Literature review compilations Essay

1. Rao, V. (1993). The rising price of husbands: A hedonic analysis of dowry increases in rural India. Journal of Political Economy, 666-677. Motivation and objective : Attempts to investigate the reasons behind the increase in dowry . Methods : It adapts Rosen’s implicit market model to the Indian marriage market and tests predictions from the model with data from six villages in South Central India and from the Indian census Theories : Using utility function, U is assumed to be maximized, given that U is the utility function which represent the household preferences. The function will be U = U(X,W,H). Where X refers to consumption of goods, W refers to the desirable traits of the bride and her family and H is traits of the groom. Main Findings : It is found that a â€Å"marriage squeeze† caused by population growth, resulting in larger younger cohorts and hence a surplus of women in the marriage market, has played a significant role in the rise in dowries. ( Surplus o f women over man at marriageable ages) 2. Skogrand, L. M., Schramm, D. G., Marshall, J. P., & Lee, T. R. (2005). The effects of debt on newlyweds and implications for education. Journal of extension, 43(3), 1. Motivation and objective : Examines the relationship between newlywed debt, selected demographic variables, and newlywed levels of marital satisfaction and adjustment.. Methods: A 38-item survey was mailed to a random sample of 2,823 newlywed couples in a western state. The couples’ names were randomly chosen from the marriage licenses that were filed within the state during a six-month period. Husbands and wives were asked to complete their surveys separately.The response rate was 40%, with 1,010 couples responding. Theories and tools : Marital satisfaction was measured using the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS) (Schumm et al., 1986), and marital adjustment was measured using the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) (Busby, Crane, Christensen, & Larson, 1995). The KMSS and RDAS are established measures for assessing marital satisfaction and adjustment, both having correlation coefficients above .78. Main Findings: The findings from this study indicate that entering marriage with consumer debt has a negative impact on newlywed levels of marital quality. The large majority (70%) of newlyweds in this study brought debt into their marriage relationship. This amount of debt, along with other expenses associated with couples beginning their lives together, are likely to  distract couples from the developmental task of building a strong marriage relationship during the first few months and years of marriage Policy recommendation: .- Because many individuals marry with no more than a high sc hool education, educating individuals about debt and its potentially negative impact on marriage relationships should begin in high school. This may be one way to help couples achieve healthier marriages 3. S. Dalmia (2004). A hedonic analysis of marriage transactions in India: estimating determinants of dowries and demandfor groom characteristics in marriage. Research in Economics 58 (2004) 235–255. Motivation and objective : This paper uses data from a retrospective sample survey to develop and test a framework capable of explaining dowry exchange and groom selection in India. Methods: Using a sample of 1037 households between 1956 and 1994, this paper develops and tests a framework capable of explaining marriage transactions and groom selection in India. Theories and tools : It adapts Rosen’s (1974) implicit market model and takes the view that dowry is a simple economic transaction that functions to ‘equalize’ the value of marriage services exchanged by the households of the bride and groom. Main Findings: Consistent with ethnographic evidence, results indicate that dowries are higher in regions more to the north. Most importantly, contrary to popular belief, it is found that holding groom characteristics constant, real dowries have decreased over time. Finally, in estimating the parameters of the demand functions for a set of groom attributes, results show that the most important determinants of demand for various groom attributes are price of the attribute, bride’s traits, and the socio-economic status of the bride’s h ousehold 4. Siwan Anderson (2007). The Economics of Dowry and Brideprice. Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 21, Number 4—Fall 2007—Pages 151–174 Motivation and objective: This paper first establishes some basic facts about the prevalence and magnitude of marriage payments. It then discusses how such patterns vary across countries depending upon economic conditions, societal structures, institutions, and family characteristics. Theories and tools: The descriptions of marriage payments in this paper are synthesizedfrom a patchwork of studies across periods, places, and even epochs, and there are doubtless numerous cases which remain undocumented.  Discussion: Economists’ interest in marriage payments partly stems from their potential to affect the wealth distribution across generations and families. However, economic analysis has not directly investigated these welfare impacts of marriage payments. In this respect, marriage transfers which are destined for the couple, either in the form of dowry or dower, may function differently from those which are paid directly from one set of parents to the other, like bride price or groom price. The former payment is an intergenerational transfer. The latter forms a circulating fund, with receipt for marriages of one gender being used to pay for marriages of children of the other. 5. Sarwat Afzal & Imtiaz Subhani (2009). To Estimate An Equation Explaining The Determinants Of Dowry. Iqra University Motivation and objective : The focus of this study is to estimate an equation explaining the determinants of dowry. Methods: The data of 140 respondents is used to examine the variables to determine the dowry size, data set on bride-groom characteristics and dowry. The study has been focused on analysis that dowry paid is dependent on which variables Subject in the rural subcontinent. Since the objective of study is to estimate the equation explaining the determinant of dowry so all the variables given in the data are takes as independent and the dowry paid is taken as dependent variable. Theories and tools: This paper determine the determinants of dowry, using multiple regression analysis, the author used the ANOVA table, R2 value to tabulate the determinants of dowry price. Main Findings: This research suggested that dowry paid is based on the status and the affluence of husband’s family as well as the education of the husband’s father that are the important determina nts of the incidence of dowries. The influence of husband’s father education is accounted as a predictor for the system of dowry paid 6. Edlund, L. (2006). The price of marriage: Net vs. gross flows and the South Asian dowry debate. Journal of the European Economic Association, 4(2†3), 542-551. Motivation and objective : The rise in dowry payments in India has been taken as evidence that women increasingly are at a disadvantage on the marriage  market and must pay for marriage. Moreover, high dowries, it is argued, add to the plight of parents of daughters and have thus contributed to the scarcity of women (brides). However, the logic is curious, and, this paper argues, flawed. The term â€Å"dowry† can mean different things, and it may be useful to distinguish between the assets the bride brings at the time of marriage (gross dowry) and those netted against the groom payments (net dowry). The former is what is generally meant by dowry, while the latter is a concept used mainly by economists Methods: Data are from a retrospective survey of marriages conducted in 1983 by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi- Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). These data have been used in a number of studies of South Asian dowry inflation. ICRISAT conducted a stratified random sample of 40 households each from six villages in South-central India. The first household married in 1923 and the last in 1978. Main Findings: Empirically, the paper has shown that in a much-used data set on dowry inflation, net dowries did not increase in the period after 1950, belying claims of â€Å"recent† increases. Moreover, variables designed to capture marriage-squeeze or male relative to female heterogeneity failed to move dowries in the expected direction. 7. Balwick, J. (1975). The function of the dowry system in a rapidly modernizing society: The case of Cyprus. International Journal of Sociology of the Family, 158-167. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to examine the functional relationship between the dowry system and modernization for the country of Cyprus. Two inferences tried to be drawn in this paper are attempt to develop is two 1) the dowry system has served a latent function in encouraging a rapid rate of urban, Industrial, and technological development in Cyprus; and (2) that the rapid rate of technological development in Cyprus, along with new concepts of marital arrangement, are weakening the importance of the dowry system Methods: The analysis of this paper’s topic will begin by considering the function of the dowry system in Traditional Greek Cypriot society, move to a consideration of the function of the dowry system during rapid modernization, turn to a consideration of the effect of modernization upon the dowry system, and conclude by  speculating as to the possible effect which a decline in the dowry system will have upon marriage. Main Findings: modernization is a threat to the continued existence of the dowry system. The argument was made that, besides the major aspects of modernization themselves, the concept of romantic love, as a byproduct of a largely western stimulated modernization process, has been damaging to the dowry system. However, to so speculate about the future effects of modernization in Cyprus only points to the necessity for social scientists to utilize the situations created in developing countries to further examine the relationships between modernization and social structures. 8. Gaulin, S. J., & Boster, J. S. (1990). Dowry as female competition. American Anthropologist, 92(4), 994-1005. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to prove that dowry as a reproductive tactic used by prospective brides and their kin to attract the wealthiest bridegroom. The authors attempt to explain not only the rarity of dowry, but also why it occurs in the societies it does. Methods and theories: The analysis of this paper’s topic will begin by considering the female-competition model. The female-competition model assumes that, in Homo sapiens as in other animals, the behaviors associated with pair formation can be interpreted as (possibly unconscious) reproductive tactics. The authors interpret the bias in marriage transactions as reflecting a bias in competition for marriage partners. Dowry is their dependent variable; the independent variables in the female-competition model are social stratification and marital form. They grouped the existing categories to create dichotomous variable. Main Findings: The female-competition model is correct; the authors would e xpect the largest dowry payments to flow from the middle class to the elite, as women in the middle tier compete for husbands in the highest 9. Rao, V. (1993). Dowry ‘inflation’ in rural India: A statistical investigation. Population Studies, 47(2), 283-293. Motivation and objective : The author of this paper look more directly at the causes of the increase of dowry (investigate the reasons behind the rise in the real value of dowries in rural India)and use unique data collected from a small sample of households by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Methods and theories: The data used in this paper are from a random sample of 40 households, 30 cultivating and 10 laboring, per village, from six villages in three districts of rural South-Central India. The surveys were conducted by ICRISAT, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.15 The districts are Akola and Sholapur in Maharashtra state, and Mahbubnagar in Andhra Prades. A quadratic specification of dowry determinants is estimated. Correlations values between variables, OLS , and other statistical tools are being used. Main Findings: The empirical results support the hypothesis that the marriage squeeze has played a significant part in causing dowry ‘inflation’. The size of the dowry transfer also seems to be affected by hyper gamy, indicated by the difference in the amount of land owned by the parents of the respective spouses before the marriage. Due to the small size of the sample and the respondents’ lack of accuracy in reporting their ages at marriage, not much can be said about the impact of age or other potential determinants on the transfer. At the district level, however, the marriage squeeze does seem to matter in reducing differences in the ages at marriage of men and woman. 10. Teays, W. (1991). The burning bride: The dowry problem in India. Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, 29-52. Motivation and objective : The author consider the issue of dowry, its roots in custom and religious tradition, as well the ways in which the dowry system has become a dowry problem with daily dowry deaths, usually of young and often pregnant women. Main Findings: Females being devalued in the Hindu world. The internalization of that devaluation is evidenced by the numbers of mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law who actively participate in dowry murder. Marriage has become a commercial transaction complete with bargaining. Traditionally dowries were limited by convention and caste-social realities, but now the demands are out of control. â€Å"The growing trend of dowry murders only reflects the socio-economic crisis in India. 11. Zhang, J., & Chan, W. (1999). Dowry and Wife’s Welfare: A Theotrical and Empirical Analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 107(4), 786-808. Motivation and objective : This paper offers an alternative analysis. Where dowry are claimed to be not only increases the wealth of the new conjugal household but also enhances the bargaining power of the bride in the allocation of output within that household, thereby safeguarding her welfare. 2 hypotheses: Dowry increases the resources available to the bride’s new family; Dowry increases the bride bargaining position in the family, as well as her welfare. Methods and theories: This study uses data from the 1989 Taiwan Women and Family Survey,an island wide probability survey of women aged 25–60 years of all marital statuses and from different geographical locations. The female respondents provide socioeconomic information on their parents, their husbands, and themselves. An important feature of the data is that these women report transfers on dowries and bride prices related to their marriages. All these variables are then measured using statistical tools. Main Findings: The result supported the theoretical prediction that a dowry improves the wife’s welfare through both income and bargaining effects. The result also shows that a dowry is indeed a property under the wife’s control. Bride-price reduces the transaction cost involved in recovering the appropriate shares of marital output by each party, a dowry enhances the bride’s position in the household and safeguards her welfare. 12. Bishai, D., Falb, K. L., Pariyo, G., & Hindin, M. J. (2009). Bride price and sexual risk taking in Uganda. African journal of reproductive health, 13(1). Motivation and objective : This study assessed the relationship of bride price to sexual risk taking based on a large, population based survey. Methods and theories: Data were collected on bride prices for 592 married women in 12 districts in Uganda in 2001. Controlling for covariates, we found that having had a bride price significantly lowered the wife’s odds of sexual intercourse with a partner other than the spouse (OR= 0.222; 95% CI= 0.067, 0.737). Controlling for covariates, bride price increased the husband’s odds of non-spousal sexual intercourse (OR=1.489; 95% CI= 0.746, 2.972). Main Findings: Bride price payment is statistically significantly associated with lower rates of non-spousal sexual contact in women, but is  not, statistically significantly associated with higher rates in men 13. Dalmia, S., & Lawrence, P. G. (2005). The institution of dowry in India: Why it continues to prevail. The Journal of Developing Areas, 38(2), 71-93. Motivation and objective : This article empirically examines dowries in India and provides an institutional and economic rationale for the existence and continued prevalence of the system. Main Findings: Using data on marriage transactions and on the personal and family traits of marital partners the article demonstrates that payments of dowry serve to equalize the measurable differences in individual characteristics of the bride’s and groom’s and their respective households. Thus, dowry qualifies as the â€Å"price† paid for a â€Å"good match† in the marriage market. Results also reveal that the form of inheritance system, the residence of the bride after marriage, and the gender ratio of marriageable women to men have no effect on the incidence and size of dowry 14. Diamond†Smith, N., Luke, N., & McGarvey, S. (2008). ‘Too many girls, too much dowry’: son preference and daughter aversion in rural Tamil Nadu, India. Culture, health & sexuality, 10(7), 697-708. Motivation and objective : The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has experienced a dramatic decline in fertility, accompanied by a trend of increased son preference. This paper reports on findings from qualitative interviews with women in rural villages about their fertility decision-making which is due to the dowry rate. Main Findings: Findings suggest that daughter aversion, fuelled primarily by the perceived economic burden of daughters due to the proliferation of dowry, is playing a larger role in fertility decision-making than son preference. 15. Rozario, S. (2002). Grameen Bank-style microcredit: Impact on dowry and women’s solidarity. Development Bulletin, 57, 67-70. Motivation and objective : This article focuses on two specific problems connected with Grameen Bank-style microcredit in Bangladesh: its negative impact on women’s solidarity, and its consequences for the practice of dowry payments. Main Findings: Findings suggest that Unmarried women are not  accepted in the microcredit samities and so cannot receive loans. The argument is that they will get married and go away to their husbands’ village, then who will repay their loan? This denies any opportunity to marginal groups, like unmarried women and, of course, widows and abandoned women. Such policies also mean that unmarried women are made completely dependent financially on the mercy of their families. 16. Kazi Abdur Rouf, (2012) â€Å"A feminist interpretation of Grameen Bank Sixteen Decisions campaign†, Humanomics, Vol. 28 Iss: 4, pp.285 – 296. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to look at Grameen Bank (GB) Sixteen Decisions campaigns and its implications to feminism; and to examine the degree to which women borrowers of the Grameen Bank are empowered to participate in familial decision-making around dowry and teenage marriage and to develop their public spaces in the community. Moreover, the paper critically looks at the GB women borrowers’ development through the Sixteen Decisions Design/methodology/approach – The study uses multiple research methods. It reviews and analyzes GB Sixteen Decision texts and feminist literature, uses survey method to collect data from Grameen Bank micro borrowers in 2011 and uses secondary data. Main Findings : This study still finds the gender equality issues exist in the Grameen Bank Sixteen Decisions texts and the Sixteen Decisions campaign strategies for women borrowers’ empowerment especially due to the issue of dowry. Policy Recommendation: This critical analysis is very important to empower Grameen Bank women borrowers because the campaign should be made more effective in addressing women’s issues like dowry-less marriage. Grameen Bank should revise the Sixteen Decisions texts and support borrowers in their anti-dowry and anti-teen age marriage campaign in Bangladesh. 17. Tenhunen, S. (2008). The gift of money: rearticulating tradition and market economy in rural West Bengal. Modern Asian Studies, 42(5), 1035-1055. Motivation and objective : This article examines the rise of dowry system injanta, a West Bengali village in the Bankura district, where the dowry payments are a relatively new phenomenon. The oldest generation in Janta had experienced times when no demands for money or other gifts had been made during marriage arrangements, but since the 1950S huge dowry payments have become the central financial transactions in the region. In addition to oral history interviews on dowry  practices, the author draws from his research on the changes in caste, gender and class relationships in the village. Findings : The gift of money does not merely represent class and economic identities, rather, its intr oduction is connected to a reconstruction of gender and caste identities as well. The article demonstrates how the giving of money has influenced other categories of gifts, while the market logic has drawn from cultural considerations. Yet, money is not the only agent in the process; gifts are essentially about constructing social and cultural identities: the interconnected domains of gender, kinship, caste and class. The introduction of the monetary gift has made it possible to make connections and set a price on different aspects of personhood facilitating and intensifying the connections between different discourses on personhood. 18. Shenk, M. K. (2007). Dowry and public policy in contemporary India. Human Nature, 18(3), 242-263. Motivation and objective :. This paper argues that a functionalist perspective on dowry could lead to improved dowry policy, and that an approach based in human behavioral ecology (HBE) is uniquely suited to this task. Design/methodology/approach – The author develop a behavioral ecology model of Indian dowry and test it with quantitative and qualitative data Main Findings : The author conclude that if dowry legislation is to achieve broad support or bring about effective social change, it must address and support the positive motivations for and effects of dowry and take a targeted approach to dowry violence, which is not uniformly distributed across regions, castes, or social 19. Rao, V. P., & Rao, V. N. (1980). The dowry system in Indian marriages: attitudes, expectations and practices. International Journal of Sociology of the Family, 99-113.. Motivation and objective :The study examined the students’ expectations of dowry for persons with different educational background, their attitudes and feelings about the dowry system, and the practices of dowry payments in immediate and kin families Design/methodology/approach – The questionnaire method was used to collect data from a sample of 585 college students from  India Main Findings The study revealed that the average dowry expectation were not consistent With the number of years of education but were in line with the prestige of education. Non-Hindus, metropolitan residents, high socioeconomic status students, and medical students expected higher dowry than their counterparts. The majority of the respondents considered dowry unimportant in settling a marriage and felt that the present dowry system should be discontinued. However, most of the respondents’ brothers received dowry while their families gave dowry to their sisters. The kin families also practiced dowry payment at the time of marriage. The students seemed equalitarian in terms of control over the dowry as most believed that both husband and wife should decide how to spend it. Inconsistency in the attitudes are also observed as three-fourths of the sample considered dowry unimportant in the settlement of a marriage but nearly one-third of the males and 40 per cent of their parents expected to receive dowry when the respondents got married. 20. Freed, R. S., & Freed, S. A. (1989). Beliefs and practices resulting in female deaths and fewer females than males in India. Population and Environment, 10(3), 144-161. Motivation and objective:. A preference for sons and the low status of females are implicated in the preponderance of males over females as reported in each census of India from the first one taken in the 19th century. A number of cultural practices, some of which are quite ancient, are involved in this such as sexual imbalance and dowry murder. This discussion is sees the determinants of female deaths in India. Design/methodology/approach – This discussion is based both on 19th and 20th century sources and on fieldwork conducted in the North Indian village of Shanti Nagar in 1958–59 and 1977–78. Findings : It is found that dowry act as one of the determinants that resulted in female deaths which is more commonly known as Dowry Murder Policy Recommendation: The modern Government of India has s ought to abolish dowry which would, presumably, put an end to dowry murder.

Body Ritual among the Nacirema Essay

Abstract In this paper I discuss what point Horace Miner was trying to make is his paper titled â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema†. Horace’s paper is about America but in the perspective that America is a tribe of third world country or such. I go through the individual topics, which mostly make fun of American’s vanity, and I describe what he is really talking about. I try to summaries Horace’s paper and put it in â€Å"American† terms. Nacirema: The American Tribe Here in America we view ourselves as one of the most, if not the most, advanced societies in the world. Most of us feel that we are just the best, but if you really look at a lot of the aspects of our society in the eyes that Horace Miner provides in his paper â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema† you may begin to think otherwise. In Horace’s paper he shows the reader how the United States of America could be viewed from the perspective of a more advance, or more developed country. You could think of it as what aliens might view us. I guess you could even say a that an underdeveloped country would view us in this way too, but by the tone it seems that its meant to be a view of America by someone that views America how Americans see other cultures such as an African tribe or third world country or cultures of that sort. The main topics he covers are on the vanity of Americans, but he also covers doctors, dentist, therapists, hospitals, and a few others things. Horace starts out by discussing the Nacirema shrine. The shrine is where the Nacirema worship themselves. This is obviously a bathroom. Since this is poking fun at Americans vanity, wherever people focus their time on cleaning and grooming and pampering themselves would be their shrine. How many shrines you have, and how nice your shrine is, is determined by how much money you have. Every Nacireman at least has one though. The Nacireman’s think the body is ugly and disease and dies if they don’t take care of it so performing these â€Å"ceremonies† are important and dire to survival and acceptance. Now two parts of the shrine that are most important are this charm box or  chest that is built into the wall, and the font that is under this charm box/chest. We know these things as a medicine cabinet and the sink that is underneath. Our water supposedly comes from some magical water temple where a priest makes it pure with ceremonies, which as we know our water is provided by our local water company who cleanse and treats it to make it full of chemical or pure by American standards. Now in this charm box I mentioned before are tons of charms and potions and things, which Nacirema believe they can’t live without, and they have so many that they don’t even know what all of them are for anymore. Well since the charm box is a medicine cabinet then we can safely assume that these charms are medicines, specifically prescription medicine. We know they are prescription medicines because they get them from the medicine men. Medicine men are just simply doctors. We must pay our doctors to get medicine and their services. In the paper he describes this as giving the medicine men gifts. In real life I hear all the time that you cannot read doctors writing especially on prescriptions and its comical that Horace writes that they write in a secret language that only the pharmacist can read, well, the herbalist as he puts it. As I said before he also writes about dentist and therapist, or what he calls â€Å"the holy-mouth-men† and â€Å"the listeners†. Since oral hygiene is something that is crucial in the Nacirema the holy-mouth-men are very important. Their ceremony described sound like a scene from the movie â€Å"Saw† but in all reality it is nothing more than getting a cavity filled. When he talks about the therepist he talks about how they expel the demons from your head but in reality they help get rid of your bad thoughts. The way he puts it though it makes it seem like they just listen and that’s it, that they serve no real purpose. Horace then goes on to describe several other things that ill describe briefly. He calls hospital, â€Å"Latipso†, and he talks about how crazy it is that the Nacireman even their people there because how horrible the care is. He makes some decent points but for the most part is just more crazy tribal exaggeration. He writes again how the Nacirema just basically hate their  bodies, and if their fat then they don’t eat and eat a bunch if they are skinny. He talks about boobs how they are either too big or too small and how girls get implants. He also says that some girls with implants show them off to make a good living, a.k.a strippers. Then the last topic he talks about is sex and how were not supposed to talk about it and we try to prevent it but conception is still high (I mean that’s totally true.weve all seen teen mom). â€Å"It is hard to understand how they have managed to exist so long under the burdens which they have imposed upon themselves. But even such exotic customs as these take on real meaning when they are viewed with the insight provided by Malinowski when he wrote â€Å"Looking from far and above, from our high places of safety in the developed civilization, it is easy to see all the crudity and irrelevance of magic. But without its power and guidance early man could not have mastered his practical difficulties as he has done, nor could man have advanced to the higher stages of civilization.†Ã¢â‚¬ (Miner) This part of the paper is what the whole paper is making fun of. This piece of satire is how americans view other cultures. We often say the same, that it a surprise that they’ve made it this far. I think America has made a little too complex in some aspect and parts of our life’s are burdens. Our lives here in America are not perfect and our customs defenatly a ren’t either, so to judge another culture that is at least mildly surviving is wrong. We cannot sit back and judge cultures that use â€Å"magic† because as the quote says, it is from these cultures that Americans came from. References Miner, H. (1956, June). â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema† Retrieved from https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/miner.html#anchor876436

Storytelling Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Storytelling Reflection - Essay Example He used a hurriedly set up apparatus to experiment ether on a patient. Subsequently, the novel technique was used to revolutionize the practices of surgeons (Relief of Pain and Suffering, 2). I think it is intriguing to find out the true stories behind medicine and how they came about, leave alone the discovery itself, but also the experimental results of such discoveries. Most of the conclusions of medical researchers are highly exaggerated and misleading. This makes it imperative to do an in-depth research into the real discoveries and experiments that led to the commercialization of a given medicine, for this instance, anesthesia. Personal judgment is more reliable that a misleading medical researchers conclusion (The Atlantic, 2). My initial process of preparing involved research on the intended topic. Background research involved Horace Wells and William Morton, who co-discovered anesthesia. The core research on the topic was on the Anesthesia experiments performed by the two ancient dentists. Listeners responded to my story with other stories, on the tacit part they knew, which led to a better understanding (Sharing Knowledge, 3). Story telling played a key role in sharing knowledge and boosted the learning and hearing likelihoods. Through the use of questions that are provocative, listeners got to give their honest experiences with the Anesthesia. Participants from diverse backgrounds teamed up to create an interesting dynamics (Sharing Knowledge,

COMPARISON OF 2 ORGANISATIONS IN THE CASE STUDIES Essay

COMPARISON OF 2 ORGANISATIONS IN THE CASE STUDIES - Essay Example Barking Engineering (BE), established in the United Kingdom, maintains a much more developed managerial hierarchy, with this firm utilising a more traditional organisational structure built on managerial competencies and sizeable layers of management. BE assessed its internal environment, proposing the creation of various self-managed teams in order to improve plant functions. Despite BE leaderships best intentions, turnover ratios are high in this firm whilst employee motivation to perform is dismally low. These two distinctly opposite firms have adopted considerably different organisational hierarchies and have exhibited radically-different viewpoints regarding perceived employee competency. This paper will describe three elements of organisational philosophies: Teamworking, organisational design and organisational culture. Each of these business methodologies will be compared in relation to both Semco and Barking Engineering in order to determine which organisation has provided the most beneficial internal system of business. Semcos CEO, Ricardo Semler, heralds his business success as a profitable company, citing its liberal policies on democratic employee systems as a primary driver for its sustained success in its industry. Semco cites a significant initiative to remove unnecessary layers of management at the firm, allowing employees to work in relatively unmanaged teams whereby the employee-led groups undertake responsibility for virtually all elements of the business from product design to final product delivery. This system provides employees with an enhanced motivation to perform to company expectations, whilst experiencing autonomous work environments which allow employees to practically mould their own job descriptions. Semco has provided information pointing toward an organisation which has experienced tremendous success under liberal

Global Perspective of a Nursing Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Perspective of a Nursing Theory - Essay Example ry by Selye as well as Lararus writing on coping and stress are all great inspirations, which influenced the birth of the theory of systems by Neuman. It was based on many assumptions, which include that every individual client’s system is distinct and unique. There exist very many stressors, which are universal while other universally known while others are still unknown. Particular interrelationships by variables in a client determine the level of defense that a patient enjoys from a particular line of defense. Environmental factors are major influences to the evolution of the lines of defense as described previously. Lines of resistance explain the uniqueness of individual clients capacity to challenge and take defense against the stressors. Primary prevention strategies define the possible or the actual risk factors that are associated to individual client condition. The secondary factors provides the practitioner with direction to address the outcome of a particular treat ment administered to a particular client in regard to stress. The tertiary level on the other hand explains reconstitution adjustive processes to be adopted for addressing the stress and factor causes. However, bottom line to the theory is that the client system is quite dynamic and involves constant exchange of energy between the client and the environment. A client system according to this theory is the depiction of the interplay of the internal and environmental factors as variables to individual person. Selection of a Nursing theory and reasons for selection The selection of this theory for discussion in this paper has been influenced by various factors. The theory has been in application in nursing discipline in the understanding that an individual client is a person as at the bottom line... This essay approves that the systems theory as developed and used by the theorist had basic conceptual framework in management of stress for the clients, which is associated for both internal and external factors. The internal factors are the inherent factors such as the disease conditions and as such, management of the stress resultant is best addressed from the perspective of treating the disease first. On the other hand, environmental factors such as would cause the diseases are blamed on causing the stress that is externally influenced. In this regard in addition, management of the stress by practicing nurses and the clients designing and application of lines of defense that span from appreciating these causative factors. This report makes a conclusion that theorist Betty Neuman is globally acknowledged as one of the most dynamic contributors to the nursing model based theories in the nineteenth century. She developed the conceptual framework through which the particular roles of nurses and the patients are defined concerning the management of stress. She derived her inspiration from various other works of philosophy, which had the inclination to understanding stress and the management. The client is depicted as a system, which comprises of psychological, physiological, social cultural, developmental as well as spiritual dimensions. In sum, the study reveals that Newman’s work in nursing has had great impact towards the universal discipline of nursing. Having great foundation in other theorists works, the theory of stress as developed by her have undergone great evolution over time and is most celebrated in changes notable in nursing research, education and curriculum development among other ar eas.

Court Administrator and his Problems in Organization Problems Essay - 1

Court Administrator and his Problems in Organization Problems - Essay Example Thus, I would suggest that there be a secret balloting to identify the decisions of the judges on certain matters then, a decision can be reached. One way to improve the communication throughout the organization is first identifying what type of communication does the organization need and prefer. There should also be activities that would be able to help the employees to release their stress. There are several activities that can be done, like, sports events. There can also be a welcome party for the incoming judge and a farewell for the outgoing. This can promote camaraderie among employees. I can solicit suggestions and ideas from Judge Cortez on what she thinks regarding the disputes among the employees. These are valuable insights that might be able to provide the court administrator with an initiative on how to solve the problems. For Judge Cortez’ successor, these proposals can be made so that s/he would be able to start or continue the reconciliation efforts among the offices of the court. 1. In a general way, discuss both the merits and difficulties posed by this case management approach. Relate your response to the general advantages and disadvantages of both the individual and the master calendar systems. One of the greatest advantages of the individual calendar system is that it is easier to pin down delay. One can easily match up to judges’ dockets to find out what are the developments of the cases, whether it is moving or not. On the other hand, the master calendar systems’ highlight is that judges who specialize in a specific phase of the proceedings can be allowed to handle such. Although both systems also carry disadvantages like for the individual calendar system the speed of the disposition of cases depends on the judges. For the master calendar system, the disadvantage lies in the lack of the way to see where the delay is.  

An Approach to Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An Approach to Morality - Essay Example They are self-conscious, reflecting on their past and future, on life and death. Before discussing them as good or bad it is essential to describe what do we mean by being "good" or "bad". (Gmez-Lobo, p. 1-3) I believe being good means to fulfill the criteria of morality, that is, the customs, habits, aims, and values adopted by a given society, or, stated differently, the quality of rightness or wrongness the society attributes to the acts and attitudes of an individual as these conform or fail to conform to prevailing custom. In a moral sense "Bad" is contrasted with "Good". If an orderly, rational universe is postulated, and particularly if it is assumed that there is an omnipotent and beneficent creator, the bad or evil disrupts the order and results in sorrow, distress, or calamity. In a derived sense, being bad is equated with any suffering or other misfortune. Its cause and what can be done about it are perennial philosophical and theological problems. (Cooley, p. 61-63) Observing the above criteria I believe that nature has created human beings with both negative and positive potentials. He is provided with all awareness of ethics and morality but, somehow, possesses a natural inclination towards bad deeds also. This tug-of-war between good and bad constitutes his life pattern and the ultimate end. Moreover, I have observed that these potentials of goodness and badness may be augmented or mitigated, unknowingly, due to the type of environment and brought up an individual comes across. No child is a born criminal or saint, but most definitely it's his type of environment and the kind of brought up given to him or her by the parents determine his negative or positive responds towards the society. David T. Lykken, a professor of psychology considers the psychopath as a hero and believes that "The psychopath and the hero are the twigs of same branch." He thinks so as both are comparatively daring. He believes such behaviors develop as a result of the t ype of brought up given to a child by his parents. (Akers and Lanier, p. 397-402) In my opinion human beings are not angels. Angels by nature are not inclined towards bad deeds or sins, but human beings have this natural inclination, which he mostly controls successfully but at times these negative desires overwhelms his positivity and compel him towards being bad, this is why, concept of crime has been a part of society ever since people began to live together in groups. Where there is involvement of human mind the potential of crime is there as it is rightly said by a British poet W. H. Auden that "Evil is unspectacular and always human and shares our bed and eats at our table". (Nietzsche & Kaufman, p.167) To conclude I would say that there cannot be love without the possibility of hate, or good without the possibility of evil. One cannot choose to excel unless there is the possibility of failure. To deny the possibility of moral evil is to deny human freedom. Yet in the exercise of freedom, innocent persons are maimed or killed. The consolation of the topic is that although evil is real, God does not will it and actually suffers with humankind, and that a person's faith in God's goodness will be vindicated in the life hereafter. In order to overcome evil people need to fight with the devil inside them instead of blaming and accusing others. Works Cited Akers, Timothy A.,

Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Essay

Environmental Literacy and Sustainability - Essay Example However, many economists disagree with this approach, claiming that constraints on the use of natural resources will inhibit the advancement of modern and creative societies (Allen, Tainter, & Hoekstra, 2003). It has been commented upon that the current discourse may be confounded by political biases, which serve only to limit the ability of societies to plan for a sustainable future (Allen, Tainter, & Hoekstra, 2003). It is generally conceded within the ecological community that there are limits to the human ability to produce and consume of the natural environment. Present research concerns are oriented at global unsustainable development and the threat to human survival within the 'earth household' (Allen, Tainter, & Hoekstra, 2003). From the research findings has arisen an emphasis on sustainability education, both at the academic level, and at the level of the every-day consumer or the corporate executive, all of whom are inter-connected systems of the global ecosystem called Earth. Hence, it is anticipated that this paper will; provide the reader with a reflective review of past and present human activities impact within ecological systems; extend the reader's insight into the core elements of biophysical ecology; inform teacher/researchers about ways to enhance sustainability education; and to contribute toward raising the awareness of consumers as to the critical need for sustainable lifes tyles, industry and economic-political institutions.First, this paper will review the definitions of terms common to sustainability discourse, such as environmental literacy and sustainability. Secondly, three popular theories of sustainability will be outlined. Next, the implications of these theories in regard to ecological education will by highlighted. Finally, a conclusion will synthesize the main points of this paper, present recommendations for future research directions, and emphasize the importance for ecological education in 21st century living. Landscaping the Discourse Environmental literacy Gaining momentum during the early 1970s, the concept and application of environmental literacy has achieved depth and comprehensiveness, and has been adopted into education systems of many industrial and developing nations (Goodland, 2002). In North America, over 1.5 million primary to secondary teachers deliver and participate in environmental education (EE) courses. As such, numerous models of how best to present new information regarding environmental behaviors have been developed. An emphasis is placed on positive engagement of the student will novel forms of new knowledge about ecosystem energetics and the value of biodiversity. However, it had been pointed out by Golley (1998) that, in general, North Americans are unable to articulate environmental knowledge that could be put to practical use such as protecting community health and natural resources, empowering people to live for a sustainable future. Ironically, the discrepancy between public support for EE, and actual sustai nable behaviors, has occurred for over three decades (Golley, 1998). Humans have been remiss in the application of environmental knowledge and some attribute this to a deep believe within industrial cultures that nature is an object to be used, exploited and profited from. Unfortunately, this mindset appears to be embedded across academic

Very womanly in behavior Essay Example for Free

Very womanly in behavior Essay Lina Wertmuller’s Swept Away original full title in Italy â€Å"Travolti da un Insolito Destino Nell Azzurro Mare dagosto† which means â€Å"By an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August†. The main setting of the movie was basically the ocean and the island where the two lead characters where stranded. The setting in the movie reflects a lot about the temperaments of the characters. It didn’t serve just a simple background but also speaks for itself and consequently telling a story. The vast blue ocean symbolizes power and beauty of Maria Angela Melato’s character. She is rich and beautiful. Just like the ocean, once you are under her vastness and beauty you cannot do anything but to sail by her command. The ocean is beautiful but also full of wrath. By a mere look, it is hard to predict what the ocean can do. It can destroy huge ships in a blink of the eye or it can give you a smooth cruise experience when it is serene. Very womanly in behavior. On the other hand, the island symbolizes domination. Whoever has access to resources dominates. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what happened to the characters of Giovanni and Maria Angela when they got stranded in the island. Since the character Maria Angela grew up rich and spoiled, she was not oriented to labor and hardship. However during her stay in the island she had to follow whatever the character of Giovanni wants since he has the resources. There were scenes in the movie when Maria Angela had to wash Giovanni’s clothes in exchange for food. In general, as aforementioned, the setting of the movie tells a story. The romantic sceneries of the dusk and dawn in the ocean view are very endearing. Somewhat telling that however wrathful a character something, there comes a point when it calms down shows love.

Explanation as to why projects fail Essay Example for Free

Explanation as to why projects fail Essay Lack of staff expertise Having the right members of staff is very crucial when running a project. Project mangers have to be extremely careful when employing members of staff, hiring people that do not know how to use tools during the development of a project can result in time consumption. Going over the budget If the project manager wastes more money then necessary, then how their project going to be able to continue, how will members of staff get paid, and where are they going to get the money for the tools that are needed. Project managers have to always be wary about how much money is being spent and to always keep track of their budget and avoid spending too much money. Insufficient details from client It is extremely important for the project manager to find out as many details as possible in order to create the product for them. If there are not enough details and the product is made, the client may not be satisfied and therefore the project has failed as well as the project manager. There are projects out there that do not give enough requirements which have led to cases where the developers of the project having no input from the client, and create a project that they believe is needed without them knowing anything about the business itself. When the project has then been given to the client, business users will then say that it does not do what is needed to be done. This is also connected to a lack of user involvement; a user has to always know exactly what they want and have the ability to specify it precisely. Not enough proper time to research and plan Before any project starts, planning has to always be taken place in order to prepare for the unexpected so that we can react quicker minimising any problems as much as possible. But if not enough time has been given to properly plan and also to research a product, that will only increase the risk of the project failing. Using the wrong kind of tools There are many different kinds of softwares that can be used for many different kinds of things. Using the wrong software can be almost impossible or difficult to do the project. For example to create a spreadsheet, Microsoft Excel will be needed. But if Microsoft FrontPage is provided, then it would be impossible to create the spreadsheet because FrontPage is used to make websites and WebPages, not spreadsheets. They can over-run (passed the deadline) If a project has passed its deadline, it has failed and the client will probably not be able to afford the project any longer and will terminate the project. Projects can pass the deadline simply because certain problems may have been very difficult to overcome and therefore time-consuming. Other things can also include members of staff not working full time or not working properly in the project. Poor communication People have to communicate with each other in order to know what is happening and what is going on. If people do not communicate with each other then how they will know if they are doing everything in the correct order and if everything is working perfectly in order for them to continue. It is extremely important that members of staff tell each other when to apply certain things or when to start creating little bits in order to make the project. Lack of User Involvement Everyone that has been hired to carry out the project must always be involved so that project can run as smoothly as planned. A lack of user involvement can prove to be fatal for any kind of project. Every user has to be involved otherwise nobody in the business will be committed to a system and may be also hostile to it. In order to have a successful project every single user has to be involved from the start of the project and continue to be involved throughout the whole development. Changes in the requirements. While a project is being developed, what can sometimes happen is that the client can suddenly decide to add more details to the production of the project, because of this happening many projects has failed simply because there was not enough time to finish the project due to the amount of time that it took to add those extra details. Long or Unrealistic Time periods Sometimes clients give project managers a ridiculous amount of time to finish a project when it is impossible because there maybe few members of staff, or not enough money to pay for tools that are needed to create the project. Project managers have to plan carefully how much time is needed to create a whole project, a manager will have to take in consideration how much members of staff are needed and for how much time. Managers have to also be aware of any unrealistic time periods, for example for a product to arrive or a specific tool or software. Waiting for tools to be delivered could take a week or more which could have an impact over the whole project. It is recommended that project managers review all project plans so that they will be able to see if they are all realistic before they proceed with anything. Poor Testing People that are developing projects will have to carefully test them and also test to see if it meets the business requirements. But testing can sometimes fail because of many faults, these can include:   Poor requirements   Tests not done properly or not at all   Trained users that do not know the purpose of the system   Insufficient time to perform tests as the project is late Bad decisions being made This can involve wrong decisions that have been made by the project manager. Bad decisions can normally happen if no planning has taken place and the project manager does things without any meaning or thinking about it, managers will need to carefully make any decision. An example of this could be hiring more staff then needed or buying more softwares then needed for the project. Reference details: http://www. adaptivepartners. com/projfailb. htm 22/09/09 http://www. coleyconsulting. co. uk/failure. htm 22/09/09 http://www. carlosconsulting. com/downloads/Reasons_why_projects_fail. pdf 06/10/09.

Financial Fraud Case Study: Stephen Richards

Financial Fraud Case Study: Stephen Richards Table of Contents Executive summary Problem Statement Company overview Case Analysis Questions A letter from prison Executive summary This case study is about the former global head of sales Stephen Richards at the Computer Associates, Inc. (CA), who is serving a seven year prison sentence for financial fraud. In addition to this, Stephen Richards responds to the number of the questions asked by the Eurenge Soltes about the responsibilities of the managers as well as the handling of the financial activities in a letter written to a graduate student. Moreover, Stephen Richards joined the Computer Associates, Inc. (CA) in the year 1988 immediately after graduating. He has achieved continuous promotions in the company throughout his time period in the Computer Associates. As, Stephen Richards gets prompted within two years’ time period after his joining to operate New Zealand’s and then promoted to the Australian site of the company. Stephen Richards becomes the vice president of the Pacific region and is a leading regional figure for the Computer Associates, Inc. (CA). The company has acquired various competitors as well as firms that are producing complementary software products during the time duration between 1980s and 1990s.In addition to this, the company has around 18,000 employees and subsidiaries in approximately in 100 countries in the late 1990s. The company recorded its NPVof the licensing contract in the quarter when the revenue recognition criteria are met in accordance with the GAAP regulations. Problem Statement Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA) is currently facing the problems related to the financial fraud allegations against the company.As, the company finds it more difficult to accurately forecast the revenues as well as earrings for each quarter of their sales targets. Company overview Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA) is founded by the Charles Wang in the year 1976 in order to meet the growing needs of the mainframe computing software for IBM computers. Moreover, the company offers a variety of products that include database, application and financial management software in order to meet the computing necessities of the businesses. The most of the software products are sold by the sales team of the Computer Associates to the clients who buy a license to use the product for a period between three to ten years. Additionally, Computer Associates provides the software updates and technical support to its clients during the period of licensing. The fee of the licensing charged by the Computer Associates to the clients increases with the length of the contract as well as each additional licensing year was priced lower as compared to the previous year in order to reflect software oldness. The amount of the fee that is charged by the company to its clients could be amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Computer Associates distributes the revenues to licensing fees as well as to usage and maintenance fees once the contract of the license between the company and the client is finalized. Mostly the 80% of the revenue is allocated to the licensing fee. The significant part of the company revenue is normally booked during the final week of the quarter. During each quarter the management sets internal sales targets for the sales team with the sales incentives are given to the immune pressure to meet these sales targets. The company showed huge growth during the 1990s, even with the challenges and pressures. Case Analysis The case analyzes the overall situation of the Computer Associates International Inc. (CA) related to the allegation about the financial fraud within the company by a few executives of the Computer Associates. The management of the company found it hard to forecast accurate results for the revenues and earnings for each quarter in the year. As, before the end of the quarter, the management of the company found it incompetent to warn the specialists about the unexpected shortfalls in the revenue. Additionally, the various larger contracts resulted in the shortfall in the revenue of the company’s products as these contracts are those that are close on the final day of the quarter. Due to the decrease in the revenue of the Computer Associates affected the stock price of the company that reduced the Computer Associates stock by 42%. There is an allegation about the company that is published in an article in the New York Times, and according to this, Computer Associates have excessively implemented the approach of aggressive accounting practices in order to boost the earnings. But there are several evidence that proves that all the accounting practices of the company are according to the generally accepted accounting principles. This allegation also gets the attention of the federal investigators who showed dissatisfaction with the internal investigation of the company. Due to this allegation the company has faced much criticism that greatly impact the standing of the Computer Associates (CA) and requires other ways to make investigation done efficiently so, the company hire the prestigious law firm in order to investigate more aggressively. It is determined from the investigation that the few employees of the Computer Associates (CA) had backdated the some of the contracts as well as it also appeared that the revenues related to such contracts had been recognized after the end of the quarter. While, the revenues linked with these software contracts must be recognized in the in the quarter in which the contract has been signed. Therefore, the three executives of the company are forced to give the resignations due to this improper revenue recognition. In addition to this, six executives along with the Richard are caught to be involved in the financial fraud due to which Richard the SEC filed a formal complaint against the Richards and at the same time he resigned from the Computer Associates International Inc. Questions: How serious were Stephen Richards’ actions? Why? Stephen Richards’s actions were extremely serious; Richard in his letter writes that his self and the CEO exerted significant pressures on their team to meet the goals that they had set for themselves; also Richard mentions that performance was measured by internal goals Stephen Richard’s actions are notably serious because he had knowledge of the wrongdoings and he was in a position to report it, but he chose not to. Richards’ action together with other CA’s executives seriously victimized the shareholders as they suffered enormous losses once the practices were revealed. Therefore, â€Å"Richard was ordered to pay $29 million in restitution.† (Weidlich)  manipulating Computer Associates’ quarter end cutoff to align CA’s reported financial results with market expectations by violating the generally accepted accounting principles and their financial reporting responsibilities. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Richards with other CA executives extended CA’s fi scal quarter, â€Å" instructed and allowed subordinates to negotiate and obtain contracts after quarter end while knowing, or recklessly disregarding the fact that, CA would improperly recognize the revenue from those contracts, and failed to alert CA’s Finance or Sales Accounting Department that CA salespersons that reported to Richards were obtaining contracts with backdated signatures dates after quarter end.† (Release) in accordance with the expectation set by outside parties, analyst community, specifically to meet Wall Street quarterly per-share earnings estimates, â€Å"a key to keeping a company’s stock price rising.Richards with the CEO allegedly met routinely and conferred with each other and with (CFO) during the week following the end of fiscal periods, including during the â€Å"flash period†, the three business days after the end of fiscal quarter, to determine whether CA had generated sufficient revenue to meet the quarterly projections, and closed CA’s books only after they determined that CA had generated enough revenue to meet the quarterly projections, this practice, which was sometimes referred to within CA as the â€Å"35-day month† or the â€Å"three-day window†, violated GAAP and resulted in the filing of materially false financial statements. The goal of the 35-day month was to permit CA to report that it met or exceed its projected quarterly revenue and earnings when, in truth, it had not. (DOJ) Referring to the Scheme to Defraud, Richard instructed CA sales managers and salespeople to negotiate and finalize additional license agreements, which were backdated to cover the fact that the agreements had been finalized after the end of the fiscal quarter. At the end, these actions led to â€Å"overly aggressive accounting practices† to boost CA’s reported earnings and the managerial use of discretion to greatly influence reported earnings was not only used by Richards’, but it had become a company-wide practice. As Mark Director of the SEC’s Northeast Regional Office, said about CA’s fraud â€Å"Like a team that plays on after the final whistle has blown, Computer Associates kept scoring until it had all points needed to make every quarter look like a win.† (Wharton) As the result, CA fraudulently recorded and reported in the earlier quarter revenue associated with the backdated agreements. Stephen Richard’s actions are notably serious because he had knowledge of the wrongdoings and he was in a position to report it, but he chose not to. Richards’ action together with other CA’s executives seriously victimized the shareholders as they suffered enormous losses once the practices were revealed. Therefore, â€Å"Richard was ordered to pay $29 million in restitution.† (Weidlich) 2. If Computer Associates achieved the same financial results through GAAP flexibility, does your answer to question 1 change? No, with the flexibility of GAAP the risk of manipulation was that CA could have more likely made reporting mistake that would lead to legal problems and enormous losses. As long as the CA’s executives including Richards had the intention of wrongdoing actions they would cause massive losses to the shareholders of the company and to the SEC. Though such manipulations and fraud resulted CA to payback â€Å"$225 million for the purposes of compensating shareholders for losses arising out of the company’s criminal conduct.† (DOJ) Seeing that, the evidence and investigation on Computer Associates shows that the CA didn’t make false transaction and actual transaction and business deal had happened, but the problem of fraud was that CA’s executives were backdating the agreements in order to prematurely recognize revenue from contracts that had not yet been executed by both CA and its customers in violation of GAAP. Under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), four conditions were required to be met in order for revenue associated with a software license agreement to be recognized: 1- persuasive evidence of an arrangement was required to have existed, 2- delivery of the licensed products was required to have occurred, 3- the license fee was required to have been fixed or determinable, 4- the collectability of the license fee was required to have been probable. 3. Suppose you were placed in Stephen Richards’ position at computer Associates and were under pressure to extend the fiscal quarter. How would you handle the situation differently? What would be the expected consequences? I would not have extended the fiscal quarters of knowingly or encourage the backdating of agreements, regardless of the overwhelming pressures by the Wall Street estimates which Richard points to analyst community in his letter. CA regularly issued public predications at the outset of each fiscal quarter of the revenue and earnings it expected to earn during that quarter. Based on these predictions, professional stock analyst estimated what they believed would be CA’s total revenue during the period and predicted the earnings per share of CA stock. CA’s executives including Richards understood that CA’s failure to meet or exceed the consensus estimate for a quarter would likely result in a substantial decrease in the company’s stock price. (NY) I think too much emphasis was placed on the achieving financial gains improperly, for Richards and other members of management, without planning the proper ethical and legal strategy necessary to achieve CA’s goals for success. Performance measurement was a key level of concern in this case which alerted the key ingredients for financial statement fraud and fraud triangle. The sales managers and salespeople were used as enablers to negotiate and finalize additional license agreement while keeping the accounting books open after the end of the fiscal quarter. Richard also emphasizes on the â€Å"compensation is important, but the recognition of your performance is sometimes even more important. Actually, according to Richard in his email he writes that â€Å"we have created a performance driven culture without the necessary control framework for people to operate within† this shows that there was no real structure as far as milestones for growth. That is how CA pushed as much as to reach its goal of estimated earnings regardless of considering any rule or regulation type of culture attitude, which led CA to tragic results relating from poor decision making and lack of organizational structure and control. Instead CA could have placed better accounting controls to recognize and issued realistic and accurate public predications at the outset of each fiscal quarter of the revenue and earnings it expected to earn during that quarter, this way they would have not faced the legal troubles that they led themselves to. Even in such a situation for a healthy company to minimize the risk of this downward slide is encouraging and protecting whistleblowers. That way, problems ar e addressed internally- well before they become big enough to drag the entire company over the cliff.

The Stereotypical Marshall of the West :: American History Essays

The Stereotypical Marshall of the West The west was a rough and rugged era that needed taming. It was a time of outlaws, gunfights, and cowboys. Some sort of order had to be enforced so that the west could become a productive safe place for everyone. The best way for that to happen was to bring in law enforcement. Someone to be in charge and make things run smoothly. Matt Dillon from the show Gunsmoke was the answer to this problem. He brought balance to the west. Dillon was the Marshall to the city of Dodge. He had all of the characteristics that a Marshall would need to possess in order to keep a city like Dodge to run without too many problems. Dillon was so good at what he did because he was cautious, caring, and honorable. One of the most important characteristics of a lawman back in the western days was to be cautious. Without caution one could get oneself in a lot of trouble. Matt Dillon made sure to show caution in everything he did. He portrayed that in all of his episodes of Gunsmoke. In the episode Crack Up he had to show a large amount of caution. Matt Dillon was faced with an outlaw. A man who was hired specifically to kill people. Marshall Dillon had a few run-ins with the man before he found out the outlaw was after him. Dillon made sure he knew were the outlaw was at all times and personally kept a close watch on him. Being cautious ended up saving his life. The episode ended with a gunfight between Dillon and the outlaw. Matt already new what was going to happen and was prepared for the event because he had been cautious and made sure he new the where a bouts of the outlaw. While being cautious Marshall Dillon had a soft side to him. As the lawman of the area he had to show a tough exterior but inside he was a caring guy. In the episode Kitty Lost Ms. Kitty disappears and no one knows were she has gone. After finding out that she had not shown u for any of her appointments that day Marshall Dillon went out looking for her with his partner Chester. When they found her Dillon did not get mad at her for disappearing but just made sure she was okay and did not ask a lot of questions about what had happened.

Nebular Time :: essays papers

Nebular Time Log Date, 2490 We’re traveling past the new system Plutonomy at Warp 2. I have been informed that there is a new nebula forming past the 6th planet. They say there is valuable plasma gas inside. My plan is to be the first there to collect it all and sell it so I can stop wandering in space. Log date, 2492 Two more days have passed and my co-pilot and I have been hearing about a race to be the first there. We are in the lead and shouldn’t have a problem getting there. I have also decided that I should get some new food on board. The coffee from the replicators is getting old. Log date, 2495 The nebula is now in sight. George, my co-pilot, has decided that it will be best if we drop some of our extra knick knacks so we can hold more gas. I agree. Who really needs 1000 co-processors that are 15 years old? Log date, 2499 Today we reach the nebula. I have decided to start collecting plasma. END LOG â€Å"George, if you don’t mind, hand me that extra co-linear compressor.† â€Å"No problem, Captain,† he responded.I have told myself time and time again that capturing gas is a stupid thing to do, but when you’re a vagabond like me, taking risks is what sets you free. George has said that he has gotten some strange electrostatic readings coming from this nebula, but we have ignored them. Right now we are working on compressing the plasma gas we have collected.â€Å"Captain, come quick and look at this!† George yelled. The readings are off the scale; it looks like some charge has gotten into our EPS relays. â€Å"George, get back quick! It’s going to blow!† I screamed. We both turned and†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.I was abruptly awakened. I looked up and saw that I was in a shabby, square looking room. I could recall seeing something of this nature in my history book. Suddenly an odd looking lady walked in. I quickly said, â€Å"Hello, do I know you?† â€Å"Ahhhh! Who, what†¦ what are you doing in my house, lady?† she asked. â€Å"First of all, I’m not a lady. My name is Mr. Jumpers, and if I knew what I was doing here, I would tell you. Just a few minutes ago, I was in my ship collecting gas,† I replied.

The Brain & Its Functions

Opening Notes: * Interest and research in the brain is at an all-time pace The cure for some common diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis has accelerated the efforts of many scientists * Many of the names for the parts of the brain have come from Latin and Greek words * The easiest way to learn about the brain is to look at it as three divisions; the hindbrain, the midbrain and the forebrain * Modern imaging has allowed us to study the brain and locate where important functions are occurring * Functions do not happen in just one area of the brainMany neural layers and areas are found in any one activity that happens. * Some areas do appear to be predominantly involved in certain functions. The hindbrain: * The hindbrain is located where the spinal cord goes into the cranium * The first area that we see if the medulla. It is the swelling at the tip of the spinal cord. * It is concerned with all of our automatic functioning, such as breathing, h eart rate and swallowing medulla: controls all involuntary responses * reticular formation: regulates sleep and wakefulness reticular formation: regulates sleep and wakefulnessInside the medulla is the reticulum activation system It is concerned with arousal, attention and sleep * The second part of the hindbrain that we see is the cerebellum Is sometimes called the small brain cerebellum: controls coordinated motor activity e. g when you first learn to ride a bike, you have to think about everything you do. After you learn to ride a bike, it becomes totally automatic, and that is because of the cerebellum * The next part that we see is the ponsPons means bridge in Greek and that’s exactly what the pons is * It is a bridge taking in all of our sensory information and taking it to the cortex to be interpreted. pons: the bridge from brainstem to cortex The midbrain: * The midbrain takes all of the incoming neural information and channels it to the correct part of the cortex to be interpreted. * It is also involved in muscle tone and helps in sleep, wakefulness and attention. The forebrain: * It is the most complicated part of the brain, and it is what separates us as human beings from other animals. When we first look inside the skull, what we see is the cerebrum. * The cerebrum is composed of two parts called hemispheres; the right side and the left side * The outer covering of the cerebrum is called the cortex * It is made up of what is called convolutions – the worm-like structures that you see when you look at the brain convolutions: folds in the brain that store memories * We can look at the cortex in another way and divide the cortex into four sections called lobes; function of the lobe is to interpret information coming in from our senses cortex: surface layer of brainLobes: * Located in the back of the head is the occipital lobe. * The occipital lobe processes visual information, or what we see. occipital lobe: interprets visual information * Coming to the top of the head is the parietal lobe. * The parietal lobe processes information on pain, touch, temperature and pressure parietal lobe: interprets temperature, pain, pressure and touch * Located on the sides of our head, right above our ears, are the temporal lobes. * The temporal lobes process auditory information, emotion, and have a part in memory temporal lobe: interprets auditory information Located right above our forehead is our frontal lobe; it is the largest part of the cortex and the part of our brain that makes us human. * It is involved in speech production, logical and rational thought, and has the ability to understand and plan the future. frontal lobe: controls speaking, thought and future planning * There are two areas behind the frontal lobe. * The first one is the motor cortex and it interprets our muscular sensations. motor cortex: controls voluntary movements Right behind it is the sensory cortex and it is the part of the cortex that tries to coo rdinate all of the information coming in from all of our senses. sensory cortex: processes body sensations Inside of the cerebrum is the limbic system: * The limbic system is a primitive part of the cerebral cortex. It is made up of several parts that have a function in the everyday working of the brain * The first part is the corpus callosum. corpus callosum: connects the hemispheres of the brain * It is a band of nerve fibers that hold the right and left hemisphere together. It allows the right side of our brain to know what the left side is doing, and the left side to know what the right side is doing. * The second structure is the thalamus. The thalamus is sort of a relay center of the brain. * It takes in all of the sensory information and takes it to the cortex to be interpreted, and takes it from the cortex back to the spinal cord to get back to the body. thalamus: relay station for visual, auditory and somatosensory information * The next part is the hypothalamus. The hypoth alamus controls all of our drives and tries to maintain homeostasis; homeostasis is an equilibrium at which our body functions best. hypothalamus: controls drives such as hunger, thirst and sex * The next structure is the hippocampus. * The hippocampus is very important in the processing of our short-term memories into long-term memories. * This is the part of the brain that is first attacked by the disease Alzheimer’s. * The hippocampus also helps us in facial recognition. hippocampus: stores short term memories and takes them to long term memories * The next part is the amygdala. The amygdala adds emotion to memory. * It also has a direct role in the formation of our memories. amygdala: holds emotion and emotion laden memories Located inside our frontal lobe are two areas that help in our speech production: * The first is Broca’s area. For most people, all right-handed people, and most left-handed people, Broca’s area is located in the left hemisphere. Brocaâ €™s area: controls our ability to speak * This allows us to speak. It coordinates what we want to say with our tongues and our muscles. The next area is located a little bit behind Broca’s area more toward the temporal lobe is Werniche’s area. * Werniche’s area allows us to understand what is spoken to us. Werniche’s area: creates the understanding of written and spoken language Lateralization in Epilepsy Patient: * Patients with severe epilepsy have allowed us to discover another important concept about our brains. * To help severe epileptics when drugs failed, a dramatic operation was performed and it involved cutting the corpus callosum. Separating the hemispheres allows the seizures to be localized and not spread from hemisphere to the other. Split-brain patients learn that the hemispheres will have distinct, different functions; this is called lateralization. Hemispheres: * The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body. * It also coordi nates our language abilities because it has both Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area in it. * The left side is also the logical, rational brain and excels in such areas as science and math. left hemisphere: controls language, logic and sequential tasks * The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body. It excels in spatial abilities. * It is our artistic and musical part of our brain. It also has a function in detecting and emoting emotions. * In all but split-brain patients, we use all of our brains and both hemispheres since they communicate with each other. * The right hemisphere knows what is happening in the left hemisphere, and the left hemisphere knows what’s going on in the right hemisphere. right hemisphere: controls spatial-visual tasks, facial recognition and creativity Extra Keywords (NEED TO KNOW THESE): * septum: controls and create rageful behavior * cerebrum: the largest part of the brain divided into two hemispheres

Strategy Non Market Environments

Strategic Management in Non-market Environments 05/11 – 06/11. Cheetah / Hyena video ? Analogues to business world o Make kill, but can you hold when scavengers come o Eat fast if you’re a cheetah ? Value Creation o Economic Activity ? Value Capture o Power, Leverage Companies you create (value you create) must be cognizant of game to come (value capture) Boeing ? Site distribution throughout US, most Congressional districts o Helps when applying / bidding for contracts o Decision making process in Congress ? If only worried about â€Å"capturing an antelope† (market environment), wouldn’t design locations for supply chain this way ?Recognizing hyenas (non-market environment effects) o How to ensure capture value o Spread out across country (multiple congressional districts) o Helps with getting funding (congressionally directed contracts) ? GM locations are more concentrated o Operationally makes more sense, politics weren’t controlling decision ma king o However, when GM needs something from Government, may be in worse position than Boeing Wal-Mart ? Not in bigger cities o Local players (protected), politics can block entry o How negotiate, work around? Market vs.Nonmarket Environment ? Market transactions are typically consensual and bilateral o Voluntary, fundamental 1:1 (bilateral negotiations between parties) ? Nonmarket transactions are rarely consensual and are almost always multilateral ? Market environment focuses on economics ? Nonmarket environment combines political science, psychology and ethics. Integrated, Managerial Strategy ? Goal as a Manager is to integrate Market and Non-market strategy Four I’s (way to analyze situation) ? Issues ? Interests ? Institutions ? Information Diebold Case ?Risks (reputational, new technology) o Can we create Ballot Security service arm, to help solve problem and also create profitability for firm? ? Quality issues ? Communication / marketing plan ? Reach out to political parties, special interest groups ? Diebold should have known Bev Harris, taken her call ? Diebold files suit under DMCA (may not have been best idea in non-market environment) o Protecting access to information becomes worldwide cause ? Politics is unstable o Have to be farsighted o Can not be myopic, take short term view ? Pays to set the genda (want to be the one who makes theproposal) o Proposal helps define the winners and losers o Want to be the agenda setter Observations on Nonmarket Strategy & Analysis ? Issues generate nonmarket competition ? Market rivals can be nonmarket allies; coalitions can be effective ? Your choice of objectives determines who is aligned with and against you ? Alignments of interests are often issue-specific ? Business can represent those who would otherwise be unrepresented ? Institutional features matter; e. g. , Federal versus State jurisdiction ?When attempting to stop an issue, proposing better alternatives is often effective o Bring other intere sts into play ? If there is a problem for you at the company level (e. g. , appearance of corruption), then form coalitions and work on behalf of coalition o J&J – partner with other pharmaceutical, healthcare orgs, activist groups (help assure people are not acting in corrupt fashion, but for greater public good) o Can expand to not just specific industry, but all businesses in area (e. g. , chamber of commerce), etc. ? When thinking about coalitions ask: who benefits from my success on this issue?Goal of Course ? Don’t accept that rules are fixed (â€Å"rules are not fixed†) o But think about is there a way that we can change the rules to benefit the company o Don’t miss opportunity to change b/c have not considered ? Politics is about public good, but also fundamentally about â€Å"redistribution† o How can set strategy to affect positively for our organization ? Complication of Politics o People are motivated to go to voting booth on moral conc erns along with economic o Sometimes issues that can be large motivators may not have as large an impact as other concernsLuxury Tax Case ? 1990; Tax was introduced on luxury items o Huge political fight, tiny revenue generator (not important in context of trying to balance the federal budget) ? Why was the tax introduced if will not have large impact? ? May have just been for the perception; create impression that care about fairness in way that doesn’t create large new taxes for parties ? Core constituents feel that they â€Å"care about values they run on† ? May have been to help â€Å"reelection problem† ?Opposed to tax: consumers of luxury goods, manufacturers of luxury items, retailers of foreign luxury items ? Supporters of Luxury Tax: foreign manufacturers of boats, people who don’t buy luxury items, domestic manufacturers of luxury cars, manufacturers of substitutes for luxury items, some NGOs (anti-fur, anti-diamong) o Not an accident that bill does not apply to GM (b/c GM was on committee working on bill) ? When make predictions in the political arena, are going to ask: o Who are important interest groups, who will have power on the issue ?Large number of voters ? Wealth / contributions / participation of group ? Do you have connections with key members of Congress? ? Distribution of voters ? Ability to get media attention (celebrities, experts) ? Is the group organized? o Who has power, who has incentives? ? Can go a long way to making predictions once have the details of the situation ? What determines the incentives for action? o Magnitude of benefits will receive ? As a group ? As individuals (per capita) ? Substitutes and Opportunity cost ? How does this compare to other issues ?Expected Return on Effort ? (how much work will take / what is expected impact) ? Potential reputational costs ? Luxury Tax Coalition ? Yachts – Not as many manufacturers, not as well distributed (concentrated in states like Rhode Isla nd, smaller state) ? Foreign manufacturers are not voters – poor position when entering country ? Cross of manufacturers (Horizontal across Rent Chains) – Airplanes, Boats o Distributed Politics Spreadsheet, Cemex case ? ? ? See spreadsheet for Distributed Politics notes Modified Lowi Matrix Cemex case notes on handouts

Live Theatre Review

The actors and director of The â€Å"Woman In Black† had complete power and control over the audience's reactions and emotions. For our Drama GCSE we went to see â€Å"The Woman in Black†, on Monday 1st December 2003. The play was showing at the Fourtune theatre and was based on a book by Susan Hill; which was adapted by Stephen Mallatratt. The â€Å"Woman In Black† is about a middle aged solicitor called Arthur Kipps, who years earlier had lost an infant son following some eerie incidents in an English town. In hopes of getting rid of his personal demons and ghosts, he approaches a young actor to turn his written account into a theatre piece (re-enactment.) It shows all of the happenings with a recently deceased woman called Alice Drableau and her remote, mysterious house. The play explores the issues of the supernatural and things beyond the human world, such as ghosts and things that are invisible to the human eye; created by mime and the actors and audience's imagination. I think that the play and the actors explored these issues very well, but I am not sure if they were explored in a believable way. I thought that the first half of the play was quite slow, tedious, and we weren't drawn in so there wasn't any control over us whilst watching it. However, when the play reached the second half the pace started to pick up, and tension was created, which drew us in and gave the actors control over our reactions. It was remarkable how far people in the audience were willing to go with their imaginations. They seemed to be really involved with the performance; I think that to a certain extent we all were. The play was structured with flashbacks and crosscutting which gave us a more in depth understanding of what had happened in the past to effect the future. The actors took us on a journey with them in whichever time they were in. We knew what time they were in, as the actors clicked their fingers towards the lighting technician each time. At first it didn't seem to be part of the performance, later on when it occurred again it was clear that this was a repeated action and was necessary to the play. When actually thinking about it they were actors, acting as though they were acting a re-enactment. Quite confusing I thought. The lights changed from being bright when in the present, to being dim; and almost seemed like sepia tones to give that more ancient feel when in the past. I don't think that this was done as well or creative as it could have been. The clicking to me just seemed odd and something that didn't belong in the play, even though I can understand what they were trying to do. The lighting technician brought us back to reality and removed us from the performance; it drew us back out from the tense gripping story. The tension that was built up before these points suddenly dropped and then tension tried to build up again after that point. The actual changes between times eras was very fast, it was almost like there was a sudden change in tempo for that spilt second. The structure of the stage also affected the amount of space used by the characters. In the first half of the play we only saw half of the stage. The basic layout of it was rather boring. There wasn't much space for anything and the layout just wasn't interesting or eye-catching at all. As the play moved into the second half, the other part of the stage was revealed to us. It was an exciting change that spiced things up a bit. They suddenly had so much more space to work with. The â€Å"Woman in Black† has two main characters. Arthur Kipps played by Paul Stewart and the young actor who is actor Matt Holland. There was also the shadowed â€Å"Woman in Black† (Who is Alice Drableau the deceased,) although she didn't have a huge role in the play. The two main actors portrayed many characters, with the usage of costume and their vocal techniques and tones of voices. I thought that they portrayed the different characters quite well but it definitely wasn't believable for me personally. The actors changed costume in front of us (the audience), which once again drew us away from the drama. In my eyes. Once again, I realise that this was part of the piece, and if you think of it as an actual play, it was a great technique to use. I just found it rather off putting when I was actually getting into the drama; I realised that we weren't seeing the story, we were seeing people tell us and re-enact the story. Some of the two men's movements were very interesting and engaged us in the performance. Mr Kipps didn't really use much movement when narrating. On the other hand when he took on the role of other characters and the young actor played a younger version of Mr Kipps, they used movement to the best of their ability. An example would be a simple motion of a horse and cart. The two characters mimed this very well in a believable way, showing how they would be when on a real horse. A great bit of movement that I found really effective, was when they pretended to be on a train. The actors were really aware of the space and objects around them. For example they used 2 briefcases as doors and a couple of chairs as seats, when walking through the imaginary train and we could tell instantly what it was. One of the men walked sideways along to show the compact space on a train, the two men also sat diagonal from each other which gave us the impression that there could have been more people on t he train. The woman in black definitely had the ultimate power over the other characters reactions, and over us. She moved silently in and out drifting along in an almost Godley fashion and She made it look as though the dark stage was her shadowed sky; she was swooping down and scaring the prey. We were the prey, and we were shocked, in fact some people did let their emotions get the better of them. She wore pinnacled headgear, under a black veil. The black costume seemed as though it was to symbolise death and possibly evil. I would say that the actors had partial control over the audience and controlled the tension and atmosphere. The blackouts and lighting also helped create the woman in black's fast movement on the rocking chair; she was furious, focused and very creepy in a psychotic sort of way. This drew us in further. A rocking chair normally moves slowly and contains a nice old person maybe knitting. It came as a huge shock when this happened, because it was such a huge contrast. There were two moments where there was a huge amount of control on the audience. The young actor approached a door this was concealed before and as it is now in light we are intrigued to know what is behind it. There was a lot of tension at this point and the use of pauses made the intense slow hand movements towards the door quite nerve-wracking. It was surprising how much this affected people. A great moment of tension which created a really strong atmosphere was when the young actor who was pretending to be Mr Kipps was sleeping. There was a long empty silence and a complete blackout. This was a moment that was really tense, we the audience were also in a total blackout, so they were putting us in the same situation. We were under control, as we couldn't see anything, so we didn't really know what was going on or what was going to happen. We were really involved. The actor also used a torch in the audience, whilst the whole room was black. The light was shone all around the audience, kind of like a spotlight. This whole moment, reminds me of childhood and being scared of the dark. Set, lighting, props and special effects I feel were all necessary to create a real sense of atmosphere. There were quite a few sound effects, to try and make the play seem as real as possible. Not only that, but some of the sound effects seemed to be symbolic. The sound of crows at the Graveyard, I'm sure this is a bad omen, death and a sign of evil. The sound of a rocking chair, which sounded like a heartbeat racing, to build tension and suspense. A double use. A music box in the Childs room, so innocent, yet the music seemed quite creepy when in the dark. Lots of them seemed to symbolise childhood, the innocence, and good. Because we knew what was going on and it was dark and tense, that goodness seemed almost possessed by evil. I thought that the sets were great and were concealed very well behind the gauze. It helped them to change the environment and setting quite efficiently without us knowing. From a graveyard which was furniture covered in white sheets maybe to symbolise ghosts, or when a person is dead them being covered in a sheet to be concealed. A sense of age and death. We saw the old house, which was covered in sheets again, kind of like an old house that hasn't been lived in for years, derelict. They created long stairs for the characters to run up and down, that for me seemed to create a gradual build to something. There must have been something at the top of the stairs. Also a child's room. A sweet little room, distorted from the innocence of it as soon as the woman in black steps in it. The play ended at a climactic cliff-hanger and it was gradually built up to a high point of tension. I personally didn't find it a fear-provoking piece of drama although I know others did, and I can understand how it happened. People were sucked into the drama and its world and certain things didn't remove them from it. I felt that all of the clicking and the people in the audience screaming just distracted me too much for me to actually enjoy it. I thought that they made a great effort with only two actors, it must have been a lot of hard work, and it used lots of great techniques. They definitely used role play a lot, when becoming different characters and acting out their situations. Marking the moment, using sound and light to emphasis something, such as the immensely tense movement towards the door; will he open it won't he? Clear usage of crosscutting to show us different times they also used different lighting to show this. Narration, this kept informing us of what was going o n, Mr Kipps was telling us the story. I think that the playwright wrote the play to make the audience think about death, how it is a time of isolation. Maybe to make us remember a time when we were scared, something that everyone can relate to. Fear. I think he also wanted to tell a story that would excite people and to bring the typical ghost story to the 2lst century. People enjoy being scared because they get to use their imagination. Most of the play just really reminded me of childhood memories, something that everyone in the audience could relate to. Being scared of the darkness, that children's room with the music coming from a doll, the excitement of discovering something, bag loads of curiocity.This was why we felt so involved, small parts of the play would have related to us as the audience. We all know it is safe environment/ atmosphere, and that the play isn't real life, but there is still that sense of danger. The thrill of not knowing something. The idea that we have all been scared in our lives, something that we can relate to. The thing is that I thought most things were just too predictable. We knew something was going to happen, we could kind of guess what would happen; we just didn't know when it would happen.