Freedom to live Essay

During the ancient times before imprisonment, there were executions and executions only which were rather completed by stoning. There were consisted of several reasons as to why the capital punishment was needed. The United States inherited its use of capital punishment from the European settlers in the seventeenth century but in the eighteenth century, German philosopher Immanuel Kant appealed that execution was the â€Å"fairest punishment for murder†. He presented that it is the most suitable punishment for those who have committed murder and that a person who has done wrong should suffer for it. Arguing that killers should â€Å"die in order to gain release from their suffering†, including that the crime must fit the punishment. Arguments against the death penalty expose capital punishment for what some believe is a reasonable punishment, while others view it as revenge disguised as justice but overall, is continuously an issue that would not be equally discussed an d abolished world-wide. Disagreements about the death penalty mostly turn on issues of fairness, morality and effectiveness. There consists of endless reasons as to why the death penalty is to be abolished. One of many is that executions cost more than life in prison. According to Statistic Brain, it costs nearly 2 million per person to be executed, all which consists of maximum security, counsel for defense and others. Another popular point is that the innocent may be wrongly executed. This is a high risk because evidence, DNA, and witness statements are not one hundred percent reliable. A slightly relevant case was a falsely executed man named Cameron Todd Willingham. He was executed in Texas, known to be the number one state with the highest rate of executions. He was accused of allegedly setting his house on fire that killed his three young daughters. He repeatedly claimed his innocence and the arson investigator was questioned right before Willingham’s’ execution. After his execution, an investigative report discovered the fire was an accident. Several reasons include that the death penalty punishment does not  necessarily decrease the crime rate, that life in prison also guarantees no future crimes, some religions forbid death penalty, killing is wrong even through a punishment, that it violates international human rights laws and that it promotes killing as a satisfactory solution to a difficult problem. A common factor as to why people oppose the death penalty is because of the cruelty of the act itself, such as the common contemporary methods of execution, such as by shooting, hanging, using gas, electrocution and lethal injection. According Amnesty International who are strong non-advocates of the death penalty, capital punishment is the decisive rejection of human rights. It is the â€Å"premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state†. Half the amounts of US States have banned the death penalty for example New York, finding it unconstitutional. In Just Revenge by Mark Costanzo, he states that most Americans are supportive of the death penalty in the abstract by simply wanting the government to take care of it, â€Å"cleanly and efficiently, in a distant prison†. He questions that â€Å"is it morally acceptable to subject murderers to psychological torture before we kill them?†. While others assure it is a harsh, inhuman and undignified punishment done â€Å"in the name of justice†, including that inflicting punishment on wrongdoers discourages others from wrong doing. Some may say that the death penalty is a way to lash back at those who have harmed us, but coo peratively we must be more reasonable and humane than those who commit the act themselves. Those who favor the death penalty argue that if there were no death penalty to hold over the head of prisoners, those who have been sentenced to life without parole would be free to commit whatever crimes they chose without fear of increased punishment. Death penalty supporters often press two claims of executing murderers. The first is that it is injustice to the victims of murder if we do not execute their murders. The second claim is that the death penalty is needed to frighten potential murderers. Fear of the execution chamber will restrain potential murders, knowing they could face the executioner and that those who otherwise kill will stop and innocent lives would be saved. Another factor as to why the death penalty is justified is it giving closure to victims’ families who have suffered tremendously from the loss of their loved one. And also a prisoner can escape prison and give them another chance to kill. The death penalty is said to be needed to protect society from those who would kill again. Many of these factors which relate back to revenge. In some cases, the capital punishment is a â€Å"risk taker†. There are certain cases in which killing a criminal can lead to questioning as to whether or not the individual was guilty of the crime. The death penalty fails to effectively build up a society that is free from crime. Furthermore, it does not relieve the pain and loss of the victims or their families. States have made many proposals as to why capital punishment is wrong. As citizens, the death penalty does not alleviate the fear of violent crime or better safe-guard the people and is not imposed with fairness. Pope John Paul II made a very clear point in a statement he made about the death penalty. He stated â€Å"the death penalty does not allow the opportunity for the spiritual and human reconciliation with the victim† and also that â€Å"we cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing†. This quote is a very good example to supporting the idea of abolishing the death penalty that we cannot teach that murdering an individual is wrong by killing a criminal. Depending on the country, there are different views as to whether the death penalty should be abolished or not. The factors on both sides of the argument have led to the abolition of the death penalty in Eastern Europe. For example, Ukraine has put a pause to its punishment of the death penalty, as well as South Africa, whose parliament voted to formally abolish the death penalty, which had earlier been declared unconstitutional by the constitutional court. Their constitutional court believes that death is the most extreme form of punishment. They believe every individual has the right to life, dignity, public opinion. Not only is this an issue in the United States, but very well around the world. In India, the Indian Penal Code authorizes the imposition of the death sentence as a penalty of murder. Although it is nearly impossible for the abolishment of the death penalty to be equalized and understood by both sides of the arguments, the ideas and opinions shall never fade. With several states not having the death penalty, the real question is whether or not we need the death penalty. Capital punishment is not the core of our criminal system; its only one aspect of it. Only a small percentage of murderers are sentenced to death, and only a small percentage of that are executed. The real question is whether we insist on keeping the death penalty even though we don’t need it. WORK CITED â€Å"End Capital Punishment.† Abolish the Death Penalty. Amnesty International USA, 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. Costanzo, Mark. Just Revenge: Costs and Consequences of the Death Penalty. New York: St. Martin’s, 1997. Print. Bureau of Justice Statistics. â€Å"Death Penalty Statistics.† Statistic Brain RSS. Statistic Brain Research Institute, 6 Aug. 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. Kronenwetter, Michael. Capital Punishment: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2001. Print.

History of Cookies

The first cookies were created by accident Cooks used a small amount of cake batter to test their oven temperature betore baking a large cake, The earliest cookie-style cakes are thought to date back to seventh-century Persia. Persia was one of the first countries to cultivate sugar. The word cookie originally came from the Dutch keok]e, meaning â€Å"little cake†. Dutch first popularized cookies in the United States. The British incorporated them in the 19th century in their daily tea service and calling them biscuits or sweet buns, as they do in Scotland.Sometime in the 1930s, a Massachusetts Innkeeper ran out ot nuts vvhlle making cookies. she substltuted a bar of baking chocolate, breaking It Into pieces and adding the chunks of chocolate to the flour, butter, and brown sugar dough. The Toll House Cookie was then Invented and became a big hit. Ruth Wakefield was credited with inventing the chocolate chip cookie, an American Classic. Cookies are made with sweet dough or bat ter, baked in single-sized servings and eaten out-of-hand. Perfect for snacking or as dessert, cookles are consumed In 95. ercent ot u. s. households. Americans alone consume over 2 billion cookies a year or 300 cookies for each person annually. cookies are most often classified by method of preparation – drop, molded, pressed, refrigerated, bar and rolled. Their dominant ingredient, such as nut cookies, fruit cookies or chocolate cookies, can also classify them. Whether gourmet, soft or bite-sized cookies, new categories are always cropping up as the American appetite for cookies contlnues to grow. A drop cookle Is made by dropplng spoontuls ot dough onto a baking sheet.Bar cookies are created when a batter or soft dough Is spooned Into a shallow pan, then baked, cooled and cut into bars. Hand-formed cookies are made by shaping dough by hand into small balls, logs, crescents and other shapes. Pressed cookies are formed by pressing dough through a cookie press to form fancy s hapes and designs. Refrigerator cookies are made by shaping the dough into a log, which is retrigerated until firm, then sliced and baked. Rolled cookies begin by using a rolling pln to roll the dough out flat; then It Is cut Into decorative shapes with cookie cutters r d pointed knife.Other cookies, such as the German springerle, are formed by Imprinting designs on the dough, either by rolling a special decoratively carved rolling pin over it or by pressing the dough into a carved cookie mold. The Southern colonial housewife took great pride in her cookies, almost always called simply â€Å"tea cakes. † These were otten flavored with nothing more than the finest butter, sometimes with the addltlon of a few drops of rose water. In earlier American cookbooks, cookies were given no space of their own but were listed at the end of the cake chapter.

Women in the united states Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Women in the united states - Assignment Example The theory of feminism is therefore developed based on the concept of inter-sectionalist with an aim of achieving equality for all the women in all the spheres. The theory further states the fact that racism, classism and homophobia are still a hindrance in the interactions of the social groups. The theories indicate that women still divide themselves in terms of race, social class and education which are common peculiar attributes. Above all else, our politics initially sprang from the shared belief that Black women are inherently valuable, that our liberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody elses may because of our need as human persons for autonomy. As indicated by the short history of Audre Lorde who responded to another feminist scholar in the 1979. In the fierce attack, Lorde criticized clearly the white feminist erasure of the voices and experiences of the women of color hence a realization of a women’s liberation through the conference The discrimination between educated and classy white women, the women of color is clear as indicated in the two books. They openly shows how the black women have been sidelined basing on race and gender making the black women be invisible while making them appear as mere objects. They have fought through activism, in conferences and through scholarships to attain education. This has lead to a forced indictment of the racism from the white class feminism movements. In the book sisters of yam, hooks examines the theories and complicates the notion that black women are obliged to stand in unity with their fellow counterparts even when their female counterparts ignore them and their experiences. The outright assumption that the black women must align and conform themselves with the women movements but not be heard is a notion that is overtaken by time. The women also framed their lives for the better through organized protests

Provide critical arguments in support or against the statement that Essay

Provide critical arguments in support or against the statement that 'Leaders from Enron are accountable for its downfall as th - Essay Example Though the company seems to be very highly praised by outsiders but internally the company had a much decentralized decision making structure and financial control system which made very difficult for outsiders to get a clear view of the company activities and its operations (O’Rourke, 2007, p.199). This problem is not only due to the poor managerial performance but also due to the departmental issues which are involved in the process of ruining the ethical values and the principles of the company. The executives and the managers are the primary people responsible for the downfall of the company for not maintaining the corporate culture and transparencies in the business process. If the operational management team have worked in a proper manner in full force it could have been possible for Enron Corporation to escape the tragedy (Spedding & Rose, 2007, p.543). About the company Enron being one of the most innovative companies in America for six consecutive years and was ranked 7th on the fortune 500 companies. The Houston, Texas based firm was considered as one of the greatest energy trading companies of the world (Sterling, 2002, p.111). In the year 2000 the company reached its summit with above 19,000 people and approximately with a annual revenue of more than $100 billion. The mission statement of the CEO Kenneth Lay was not only to become the greatest company in the energy sector but also to become the world largest company. With the deregulation in the energy sector during 1980’s the business became very risky both for the customer as well as for the companies. At this critical situation Enron came with an indigenous solution of leveraging its large network of pipelines for the construction of the gas bank to act as intermediary in the transaction process which in turns lowers the risk in the market. Enron introduced a concept of buying and selling on a certain dates at a certain price with an extra premium to ensure safety against risk. The man behind this innovative idea came from the CEO and President of the firm Jeffrey Skilling. He then introduced many more products along with the gas bank. The products include various derivatives of energy and swap for Enron’s trading partners and stakeholders (Fusaro & Miller, 2002, p.31). These products give the option to the people to buy gas in the future at a predetermined fixed price which gives the company the opportunity to trade at a fixed price even when the market price is floating. This innovative strategy gave the firm immense opportunity growth irrespective of the market condition (Lawrence & Weber, n.d., p. 450-451). Rise of Enron With the new innovative way of business Skilling began to change the whole corporate culture of Enron. He recruited the best professionals from the industry to compete with the largest and most prestigious investment banks. With the immense growth and reputation for the outsiders the internal culture slowly transformed to a darker t one. With the harshest employee ranking system,

Financial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial - Essay Example Businesses should therefore choose the most suitable accounting method. This paper prescribes the accrual basis of accounting over the cash basis. There are several plus of using the accrual accounting method over the cash method. While the accrual method recognizes income and expenses in the immediate period, the cash basis recognizes income and expenses in relation to real-time cash flow. In fact, in the case of cash accounting, income is recorded when funds are received while expenses are recorded when paid rather than as they actually occur. The major advantage of accrual accounting over cash accounting is that it lays a great weight on the period in which expenses and incomes apply, whether money has changed hand or not (McQuaig et al). In this regard, the accrual system records the period in which money is earned instead of when payment is made as in the case of cash basis of accounting. That is, while payment may be made long after a job is completed, the accrual basis of accounting would recognize the period in which the work was done. The accrual method thus offers a clearer and more accurate picture on the long-term performance of a business compared to the cash basis (Palmer et al., 1999). The accrual method is also suggested for businesses that deal with inventory, be they small retailers to big

The Family of Tata Corporate Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Family of Tata Corporate Strategy - Essay Example Ideally, there is supposed to be a group brand allying all the parties to the corporate development of the company as a whole. The pros outweigh the cons since there is a likely fight for market domination and a stated, Tata does not need 42 brands to be able to compete with other established companies like Mitsubishi. It requires one strong brand that will be competitive in the market. One of the advantages of re-uniting and corporately trying to achieve the brand strategies is that there will a tendency to achieve the brand recognition and loyalty by the customers. Formation of the many separate brands according to the owner taste is that there will be a tendency of the brands to confuse the customers. The customers who were even used to one brand in the market will now be divided toward which brand to follow. Another reason why there should be a high level of unity in the brand creation is that there is maintenance of the image of size and quality. The corporate brand will be foun ded on the basis of economies of scale and will be relevant in the creation of the general image of the company (Wu, Palepu, & Khanna, 2006, p. 2). It will be seen as a strong company based on an established business to the business. Reliability is created when there is a loyalty shown by the customers based on the strength of the company. There are also adverse cons in the proposed corporate branding. There are different companies with different share values on the company. Therefore, here will still be misunderstanding given that the business laws are indicative of the fact that anyone owning more than 51% of the shares owns the company. Therefore, much as the brand will be the same, binding and corporate, there will be every level of disintegration leading to a slow progress if the company. Building Of Equity Interlocks Among the Tata Companies Tata companies have investments in very many business interests. The equity interlocks it has generated over he many years of its existen ce are evident of the abilities it has generated. If the companies are closely held by contractual agreement, there will be a situation in which all the company management team will put the focus of their efforts on the development of the company strategies. There might also be situations when some agreements are based on mutual consensus. Mutual consensus however is not part of the company operations given the case of Tata and the much strife. It is therefore not easier for a company faced with the situation as it is at Tata to build a group brand. If it is build, there will be a large business empire in operation and will require an absolute corporate operation for there to be success. The advantages of the interlocks are diverse. First, there will be a cost leadership, product differentiation and focus strategy as far as market positioning is concerned. When this happens, there will be a creation of an economy of scale in the company in which case Tata will have low access to inp uts as far as costs are concerned (Doole & Lowe, 2008, p. 278). These inputs are a reference to all factors of production in land, capital, labour and entrepreneurship. Therefore, he interlocking in the company improves the competitive position of the company. However, this interlocking takes away the autonomy of the individual companies in the interlock brands. Each brand usually carries its own advantages and the

Executive Summary of an organization Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Executive Summary of an organization - Term Paper Example The company sells over 300 products to more than 5 billion consumers. Although traditionally the company primarily focused on mature markets, P&G has managed to expand its market share in regions considered as developing markets, which includes Africa. Competitors: Key competitors of P&G’s products include Unilever, Johnson & Johnson and Kimberly Clark Corporation. The ease of substitution of P & G consumer goods by competitors has resulted to decline in the company’s sales volume. In addition, Unilever has also successfully established international market for its products, thus reducing P&G’s market share. Collaborators: To enhance innovation and increase its management efficiency, P&G has adopted a collaborative strategy in its operation. Microsoft has emerged as the key party in P&G’s collaborative strategy. Microsoft has been able to develop and implement essential information systems that are being utilized by P&G for operations management and communication purposes. In addition, P&G collaboration with Cisco led to the development of TelePresence, teleconference information system used by the organization. Community: Due to its vast market, P&G operates in a dynamic market coupled with a myriad of political, economical and social dynamics. The primarily operates under the domain of the set laws and regulations of the given political expanse. This may range from one country to another. Strengths: By using human resources information systems, P&G has been able to manage effectively its vast volume of employees, which totaled 125,000 globally. Furthermore, using supply chain information systems, the organization efficiently manages global distribution of over 300 brands in 160 countries. According to Gelder (2005), effective management of information and communication systems has also necessitated the appropriate management of P&G’s marketing and advertisement, which is evidenced by their popular brands. Weakness: Implementation of

Script and Analysis of Videotaped Lesson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Script and Analysis of Videotaped Lesson - Essay Example er: What's 1minus 0; that turns into one that is a whole different problem, one function, two functions, right, use your theorem, constant over _ powered, one over 0 is 1, so what they actually do is they use what is called the squeeze theorem ok, that takes function, it's two outside function, one is a function and it squeezes it in between, that's what we just did, squeeze it in between Student: You didn't go over that yesterday Teacher: Yes, I didn't say Allison is like... Aren't we in a boring class Student: Is this the first class you have gone to today or did you just finish Teacher: I had a IEP meeting but it just finished Student: What's and IEP meeting Teacher: Individual Educational Plan Student: Inaudible Teacher: Inaudible Student: why do you have to go to an IEP meeting Teacher: You just, you always have to, once a year Student: Inaudible. What does once doYou'll be reprimanded Teacher: don't worry about it, if you're not all in, don't worry about it, you'll never have to go Student: InaudibleCause like, we won't be smart Teacher: Here's the next function, Inaudible, I got the sin of 0, what is the sin of 0 Student: Zero Teacher: and we're done Student: That's stupid Teacher: What's stupid about it, it's easy Student: that means it's not stupid, its easier to do Teacher: I can make it harder for you Jessie Student: Yea, just for Jessie Teacher: Yea there is 23, I plug infinity and I need Infinity, uh, one is infinity and one is undefined, we have to do something, what's our highest counter here Student: x over one Teacher: x, so one over x, we divide everything by x, you know this one Student: zero Teacher: that's zero, plus this will cancel it, 2 that's the bottom, put infinity here what do we get Student: zero Teacher: so zero divided by 2 is Student:... Teacher: ok, so what happens is you use what's called the squeeze theorem, that's, we squeeze in this function and between 2 other functions to figure out the answer, okay, its called di-estimate, but we have to get this function to look like this function so we divide it by everything by Teacher: What's 1minus 0; that turns into one that is a whole different problem, one function, two functions, right, use your theorem, constant over _ powered, one over 0 is 1, so what they actually do is they use what is called the squeeze theorem ok, that takes function, it's two outside function, one is a function and it squeezes it in between, that's what we just did, squeeze it in between Teacher: If you even knew how bad I was when I first studied chapter one, I got a C+, and I may have copied off of my friend, and I never take calculus again, never in the world, never for the life of me did I think I would actually teach this stuff Teacher: alri

Environmentally Sensitive Habitant Calls for Innovative Thinking Assignment

Environmentally Sensitive Habitant Calls for Innovative Thinking - Assignment Example In the past years, erosion has compromised the stability of the river meanders that resulted in â€Å"numerous slip failures in the river banks and of the flood defense embarkments.† The unstable river banks now possess hazards to the residents of the area as well as to those boats and crafts navigating through the river. Undertaking the riverbank stabilization project for Darford Creek is Team Van Oord4 under project Manager EC Harris. Team Van Oord shall work closely with ARUP5, the designer of the project. The task of the company is to â€Å"maintain the integrity of the flood defense embankments along two sections of the west bank†6 and at the same time provide for environmental measures and enhancements to product the sensitive habitat of the Creek area. As a form of habitat enhancement, Team Van Oord creates an engineered salt marsh habitat. The total budget for the project amounts to  £ 3.6 million. The construction project is good for 60 weeks. The construction is under the supervision of the Environment Agency. To stabilize the flood embankments, the contractors need to install a combination of steel sheet piling and timber brushwood faggots. According to the design of the project, the brushwood faggots shall be placed in front of the piling and supported by brushwood stakes. The general idea of this design is that the current of the river will bring about silt which could be captured and trapped in between the brushwood. The trapped silt will eventually accumulate to a certain degree and bury the brushwood faggots. Once the brushwood faggots are completely buried under the silt and sediments, it will become part of the flood embankment system and at the same time create a new salt marsh habitat. The project is deemed as a long term solution to the river bank erosion problem as well as aid in the restoration and protection of the endangered habitat.

Equity and trusts assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Equity and trusts assignment - Essay Example His decision as to who are my old friends is to be final†; c. â€Å"I give  £20,000 to my executors to hold on trust for a period of 21 years and to be distributed in their discretion among such of the first 300 people to have crossed the Victoria Bridge on 24th October 2008 (the date of my deceased husband’s birthday) as they consider most deserving.† In order to advise Edward and Sandra of their duties in relation to the above it is necessary to examine the contents of the will to determine which elements can be regarded as valid bequests. For an express private trust to be created certain formalities must be adhered to. An express trust requires the person making the bequest to have the necessary capacity as well as adhering to the formalities. This involves consideration of the three certainties since a bequest can only be valid if the three certainties are satisfied. To be regarded as fully constituted a trust must contain all the above elements. When considering capacity the court will refer to the Family Law Reform Act 1969 s1(1) which stipulates that the person making the will must be over 18 and must be of a sound mind. In this situation there is nothing to suggest that the testatrix was not of a sound mind which would mean that the capacity requirement would be fulfilled. In addressing the formalities the court will consider whether the trust has been created inter vivos or by the will. In this case the trust comes into affect upon execution of the will and therefore the will would be regarded as creating the trust. In determining whether statutory provisions apply the court will examine the way the trust was created as well as whether the property subject to the trust relates to land or other property and whether the interest is a legal or an equitable interest. In this case it is not necessary to discuss equitable interests since an equitable interest is created where the testator does

Drug Abuse Essay Example for Free

Drug Abuse Essay An estimated 12. 8 million Americans, about 6 percent of the household population aged twelve and older, use illegal drugs on a current basis (www. ncjrs. gov). Over the years the abuse of psychoactive drugs has become a persistent issue effecting individuals worldwide. Psychoactive Drugs are substances that change a person’s mood, perception, mental functioning and behavior (Understanding Psychology pg 142). These drugs are often ingested to alter an individuals feelings or to help them cope with their problems. However the â€Å"high† that they receive does not remain long, resulting in the continuous use of the drug to remain feeling that â€Å"high†. Nevertheless the ongoing abuse of these drugs may lead to these individuals developing a tolerance for the drug. This results to the individual becoming dependant upon the drug. This dependence is known as addiction. Nicotine, â€Å"Crack† Cocaine and Alcohol, are the most dangerous and addictive psychoactive drugs. Other commonly abused drugs are Amphetamines, Prescription Medication, Heroin, Ecstasy, and Marijuana. In the movie Rain substance abuse was seen numerous of times. Rain’s mother, and her best friend all showed signs of substance abuse or dependency. The movie showed how Drug abuse and addiction affects the society at large. However once a person becomes addicted there are ways to help them so that they can recover and be productive in society. Before I discuss the various ways to help a substance abuse recover, I will elaborate on how the addict harms themselves, as well as their families and the society.

Communication Skills Reflection: Patient Interaction

Communication Skills Reflection: Patient Interaction This essay will examine the interaction between myself and the mother of a child who has recently been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (Mrs X). Before examining the interaction in specific detail I would like to consider some of the more general elements that are relevant to the topic of communication between healthcare professionals and their patients. There are many definitions of communication and Wilkinson offers one definition which describes a complex process of both sending and receiving messages in different formats (both verbal, non verbal or more commonly a mixture of both elements). This interchange typically allows for an exchange of information, feelings, needs and preferences. Typically the two protagonists in a communication exchange will encode and decode messages in a cyclic pattern. Each making an analysis and response to the preceding gambit. (Wilkinson SA et al. 1999) Bugge enlarges on this definition by putting it in a context of professional nursing and suggesting that â€Å"its purpose is generally manifold but will include the means of establishing a nurse-patient relationship, to be a tool for expressing concerns or interest in the patient’s circumstances, to elicit information relevant to the patient’s condition and to provide healthcare information.† (Bugge E et al. 2006) It is an essential part of the whole process of successful communication that both parties achieve a shared understanding of meaning. This is validated by the process of feedback interpretation which indicates if the actual meaning of the message was interpreted as it was originally intended. (Coiera E et al. 1998) In this essay I should note that communication can be considered on many different levels. In this instance we are specifically considering the mechanisms of information exchange between a healthcare professional and a client which, in the broadest sense will ultimately determine many of the parameters of treatment (and also possibly patient compliance) (Stewart M 1995). Although we are specifically considering one interaction here, this does not mean that the other elements of communication are ignored. Hogard (E et al. 2001) writes extensively on the importance of communication between healthcare professionals which can cause huge problems in terms of patient management if they are anything less than optimal. I would hope that any information that I would be able to glean from a patient could be communicated to the rest of a multidisciplinary healthcare team efficiently so that appropriate management decisions could be made. If we consider an overview of a typical communicative interchange it can generally be categorised by both type and level. In the specific context of nursing, the various levels could be considered as â€Å"Social† which is considered to be safe and non-contentious, â€Å"Structuredâ€Å", which is typically utilised for situations of teaching and patient interviews and â€Å"Therapeutic† which has the characteristic of being specifically patient focussed, purposeful and generally time limited. (DAngelica M et al. 1998) Heinmann-Knoch (et al. 2005) considers the process in greater detail. If this initial interaction is successful it can develop further characteristics such as the nurse comes to regard the patient as a unique individual and begins to understand their motivations, and the patient develops a trust in the nurse. It is within this communication context that the nurse is generally able to try to provide care and, more importantly in some instances, help patient identify, resolve, or adapt to health problems We will also briefly consider the elements of both verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal communication requires, by definition, the conscious use of the spoken or written word. The nature, grammar and syntax and context of the words chosen are important in that they can reflect the patient’s mental age, their education, their culture and in some cases their mental state and feelings of the moment. In a clinical context inferences can be made from the way the words are delivered such as their choice, their tone or pace of delivery. The characteristics most favourable for efficient and effective communication are that the words should be â€Å"simple, brief, clear, well timed, relevant, adaptable, credible†. (Philipp R et al. 2005) Non-verbal communication by contrast, relies on the interpretation of facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language. This can be an extremely subtle means of communication and can give credence (or otherwise) to the spoken word. In the nursing context, non-verbal communication can be manipulated to the nurse’s advantage to help to elicit information that may otherwise not have been forthcoming. It has been estimated that non-verbal communication accounts for up to 85% of information transfer between communicating adults. In the professional nursing context it requires both systematic observation and careful assessment and interpretation to derive the full meaning of what the patient wishes to convey. Most importantly, the nurse should be aware of incongruity between the verbal message and the non-verbal cues. The patient who smiles while describing a terrible pain is one such example. (Musselman C et al. 1999) Specific examples If we now consider elements of communication from the transcript. Clearly there is no evidence of non-verbal communication on the transcript but I was very conscious of the mother’s initial reticence in her opening exchanges with me. She initially sat in a â€Å"closed† position and largely avoided eye contact. As the conversation unfolded she clearly became more relaxed and trusting. She adopted a more â€Å"open† and relaxed posture and started to express herself with appropriate hand gestures. (Hulsman R L et al. 1999) I particularly recall the jabbing gestures she made to emphasise a point relating to giving injections. I have to observe that the environment that was used for the interview was very contrived and I believe that this may have had an influence on both myself and the client. I think that, in a real situation I would be able to allow the conversation to be far more fluid and relaxed. I can analyse some of the techniques used to elicit or reinforce information During the interview I purposely made a point of asking open questions to try to draw out the client’s response So it sounds as if, it has obviously upset you..? It sounds as if you were almost blamed yourself for it as well..? Generally its quite a healthy family as well..? >From the terminology you’re using there is sounds as if you know what you’re talking about, you sound quite confident..? Mrs X. was clearly at ease after a while and even when closed questions were asked she would answer them Yes or No and then go onto both expand what had been said and volunteer other information. I had varying degrees of success in eliciting the information that I was after. Trying to establish whether it would be difficult to get the patient to comply with his diet I touched on the subject of diets and Mrs X clearly has a major psychological difficulty in coming to terms with her own diet. I allowed her to express her views about her obesity before trying to bring the conversation back on track. After Mrs X’s outburst about her â€Å"serious morbid obesity† I made three attempts to both empathise and sympathise with her feelings in order to gain her trust by asking supportive and non-contentious questions before returning to the point relating to injections with the question â€Å"So how did you feel with the injections, because obviously for me that was quite a scary experience, seeing someone so young giving an injection to themselves..?† Phrasing the question in this way appears to show considerable empathy for Mrs X’s situation and allows her then to offer her opinion. (Richards T 1999) There were several instances where I needed to summarise what was said in order to be sure that I had understood the thrust of Mrs X’s comments Easy to understand, em, there was no panic mongering in them and things like that. If I’d have looked on the websites, I might have found some information I didn’t want to see at this stage. So I was advised not to look and I didn’t. So would you be a bit. . So if you read something that was sort of like false information or mis-information that scared you a little bit, is that what you’re trying to say? It probably would have scared me because it’s my child, but I wouldn’t have been into histrionics about it, I would have been probably saying well that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. problems. Paraphrasing was a useful technique to ensure that I had understood what was being said. Yes, and you know, instead of buying biscuits and things for the biscuit tin in the house, I’ll be buying fruit, huge varieties of fruit, and that’ll be their options now. So you say you’re going more toward the healthy lifestyle and keeping, would you,? Direct questioning helped to elicit specific answers Prodigy websites? Off the websites, yes, they were very good because they were no nonsense. Do you mean they were easy to understand? Easy to understand, em, there was no panic mongering in them and things like that. If I’d have looked on the websites, I might have found some information I didn’t want to see at this stage. So I was advised not to look and I didn’t On occasions it was useful to reflect on the implications of Mrs X’s answers and to try to elicit further information from her So it sounds as if, it has obviously upset you..? Does that it sounds as if you were almost blamed yourself for it as well..? Empathising is a useful technique particularly when dealing with difficult issues such as the problems with diets. (Stewart M . 1995) Especially being teenagers, its all.. They eat chocolate, they eat crisps and all things that are bad for them and if they’re restricted in what they can eat it makes them want it more in a way. I know if I couldn’t have chocolate or sweets.. On reflection I believe that I made a reasonable attempt in the circumstances to get as much information from Mrs X as I could. By the end of the interview Mrs X was getting tired and losing concentration so I believe that it was correct to terminate the interview at this time. (Wilkinson S et al. 1999) I am aware that I frequently asked incomplete questions or stopped in the middle of a sentence. This may be an indication that I was not in control of the situation This whole exercise has been a useful analytical and learning experience for me. I believe that I shall have gained a great deal of experience from the episode and will use that to further inform my practice in the future. References Bugge E and I. J Higgins on (2006) Palliative care and the need for education Do we know what makes a difference? A limited systematic review. Health Education Journal, June 1, 2006 ; 65 (2) : 101 125. Coiera E and Vanessa Tombs (1998) Communication behaviours in a hospital setting: an observational study. BMJ, Feb 1998 ; 316 : 673 676. DAngelica M, Kathy Hirsch, Howard Ross, Steven Passik, and Murray F. Brennan (1998) Surgeon-Patient Communication in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer. Arch Surg, Sep 1998 ; 133 : 962 966. Heinmann-Knoch, Korte, Heusinger, Klunder Knoch (2005) Training of communication skills in stationary long care homesthe evaluation of a model project to develop communication skills and transfer it into practice. Z Gerontol Geriatr. 2005 Feb ; 38 (1) : 40-6. Hogard E and Roger Ellis (2006) Evaluation and Communication: Using a Communication Audit to Evaluate Organizational Communication. Eval Rev, Apr 2006 ; 30 : 171 187. Hulsman R L, Ros W J G, Winnubst J A M, et al. (1999) Teaching clinically experienced clinicians communication skills: a review of evaluation studies. Med Educ 1999 ; 33 : 655 – 68 Musselman C and C Tane Akamatsu (1999) Interpersonal communication skills of deaf adolescents and their relationship to communication history. J. Deaf Stud. Deaf Educ., Winter 1999 ; 4 : 305 320. Philipp R and P. Dodwell (2005) Improved communication between doctors and with managers would benefit professional integrity and reduce the occupational medicine workload. Occup. Med., Jan 2005 ; 55 : 40 47. Richards T. (1999) Chasms in communication. BMJ 1999 ; 301 : 1407 – 8 Stewart M . (1995) Effective physician-patient communication and health outcomes: a review. CMAJ 1995 ; 152 : 1423 – 33. Wilkinson S, Bailey, J. Aldridge, and A. Roberts (1999) longitudinal evaluation of a communication skills programme. Palliative Medicine, June 1, 1999 ; 13 (4) : 341 348. Appendix Self in blue italics Mrs X in black print How has xxxx diabetes since coming into hospital? Well it’s come as a terrible shock obviously, that he’s got diabetes, because he’s a healthy boy. It’s still a shock. I think the staff have tried to help us over it as much as they can. Do you feel as if they’ve given you enough information about diabetes..? I think we’ve been inundated with information, I think that it was good that one particular member of staff dealt with us mainly, and they listened very closely to what we had to say. We’ve had a lot of conflicting information but ultimately it all meant the same thing which caused a little bit of confusion. And did you feel as if that that was a bit of overkill? Or a bit too much information too soon? Probably, but between the bits of information that we run off the PC, off the.. Prodigy websites? Off the websites, yes, they were very good because they were no nonsense. Do you mean they were easy to understand? Easy to understand, em, there was no panic mongering in them and things like that. If I’d have looked on the websites, I might have found some information I didn’t want to see at this stage. So I was advised not to look and I didn’t. So would you be a bit. . So if you read something that was sort of like false information or mis-information that scared you a little bit, is that what you’re trying to say? It probably would have scared me because it’s my child, but I wouldn’t have been into histrionics about it, I would have been probably saying well that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. problems. Yes I had a little bit of knowledge about diabetes before this happened, but sometimes a little bit of knowledge is a more dangerous thing. Is that because of the work that you’re doing? Yes, and you know, what Ive actually learned now †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. had diabetes, so. And do you think †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ how it’s going to change your lifestyle? Definitely going to change the lifestyle. Having a big family its going to mean that.. How many people in the house sorry? In the house there’s 6. Cooking Sunday dinner yesterday, there were 11 of us for Sunday dinner yesterday.. That’s a lot of people.. Yes, and you know, instead of buying biscuits and things for the biscuit tin in the house, I’ll be buying fruit, huge varieties of fruit, and that’ll be their options now. So you say you’re going more toward the healthy lifestyle and keeping, would you, Yes, yes Would you all the bad things, would you keep them out of the house or will you still buy them in for.. I won’t be buying them because my children will need to make their own decisions about that. I don’t have small children who are going to feel deprived if they don’t have a chocolate biscuit. They’re old enough to make a conscious decision, â€Å"okay Mum’s given us that, but I fancy this so I’m going to go and buy it.† They’ve got their own resources so they can go and do it themselves. And they’re quite happy about that are they? Yes, and they’re happy, apart from one, about the healthier way of cooking things if you like and em, wasn’t a terribly bad diet in the first place. Have they all agreed to sort of, give their responses to diabetes or are they sort of laid back about it? They seem quite laid back.. They are very laid back. They’ve even, I mean it sounds absolutely terrible but they’ve even been cracking jokes about it. Three of my children have got asthma and I mean he was joking â€Å"well mine’s worse than yours† and .. So they’re all quite light hearted about it and taking it in their stride. Yes. Matthew, my eldest boy, was, because he’s a Nurse I think, he was absolutely devastated but he is better about it now. But in the first instance he was absolutely gutted. I mean xxxx he was gutted obviously.. Well this is it, he seems quite calm about it from what Ive seen and a very relaxed family in general. Yes. I mean if we were any more laid back we’d need †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. on a night to keep us going because we don’t really let things bother us. So it sounds as if, it has obviously upset you..? Yes, very much. I kicked right off. I didn’t kick off in front of him, but when I got home I kicked right off to everybody and anybody that would listen. I even had texts from friends that didn’t even know, and I was ranting to them Does that it sounds as if you were almost blamed yourself for it as well..? I did wonder, you know, initially I wondered if it was because they’ve always been allowed to have sweets. Ive never made sweets into a reward or a treat, you know, they’ve always been an everyday matter of fact, because I didn’t want them to grow with my problems, obesity problems, because they weren’t allowed sweets. I didn’t ever want them to ever think sweets were something really special. Because they’re not, they’re just another thing that, they’re a foodstuff, and they’re a bad source of.. Especially being teenagers, its all.. They eat chocolate, they eat crisps and all things that are bad for them and if they’re restricted in what they can eat it makes them want it more in a way. I know if I couldn’t have chocolate or sweets.. Well that’s just my life experience you know, being denied things and then leaving home at 16 and eating all of that stuff and becoming at one point seriously morbidly obese I don’t want that for my children. Obviously they might have a predisposition to do that. I don’t want that to happen so, let’s not make sweets and biscuits em, a reward or a treat so they never have been. So then I wondered if possibly they’d had too much. None of them are overweight, none of them are fat, none of them have got bad teeth and cavities and things. None of them has ever had a filling. Generally its quite a healthy family as well.. He hasn’t seen a doctor for 7 years. So it must be a complete shock for you that this has suddenly happened.. and changed everything that has been happening in your home. So how has the rest of the family been coping, have they been..? Very supportive, except for one.. Ah, except for one, is that the elder one or the younger one? He’s 18 just turned, and he’s got an appalling diet, all I can do is advise him. I can put his meals in front of him and if he chooses not to eat them and go and buy rubbish then, all I can do is advise him. So how did you feel with the injections, because obviously for me that was quite a scary experience, seeing someone so young giving an injection to themselves.. I knew he could do it. Of all of this, that’s the bit that doesn’t faze him. Does it faze you at all? It doesn’t faze me. Em, when I was asked to give him an injection here, and staff knew I could do it †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦said you might not be able to do it because he’s your son.. But its not like that is it? If he goes into a hypo and he needs me to inject him, I’m not going to start you know, â€Å"oh my god! his life depends on it, get him injected, how†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..† From the terminology you’re using there is sounds as if you know what you’re talking about, you sound quite confident. Yes. I am. I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.but, at the end of the day its your child and you’re not going to, going to, you wouldn’t hesitate, just get on with it, you just do it. And do you feel that that’s the attitude that you’re whole family’s going to have as well? Yes. They’re all, you know, when he’s doing his bloods they’re all there watching, hovering over him, when he’s sticking a needle in they’re â€Å"ooh, where are you going to stick it now?† you know. Nobody’s squeamish, nobody’s terribly fazed by it, I think they’re all pretty pleased because it’s not them that’s got diabetes. But at the end of the day †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.but be supportive, can’t ask any more really. Yes. Can you see yourself coming in regularly to see all the diabetes nurses? Even if he’s in complete control of his diabetes will you still come in and visit just to make sure everything’s alright? Yes, as long as he wants me to come with him, then I will come with him. I mean, when he turns 18 if he wants me to come to the diabetes clinic with him then I’ll come with him. Is he independent anyway? Very. Fiercely independent. Still like, on the phone its still like Mum †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ So when you go away today do you think you’ll feel as if you’re going to have everything that you need for the next, lets say two weeks, or week, to be happy with.. Yes I still need to ask about when I should make an appointment for †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. him to see his GP. I still need to ask little questions.. When he turns 18 is the insulin free, or does he have to pay for it like everybody else, with the prescription charges Yes †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. aren’t they? Its quite expensive as well isn’t it? Well asthmatics don’t get their inhalers free, they have to pay.. When you think about it you’ve got your insulin, your sticks you†¦. It’s the keytones as well, they haven’t been completely explained to us. They’re in the leaving pack anyway which†¦ I mean I understand what the keytones are, but†¦ What are they? Because I don’t fully understand, I know they’re a by-product .. Keytones are a waste product that your kidneys filter out of the blood and pass out in the urine. Obviously they’re in your blood for your kidneys to pull them out, filter them out, but if his blood sugars are high and remain high you should test his urine for keytones. There are sticks to test his urine. If there are a lot of keytones in his urine then he should probably do a test on his blood which is just another stick that goes in Have you got them? No. Then you would phone the ward. But we know we can phone the ward anytime. So you feel reassured at having that point of contact that you can phone up anytime†¦? Absolutely, yes. There’s still going to be stuff that comes up and â€Å"what can you do about that?† There’s going to be stuff that comes up all the time. I’m sure you’re going to have peaks and troughs a little bit where you’re unsure what’s happening and if you’re concerned he’s not controlling his diabetes properly, we’re only a phone call away. Yes. And if its not being controlled I don’t think it would be anything he’s doing deliberately wrong.. You said earlier, he knew about what his level was. I think at one point yyyy asked him â€Å"what level do you think you’re at†.. Yes, he was very close. Mm, very close And that was only on day two or three, day three maybe He’s had a couple of lows on his blood pressure as well which I think he’s realised because he’s felt the effect that it’s had on him He knew yesterday afternoon that he was low because he said look at me and he showed me and there was just ever such a slight tremor in his hands. Did that concern you or reassure you? It reassured me because he knew and I said, he said I need to test my blood and I said why and he said because I think its low and he said look and he showed me. For him it was low, it’s the lowest it’s been. Well that’s fantastic I wasn’t worried because I knew that all he had to do was have the glucose or eat something or both and em, when he goes back to school I know that he’s †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ You take home glucose tablets as well don’t you? I think you can buy them from the shops now.. Yes. You can just at the supermarket so they’re easy to carry about. Very nice sweets as well. Anyway I think that’s about enough so thank you for your time. I hope it helps. I’m sure it will. ############################################################### 17.04.07 word count 2,112 PDG

Rural Transport Modes in Auchi and Environs

Rural Transport Modes in Auchi and Environs ELEMENTS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF RURAL TRANSPORT MODES IN AUCHI AND ENVIRONS BY ATUBI, AUGUSTUS .O. (Ph.D) INTRODUCTION In as much as it is easier to define the concept ‘transport’, the word ‘rural’ is a bit more difficult. Like its urban concept, there have been problems with definitions of ‘rural’ since no single criterion could be used because some countries use low population figures while other use high population figure in determining ‘rural’. There is a demographic definition of ‘rural’ using minimum population thresholds. Often the minimum population figures that a place must have to qualify as a rural area is specified. This minimum population size varies from one place to the other depending on the situation of the country concerned. It has been noted that a population of 2,500 and below is the distinction on which rural areas are recognized in the United States of America. However, the figures used in other countries vary remarkably from that of the U.S.A. In Denmark, a rural place is an agglomeration of 250 or less people. Gr eece, rural places include agglomerations of 10,000 or less, whereas Guatamala has considered places as rural if they have 2,000 or less inhabitants, plus places with 1,500 or less inhabitants of which running water service is provided in their houses (Ola, 2000). According to the Nigerian (1952) census, a rural place is an area having a population of less than 5,000. By contrast, the 1963 census fixed 20,000 or less people. In Canada, it is below 1,000, in France, it is 2,000 and below and in Japan it is below 3,000. Thus, rural population is defined in terms of settlement below 20,000 population as in Nigeria. The term ‘rural’ has therefore, generated more controversy in the literature and involves economic, sociological, ethnic, racial and numerical dimensions. In Nigeria, rural areas are inhabited by people whose occupations are primarily agriculture (Aloba, 1986). The spatial nature of resources in rural areas made the provision of rural roads network necessary factor for development. As a result of the neglect, the rural areas have always been associated with under-development as well as classified as zones of high propensity for out migration (Udo, 1975; Uyanga, 1980; and Makinwa, 1981). Rural area can therefore be defined as an area dominated by extensive land uses such as agriculture and forestry or large space of under-developed land. The term ‘rural transport’ can be defined as short-distance movements between an urban centre and the surrounding rural areas, between two rural settlements or between a rural settlement and the farmland that belongs to it (Aloba, 1986; Aluko, 2000). However, the modes, routes and traffic of rural transport may depend to some extent, on the prevailing geographical, environmental and technological development of the area under study. Rural transport therefore, means movement of people, goods and services within rural areas and between (rural areas) and urban centres that will afford the rural areas the opportunity to reach their economic growth and trade potential to enable them attain their desired quality of life. CONCEPTUAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ADVANCES INFRASTRUCTURAL PROVISION APPROACH The search for a new rural transport planning paradigm in developing countries began in a some what unfocused manner. The initial point of departure was simply dissatisfaction with the existing implied policy – reliance on infrastructure investment for conventional motorized vehicles as both the catalyst for economic and social change, and the prime means of enhancing accessibility and personal mobility, with vehicle supply being left to the private sector (Howe, 2001;Atubi and Ali, 2008). Early criticism focused on the unnecessarily high design standards applied to local feeder, penetration or development – roads, and the resulting slow and uncertain rate of network development (Stuckey, 1973); the in-affordability and indeed non-availability of motor vehicles to the mass of population, and the neglect of effective policies for the development of the local transport and vehicle system (Howe, 1975). HOUSEHOLD TRAVEL ANALYSIS The substitution of household for the transport system as the fundamental unit of travel analysis enabled a conceptual leap in rural transport studies to take place. The first systematic use of the travel characteristics of the household as the basic unit of travel study and analysis in developing countries took place during the mid-1980’s in the course of two studies, one in Tanzania and one in Ghana (Bawell and Malmberg- Calvo, 1986; Barwell and Howe, 1987). The core of the method was a structured interview, which recorded basic data about a household and the local and external travel activities of its members. It required a broadening of the notion of transport which was defined as travel from home for any purpose and by any means of movement, including walking or carrying loads on the head and back. The result was a quantification of household movements in terms of trips, time spent traveling and distance traveled to various facilities such as supplies of water, firewood, health clinic, grain grinding mills, markets etc, tonne and tonne-km of effort, modes used, and the gender and adult child involvement split. Methodologically the technique was a significant advance since a degree of precision in quantifying household travel demands was achieved (Barwell, et al, 1987). ELEMENTS OF RURAL TRANSPORT IN AUCHI AND ENVIRONS Approach to rural transport study requires a holistic understanding of the mobility and access needs of the rural communities. It is a demand – led, or people – centred approach with emphasis on the need expressed by affected communities (i.e. Auchi and environs). In context, rural transport is more broadly seen as an input into successful rural livelihood strategies, within which access consists of three complementary elements – (a) rural transport services and intermediate means of transport, (b) location and quality of facilities and (c) Rural infrastructure as show in figure 1 (Lebo and Schelling, 2001). RURAL TRANSPORT SERVICES AND INTERMEDIATE MEANS OF TRANSPORT This deals with availability, affordability of rural transport services and intermediate means of transport in rural areas and their role in promoting rural economic development (Slack, 1990; Riverson and Carapetis, 1991). The knowledge base covers information on rural travel patterns and surveying the role of government in creating an enabling environment for the services (establishing import duties and licenses, taxes, tariff and route regulation, safety measures and subsidies), the role of the private sector (acting as operators, manufactures and credit institutions) and social and cultural aspects. Other issues include the provision of vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and their application (Melmberg-Calvo, 1994b; Barwell, 1996). Fig. 1: The Elements of Rural Transport (Adopted from Lebo and Schelling, 2001) LOCATION AND QUALITY OF FACILITIES The second element of a comprehensive rural transport framework is the location and quality of facilities. The distance from households to facilities such as wells, forest, grinding mills, schools, and health centres determines the amount of time rural dwellers spend on transport activities. Numerous studies on rural transport have shown that rural households, and particularly women, spend a substantial amount of time and effort on transport activities (McCall, 1985; Malmberg-Calvo, 1994a, 1998). The bulk of these efforts are required for domestic subsistence activities. In view of planners, this time is unproductive and wasted, and a drain on potentially productive labour – the principal economic resource for most rural households (Edmonds, 1998). Thus improved quality and better locations of facilities are important to consider when examining alternative access improvements in rural areas. RURAL TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE Complementing means of transport and the location and quality of facilities is the third element of rural transportation – rural transport infrastructure. Rural transport infrastructure is the rural road, track and path network on which the rural population performs its transport activities. Other issues of rural transport infrastructure include the framework for management and finance, ownership and responsibility, local capacity, design appraisal and traffic characteristics (Malmberg-Calvo, 1998; Cannon and Lebo, 1999). There is also transport policy and strategy to address the issues mentioned above. CHARACTERISTICS OF RURAL TRANSPORT MODES IN AUCHI AND ENVIRONS The rural transport road mode in Auchi and environs could be classified into two major parts: Non-motorized Motorized 1.Non-motorized system: This includes: i.Head porterage ii.Bicycle carriage Head Porterage: This is the traditional way of carriage in most rural areas. It is the oldest mode so far and always meant for subsistent, purposes. Trekking from one place to another in the rural areas is limited by the distance and capacity of the journey maker both in carriage and walking. It is assumed that the maximum distance an average man can trek is about 3km per hour and the maximum load capacity is 40kg which when carried over a long distance reduces the journey rate to about 2km/hour (Aluko, 2000). Bicycle: Bicycle is also classified as an un-motorized system of rural transport system. It is a bit better than the head porterage mode for its improvement in speed and carriage capacity. The bicycle’s speed can be estimated as 20km/hour and with a carrying capacity of between 80kg and 100kg (Aloba, 1986; Ikporukpo, 1987; Aluko, 2000). 2.Motorized Modes The motorized mode of rural transport is the use of auto-engines to transport both human and freight in the rural areas. The commonest type of motorized modes are: Motorcycles Motor cars Pick-ups Mini bus Lorries/tippers Motorcycles: The motorcycles are found very commonly in rural areas but are not usually as common as bicycle because of the high cost involved in procuring one and which can only be afforded by very few people in a rural set up. By and large, a motorbike is more powerful than the bicycle and so the speed is far higher than the bicycle in folds. Motor cars: These exist in term of taxi or cabs which usually have a capacity of four passengers, but which in most cases are overloaded with either passengers or freights or both in few places where they are found. The types of cabs found in the rural areas are vehicles, which are not road worthy in any form. They are found at road junctions connecting different villages to carry passengers in these rural sets up; or better still they could be found at some designated areas called â€Å"garages† (Motor parks) where such exists. Pick-ups: This is another motor vehicle designed for freight transportation and in few occasions may as well transport the rural people. Farm produce are transported from the farm or village to the urban centres in large quantities. Mini-buses: The mini-buses are used for human transportation. They are of the exact distinct option given to the cabs but in this case mini-buses are bigger than buses for its carrying capacity. It is usually a 16-seater bus (urvan) and the 14-seaters (c.20). They are known for their van-pulling purpose while their journey time is usually more than the cabs in that they stop in virtually all the villages and junctions reached. Lorries: The Lorries are another motorized mode used in the rural areas. They carry passengers but their major purpose is to transport rural freight from place to place. In most cases, the 10 tonnes and the 15 tonnes Lorries are commonly found. In this case, they are mostly used to evacuate the farm produce to the urban centres where they are disposed for prices. Farmers of varying number can come together to hire a lorry for this purpose POLICY IMPLICATIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS For a tremendous improvement of rural transport in Auchi and environs in particular and Nigeria in general to take place, the following strategies and useful recommendations might help in the development of rural transportation. There should be a well-articulated rural development policy that would spell out the necessary strategies that are properly conceptualized. Special fund should be made available for rural development. This should be structured (if possible) in such a way that it will be administered from the federal level. Also, budgetary allocations to rural transport must be disbursed and on time for the implementation of proposals. There should be a department of rural development or federal ministry of rural development that will oversee the state and local government rural departments. That is, these must be well-defined authority at all levels of governments solely for the enhancement of rural transport. The duties of the authority in the planning implementation and maintenance of the roads must be well spelt out. CONCLUSION Transportation is one of the various elemental factors in rural development and it is necessary to understand its role in rural development and particularly how transport and other factors for development interact to produce the resulting structure of the rural economy and society. Rural transportation is also very important for the growth and development of any rural area (i.e. Auchi and environs) and as well as for the efficient movement of people and goods throughout the country. REFERENCES Aloba, O.O. (1986) â€Å"Rural Transportation† in Falola, T. and Olunrewaju, S.A. (eds) Transport System in Nigeria. Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, University of Syracuse, Syracuse. Aluko, O. (2000) Rural Transportation and Development Planning in Nigeria. Kins book Publication Series, Ibadan, Oyo State. Atubi, A.O. and Ali, A.N. (2008) Development in Conceptual and Methodological Advances in Rural Transportation. International Journal of Development Studies. Vol. 3, No. 4, Pp. 79-82. Barwell, I. (1996) Transport and the Villages. World Bank Discussion Paper, 344, Washington DC. Barwell, I. and Howe, J. (1987) Study of Potential for IMT: Executive Summary and Main Report (Ghana). I.T. Transport Consultancy Commissioned by World Bank Washington D.C. Barwell, I. and Malmberg-Calvo, C. (1986) Market Integrated Rural Transport Project: Preliminary Findings from a Village Level Transport Survey. Ilo Rural Transport Paper 4, I. T. Transport Consultancy, Geneva. Barwell, I.; Howe, J. and Zille, P. (1987) Household Time use and Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan African: A Synthesis of I.T. Transport Research. I.T. Transport Ltd, Washington DC. Cannon, C. and Lebo, J. (1999) â€Å"Design and Education of vary low-volume Rural Roads in Developing Countries: Transportation Research Record. 1652, Transportation Research Board, Washington DC. Edmonds, G. (1998) Wasted Time: The Price of Poor Access. International Labour Organization. Office, Geneva. Howe, J. (1975) â€Å"The Future of Surface Transport in Africa† African Affairs, Vol. 1, 74, No. 296, Pp. 134-325. Howe, J. (2001) Village Level Transport. Rural Transport Knowledge Based Rural Travel and Transport Programme. Ikporukpo, C.O. (1987) â€Å"An Analysis of the Accessibility of Public Facilities in Nigeria† Socio-Economic Planning Services. Vol. 21, Pp. 61-69. Lebo, J. and Schelling, D. (2001) â€Å"Design and Appraisal of Rural Transport Infrastructure: Ensuring Basic Access for Rural Communities† World Bank Technical Paper. No. 496. Washington DC. Makinwa, P.K. (1981) Internal Migration and Rural Development: Lesson from Bendel State. Heinemann, Ibadan. Malmberg-Calvo, C, (1994b) Case Study on Intermediate means of Transport: Bicycle and Rural Women in Uganda. World Bank Sub-Saharan African Transport Policy Program, Working Paper No. 12. Malmberg-Calvo, C. (1994a) Case Study on the Role of Women in Rural Transport: Access of Women to Domestic Facilities. World Bank, Sub-Saharan African Transport Policy Program, Working Paper, No. 11. Malmberg-Calvo, C. (1998) â€Å"Options for Managing and Financing Rural Transport Infrastructure† World Bank Technical Paper. No. 411, Washington, DC. McCall, M. (1985) â€Å"Accessibility and Mobility in Peasant Agriculture in Tropical Africa† in Cloke, P. (ed.) Rural Accessibility and Mobility. Institute of British Geographers, Rural Geography Study Group, Lampeter, pp. 46-63. Ola, A. (2000). Rural Transportation and Development Planning in Nigeria. Kings Book Publications Series, Ibadan. Riverson, J.D.N. and Carapetis, S. (1991): Intermediate means of Transport in Sub-Saharan Africa: Its Potential for Imposing Rural and Transport† World Bank Technical Paper. 161 Washington DC. Slack, B. (1990) â€Å"Intermodal Transportation in North America and the Development of Inland Load Centres† Professional Geographer 42, Pp. 72-83. Stuckey, B. (1973). Transportation and African Development: The land-locked Countries. Institute for Economic Development and Planning, Ibadan. Udo, R.K. (1975) Migrant Tenant Farmers of Nigeria: A Geographical Study of Rural Migration in Nigeria. African University Press, Ibadan. Uyanga, J.I. (1980) A Geography of Rural Development in Nigeria. University Press of America, Washington DC. 1

Role of Women in the Epic of Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon Society Essay

Role of Women in Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon Society  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beowulf, the hero of Anglo-Saxon epic, had many adventures, and many companions and fellow-warriors are mentioned throughout his story. Some of them seem noble and courageous, truly living up to the standards of their culture; some seem cowardly. But all have gained immortality in the words, many times transcribed and translated, of the famous epic. However, the women of the time are rarely mentioned in Beowulf. Still, even from those few women who are mentioned and from other documents of the era, it is possible to see the position of women in of Anglo-Saxon society. In many cases, they enjoyed more rights than women in later Medieval cultures. Both Wealhtheow, Hrothgar's queen, and Hygd, Hygelac's queen, apparently held power in their courts. Wealhtheow's actions in rewarding Beowulf after his battles show the queen's role and position as hostess. She awards him "two arm ornament... ... impact on today's life, goes far toward dispelling notions that the Anglo-Saxons restricted the freedom of women in favor of a purely male-oriented, hero-worshiping society. Works Cited Beowulf and Other Old English Poems. Trans. Constance B. Hieatt. New York; Odyssey Press, 1967. Gies, Frances and Joseph. Marriage and Family in the Middle Ages. New York; Harper and Row, 1987. Page, R.I. Life in Anglo-Saxon England. New York; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1970.

The History of Babylonian Mathematics Essay -- Babylonia Mathematics E

The History of Babylonian Mathematics The history of ancient Babylonia is really long, but this essay is a short and to the point summery of the entire history. The history of Babylonia started near the end of the year 2000 BC, when invaders were attacking the Sumer kingdom. Sumer was a powerful kingdom in the western part of Asia, and it some what occupied what would become Babylonia. After the kingdom of Sumer was destroyed the city-states of Larsa and Isin came into settle on the land once occupied by Sumer. This led to fighting between Larsa and Isin. After hundreds of years of fighting Larsa defeated Isin. But, just as Larsa beat Isin, Hammurabi came to power in the city of Babylonia. Hammurabi went on to defeat Larsa and start a vast kingdom in the place where the Sumer kingdom used to be. Hammurabi was a very powerful military and political leader. Also he set up a code of law stating â€Å"an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth†, this law is called the Hammurabi code and is still used today. Hammurabi’s dynasty was also called the First Dynasty of Babylonia. This dynasty ruled for about 200 years until 1530 BC. Under the control of this dynasty, Babylonia entered a period of prosperity and peace. The Babylonians developed an abstract form of writing based on wedge-shaped symbols. Their symbols were written on wet clay tablets that were baked in the hot sun. Many of thousands of these tablets have survived to this day. They had to use straight lines because curved line could not be drawn in the wet clay. They used these tablets to aid in the calculations of problems. They studied math with the help of these tablets. They studied in mathematics because having a peaceful nation they had no need to specialize in military and warfare, so they learned math and discovered new forms of math. A tribe known as the Kassites began to attack Babylonia when Hammurabi’s son ruled the empire. Over the centuries, the Kassites weakened Babylonia. Finally, around 1530 BC a Kassite dynasty was set up in Babylonia. After about 150 years, the Babylonians and the Kassites lived in peace until the Assyrians attacked Babylonia. They weakened Babylonia so much that the Kassite dynasty fell from power and the Assyrians took control. Because of an influx of many nomadic tribes, Babylonia fell into anarchy for about 200 years. During the 800s B... ...e. And if their table of reciprocals, which was used to help them do math, was used today, it would most likely confuse everybody. But, back then they had to use because they did not have calculators or computers to make math easier. We also don’t use a positional number system where the base is 60 rather than the base of 10. One thing that the Babylonians used that is still in use today is the Pythagorean triples. The study of math he study of math is important because with out math we wouldn’t have all the things we have today, such as computers, cars, planes, space exploring technology, etc. With out math all that stuff, which we take for granted would not be around. We would still be in the dark ages if people with a great understanding for math hadn’t been there to invent new things and pull us out of the dark ages and into the techno age. Even though I may not me a mathematical genius, I realize that with out math I would have to write my whole report out on hand instead of a computer. I could not play my video games or chat online with friends if it wasn’t for math and the understanding of it. The study of math is important to society and probably always will be.

Hypogravitational Osteoporosis :: essays research papers

Osteoporosis: a condition characterized by an absolute decrease in the amount of bone present to a level below which it is capable of maintaining the structural integrity of the skeleton. To state the obvious, Human beings have evolved under Earth's gravity "1G". Our musculoskeleton system have developed to help us navigate in this gravitational field, endowed with ability to adapt as needed under various stress, strains and available energy requirement. The system consists of Bone a highly specialized and dynamic supporting tissue which provides the vertebrates its rigid infrastructure. It consists of specialized connective tissue cells called osteocytes and a matrix consisting of organic fibers held together by an organic cement which gives bone its tenacity, elasticity and its resilience. It also has an inorganic component located in the cement between the fibers consisting of calcium phosphate [85%]; Calcium carbonate [10%] ; others [5%] which give it the hardness and rigidity. Other than providing the rigid infrastructure, it protects vital organs like the brain], serves as a complex lever system, acts as a storage area for calcium which is vital for human metabolism, houses the bone marrow within its mid cavity and to top it all it is capable of changing its architecture and mass in response to outside and inner stress. It is this dynamic remodeling of bone which is of primary interest in microgravity. To feel the impact of this dynamicity it should be noted that a bone remodeling unit [a coupled phenomena of bone reabsorption and bone formation] is initiated and another finished about every ten seconds in a healthy adult. This dynamic system responds to mechanical stress or lack of it by increasing the bone mass/density or decreasing it as per the demand on the system. -eg; a person dealing with increased mechanical stress will respond with increased mass / density of the bone and a person who leads a sedentary life will have decreased mass/density of bone but the right amount to support his structure against the mechanical stresses she/she exists in. Hormones also play a major role as seen in postmenopausal females osteoporosis (lack of estrogens) in which the rate of bone reformation is usually normal with the rate of bone re-absorption increased. In Skeletal system whose mass represent a dynamic homeostasis in 1g weight- bearing,when placed in microgravity for any extended period of time requiring practically no weight bearing, the regulatory system of bone/calcium reacts by decreasing its mass. After all, why carry all that extra mass and use all that energy to maintain what is not needed? Logically the greatest loss -demineralization- occurs in the weight bearing bones of the leg [Os Calcis] and spine. Bone loss has been estimated by calcium-balance studies and excretion studies. An increased urinary

Nature of Financial Management

Chapter 3 – NATURE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT What is finance Finance can be defined as he art and science of managing money. Virtually all individuals and organizations earn or raise money and spend or invest money. Finance is concerned with the process, institutions, markets and instruments involved in the transfer of money among individuals, business and governments. Nature of Financial Management Financial Management as an academic discipline has undergone fundamental changes as regard its scope and coverage.In the earlier years, it was treated synonymously with the raising of funds. In the later years, its broader scope, included in addition to procurement of funds, efficient use of resources. Scope of Financial Management Financial is broadly concerned with the acquisition and use of funds by a business firm. The important tasks of financial management, as related to the above, may be categorized as follows: – A. Financial Analysis, Planning and Control †¢ Analy sis of financial condition and preference †¢ Profit Planning †¢ Financial forecasting †¢ Financial Control B.Investing †¢ Management of current assets (cash, marketable securities, receivables and inventories) †¢ Capital Budgeting (identification, selection and implementation of capital projects) †¢ Managing of mergers, reorganizations and divestments C. Financing †¢ Identification of sources of finance and determination of financing mix †¢ Cultivating sources of funds and raising funds †¢ Allocation of profits between dividends and retained earnings Important Topics in Financial Management Table 1. 1 Balance Sheet and Topics in Financial Management Share CapitalEquityCapital Structure and Cost of Capital Preference Reserves and Surplus Debentures Unsecured Loan Current Liabilities & ProvisionsWorking Capital Trade CreditorsFinancing Policy Provisions Fixed Assets (Net)Capital Budgeting Gross Block Less Depreciation InvestmentSecurity Ana lysis Current Assets, Loans and Advances Cash and bank balancesCash Management ReceivablesReceivables Management InventoriesInventory Policy Loans and Advances Miscellaneous Expenditure and Losses Table 1. 2 Income statement and Topics in Financial Management Net SalesRevenue risk Cost of goods SoldMaterials and stocks Wages and Salaries Other Manufacturing Expenses Gross ProfitGross profit margin Operating Expenses Selling and Administration Expenses DepreciationDepreciation Policy Operating Profit Non operating surplus / deficit Earnings before interest and taxBusiness risk InterestFinancial risk Profit before tax TaxTax planning Profit after taxReturn on equity DividendsDividend policy Retained Earnings Goals / Objectives of Financial Management- Traditional Approach – It has been traditionally been argued that the objective of a company is to earn profit.This means that the finance manager has to make decision in a manner that the profit is maximised. Each alternative, th erefore, is to be seen as to whether or not it gives maximum profit. Profit maximization objective gives rise to a number of problems as below: – i) Profit maximization concept should be considered in relation to risks involved. There is a direct relationship between risk and profit. Many risky propositions yield high profit. Higher the risk, higher is the possibility of profits. If profit maximization is the only goal, then risk factor is altogether ignored. i) Profit maximization, as an objective does not take into account time pattern of return. Proposal A may give a higher amount of profits compared to proposal B, yet if the returns begin to flow say 10 years later, proposal B may be preferred which may have lower overall profits but the returns flow is more early and quick. iii) Profit maximization, as an objective is too narrow. It fails to take into account the social considerations as also the obligations to various interests of workers, consumers, society as well as ethical trade practices.Further, most business leaders believe that adoption of ethical standards strengthen their competitive positions. iv) Profits do not necessarily result in cash flows available to the stockholder. Owners receive cash flow in the form of either cash dividends paid to them or proceeds from selling their shares for a higher price than paid initially. Modern Approach – The alternative to profit maximization is wealth maximization. This is also known as Value maximization or Net Present Worth maximization. Value is represented by the market price of the company’s equity shares.Prices in the share market at a given point of time, are the result of many factors like general economic outlook, particular outlook if the companies under consideration, technical factors and even mass psychology. However taken on a long-term basis, the share market prices of a company’s shares do reflect the value, which the various parties put on a company. Normally, the value is a function of two factors (i) The likely rate of earnings per share of a company (EPS) and (ii) The capitalization rateEPS are calculated by dividing the periods total earnings available for the firm’s common shares by the number of shares of common shares outstanding. The likely rate of earnings per share (EPS) depends on the assessment as to how profitably a company is going to operate in the future. The capitalisation rate reflects the liking of the investors for a company. If the company earns a higher rate of earning per share through risky operations or risky financing pattern, the investors will not look upon its shares with favour. To that extent, the market value of the shares of such a company will be low.If a company invests its fund in risky ventures, the investors will put in their money if they get higher return as compared to that from a low risk share. The market value of a firm is a function of the earning per share and the capitalisation rate. S uppose the Earning per share are expected to be Rs. 7 for a share, and the capitalisation rate expected by the shareholder is 20 per cent, the market value of the share is likely to be 7 7 x 100 —— = ———- = Rs. 5 20% 20 This is so because at this price, the investors have an earning of 20%, something they expect from a company with this degree of risk. The important issues relating to maximizing share prices are Economic Value Added (EVA) and the focus on stakeholders. Economic Value Added (EVA) is a popular measure used by many firms to determine whether an investment – proposed or existing – contribute positively to the owner’s wealth. EVA is calculated by subtracting, the cost of funds used to finance or investment from its after-tax-operations profits.Investments with positive EVA increase shareholder value as those with negative EVA reduce shareholders value. For example, the EVA of an investment with after tax operation s profits of Rs. 510,000 and associated financing costs of Rs. 475,000 would be Rs. 35,000 (i. e. Rs. 410,000 – 375,000) Because this EVA is positive, the investment is expected to increase owner wealth and is therefore acceptable. What about Stakeholders? Stakeholders are group such as employees, customers, suppliers, creditors, owners and others who have a direct economic link to the firm.A firm with a stakeholder focus consciously avoids actions that would prove detrimental to stakeholders. The goal is not to maximize stakeholder well being but to preserve it. It is expected to provide long run benefit to shareholders by maintaining positive stakeholder relationships. Such relationship should minimize stakeholder turnover, conflicts and litigation. Clearly, the firm can better achieve its goal of shareholder wealth maximization by maintaining cooperation with other stakeholders rather than having conflict with them. The Role of ethics – Ethics is standards of conduc t or moral judgment.Today the business community in general and the financial community in particular are developing and enforcing ethical standards, purpose being to motivate business and market participants to adhere to both the letter and the spirit of laws and regulations concerned with business and professional practice. An effective ethics program is believed to enhance corporate value. An ethics program can reduce potential litigation and judgment costs, maintain a positive corporate image, and build shareholders confidence, and gain the loyalty, commitment and respect of the firms stakeholders.Such actions, by maintaining and enhancing cash flow and reducing perceived risk, can positively affect the firm’s share prices. Ethical behaviour is therefore viewed as necessary for achieving the firm’s goal of owner wealth maximization. Place of Finance function in the organization structure: – The finance function is almost the same in most enterprises. The det ails may differ but the important features are universal in nature. The finance function occupies such a major place that it cannot be the sole responsibility of the executive.The important aspects of the finance function have to be carried on by the top management i. e. the Managing Director and the Board of Directors. It is the Board of Directors, which makes all the material final decisions involving finance. Financial management in many ways is an integral part of the jobs of managers who are involved in planning, allocation of resources and control. The responsibilities for financial management are disposed throughout the organization. For example: †¢ The engineer, who proposes a new plant, shapes the investment policy of the firm. The marketing analyst provides inputs in the process of forecasting and planning. †¢ The purchase manager influences the level of investment in inventories. †¢ The sales manager has a say in the determination of receivable policy. â₠¬ ¢ Departmental managers, in general, are important links in the financial control system of the firm. The chief financial officer (CFO) is basically to assist the top management. He has an important role to contribute to good decision making on issues, which involve all the functional areas of the business. He must clearly bring out financial implications of all decisions and make them understood.CFO (his designation vary from company to company) works directly under the President or the Managing Director of the company. Besides routine work he keeps the Board of Directors informed about all the phases of business activity, including economic, social and political developments affecting the business behaviour. He also furnishes information about the financial status of the company by reviewing from time to time. The CFO may have different officers under him to carry out his functions. Broadly, the functions are divided into two parts. (i) Treasury function (ii) Control functionTre asury function (headed by financial manager) is commonly responsible for handling financial activities, such as financial planning and fund raising, making capital expenditures decisions, managing cash, managing credit activities, managing the pension fund and managing foreign exchange. The control function (headed by Chief Accountant / Financial Controller) typically handles the accounting activities such as corporate accounting, tax management, financial accounting and cost accounting. The treasurer’s focus tends to be more external, the controllers focus more internal: – BOARD OF DIRECTORSManaging Director/President V. P ProductionV. P FinanceV. P Sales Treasurer Controller Credit Cash Banking PortfolioCorporate Taxes Internal Budgeting Management Management Relation ManagementGeneral Audit Accounting & Cost Accounting Fig 1. 1 Organization chart of finance function Relationship of field of finance with economics – The field of finance is closely related to e conomics. Financial managers must understand the economic framework and be alert to the consequences of varying levels of economic activity and changes in economic policy.They must be able to use economic theories as guidance for efficient business operation. Examples include supply-demand analysis, profit-maximizing strategies, and price theory. The primary economic principle used in managerial function is marginal analysis, the principle that financial decisions should be made and actions taken only when the added benefits exceed the added costs. Nearly all-financial decisions ultimately come down to an assessment of their marginal benefits and marginal costs. Relationship to Accounting – The firm’s finance (treasurer) and accounting (controller) activities are closely related and generally overlap.Normally managerial finance and accounting are not often easily distinguishable. In small firms the Controller often carries out the finance function and in large firms ma ny accountants are also involved in various finance activities. There are two basic differences between finance and accounting: – i) Emphasis on cash flows: – The accountant’s primary function is to develop and report data for measuring the performance of the firm, assuming its financial position and paying taxes using certain standardized and generally accepted principles. The accountant prepares financial statements based on accrual basis.The financial manager places primary emphasis on cash flows, the inflow and outflow of cash. ii) Relating to decision-making: – Accountants devote most of their operation to the collection and presentation of financial data. The primary activities of the financial manager in addition to ongoing involvement in financial analysis and planning are making investment decisions and making financing decisions. Investment decisions determine both the mix and the type of assets held by the firm. Financing decisions determine bo th the mix and the type of financing used by the firm.However the decisions are actually made on the basis of cash flow effects on the overall value of the firm. Interface with other Functions – Finance is defined as the lifeblood of an organization. It is a common thread, which binds all the organizational functions as each function when carried out creates financial implications. The interface between finance and other functions can be described as follows: – Manufacturing Finance – i) Manufacturing function necessitates a large investment. Productive use of resources ensures a cost advantage for the firm. i) Optimum investment in inventories improves profit margin. iii) Many parameters of the production cost having effect on production cost are possible to control through internal management thus improving profits. iv) Important production decisions like make or buy can be taken only after financial implications have been considered. Marketing Finance  œ i) Many aspects of marketing management have financial implications e. g. hold inventories to provide off the shelf service to customers and thus increase sales; extension of credit facility to customers to increase sales. i) Marketing strategies to increase sales have additional cost impact, which needs to be weighed carefully against incremental revenue. Personnel Finance – In the global competitive scenario business firms are moving to leaner and flat organizations. Investments in Human Resource Development are also bound to increase. Restructuring of remuneration structure, voluntary retirement schemes, sweat equity etc. have become major financial decisions in the area of human resource management. Strategic Planning – Finance –Finance function is an important tool in the hands of management for strategic planning and control on two counts – i) The decision variables when converted into monetary terms are easier to grasp. ii) Finance function has s trong inter-linkages with other functions. Controlling other functions through finance route is possible. Methods and Tools of Financial Management – i) In the area of Financing – Funds are procured from long-term sources as well as short-term sources. Long-term funds may be made available by owners, i. e. hareholders, lenders through issue of debentures / bonds, from financial institutions, banks and public at large. Short-term funds may be procured from commercial banks, suppliers of goods, public deposits etc. The finance manager has to decide on optimum capital structure with a view to maximize shareholder’s wealth. Financial leverage or trading on equity is an important method by which return to shareholders can be increased. ii) For evaluating capital expenditure (investment) decisions, a finance manager uses various methods such as average rate of return, payback, internal rate of return, net present value and profitability index. ii) In the area of worki ng capital management there are various methods for efficient utilization of current resources at the disposal of the firm, thus increasing profitability. The centralized method of cash management is considered a better method of managing liquid resources of the firm. iv) In the area of dividend decision, a firm is faced with the problem of declaring dividend or postponing dividend declaration, a problem of internal financing. There are tools to tackle such situation. v) For the evaluation of a firm’s performance there are different methods.For example, ratio analysis is a popular technique to evaluate different aspects of a firm. vi) The main concern of the finance manager is to provide adequate funds from the best possible source, at the right time and the minimum cost and to ensure that the funds so acquired are put to best possible use through various methods / techniques are used to determine that funds have been procured from the best possible available services and the funds have been used in the best possible way: Funds flow and cash flow statements and projected financial statements help a lot in this regard.The changing role of Financial Management in India – Modern Financial Management has come a long way from the traditional corporate finance. The finance Manager is working in a challenging environment, which changes continuously. As the economy is opening up and global resources are being tapped, the opportunities available to finance manager have no limits. At the same time one must understand the risk in the decisions. Financial management is passing through an area of experimentation and excitement, as a large part of the finance activities carried out today were not heard a few years ago.A few instances are enumerated below: – i) Interest rates have been deregulated, further interest rates are fluctuating, and minimum cost of capital necessitates anticipating interest rate movements. ii) Rupee has become freely convertible in current account. iii) Optimum debt equity mix is possible. The firms have to take advantage of the financial leverage to increase the shareholders wealth. However financial leverage entails financial risk. Hence a correct trade off between risk and improved rate of return to shareholders is a challenging task. v) With free pricing of issues, the optimum price of new issue is a challenging task, as overpricing results in under subscription and loss of investor confidence whereas under pricing leads to unwarranted increase in number of shares and also reduction of earnings per share. v) Maintaining share prices is crucial. In the liberalized scenario the capital markets is the important avenue of funds for business. The dividend and bonus policies framed, has a direct bearing on the share prices. i) Ensuring management control is vital especially in the light of foreign participation in equity (which is backed by huge resources) making the firm an easy takeover target. Existing ma nagements may loose control in the eventuality of being unable to take up the share entitlements. Financial strategies to prevent this are vital to the present management. Forms of Business Organization – The three most common forms of business organization are the sole proprietorship, the partnership and the company.Other specialized forms of business organizations also exist. Sole proprietorship are the most In terms of total receipts and net profits corporate form of business dominate. Sole Proprietorship – A sole proprietorship is a business owned by one person who runs for his own profit. Majority of the business firms are sole proprietorships. The typical sole proprietorship is a small business e. g. bakeshop, personal trainer or plumber. The majority of sole proprietorship is found in the wholesale, retail, service and construction industries.Typically, the proprietor along with few employees runs the business. He raises capital from personal resources or by bor rowing and is responsible for all business decisions. The sole proprietor has unlimited liability, towards creditors not restricted to the amount originally invested. The key strengths and weaknesses of sole proprietorship are given in table 1. 3. Partnership – A partnership firm is a business run by two or more persons for profit.Partnership accounts for the next majority of business and they are typically larger than sole proprietorship. Finance, legal and real estate firms often have large number of partners. Most partnerships are established by a written contract known as ‘Deed of Partnership’. In partnership, all partners have unlimited liability for all the debts of the partnership. In India, partnership is governed by the Partnership Act, 1932. Strengths and weaknesses or partnerships are summarized in Table 1. 3. Company Form –A company form of business is a legal entity, separated from the owners, with perpetual succession. Just like an individual , the company can sue and be sued, make and be party to contracts and acquire property in its own name. The company form of organization is the dominant form of business organization in terms of receipts and profits. Although, corporations are involved in all types of business, manufacturing corporation account for the largest portion of corporate business receipts and net profits.The key strengths and weaknesses of corporate form are summarized in Table 1. 3. The owners of the company are its shareholders, whose ownership is evidenced by either common shares or preference shares. Shareholders get a return by receiving dividends i. e. periodic distribution of earnings or gains through increase in share price. Owner’s liability is limited to the amount paid on their shares. Shareholder elects the Board of Directors through vote.The Board of Directors has the ultimate authority in running the organization including making the general policy. The President or Chief Executive Off ice (CEO) is responsible for managing day to day operations and carrying out the policies established by the Board. The CEO is required to report periodically to the firm’s board of directors. The corporate form of business are subject to strict control by Regulatory Agencies including Companies Ac, 1956, SEBI, etc. Table I – Strengths and weaknesses of the common forms of business organizations Sole Proprietorship |Partnership |Company | | | | | |Strengths | | | | | | | |Owners receive all profits and incurs all losses |Can raise more funds than the sole proprietorship |Owners liability is limited to the extent paid on | | |their shares | |Low organizational costs |Borrowing powers enhanced by more owners | | | | |Can achieve large size via sale of shares | | |More available manpower and managerial skill | | |Income is included and taxed on owners personal tax | |Ownership (share) is readily transferable | |return |Income included and mixed on individual partnerâ€⠄¢s tax | | | |return |Long life of the firm | |Independence | | | | | |Can have professional managers | |Secrecy | | | | | |Has better access to financing | |Ease of dissolution | | | | | |Receives some tax advantage | | | | | | | | | |Weaknesses – |Owners have unlimited liability and may have to cover | | | |debts of other partners |Taxes generally higher, because corporate income is | |Owner has unlimited liability towards debt of the firm| |taxed and dividends paid to owners are also taxed. | |Partnership is dissolved when partner dies |(the latter has been exempted at the hands of the | |Limited fund raising power limits growth | |shareholders in India) | | |Difficult to liquidate or transfer partnership | | |Proprietor must be jack-of-all trades | |More expensive to organize than other forms of | | | |business | |Difficult to give employees long-run career | | | |opportunities | |Subject to greater control by regulating authorities | | | | | |Lacks continuity when pro prietor dies or unable to | |Lacks secrecy since the shareholders must receive | |operate | |financial reports at periodic intervals | | | | | Limited Liability Partnership A limited liability partnership (LLP) is a partnership in which some or all partners (depending on the jurisdiction) have limited liability.It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP, one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This is an important difference from that of an unlimited partnership. In an LLP, some partners have a form of limited liability similar to that of the shareholders of a corporation. In some countries, an LLP must also have at least one â€Å"general partner† with unlimited liability. Unlike corporate shareholders, the partners have the right to manage the business directly. In contrast, corporate shareholders have to elect a board of directors under the laws of various state charters.The board organizes it self (also under the laws of the various state charters) and hires corporate officers who then have as â€Å"corporate† individuals the legal responsibility to manage the corporation in the corporation's best interest. An LLP also contains a different level of tax liability from that of a corporation. Limited liability partnerships are distinct from limited partnerships in some countries, which may allow all LLP partners to have limited liability, while a limited partnership may require at least one unlimited partner and allow others to assume the role of a passive and limited liability investor. As a result, in these countries, the LLP is more suited for businesses where all investors wish to take an active role in management. There is considerable confusion between LLPs as constituted in the U. S. nd that introduced in the UK in 2001 and adopted elsewhere  Ã¢â‚¬â€ see below  Ã¢â‚¬â€ since the UK LLP is, despite the name, specifically legislated as a Corporate body rat her than a Partnership. India The Limited Liability Partnership Act 2008 was published in the official Gazette of India on January 9, 2009 and has been notified with effect from 31 March 2009. However, the Act, has been notified with limited sections only. The rules have been notified in the official gazette on April 1, 2009. The first LLP was incorporated in the first week of April 2009. 1. In India, for all purposes of taxation, an LLP is treated like any other partnership firm. 2. be limited to their agreed contribution in the LLP. 3.Further, no partner would be liable on account of the independent or unauthorized actions of other partners, thus allowing individual partners to be shielded from joint liability created by another partner's wrongful business decisions or misconduct. 4. LLP shall be a body corporate and a legal entity separate from its partners. It will have perpetual succession. Indian Partnership Act, 1932 shall not be applicable to LLPs and there shall not be any upper limit on number of partners in an LLP unlike an ordinary partnership firm where the maximum number of partners can not exceed 20, LLP Act makes a mandatory statement where one of the partner to the LLP should be an Indian. 5. Provisions have been made for corporate actions like mergers, amalgamations etc. 6.While enabling provisions in respect of winding up and dissolutions of LLPs have been made, detailed provisions in this regard would be provided by way of rules under the Act. 7. The Act also provides for conversion of existing partnership firm, private limited company and unlisted public company into a LLP by registering the same with the Registrar of Companies (ROC) 8. Nothing Contained in the Partnership Act 1932 shall effect an LLP. 9. The Registrar of Companies (Roc) shall register and control LLPs also. 10. The governance of LLPs shall be in electronic mode based on the successful model of the present Ministry of Corporate Affairs Portal. Chapter Assignments – 1. What are the tasks of Financial Management? 2. Discuss the salient features of the traditional approach to Corporation Finance. 3.Discuss the distinctive features of modern approach to Corporation Finance. 4. What is the normative goal of financial management? 5. â€Å"Financial Management is an integral part of the jobs of all managers. Hence it cannot be entrusted to a staff Department†. Discuss. 6. Discuss some of the problems the financial managers in a developing country like India have to grapple with. 7. Draw a typical organization chart highlighting the finance function of a company. 8. Which of the following functions should be the responsibility of a Finance Manager? i) Maintaining the books of account. ii) Negotiating loans with banks iii) Preparation of cost statements iv) Conducting of internal audit v) Analysis of new projects i) Ensuring that enough cash is available at all the branches and factories of the company. vii) Assisting the management in taking a decision regarding the quantum of dividend. viii) Negotiating under-writing agreements in case of new issues ix) Preparing the financial statements. x) Deciding about change in the policies regarding recruitment. xi) Decision on administrative practices. xii) Change in marketing and advertising techniques routine. 9. Which of the following statements are true? i) It is the job of the finance manager to approve all payments. ii) The finance manager has to keep a proper balance in the procurement and use of funds. iii) Acquisition of fixed assets is of no concern to the finance manager. v) It is always advisable to distribute the total amount of profit as dividend. v) Since it is crucial that all sections of the business have adequate cash, it is a good policy to give each sections of the business double the amount of cash that they normally require so that they can meet even emergencies. vi) Debentures and loans from financial institutions are very important sources of long-term fund s. vii) It is better if no credits are given to the customers since this would mean that no amounts are tied up in sundry creditors. viii) In a period of rising prices, it is better to stock as much as raw material as possible, irrespective of the cost of procuring funds. x) A proper capitalization ensures that there is a balance between long-term funds and short-term funds and also proper ratios are maintained between the various sources of funds. 10. Which of the following statements do you agree? i) Financial management is essential only in private sector enterprise. ii) Only capitalists have to bother about money. The bureaucrat is to administer and not manage funds. iii) The public administrators in our country must be given a basic understanding of essentials of finance. iv) A state owned Transport Company must immediately deposit in the bank all its takings. v) â€Å"Financial Management is counting pennies. We do not believe in such miserly attitude†. vi) â€Å"Finan ce function is important as any other function in an organization†.