified that the first goal is to increase the standard of all students in the nation and ensure their success. In this regard, the major stakeholders will be students, teachers, and administrations. It is important for each stakeholder to know about the goal as it would not be possible to attain the goal without the support from each other. The second goal is to incorporate technology into the education system. The stakeholders for this goal will include students, teachers, and administrations. Accordingly, the current era is driven by constant evolution and hence these stakeholders must reveal their understanding towards the changing educational system. Next goal is regarding comparability and equity. The stakeholders for this goal would include students, teachers, and administrations. It is equally important that all stakeholders are aware of the goal as it is pivotal that fairness and equality are maintained in the education system without any discrimination. In the similar context, developing career-ready standard is another important goal, which needs to be focused upon in order to ensure positive reform in the education system, Accordingly, the teachers, students, and administrations will be the stakeholders and the goals is important for them as it would enable them to determine the path in which students are moving (Gardner & Mendoza, 2010). Finally, promoting innovation in the education system is another important aspect of the changes that need to be brought in order to eliminate the gaps associated with the current education system. Students, teachers, and administration will be the major stakeholders.

Fair Value Accounting Essay Example for Free

Fair Value Accounting Essay Topic: To what extent is â€Å"Fair Value Accounting† an effective method in measuring the values of financial instruments in financial statement? In recent years, the breakout of global financial crisis has raised controversial debates about whether or not fair value accounting (FVA) is an effective method in measuring the values of financial instruments (Laux Leuz, 2009). As two main accounting standards around the world, both International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and US Financial Accounting Standards (FAS) have adopted FVA as an accounting method to judge the values of some financial instruments (Mala and Chand, 2011). This essay will argue that although FVA can provide timely and transparent price information to the users of accounting information in some cases, there are potential problems of FVA in measuring the values of financial instruments on account of unreliable evaluation models, biased prices in inefficient markets and a negative price contagion effect. There are three main parts in this essay. Firstly, it will give the definition of FVA and then it will analyze why the effectiveness of FVA may be limited from three aspects, namely unreliable evaluation models, biased prices in inefficient markets and a negative price contagion effect. At last, it will consider the pros of FVA regarding the timely and transparent information it provides in some cases and analyze the pros. According to Financial Accounting Standards 157, fair value accounting can be defined as â€Å"an accounting method to measure the values of assets and liabilities based on the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date†. That is to say, FVA relies on the actual market prices of the financial instruments and records the exact market prices on the financial statements. In fact, FVA replaces historical cost accounting (HCA) with the development of accounting standards (Boyer, 2007). Compared with FVA, historical cost accounting can be described as an accounting measurement of values based on the original or historical cost when the company got the assets or liabilities. For example, a company bought a stock for 50 pounds last year. In this year, the price of the stock increases to 100 pounds. Under FVA, the company should record the value of  the stock at 100 pounds this year while 50 pounds will be recognized under HCA. As the replaced FVA has been regarding as accelerating the global financial crisis, it draws a lot of attention in respect of its potential weaknesses in the accounting field. Firstly, the model to estimate fair values of financial instruments in illiquid markets seems to have insufficient reliability (Laux Leuz 2009 and Mala Chand 2011). If the markets for the identical or similar financial instruments whose values need to be evaluated are active, the available prices can be used to evaluate the fair values of them (Laux Leuz 2009). However, if the markets do not exist, which means the the markets are inactive or illiquid, the fair evaluation model is needed to estimate the fair value of the financial instruments (Ball 2006). Specifically speaking, the model to evaluate fair values of financial instruments rely on the future cash flow of the financial instruments and borrowing rate of the company. The future cash flow can be described as the future cash inflow (income) and outflow (expense) brought by the financial instruments whilst the borrowing rate of a company can be considered as the cost of capital which can be invested in other investments rather than the financial instruments. The users of the evaluation model should firstly predict the future cash flow of the financial instruments and then use the borrowing rate of the company to calculate the present fair values. Ljiri (2005) states that using model to estimate the values of financial instruments provides significant discretionary power to the users and gives uncertainty, which may influence the objectivity of the valuation of financial instruments. Indeed, the same financial instrument could be evaluated differently on account of different estimation of future cash flows and distinct borrowing rate. Because the users of the evaluation model have the power to forecast the future cash flow, different users may have distinct estimations of the same financial instrument based on their perspectives of its future profitability. In addition, different companies may have different borrowing rates due to distinct industries involved. Thus, the above two uncertain factors affects the objectivity of the fair evaluation of the financial instruments, which limits the reliability of the evaluation model. Secondly, the inefficient markets could distort prices, which has a negative effect on the basis of FVA (Laux Leuz 2009). An inefficient market can be defined as a market in which the prices of financial instruments can not be measured accurately due to the inefficient information it provides (Aboody et. al 2002). Additionally, Lim and Brooks (2010) review the empirical literature about the evolution of market efficiency over time and find that the market cannot be always efficient and market inefficiency can be easily caused by investor irrationality and liquidity problems. That is to say, the market prices of financial instruments could be distorted by biased behaviors of investors, such as overconfidence or overreaction to a stock, and liquidity problems, such as illiquid market for a long-term bond. What’s more, the distorted prices can not reflect the real values of financial instruments, which makes FVA lose the reliable basis to measure the fair value of financial instruments. Therefore, the biased prices in the inefficient markets tend to the appropriateness of fair evaluation of financial instruments. Thirdly, Laux and Leuz (2009) argues that FVA could enforce negative price contagion in the financial markets, which has been considered as the main cause of rapid spread of global financial crisis. It is argued that FVA has stimulated the financial crisis in a vicious spiral and leading to the spread and depth of the financial crisis (Begtsoon 2011, Allen and Carletti 2007, Appelbaum 2009 and Jones 2009). To be specific, after financial crisis broke out, the liquidity of financial instruments’ markets dried up, which means very few trades of the financial instruments existed in the markets (Begtsoon 2011). As a result, the market pricing mechanism became dysfunctional because the prices should be evaluated from very few trades, which resulted in low prices of financial instruments (ibid). In turn, the low prices put pressure on the financial statements of some financial institutions in terms of assets depreciation under FVA (Allen Carletti 2008). In order to keep capital requirements, the financial institutions had no choice but to sell assets at low prices, which led to lower prices of financial instruments in the markets and stimulated further assets depreciation on other financial instruments’ financial statements under FVA  (Plantin et al. 2008a). To sum up, the prices in the market could negatively influence the evaluation of financial instruments under FVA and at the same time, the evaluation of financial instruments under FVA could have a further negative effect on the market prices, which forms a vicious circle that can speed up the price contagion and fluctuations. Nevertheless, supporters of FVA believe that FVA can provide transparent and timely information for the users of accounting information (Brown 2008). As Hughes (2009) says, the function of FVA is â€Å"like that of the thermometer-it mirrors reality, it does not create it†. Since FVA can reflect what is happening in the market on the financial statements immediately, it allows the information users to get easy access to the most timely and transparent market information. In addition, Hinks (2009) argues that the useful information provided by FVA allows the investors and regulators to approach to the up-to-date position of financial institutions and encourage them to make corrective decisions. Indeed, it cannot be denied that FVA can provide prompt and transparent price information in some cases. However, it is not always the case which contributes FVA to an effective measurement to value financial instruments. First of all, in an illiquid or inefficient market for some financial instruments, even if FVA could provide timely price information of the financial instruments, the timely information provided is unreliable, which leads to the uselessness of the timely and transparent information provided by FVA. Secondly, even though the financial instruments have an active or efficient market, FVA cannot result in increased transparency of information in financial statements as expected (Krumwiede 2008). Thirdly, under FVA, timely price information would lead to volatility of financial statements (Barth 2004). The continuous volatility of financial statements causes confusion for the users of accounting information and raises the company’s cost to keep accounts. Hence, although FVA could offer some timely and transparent information to the users, these information limits to some extent because of unreliable information, limited transparency and volatility of financial statements. In conclusion, this essay has discussed three aspects limiting the effectiveness of FVA to measure the values of financial instruments, including evaluation model, inefficient markets and price contagion effect. In addition, it also considers the pros of FVA in terms of timely and transparent information provided in some cases. It can be concluded that even though up-to-date and transparent information could be provided by FVA occasionally, the effectiveness of FVA to measure the values of financial instruments has been limited due to the unreliable evaluation model, distorted prices in inefficient markets and a negative price contagion effect. Because of word limit, this essay cannot cover the detailed application of FVA to specific kind of financial instrument. However, the above discussion can clearly show that FVA has some general problems in measuring the values of financial instruments. Based on above analysis, it can be suggested that the problematic aspects of FVA could be improved or revised by providing more clear explanation and more specific regulations by the constitutors of accounting standards and for some specific financial instruments with illiquid or inefficient markets, it is better to use some other methods to measure their values.

Walt Whitman :: essays research papers

Walt Whiteman though himself out to be the poet of American democracy. His poetry described an america where the future had already begun. Whitman believed every individual had as much dignity, and inmportance as anyone else. No job was considered to small or insubordinate. He believed that in order to reach their full potential, people had to break down the barriers that seperated them from others and from parts of their own being. He enciouraged things that made people less embarassed and mroe outgoing. Whitman was the kind of poet who follows his own bent, in spite of his misunderstanding. He found supporters among the leading writers of his time and was gradually recognized as the first great poet of new age. In "i am one of the nation" Whitman wrote, "I am of old and young, of foolish, and of wise, and stuffed with the stuff that is find. One of the natrions the smallest, the same, and the largest, the same." After reading this, I notice Walt Whitman is talking about being equal. People are all equal and together we make up an equal nation. He also wrote " the runaway slave came to my house, and stepped inside...and went where he sat on a log and led him in and assured him, brought him water, filled a tub for his sweated body, and bruised feet, and gave him a room that entered minem and gave him coarse clean clothes. I had him sit next to me at table" This shoes that Walt Whitman believes everyone is equal and deserves equal tretment and respect. He believes in everything he writes about. In a march in the ranks hand pressed" Whitman says "at my feet more dinstinctlively a so;dier, a meere lad in danger of bleeding to death" when he said this, I niticed he did not say a black man or a white man, he was talking about the solidiers together, as equal indivuduals. In "when lilacls last in the dooryard bloomed" Whitman wrote this as al elegy.

Education and its effect on Life

Geting instruction is one of the most critical facets of a individuals life. It should be seen every bit critical as the air we breathe. The root to keeping a strong wisdom and being an extraordinary individual is larning. â€Å" Without instruction, you ‘re non traveling anyplace in this universe † is a celebrated quotation mark by Malcolm X. His quotation mark reiterates that the competitory universe makes it indispensable for us to hold a proper instruction since it will function as our arm to suppress the universe. Education will assist a individual grow as an person because a extremely knowing individual will hold a better clasp on managing any job that comes his or her manner. Literacy is the foundation of what we are as persons. Every determination we make, every bit good as our idea procedure, is the footing of what we know. Deriving cognition gives us pleasance every bit good as encouragements our morale. Education should be portion of everyone ‘s life bec ause it is one of the most cherished ownerships a individual could of all time hold since that can open doors and ease the tract for future accomplishment and economic successes. However, many Americans are faced with many hurdlings along the manner that they need to get the better of. One of the hurdlings that we encounter with instruction is the manner school is perceived by people. Americans have lost their desire to larn ; really frequently we hear phrases like, â€Å" school is tiring † or â€Å" school is a batch of work, † among pupils. Children in school today would much prefer to be someplace else. These pupils would instead be out with their friends or cavort around their place or anyplace but be in school. Now, when in school, they fail to retrieve the chief ground why they are at that place. Thus, many pupils avoid school and sometimes do non trouble oneself to demo up at all. Harmonizing to the U. S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics, for every twenty nine seconds, another pupil bails out on school. This comes to over one million American high school pupils ‘ retreating from school every twelvemonth. The deficiency of motive and household values, every bit good as pupil duty, has created this crisis in the instruction system. In add-on, deficient support of schools along with quality instructors that are retiring are some of the jobs we encounter in the instruction system. In some parts of the United States, there is a deficiency of equal entree to stuffs for reading and composing due to budget restraints. In Allen D. Kanner ‘s article, â€Å" Today ‘s Class Brought to You ByaˆÂ ¦ † he mentioned that with the babe boomers retiring, and a high turnover among new pedagogues, who are ordered to give direction on topics they are non decently trained for, are doing hard schoolroom state of affairss ( 280 ) . Similarly, Governor Jerry Brown ‘s statement last January 11 pointed out that K-12 instruction has ‘borne the brunt ‘ of the province ‘s budget cuts with more than $ 18 billion in cuts over the last three old ages. This resulted in larger category sizes, plans are cut, and over 30,000 pedagogues were laid away. These pedagogues are genuinely valuable to our c ommunity since they supply our kids with the information and the know-how that they can work with to better their fate and the fate of the whole existence. As a pupil, I have suffered the effects of ternary digit fee additions and the deficiency of available categories offered. The high cost of instruction has put the load non merely on the pupils, and many of their parents, but pedagogues, every bit good. Another major determiner that is partially responsible to the rational problems of Americans is poorness. Poverty is considered to be a serious at-risk factor, with more of the state ‘s kids confronting this quandary. Other determiners that may set these juvenile at-risk are unreliable vicinities, immature nonreader parents, unemployment along with deficient educational background. The phrase, â€Å" at-risk, † describes those kids, who are without a uncertainty, will neglect whether at school or life as a whole when sing their single state of affairss. In my experience while turning up, I noticed that pupils, who passed the fifth class and discontinue school to back up their household financially, are making a big uneducated labour force. Unfortunately, hapless households are more concerned with the basic necessities in life such as money and nutrient, instead than books to assist their head grow. Without money and resources needed, kids will go on to turn up to go anot her statistic of poorness. However, the fluctuation in the quality of instruction should non be dependent upon the wealth or deficiency thereof. Helping those destitute pupils will raise the degree of instruction available to them which in bend will let them to acquire a better paying occupation to better back up their households. On the other manus, it could be argued that Americans are non in serious rational problem because of the impact that engineering is making in our instruction system. If we take a expression at the history of instruction for the past 1000s of old ages, we may merely conceive of how personal computing machines could hold impacted the educational system. When proficient cognition and right acquisition constructions are combined, proficient cognition will construct up their scholastic accomplishment. One manner that proficient cognition can assist pupils larn is by maintaining more pupils interested in the capable affair for longer periods of clip. Teenss and their parents believe that entree to the Internet improves the societal life and academic work of adolescents. For them, the usage of the Internet, for case, plays a cardinal function in their bonding with their friends, their households and their schools. Many younger people today are hooked to computing machines and advanced engin eering. This captivation may maintain them at a computing machine terminus larning about some topic instead than staying interested in a book or a talk. Technology in the instruction system has shaped the pupils and pedagogues in several practical techniques, among other things ocular field trips, proving tips, teacher resources, category web sites, and lesson programs. Adoption of engineering in schoolrooms should be foreseen as an plus instead than as a liability. Furthermore, state-of-the-art engineering must be available at schools in destitute vicinities since engineering can assist better their instruction system. Therefore, the significance of larning should ne'er be taken for granted. For illustration, an attention-getting definition of instruction in Wikipedia provinces, â€Å" Education encompasses both the instruction and acquisition of cognition, proper behavior, and proficient competence. † The higher the instruction a individual has, the greater opportunities of that individual set downing a better-paying occupation. With instruction, a individual can hold a successful life. It can supply people with information and cognition for acquiring a occupation and pursing their dreams. â€Å" Knowledge is power † says the famed painter Francis Bacon. Although, knowledge entirely is non plenty for person to win in life ; a individual should besides hold the accomplishments to be a leader, to be extremely educated and ne'er leave at the sight of a job. Educated people are looked upon for counsel. Education is besides your manner to your success. An ideal instruction will non be pos sible if one of these three constituents is losing ; they are: parents, pedagogues and pupils. The pupil, the parent, and the pedagogue should ever cabal to develop and set up a unflawed academic program. I genuinely believe that my success is dependent on the picks that I make in life and the people that influence me turning up.

Manage Operational Plan Essay

1.List some of the details outlined in an operational plan. An operational plan, also known as an action plan, is derived from an organisation’s strategic plan. It is a more concrete, detailed document that outlines how the strategic plans of an organisation will be achieved in practice. It includes projects to be undertaken, actions, resource policies, responsibilities and timeframes. It outlines the actions teams/individuals within an organisation will take to achieve its objectives and also outlines any major projects within the relative time period. An operational plan will contain details of: †¢Organisational structure †¢Short- or medium-term business strategies †¢Major projects †¢Available resources (including human and physical resources, also financial) †¢Performance targets †¢Responsibilities for actions †¢Timeframes for projects, goals and evaluations †¢Contingency measures 2.Broad consultation with other members of the organisation, from team members to senior management, is a good way to contribute to the success of operational planning. When, in the planning cycle, should it be carried out? What outcomes would you be looking to achieve from this process? Consultation is a key element in the development of an operational plan and it is imperative in ensuring the details of the plan, the resource allocations and the timelines set are realistic, relevant and achievable. Consultation should be an ongoing process, right from the beginning and throughout the entirety of the operational plan. Consultation can be achieved in many ways, both formally, using such tools as information sessions, meetings, workshops, focus groups, one-on-one interviews, feedback mechanisms or communication mechanisms; or informally, by relying on personal relationships and informal conversations with other stakeholders. Use of these techniques should be scheduled to occur before the operational plan is put to action, but they should not stop there. As planning progresses, it is important to consult with stakeholders to seek further  input and, for those that have major contributions, to gather feedback. As plans come to fruition and projects commence, it is important to constantly seek feedback and input, in order to monitor, evaluate and refine the planning processes and the actions undertaken. The next important step of the consultation process, once feedback has been gathered, is to use the information effectively and communicate this back to the relevant stakeholders. When stakeholders see the positive flow-on effects of feedback they have offered, it makes them more likely to offer quality contributions the next time they are asked. This creates an open and flowing cycle of communication and feedback throughout the entire planning process, which leads to a highly monitored plan, formed through consultation with relevant stakeholders. This regular feedback enables the organisation and those managing the operational planning, to evaluate and refine the planning procedure. 3.Why do budgets need frequent reviews and adjustments? Who is responsible for ensuring that budgets and other financial documents are accurate? When creating financial reports, what sources of information need to be analysed? Budgets are the mechanisms through which organisations can monitor their financial health. Budgets are essentially plans for the organisation’s money and resources. They should be monitored regularly to assess the organisation’s progress against agreed targets and to flag any potential issues. Individual areas should update and report internally on a regular basis (i.e. monthly), which, in turn, would lead to reports being delivered to senior management every quarter. These reports can be used to update the budget forecast and contain information about the current state of accounts (i.e. spendings vs earnings). It is important to frequently review and adjust budgets to take into account changing circumstances, such as, project delays, project blowouts, changes to staffing levels and changes in the currency exchange rates. These adjustments are necessary to reflect actual circumstances that apply to specific projects, work units, the organisation as a whole and the broader economic and financial climate. Within an organisation, there is generally a senior management group or committee responsible for ensuring the financial statements present a full and accurate position of the organisation’s financial situation and that any  variants from budget are fully explained. When creating financial reports, depending on the level of detail the organisation requires, the following sources may need to be analysed: †¢Budgets †¢Budget forecast reports †¢Reports of actual financial performance †¢Budget principle reports †¢Revenue reports †¢Expense and output reports †¢Balance sheet reports †¢Asset and cash management reports †¢Investment/derivative reports †¢Liability reports 4.Resources can mean many things when you are preparing an operational plan. What kinds of ‘resources’ might you have to plan for? There are many resources that require planning for an operational plan. These can include: †¢Goods and services †¢Human resources (i.e. staff, consultants, contractors) †¢Physical resources (i.e. equipment, property, machinery, facilities) †¢Financial resources (i.e. budget allocations, money) †¢Stock requirements and requisitions A process of research and consultation needs to be carried out to adequately allocate resources. A detailed planning ‘diary’ can be a useful resource for helping individuals who are responsible for planning and to carry out their duties in a timely and comprehensive fashion. 5.Today, more and more businesses understand that being successful is about more than just economic performance, but that it is also about their environmental and social performance. They are aware that increasing use of the Earth’s natural resources places a strain on the planet. Responsible businesses are, therefore, making every effort to ensure that they use resources efficiently. What does the term resource efficiency refer to? Identify five things an organisation could do to reduce the amount of paper  and energy used and wasted. Resource efficiency refers to maximising the supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function effectively, with minimum wasted effort or expense. Five ways an organisation could reduce the amount of paper and energy used and wasted could include: 1.Improving purchasing Cleaner production starts with cleaner procurement. Buying recycled materials can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. Give preference to products that are designed for long life, are reusable or recyclable, and are made and packaged with minimum material. 2.Improving storage Only store what you need. Good inventory management can save money. Keep all storage areas uncluttered, clean and clearly labeled. Avoid keeping empty containers, unless they have a specific use. Establish clearly signed, segregated areas for appropriate storage of all equipment, materials and wastes. 3.Conserving energy Using less costs less. If you reduce your energy consumption you can save money and reduce greenhouse gases caused by burning fossil fuels. Turn off all lights and equipment when they do not need to be operating. Use energy efficient office equipment and power saving functions where they will be most effective. Use the most efficient lights — triphosphor tubes are cheaper to run than fluorescent lights. 4.Conserving water Fix dripping taps and leaking pipes — a dripping tap wastes more than $100 a year. Install water saving accessories around your business, contact your local water authority for ideas. 5.Reducing waste Segregated waste can often be recycled and may be a valuable product for another business. The three R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Quantify the waste you produce. Waste is the difference between the materials you pay for and the materials your customer pays for. Examine each process step to determine where wastes are produced and to devise measures for waste prevention or reduction. Many wastes occur because of process inefficiency. Devise ways of reducing your waste with your employees and suppliers so they  too can share in the savings, for example rewards for employees and suppliers who reduce waste. Reuse drums and containers where possible. Ask suppliers to exchange empties. Identify ways of reusing materials in the process at different stages.

The Reform Movements of the Ni essays

The Reform Movements of the Ni essays In the late eighteenth century America really begin to take shape as its own country. In the nineteenth century the change was very noticeable. During this time the country was beginning to see what it is like when you have a country where everyone has the right to voice his or her own opinion. The country was struggling with slavery, what state should be a slave state and which state would not be a slave state. This time in American history several movements begin happening for the good of the country. These movements were happening because of all the different opinions going on in the country. One of the movements that came to front was a movement on prison reform. The way that prisoners were being treated is what led to the reform. Religious groups came forward and wanted to have prisons were the inmates could be treated as individuals and not as animals. Womens right movement also happens in this period of time. Women wanted to have the same rights as men during this ti me in history. The Temperance movement was a movement with the main focus being on alcohol. These movements all happen because groups of individuals got together and decided it was time for a change. These reform movements are what help lead America into the country that it is today. The prison reform movement was started in order to make sure that the inmates were treated as human beings. The prisons at this time were horrible. The living conditions were worse than the prisons we have today. One group that wanted to make sure that the prisoners were treated with respect was the religious group called the Quakers. The Quakers took it upon themselves to try and create their own human prisons. The prisoners in this type of prison studied the Bible, they were able to work, and they were not allowed to speak. Prisoners were expected to carry out their whole sentence, there was no getting out for good behavior. There was no such thing as a par...

An Outline for Business School Essays

An Outline for Business School Essays In the previous page we discussed the importance of creating a personalized writing schedule for your school essay. Now that you have (hopefully) completed that task, I would like to introduce the next step in the application essay process: producing an outline. Producing a quality outline is crucial in writing a noteworthy composition. In my opinion, the more defined the outline, the better the essay. Regardless of what type of school essay you are planning to write, it always helps to first develop an outline. For the sake of argument, lets say that you are writing a business school essay. Business school essays are no different from any other types of essays in terms of the creative process. Like any composition, you must first create an outline. An outline is simply a condensed treatment of a particular subject. In this case, the subject is business school essays. Therefore, the formula for your business school essay might include a section on the personal events in your life which led you to direct your studies towards a degree in business administration. Whatever the topic, make sure that your outline includes specific instructions on what youd like to include in your composition. Create your school essay as you would a road map. Be precise, be defined, and above all be logical. From business school essays to undergraduate admissions compositions, one thing is for certain: the better the outline the better the paper. I recommend that you take a few days to create your outline. Once you feel confident with your treatment, you can advance to the next step. In the meanwhile, if you have any questions about MBA essays or if you would like to see samples of quality admissions essays, I suggest that you access the adjacent link.

The Role of Sound and Music in Modern Cinema Essay

The Role of Sound and Music in Modern Cinema - Essay Example This paper discrubes the most important effect the advent of sound had on screenplays was that screenwriters were now able to use dialogue and give their characters a voice. To make a conclusion a distinction can only be made regarding a director's specific stylistic and aesthetic choices within the respective crafts. And as the development of sound over the decades has shown, the advent of new technologies, film theory and criticism, audiences and genre expectations, studio interests, marketing issues, casting, social movements, trends and fashions can all influence a director's reasoning behind the individual design of a soundtrack. By exploring the historical development of sound in the movies, from a pianist visualising galloping horses to its first appearance in The Jazz Singer in 1927, to the masterfully executed dance scene in Godard's Band a parte, to Tarantino's post-modern usage of popular song, it is clear that sound has developed into the equal partner of cinematography as the director's main storytelling tool. Pioneered over the decades by such versatile directors like Renoir, Godard, Hitchcock, Leone and Coppola, sound design and score have given characters a voice, locations an atmosphere, the narrative an unifying force and resulted in audiences not only being able to enjoy spell-bounding visuals, but also to appreciate a film with all its emotional, subconscious, realistic or surrealistic audio-aesthetic facets. To conclude, sound design and score can't be read as unrelated entities in a films' soundtrack. Throughout the history of cinema, filmmakers have discovered that sound design and film music are equally effective story telling tools.... The following examples show how sound has been used as a versatile and powerful storytelling tools in the movies. Sound can: set up the mood for a film: The opening scene of Le Mepris where shots of Brigitte Bardot's naked body are accompanied by a melancholic score that indicates that tragedy is looming. reflect a film's theme: The 'duelling banjo' scene in Deliverance, where a hillbilly boy outplays a city-slicker, supports the film's theme of socio-cultural differences between rural and urban America. be used as an editing tool to create rhythm: The sex scene in Delicatessen where all activities in an apartment building rhythmically adapt to the sound of coil springs under a couple's bed. create suspense: The aggressive string motif in Jaws indicates a shark attack is imminent. reflect a character: The light-hearted flute melody that introduces free-spirit Nobody at the beginning of My Name Is Nobody. place a film in a specific cultural and historical setting: Ska, Northern Soul a nd 1980's pop songs make up the soundtrack of This Is England (2006) that is set in the English Skinhead scene of 1983. It has to be noted that aforementioned films are examples of how sound design and film music (meaning both a score that is specifically composed for a film as well as published music) are used as a storytelling tool. Indeed, it is hard to identify just one film that doesn't use sound design and music on its soundtrack. Hence, my argument in the following essay will be that sound design and film music don't exist separately but make up a movie's aural landscape together, as they are both powerful audio storytelling tools in their own right. Furthermore, I will analyse the motivations behind individual directors' different approaches towards

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gauguin Essay

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gauguin - Essay Example All artists are shaped by their background and experience in life. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec came from an aristocratic family and was fascinated by theatres and Parisian dance halls. In early teens Henri broke his legs which lead to a deformity in his physical structure. This unfortunate experience controlled his art forms to a great degree. His love of painting equestrian objects reflects his passion for riding, of which, in reality, he was unable to do. When he paints a horse-drawn carriage the thoroughbreds and their vibrant beauty becomes alive on the canvas. Since he would be ridiculed for his physical deformity to a certain degree, he preferred to spend time in company of the eccentric and other depraved human beings, where his deformity would go unnoticed. His outlook of life was pessimistic to a certain degree. He took refuge in alcohol as he would take refuge in human degradation. His paintings would depict life not only in its stark reality, but also his keen observation of human character. Lautrec’s work is characterised by highly individual interpretation of forms. One may even call him a graphic artist. His lines are bold, expressive and restless and bring out the emotional intensity of his subjects. Toulouse-Lautrec was influenced by Degas in the sense that dance-halls and dancers were attractive to both. However, while Degas concentrates on perfecting small details, Luatrec sees life on a much grander scale. He understands that a crowd may assume a complete different personality. than the men and women who make it up. Placing anonymous models in the foreground he would sum up the character of his compositions. His most famous paintings include the series on Moulin Rouge and one of its important can-can dancers Jane Avril. Toulouse-Lautrec is also well known for the posters he made to advertise dance or musical performances in cafes and theatres. He would outline his figures but only color the images partially to draw attention. Sometimes h e would draw caricatures of famous dancers like Jane Avril to make the posters more attractive. In his posters and lithographs broad flat colors and graphic outlines were influenced by Gauguin’s style. Lautrec died young, at the age of thirty-seven, a pessimist already notorious for his portrayal of human degradations. Gauguin, on the other hand, was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth and started working as a stockbroker. Only later he turned to a full-time artist. He was a friend of Pissaro and had