Financial Crises Presentation PowerPoint Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Financial Crises - PowerPoint Presentation Example The purpose of this study is to explain the main types and causes of crises in financial markets and analyse the responses (such as quantitative easing QE) to them by the governments. The types of financial crisis can be primarily classified into banking crisis, international financial crisis, wider economic crises, and speculative bubbles and crashes. Crisis in banks occur due to sudden withdrawals by depositors probably due to unexpected panic looming over the market. The basic business model in any bank will reveal that the main earnings of the bank are generated from the difference between interest earned from investment in profitable projects and the interest paid on deposits. As the banks lend out the majority portion of cash they receive on deposits in avenues of optimum investment, any sudden demand for pull back of money by the depositors will make the bank insolvent because of the fact that no banking organisation has the liquidity to repay their demand and time deposits at the same time. This causes some customers to lose their money on deposits and the panic quickly spreads over the market causing depositors in other banks to pullout money from banks. This creates a cyclical chain reaction in the financial markets that adversely affects investor sentiments and thereby creating banking financial crisis. This phenomenon is also called the ‘bank run’. Example of such banking financial crises or bank run includes the Northern Rock bank run in 2007 and the legendary run on banks of United States in the year 1931. International financial crises occurs when a country that previously maintained fixed exchange rate regime is abruptly forced to adopt floating rate system. This generally requires devaluation of currency due to market speculation. This type of crisis is also known as the balance of payment crisis or the currency crisis. The origin of the crisis lies with the difference in relative exchange rate between the

The Chrysalids Theme Essay Example for Free

The Chrysalids Theme Essay â€Å"The Chrysalids† can actually be inferred from the book’s title. â€Å"Without change, there would simply be no progress or improvement†, is the main theme of this novel. The scientific definition of chrysalids is an insect in the stage of development between a larva and an adult insect. Chrysalids can also mean a preparatory or transitional state. In â€Å"The Chrysalids†, three main stages of civilizations can be identified. They are the Fringes civilizaztion, the Waknuk civilization, and the Sealand civilization. The Fringes civilization and the Waknuk civilization are both in a stage of change. The Sealand civilization is the end result of the progress of change, a well technological civilization. The Fringes people have the poorest civilization in the novel. They live in tents and shelters and often have to steal for food. On the other hand, the Waknuk people are a bit well off. They have steady lives and farm for a living. However, the Fringes people have a totally different view from the Waknuk people. The Fringes people think life is change and the reason that God sent Tribulation is because of the little change that is happening. The Waknuk people resist change. They think that if they have kept everything perfect, or in another word have kept everything the same, God would not have sent Tribulation. This belief made the Waknuk people have no progress in civilization. No newer breeds of animals are allowed and no new crops should be planted. Anything different from the original species would be cast away and thrown to the Fringes. The Fringes people had wanted change but sadly were repressed from doing so by the concepts of the Waknuk people. Similarily, as a result both the Fringes civilization and the Waknuk civilization made no further progress in their current civilizations. Unlike these two civilizations, the Sealand civilization has already made an amazing progress since the Tribulation. Large cities were built, and transportation devices like cars and helicopters were available. Most importantly, people are accepted as who they are. People who have telepathic powers like David, Rosalind, and Petra were considered as highly gifted people. Life is change, according to one of the quotes that the Spider man said. â€Å"He sent along Tribulation to bust it up and remind’em that life is change. † Change is what brings about improvement of the living just like what the Sealand lady said. â€Å"The essential quality of life is living: the essential quality of living is change; change is evolution: and we are part of it. †

Is Elearning The Way Forward Education Essay

Is Elearning The Way Forward Education Essay E-learning, in its broadest sense, is the use of networked information technologies in education. E-learning is also called as web based learning, online learning or Internet based learning. E-learning is not bound to time and classroom attendance students and teachers may be at different locations on different times. One of the most common types of E-learning takes the form of distance learning courses. Universities upload course material for the student to study individually and complete tasks based on the course material. This allows students to access the course material on the web anytime and from anywhere. Advancement in computing and information technology coupled with almost universal availability of the broadband make e-learning an enticing option in many fields including medical education. In this assignment I will be reflecting on my personal experience with e-learning. I will also discuss its applicability in undergraduate medical education, postgraduate medical educatio n and continuing medical education of practicing clinicians. Theory behind e-learning The meaning of knowledge and learning have changed through time. There is a certain swift in emphasis on learning, rather than teaching, as we rightly move towards a learner centred curriculum. E-learning, which is based on well documented adult learning principles, certainly facilitates a learner centred approach. Traditional education is based on instructivism theory. Teacher or tutor teaches a predefined set of information, deciding what students had to learn. Students learn to pass the examination. E-learning is based on constructivist and cognitive theories suggesting that learning is individualised and the students past experiences and knowledge have a great impact on the newly acquired knowledge (Jonassen 1994). Blended learning refers to learning involving multiple methods and approaches, commonly a mixture of class room and e-learning Requirements for successful implementation Mitchell and Honore 2008 proposed a pyramidal system for successful implementation of e-learning programmes. The base of the pyramid, which forms the foundation for successful e-learning programme, consists of appropriate, accessible technology and usable, stimulating and interactive design. The apex of the pyramid is represented by the individuals who are involved in the programme and their attitude and motivation forms a major part in the success of e-learning methods. Basic computing skills are essential for the success of e-learning. There is an assumption that the current undergraduates have the necessary computing skills. Kiran et al 2004 has shown that computing skills among undergraduates are variable and one can not assume expertise or even ability. Good technical support is essential including after hours support. For effective e-learning, student should be able to access material quickly both on campus and at home. Slow connectivity can be a problem. There is considerable cost involved in setting an e-learning programme. Role of e-learning in Continuing Medical Education All practicing clinicians in the United Kingdom are obliged to attend Continuing Medical Education programmes to maintain knowledge and skills as a part of appraisal and revalidation (The General Medical Council). E-learning offers excellent opportunities in this area. I have completed many online e-learning courses. Advantages of these courses include minimal cost, no travel cost and there is no need to take time off to attend these courses as they can be completed from home. They offer excellent value for money and the quality of these courses are comparable to that off traditional courses. I recently attended an advanced laparoscopic surgery skills course. Few weeks prior to the course I was asked to sign up to the course organisers web site. I was able access part of the course material. This enabled me to practise some of the skills prior to attending the course. This has certainly enhanced my learning more than I would have acquired without the access to the e-learning material. There were 20 participants form 8 countries and most found the e-learning very useful. E-learning has made it possible for practicing clinicians from a remote part of the world to contact their peers through video conferencing in the management of difficult clinical situations and this facilitates on-the-job learning. When I was a resident in 1989 I had to wait for over two weeks to find out about an important adverse effect of a drug which now I could find out in a couple of minutes using online electronic databases. In medical education there can be no doubt that opportunities for learning occur all the time and not confined to the class room and e-learning has a lot to offer in this regard. Role of e-learning in Postgraduate Medical Education E-learning plays an important role in Postgraduate Medical Education. Many Deaneries across the United Kingdom has setup e-learning portals for the benefit of postgraduate trainees. Harden 2006 suggested that e-learning will be one of the most important developments in the delivery of postgraduate medical education. In surgical training many hands on courses utilise e-learning methods to enhance face-to-face learning. Types of e-learning resources The basic e-learning resources include e-textbooks, power point presentations of lectures and electronic notice boards. The communication in these methods is one way. Bilham 2005 argues that much of e-learning using these methods was based upon a model of knowledge transmission from the teacher to student as in the traditional education system. The rise of new technologies has turned the World Wide Web from strictly an information destination into a platform, not only to read or watch media, but to actually do things (Martin and Parker 2008). This has made innovative approaches possible in the field of medical education including group projects, virtual patients and virtual clinics. This encourages interactive learning. E-learning in undergraduate medical education I discussed with many Foundation Year one doctors who have graduated from different medical schools across the country. I have observed that the usage of e-learning is variable between medical schools. They felt that e-learning enhanced their learning in basic medical science like anatomy. Multimedia graphics helped them as they felt that the laboratory demonstration in it self was not sufficient for learning. In clinical medicine they felt that e-learning was beneficial in problem based case discussions and case presentations. E-learning has the potential to enhance the learning instead of simply presenting the information. Examples of beneficial multimedia may include a video clip, computer animation for explaining the underlying patho physiology and images of investigations like chest x ray or endoscopy pictures. I have observed that some e-learning using multimedia technology detract the learner from the key message that the teacher wanted to convey and this should be avoided. Physical skills are best learnt by performing them under direct supervision. E-learning, however, can be used to augment the teaching of practical skills. A video showing the technique will be helpful in priming the learner prior to attending a teaching session. Another interesting development in medical education is the application of virtual patient. Examples in this category include a video of clinical consultation to illustrate history taking or examination skills or for demonstrating a physical sign. This is useful for demonstrating certain clinical conditions which the student is unlikely to encounter during their short stay in certain clinical attachments like dermatology or rheumatology. Virtual patients can be used to teach the skills of diagnostic reasoning and patient management through interactivity. There are packages available which allows the student to take a virtual history from a bank of questions and this is followed by examining the patient. This can be artificial and I believe this is better learnt bedside. We have to acknowledge that most of the learning that occurs in clinical practice is opportunistic and technologies which could bridge the gap in experience will be beneficial. Assessment and feedback in e-learning Assessment and feedback are important elements of medical education. Time logged on to the website and accessing the e-learning modules can be monitored as a part of formative assessment. Formative or summative assessments in e-learning courses can be carried out using Multiple Choice Questions and Extended Matching Questions. Multimedia enhanced virtual patient case scenarios can be used for assessment followed by Multiple Choice Questions or diagnostic reasoning tests. Care must be taken to include all possible correct answers in diagnostic reasoning tests because programming can be technically challenging. I have some reservations in using e-learning summative assessments as the identity of the student can not be guaranteed and may encourage cheating. Feedback in e-learning is limited to correction of mistakes and it is difficult to provide detailed feedback. Evidence for e-learning in medical education Cook et al 2008 conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of internet based instruction in medical education. They have concluded that e-learning is better than no intervention and as effective as traditional education. They have also concluded that there is no evidence to conclude that e-learning is better than traditional education. Clark 2002 has demonstrated that students are very satisfied with e-learning. Students, however, do not see e-learning replacing instructor-led training but as a complement to it, forming a part of a blended learning strategy. Advantages and disadvantages of e-learning E-learning has many advantages. The learner can schedule the learning around their personal and professional life minimising disruption to their day to day life. E-learning allows the learner to choose the learning material which is beneficial to them. The learner can pace their learning which suits them best. They will be able to contact their colleagues and teachers in discussions which can happen synchronously or asynchronously depending on the nature of the discussion. E-learning encourages the learner to take responsibility to their learning. The disadvantages of e-learning are as follows. There is a considerable start up cost as well as maintenance cost and this should be taken in to account when setting up an e-learning programme. As learners are responsible for their learning unmotivated learners and learners with poor study habit may find it difficult to progress. There is added responsibility for the facilitator to be available on demand. Students may feel socially isolated, however, blended learning overcomes this issue. Slow or unreliable internet connection can be challenging as most multimedia content needs fast internet connection. Conclusion E-learning has become an integral part of medical education starting from undergraduate medical education to the continuing professional development of the practising clinicians. Like other teaching methods, e-learning has its own strengths and weaknesses and need to be used appropriately. E-learning has the potential to shift the balance form teaching to learning. Basic computing skills are essential for e-learning. The range of e-learning activities varies from e-books to co-ordinated project works. Studies have shown that the results of e-learning methods are comparable to traditional teaching methods in undergraduate medical education. To be successful e-learning has to be combined with traditional teaching methods as a blended approach as practice of medicine involves real patients not virtual patients. E-learning is also playing an important role in the development of postgraduate trainees and life long learning of practicing clinicians. E-learning certainly has the potential t o enhance the learning in medical education, if used appropriately.

Hamlet: Essay On Act I :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Hamlet: Essay On Act I         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Act one of HAMLET   is an excellent introductory act.   Shakespeare establishes atmosphere, by introducing the major characters, the role of the supernatural, the revenge plot, the love plot, and the contrast of the Fortinbras plot, as well as Hamlet's fiegned madness.   Through his unique writing style, Shakespeare sets us up for the rest of the story, and captures the reader's attention, making him want read more.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare establishes the atmosphere of the play, in scene I.   The scene takes place in Elsinore, on a platform before the castle.   The atmosphere is one of dark battlements, and nervous sentries, which catches the audiences attention right away.   As the bell tolls twelve on a frosty night, a silent ghost of the late King Hamlet apperars twice.   This provides one of the high points of the scene, along with this, Shakespeare presents the reader with information, regarding the military preparations in Denmark.   All of this provides for a dark, mysterious atmosphere, where the reader is wanting to know more.   Shakesperare continues to establish atmosphere in scene III.   In this scene, atmosphere of a diferent kind is created. This scene is a family scene, in which brotherly, and fatherly advice creates an atmosphere quite different from that of the appearance of the ghost and the problems of Hamlet and his relatives.   This creates an atmosphere of love, and betrayall, whereby Ophelia is forced to obey her father Polonious, and is told to be careful with Hamlet, as he is a prince, and will not look to marry just anyone, such as herself. Shakespeare continues to develop atmosphere throughout the act, and uses the atmosphere to introduce some of the characters in the play.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare introduces some of the major characters in the play, and leaves lasting impressions of each on the reader.   Bernardo, and Francisco are introduced in the first scene, as officers watching their posts, but it is Horetio that leaves the greatest impression, as he is described as a well educated scholar, and seems to have great importance to the development of the play. In scene II, Claudious, the present King of Denmark is introduced.   He is the uncle of Hamlet, and just so happens to be masrried to Hamlet's mother, creating a definate first impression.   Hamlet is aslo introduced, and the impression perceived is one of a troubled individual, who is grieving his father's death, and is angry at his mother for marrying his uncle Claudious. Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, and the daughter of Polonious is introduced in scene III.   She is described as a rather affectionate, but rather docile

Price, Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Activities Essay

Ferraris are a luxury good, known for their performance and prestige with prices of up to  £500,000. In this study there will be an effort to evaluate if a Ferrari would still be as desirable if it was available at  £20,000. To do this we must examine the relationship between the behaviours of consumers and price with a further examination of marketing activities. Firstly we need to define what consumer behaviour, price and marketing activities are, by understanding the consumer we can then create products that meets their wishes and needs which is vital in achieving success. An investigation of the Utilitarian (rational) consumption model will follow allowing the identification of driving factors that affect consumer’s decisions. This allows the introduction of Pricing, viewing towards perceived quality and value. The contrasting Hedonic view allows the introduction of socio-psychological factors on consumer behaviour such as personality and social class. We must appreciate our level of involvement with the product and what factors this may cause. This will allow us to fully appreciate whether the change in price will result in the Ferrari still being as desirable as when it was at a higher price. The study of consumer behaviour â€Å"is the study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use or dispose of products, service, ideas or experiences to satisfy needs and desires† (Soloman et al, 2002, p4). Therefore by studying what factors affect how and why consumers make these consumption decisions, marketers may be able to understand and therefore adapt to these decisions. Consumer behaviour incorporates ideas from many different disciplines such as psychology, sociology and economics. (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000), in a marketing context we take note of all these concepts and try to come to a balanced answer. A full examination of consumer behaviour looks at how consumers maximise their utility (satisfaction) based on a cost-benefit analysis of price and product scarcity, this was thought of the Utilitarian or rational way of behaviour. (Baines et al, 2011). The key determinant is that the functional benefits must be greater than the costs exp ended. Very often we would class the cost expended as being the price paid for an item, this is a difficult term to classify but is best explained by Baines, Fill and Page (2011), (p331) â€Å"we consider price as the amount the customer has to pay or exchange to receive a good or service†. This however fails to mention that how consumers â€Å"perceive a price-as high, as low, as fair- has a strong influence on both purchase intentions and purchase satisfaction.† (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000, p 144). For example a passenger who paid  £1 for his Ryanair flight will feel more satisfied one who paid  £71 due to purchasing at a later date. Here we look at whether a Ferrari is still as desirable at a lower price, to do this we must examine how customers affect to a change in prices, known in economic terms as the elasticity of demand. This measure how much demand will shift as a result of a change in price. To do this we can look at how in rational thinking consumers wish the be nefits to outweigh the costs, the benefits of buying a new Ferrari may be the quality and value you get for the price you paid. However as each person has a different wished level of quality we use the term ‘perceived quality’, often based on â€Å"informational cues that they associate with the product† (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000, p145). Looking at the relationship between the perceived qualities and pricing often it is thought that price reflects quality (Baines et al, 2011). This is challenged by the aspect we take our perceived quality from many cues, not just price, such as more extrinsic values such as brand image. Therefore it can be classes that â€Å"consumers use price as a surrogate indicator of quality if they have little or no information to go on† (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000, p150). The idea of brand image as a cue introduces the more hedonic concept of feelings, desires and perceptions into the consumer’s decision. As already discussed prices and quality are not measured in purely rational terms they encompass our perceptions of the product, price and measure of quality. Our perceptions are personal to us and it is vital for marketers to understand what factors may affect these perceptions. To do this we must understand how consumption may be irrational (hedonic) involving the â€Å"multi-sensory, fantasy and emotional aspects of consumers’ interaction with products† (Soloman et al, 2002, p37). This view stresses that we purchase products because of how they make us feel or look to others. This is sometimes classed as emotional or socio-psychological buying (Baines et al, 2011). The stark difference between utilitarian and hedonic consumption can be seen in the process of proposition acquisition. We draw up a motive for acquiring the product; this may be out of functional (rational) or desire (irrational) means. We then gather information on the product drawing up a shortlist of brands, followed by an evaluation of the proposition. When it comes to the purchase of the item it is important to consider â€Å"the personal importance a person attaches to a given communication message† (Baines et al, 2011, p 90) this is classes as the person’s involvement. As discussed in Fill (2009, p174) the characteristics involved with involvement can be seen in three phases, that of contextual elements, the influencers and the outcomes. Our level of involvement with a product can play a role in the price fairness we perceive for this product. At states of low involvement where â€Å"the purchase suggests little risk to the consumer† (Fill, 2009, p176) we require little information and use past experiences to make our decisions. However at high levels of involvement where, â€Å"a consumer perceives an expected purchase that is not only of high personal relevance but also represents a high level of perceived risk† (Fill, 2009, p 176), consumers will invest a great deal of time researching the item to reduce the perceived risk and will draw on extrinsic information and may draw more on hedonic terms. The relationship between price and involvement can be seen at both levels, at low levels price allows individuals to discriminate between low-involvement purchase decisions as â€Å"price, packaging, and point of purchase displays and promotion’s work together to cue and stimulate an individual into trying a product.† (Fill, 2009, p 180) At high levels of involvement price is not such a determining factor, with other factors playing a more significant role. Involvement does not juts affect the importance placed on price it also affects how a product is marketed to the consumer. This raises Ratchfords (1987) thoughts of involvement being linked with feeling and thinking. He sought to think how people thought about products and class them as high/low involvement and whether they were a product you bought rationally, what you thought of the product, or irrationally, how the product made you feel. In this instance the purchase of a Ferrari which would have been a high involvement/feeling product there is â€Å"a need for emotional advertising† (Baines et al, 2011, p91). With the shift in price it can be argued that the product has now became a high involvement/thinking product so more informative advertising is needed. Further links between price, consumer behaviour and price can be seen in Fill (2009, p 181) arguing that at low levels of involvement consumers will â€Å"decide upon their usual brand until they notice a price promotion† ,this then may be become there habitual buying pattern. As discussed earlier at high levels of involvement, more emotional and informative advertising is used there are many reasons for this including that factors such as lifestyle, social class and personality can all affect our hedonic consumption. In the sphere of personality there are three main approaches. Firstly the psychoanalytic approach Freud outlined how we are driven by subconscious drives in three parts our ID, Ego and Superego. It is argued that certain products are bought to fulfil our needs and urges such as the purchase of a Ferrari. The reduction of price may then not allow us to fulfil this urge. A differing approach is that of Trait theory, where we are classified by our types of personality. The purchase of a  £500,000 car may be seen as fulfilling one personality type, by reducing the price to  £20,000 the market segment may change and as â€Å"car manufacturers†¦ market products on the basis of personality types† (Baines et al, 2011, p96) this may ch ange the whole marketing process and the way this process is presented. The final school of thought is the Self Concept Approach that we â€Å"buy goods†¦ for the brand they represent and its relation to the buyer’s perception of their own self-concept or personality.†(Baines et al, 2011, p96). In this model it may be argued that price is a determinant factor as we may buy to show we can pay high prices to others. Added to this is the idea that the brand gives you a self-image therefore a change in the price can affect the branding and may lead you to a different purchase decision. The price change may also change what reference group a Ferrari would belong to it may no longer be an aspiration so may become less desirable. The change in price may however be beneficial when looking at consumer behaviour in relation to lifecycle and social class. Focussing on lifecycle â€Å"we hypothesize that people in the same stages of life purchase and consume similar kinds of products† (Baines et al, 2011, p108), a £500,000 Ferrari may fall into the stage of empty nest 1, where there is large disposable income, the shift downwards in price will allow a Ferrari to become more accessible to different stages of the lifecycle, thus making it more desirable to these groups. To conclude pricing, consumer behaviour and marketing activities are all linked. By determining whether the consumption is either rational or irrational we can investigate the level of involvement one may have with that product. This then allows us to look at how perceived values, price and quality link with the way the consumer behaves. As consumer behaviour study evolves from â€Å"early emphasis on rational choice†¦to a focus on apparently irrational buying needs† (Holbrook and Hirschman, 1982, p132) we are able to investigate other factors that may relate to consumer behaviour such as lifestyle, social class and what level of involvement is involved. As we can see in rational decisions there is a link between price and behaviour, with the benefits outweighing the costs, the same can be said at decisions of low involvement. However other extrinsic factors have to be considered when making higher involvement decisions. The decrease in price therefore may make the Ferrari more desirable if you are making the purchase at a low involvement level however at a higher level other factors need to be considered to give a true representation of its desirability. Reference List Books and Ebooks Baines, P. Fill, C. Page, A., (2011), Marketing, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press Fill, C. (2009), Marketing Communications : Interactivity, Communities And Content., 5th ed., Harlow: Pearson Education Limited Schiffman, L,G. and Kanuk, L,L. (2000), Consumer Behaviour, 7th ed., London: Prentice Hall International (UK) Limited Solomon, M., Bamossy, G., Askegaard, S. and Hogg, M. K. (2006) Consumer behaviour: a European perspective, 3rd ed., Harlow: Financial Times. Lecture Notes C18FM1 2012/2013 Online Journals Holbrook, M, & Hirschman, E (1982),. ‘The Experiential Aspects of Consumption: Consumer Fantasies, Feelings, and Fun’, Journal Of Consumer Research, 9, 2, pp. 132-140, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 October 2012.

Why Deflation Doesnt Happen During a Recession

Why Deflation Doesn't Happen During a Recession When there is economic expansion, demand seems to outpace supply, particularly for goods and services that take time and major capital to increase supply. As a result, prices generally rise (or there is at least price pressure), particularly for goods and services that cannot rapidly meet the increased demand, such as housing in urban centers (relatively fixed supply), and advanced education (takes time to expand/build new schools). This doesnt apply to cars because automotive plants can gear up pretty quickly. Conversely, when there is an economic contraction (i.e. recession), supply initially outpaces demand. This would suggest that there would be downward pressure on prices, but prices for most goods and services dont go down and neither do wages.  Why do prices and wages appear to be sticky in a downward direction? For wages, corporate/human culture offer up a simple explanation: people do not like to give pay cuts... managers tend to lay off before they give pay cuts (though there exist some exceptions). That said, this doesnt explain why prices dont go down for most goods and services. In  Why Does Money Have Value, we saw that changes in the level of prices (inflation) were due to a combination of the following four factors: The supply of money goes up.The supply of goods goes down.Demand for money goes down.Demand for goods goes up. In a boom, we would expect that the demand for goods to rise faster than the supply. All else being equal, we would expect factor 4 to outweigh factor 2 and the level of prices to rise. Since deflation is the opposite of inflation, deflation is due to a combination of the following four factors: The supply of money goes down.The supply of goods goes up.Demand for money goes up.Demand for goods goes down. We would expect the demand for goods to decline faster than the supply, so factor 4 should outweigh factor 2, so all else being equal we should expect the level of prices to fall. In  A Beginners Guide to Economic Indicators we saw that measures of inflation such as the Implicit Price Deflator for GDP are pro-cyclical coincident economic indicators, so the inflation rate is high during booms and low during recessions. The information above shows that the inflation rate should be higher in booms than in bursts, but why is the inflation rate still positive in recessions? Different Situations, Different Results The answer is that all else is not equal. The money supply is constantly expanding, so the economy has a consistent inflationary pressure given by factor 1. The Federal Reserve has a table listing the M1, M2, and M3 money supply. From Recession? Depression? we saw that during the worst recession America has experienced since World War II, from November 1973 to March 1975, real GDP fell by 4.9 percent. This would have caused deflation, except that the money supply rose rapidly during this period, with the seasonally adjusted M2 rising 16.5% and the seasonally adjusted M3 rising 24.4%. Data from Economagic shows that the Consumer Price Index rose 14.68% during this severe recession. A recessionary period with a high inflation rate is known as stagflation, a concept made famous by Milton Friedman. While inflation rates are generally lower during recessions, we can still experience high levels of inflation through the growth of the money supply. So the key point here is that while the inflation rate rises during a boom and falls during a recession, it generally does not go below zero due to a consistently increasing money supply.   In addition, there may be consumer psychology-related factors that prevent prices from decreasing during a recession- more specifically, firms may be reluctant to decrease prices if they feel like customers will get upset when they increase prices back to their original levels at a later point in time.

How To Answer “Why Do You Want To Work Here”

How To Answer â€Å"Why Do You Want To Work Here† This question comes up in so many job interviews. Surprisingly, most people are unprepared to answer it well. Think of this question as another valuable opportunity to show you’ve done your homework on a company, and to show that your ideals and goals are in lockstep with those of the company you’re interviewing with. Don’t just blather on about how they value whatever their mission statement says they value, or praise whatever company culture you’ve been able to glean from their brochures. Have something distinctive to say.Try these strategies and you’ll be in much better shape.1. Word of MouthHave you heard from current or past employees? Now might be the time to mention that you’ve got several contacts who worked there in the past, or friends of friends who work there now. It’s fine to say that you’ve received glowing reports; it makes your interviewer feel good, and it shows you did a bit of sleuthing around!2. Social MediaD oes this company have a particularly winning social media platform? Consider mentioning their engaging use of Facebook, or their badass presence on Twitter. This also shows that you’re engaged,   and with it  enough to be all up on social media.3. CommonalityIf you’ve done your digging and found contacts you know who work there on LinkedIn, for example, and you’ve noticed a particular pattern- something that most employees of that company seem to have in common- then mention it! Show that you’ve taken the time to figure out what the common thread is and then explain how you fit right in with it.4. LeadershipIt’s obviously good to speak favorably about the product or service the company puts out, but it’s even better to comment on their leadership- either within the industry or globally. Talk about their community involvement or philanthropy.5. UniquenessAcknowledge first and foremost what makes the company so unique. Show that youâ€℠¢ve looked into them enough to really understand what it is they’re going for- then compliment them on their success. All the while showing how their uniqueness matches yours perfectly!6. Its Past/FutureTalk about the company’s origins and past achievements†¦ or fast forward to show how well you can think ahead and envision the company’s goals being realized in an ever-changing industry. Show that you’re already invested in the future of the company.7. Get PersonalIf all else fails, tie your appreciation of the company to some aspect of yourself. Be as specific as possible. Have you had a personal interaction with anyone at the company? Now’s the time to start chatting about that. Remember, there’s no right way to answer this, only a few extra bonus points you can score if you answer it well.

Free Essays on Henry Vaughns The Waterfall

to show the reader how the waterfall is a metaphor for a person’s life, containing many highs and lows. The tone of this poem is relaxed. While reading the poem I feel at ease, as if I am somewhere in the woods by a stream with a waterfall. This seems to be the intended effect, as Vaughn wishes to create a comfort level for the reader. I feel as though this helps the reader to consider the poem as a whole, making it easier to see how the early stages develop the later stages of the poem. The poem is separated into two sections by an empty line. The first section contains twelve lines, all of which contain iambic feet. However the number of feet varies in a specific pattern. The first two lines of the poem are in pentameter, followed by two lines in dimeter, two more lines in pentameter, four lines in dimeter, and finally two lines in pentameter. This pattern gives a visual affect to the reader. Because of the varied length of each line, the poem appears to be in the shape of a river with rapids, as it approaches the drop of a waterfall. The second section of the poem is written in iambic foot, with the number of feet varying somewhat. This section of the poem visually falls strait down the page, as a waterfall would look falling off of a cliff. As the poem continues the waterfall turns into a stream, flowing calmly, and steadily. The steady meter that Vaughn uses strengthens this effect. The entire poem in itself is an apostrophe, as the speaker is speaking to and asking questions of the waterfall, which obviously cannot answer. In addition one can interpret this poem as an ambiguity, in which the waterfall is an extended metaphor for the life of a person. The first section of the poem can be interpreted to represent one’s childhood and adolescent... Free Essays on Henry Vaughn's The Waterfall Free Essays on Henry Vaughn's The Waterfall Growing Old in Henry Vaughn’s â€Å"The Waterfall† Henry Vaughn’s â€Å"The Waterfall† is a very insightful poem that carries a deep message. The speaker uses Vaughn’s words to show the reader how the waterfall is a metaphor for a person’s life, containing many highs and lows. The tone of this poem is relaxed. While reading the poem I feel at ease, as if I am somewhere in the woods by a stream with a waterfall. This seems to be the intended effect, as Vaughn wishes to create a comfort level for the reader. I feel as though this helps the reader to consider the poem as a whole, making it easier to see how the early stages develop the later stages of the poem. The poem is separated into two sections by an empty line. The first section contains twelve lines, all of which contain iambic feet. However the number of feet varies in a specific pattern. The first two lines of the poem are in pentameter, followed by two lines in dimeter, two more lines in pentameter, four lines in dimeter, and finally two lines in pentameter. This pattern gives a visual affect to the reader. Because of the varied length of each line, the poem appears to be in the shape of a river with rapids, as it approaches the drop of a waterfall. The second section of the poem is written in iambic foot, with the number of feet varying somewhat. This section of the poem visually falls strait down the page, as a waterfall would look falling off of a cliff. As the poem continues the waterfall turns into a stream, flowing calmly, and steadily. The steady meter that Vaughn uses strengthens this effect. The entire poem in itself is an apostrophe, as the speaker is speaking to and asking questions of the waterfall, which obviously cannot answer. In addition one can interpret this poem as an ambiguity, in which the waterfall is an extended metaphor for the life of a person. The first section of the poem can be interpreted to represent one’s childhood and adolescent...

One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter Essay

One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter - Essay Example This essay discusses that careful analysis of Islamic law as manifested in the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights would tend to reveal that it is impossible to invoke human rights principles under a system where what is given primacy is the stability of the state, the maintenance of culture and tradition and the binding force of religion. In the United States, for instance, though we see wanton violations of due process and human rights committed by the Bush administration, the grand majesty of the law may at least be invoked to seek redress and to call policies wrong or reprehensible. This paper makes a conclusion that with that said, there are still positive changes to look forward to. The mere fact that the CDHR was entered into by the Islamic states means that there is at least recognition of the need to adhere to a basic human rights framework and that states may no longer act with impunity and expect no censure from the international community. Certainly, there should also be mo ves to actively pursue human rights offenders and punish human rights violations – whether large or small scale. There is a great ethical and moral imperative to exhume the past if only to serve as lessons for the future. In addition, through vigilance and continuous lobbying and sowing the seeds through human rights education, we make it possible to envision a future where human rights are protected, diversity is celebrated and every individual is allowed to blossom to his or her fullest potential. Â  ... The converse of that, of course, is that far too many leaders justify brazen acts of oppression and injustice as a cultural norm and should thus fall outside the scrutiny of the international community. How indeed does one balance these competing interests The concept of human rights is by no means of recent vintage. It is used primarily to define relationships between the citizens and the State, by constituting a check on the awesome power of the State and by enabling human beings to flourish to their fullest potential free from oppression, strife, hunger and discrimination. A thriving and robust democracy, it is often said, can only be achieved when basic human rights are preserved. Cherished principles like press freedom, religious freedom, diversity and pluralism are indispensable requirements of a democratic society. It is difficult, if not altogether impossible, to argue against the validity of these principles. The various conflicts and revolutions in the world have shaped the concept of human rights as we know it. In the last two hundred and fifty years, we see the clamor for human rights as the clamor of a world and of the various peoples inside it for equality and freedom. Starting with the French and American revolutions towards the latter part of the eighteenth century, it is this very notion of human rights that has led colonized states and revolutionary movements to assert their voices and fight for their freedoms against oppressive and despotic governments - from the Tiananmen Square uprising in China to the struggle of the East Timorese against Indonesian occupation. When the United Nations was created in 1948 by a world still reeling from the ravages of the Second World War and intent on healing the wounds

Ideology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ideology - Essay Example Of course, by its manifestations in every aspect of the material world including social structure and gender roles, ideology comes to have a material existence of its own (165). When I express 'my own thoughts' in 'my own words' I am greatly circumscribed by ideological norms about what I can express and how I can express it: whether to a single listener or to a global audience. By making visible the powerful influences on communication (the material relations between author and recipient; the choice of form and style as historically determined), the study of ideology enables a piece of communication to be viewed as a product of the status quo with which it dialectically engages. Language - whether verbal or nonverbal - is a system of symbols which are given meaning by mutual agreement. There is no universal physical reality to the representation of a particular entity by the word 'dog.' In the case of onomatopoeic words there is some auditory similarity between the represented sound and the representing word: e.g. 'bow wow' is a loose mimicry of a dog barking. But the vast majority of signifiers: words (me), signs (the exclamation point) and symbols (the Mitsubishi logo) are pure symbols: the signification is perfectly non-representative. The most sophisticated forms of communication are purely symbolic: the oldest known script, Sumerian hieroglyphics, began with representative drawings which became more and more stylised and symbolic. Of course, the non-universality of symbols is not obvious: when we learn a language we agree that 'dog' indicates a particular entity in the real world and that the purely arbitrary collection of symbols 'dog' is associated w ith particular ways of moving our articulators and producing sound. Is language then, artificial Noam Chomsky suggests that human beings are born with the inherent ability to imbibe language; and this ability seems to be universal. People can learn new languages well into late life and babies can acquire multiple languages simultaneously and apparently effortlessly. It is not language that is artificial but the particular significations (signifier-signified relationships) of any given language. This kind of artificiality typifies ideology or any of its components, for example the ascription of certain human qualities to inanimate entities (the rose as a symbol of love suggests something about the culture that accepts such a symbol). Any given communication, whether interpersonal or mass-scale, can then be viewed as an iceberg, with the bulk of meaning residing under the level of consciousness. A rose with its petals being torn off by the wind evokes strong emotions not attributable to the mere sensation of watching a flower being disassembled. The ro se is not 'saying' anything new; rather, its very presence and conditions call forth a predictable set of responses: to quote Barthes: "it comes and seeks me out in order to oblige me to acknowledge the body of intentions which have motivated it and arranged it there as the signal of an individual history, as a confidence and a complicity" (Mythologies 48). The tremendous importance of

The Importance of Culture for Managing and Controlling the workforce Literature review

The Importance of Culture for Managing and Controlling the workforce - Literature review Example Undeniable changes are taking place in the workforce mainly due to globalisation and changing composition of national populations of individual countries. National population composition is changing as a result of increased immigration and cumulative effects of high birth rates among minority groups. Apparently, this is reflected in the workforce (Inceoglu, 2002, p. 37). Globalisation has made both small and large companies face competition resulting from overseas companies at home while at the same time confronting the need to be competitive in the foreign markets. In order to prevail from the competition, organisations require adopting new ways of carrying out business, with sensitivity towards the needs of diverse cultural practices. Businesses have to struggle for the best gifts they can find, as well as look for ways to obtain the best from workers they currently have. Most of these employees will be situated at different nations as many firms move to a worldwide way of conducti ng business. As a result, culture becomes important in managing and controlling the workforce. People from different cultures bring forth diversity, which refers to the ways in which people differ, not just the more common aspects like ethnicity and gender (Idea group publishing, 2005, p 580). Literature review Organisations exist on the productivity and output of employee interaction with clients and customers. A company with productive workers is able to offer better customer service that result in more income. Employees’ productivity and customer relations and interactions are influenced by how workers feel about their work. Such emotions are heavily dependent on the culture in the workplace. Sandra Collins (2009, p 30) defines culture as the system of shared values, beliefs, norms, language and social institutions, which steer the daily lives of a group of people. Culture may be collectivist or individualist, reflecting on the extent to which people value their associatio n with the group against their independence as individual. Collectivist cultures value the group above an individual whilst an individualist culture places personal independence above the group. Western Europe, United States and Canada countries have an individualist culture while South American and Asian countries embrace a collectivist culture. Both collectivist and individualist have different approaches towards conflict. Collectivists tend to avoid conflict and prefer harmony, whilst individualists do not enjoy conflict, though they are less likely to stay away from it. Culture builds an atmosphere in which human resources work and establish their value and worth in the company, their opportunities within the organisation as well as their opinion of their management team. The culture could also be measured in terms of conflict resolution policies, language, dress code and industry. Communications also varies with culture, with some opting for direct communication while others em brace indirect style. Cultures that adopt indirect communication usually have relational exchanges before involvement into the business. Such cultures tend to be context-dependent since an immense deal of the message’s meaning lie in the context of the communication. Cultures also differ in terms of time interpretation, with some placing value on multitasking, and others opting for doing one thing at a time. The management is able to build models

Leading a turnaround Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leading a turnaround - Essay Example Another change made was to reinvest savings back into the business; this had the knock-on effect of raising the company’s EPS. However, perhaps the most successful change was to instill a new corporate culture that respected leadership; this was important if Loren was going to be able to pick the company up because he needed respect of his subordinates. After five years of Loren in charge, the company’s reputation and value grew enormously, with double-digit earnings growth year-on-year. In January of 2005, Loren stepped as CEO of the company and handed over the reins to Steven Alesio (this was planned for two years before it actually took place). For the few months following that move, Loren remained as chairman; he stepped down from this role in May of 2005 and was replaced once again by Steven Alesio. With the company heading in the right direction, it was the right time for Loren to retire and leave the company in the capable hands of someone who he has specifically chosen for the

Moving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Moving - Essay Example This is because of several physical, emotional, financial and mental needs the teenager is not prepared to be burdened with. A teenager at such a tender age has not matured to accommodate certain roles that accompany pregnancy and motherhood. A conservative home driven by religious fundamentalism can be a hot place for a girl who has become pregnant or who is a mother. For a person who is 17 years of age, or even lower, and is either expecting or has delivered, the experience can be overwhelming. This is a problem at home, and it is often ignored and frequently overlooked, yet affects a large number of homes. This paper explores the effects of problem of teenage pregnancy and teenage motherhood. Teenage pregnant girls have high chances of developing medical complications, more than pregnant adults. Pregnancy at such age is generally against societal norms and as such the victims often hide from parental view and they do not visit appropriate medical facilities to seek prenatal and postnatal care. The resulting consequence is a teenage pregnant girl or teenage mother who lacks vital nutrients and vitamins. Moreover, anemia, a condition associated with low levels of blood in the body may become a common feature. The teenage pregnant girl or the mother is still a child and is still in the process of growth other emotionally and physically, and hence can be affected by the physical and psychological trauma associated with any of the processes. The experience is tasking and constraining, particularly if one is in an environment where they are misunderstood (Booth, the American fiction writer, 177). There are certain bodily components that do not achieve full physical growth until one reaches certain age. For instance in girls, the pelvic bones do not achieve their maximum size till about 18. For a teenage girl who is pregnant, the delivery process must be complicated as the pelvic bones have not grown to allow

Criminal Law U4IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Law U4IP - Research Paper Example It usually arises when someone who was committed to supervise or monitor someone else money or property steals the money for personal gain. The stealing of the money is a desecration of a specialty of trust which results in a distinctive crime. Embezzlement usually arises due to several circumstances such as, a bank teller has permitted access to client money hence trusted to handle the money or employees and officers of companies can also misuse the companys funds since they are in charge of running the company (Fjeldstad, 2003).. Nevertheless, this does not imply that it has to be done by employing but any kind of relationship where by trust is given to somebody else to manage your property. The following three elements that are essential for an event to be considered for embezzlement charges. In case any of the three sections are not satisfied, these charges will not apply to these cases. If the person was entrusted with ownership of property that belongs to somebody. Secondly, that the person hid or took the property or someway converted it to his own without the owners permission to do so. Thirdly, they had planned to do these crimes to enduringly take ownership pleasure away from the owner (Francken, 2009). There are a limitless number of ways that someone could oblige to the crime of embezzlement of public funds. Siphoning is a good example of embezzlement crime. This is usually accomplished by people who work in restaurants or stores. They invent a way to getting money using the register without any discrepancies between the records in the computer and a drawer. The item is not entered into the calculator section of the register but they keep a record of how much they pocketed after their shift. Lapping is a crime that is found in parts of the business that takes incoming payments from vendors and customers. Someone working for example church could use bank deposit for many companies and alter the distribution of the

Leading a turnaround Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leading a turnaround - Essay Example Another change made was to reinvest savings back into the business; this had the knock-on effect of raising the company’s EPS. However, perhaps the most successful change was to instill a new corporate culture that respected leadership; this was important if Loren was going to be able to pick the company up because he needed respect of his subordinates. After five years of Loren in charge, the company’s reputation and value grew enormously, with double-digit earnings growth year-on-year. In January of 2005, Loren stepped as CEO of the company and handed over the reins to Steven Alesio (this was planned for two years before it actually took place). For the few months following that move, Loren remained as chairman; he stepped down from this role in May of 2005 and was replaced once again by Steven Alesio. With the company heading in the right direction, it was the right time for Loren to retire and leave the company in the capable hands of someone who he has specifically chosen for the

Criminal Law U4IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Law U4IP - Research Paper Example It usually arises when someone who was committed to supervise or monitor someone else money or property steals the money for personal gain. The stealing of the money is a desecration of a specialty of trust which results in a distinctive crime. Embezzlement usually arises due to several circumstances such as, a bank teller has permitted access to client money hence trusted to handle the money or employees and officers of companies can also misuse the companys funds since they are in charge of running the company (Fjeldstad, 2003).. Nevertheless, this does not imply that it has to be done by employing but any kind of relationship where by trust is given to somebody else to manage your property. The following three elements that are essential for an event to be considered for embezzlement charges. In case any of the three sections are not satisfied, these charges will not apply to these cases. If the person was entrusted with ownership of property that belongs to somebody. Secondly, that the person hid or took the property or someway converted it to his own without the owners permission to do so. Thirdly, they had planned to do these crimes to enduringly take ownership pleasure away from the owner (Francken, 2009). There are a limitless number of ways that someone could oblige to the crime of embezzlement of public funds. Siphoning is a good example of embezzlement crime. This is usually accomplished by people who work in restaurants or stores. They invent a way to getting money using the register without any discrepancies between the records in the computer and a drawer. The item is not entered into the calculator section of the register but they keep a record of how much they pocketed after their shift. Lapping is a crime that is found in parts of the business that takes incoming payments from vendors and customers. Someone working for example church could use bank deposit for many companies and alter the distribution of the

Pollution Essay Example for Free

Pollution Essay Pollution happens absolutely everywhere, every single second of the day, everywhere on earth. You can find pollution in cars, home electronics, personal hygiene products, natural disasters, and even your own home. Pollution is when fossil fuel is burnt and let into the atmosphere. The three types of pollution is land pollution , air pollution and water pollution. Pollution is related to the amount of people in the world because if we have too much people on earth , then their is going to be too much pollution. What is land pollution? Land pollution is the wearing down of earth’s land caused by human activities. Land pollution can affect people , especially children because they can step on a broken bottle or a rusty piece of discarded metal. Medical and sanitary wastes are biohazards that can make people sick. The cause of land pollution is littering. What is air pollution? Air pollution is releasing gas particles to the air. Some causes of air pollution is factories. Because of air pollution living things have been having birth defects. Animals that are at the top of the food chain end up with the largest concentrations of toxins in their bodies. What is water pollution? Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies. Some causes of water pollution is trash and sewage waste dumped into the ocean , smoke , chemicals dumped into the water , oil leaks , and gunks. Because of water pollution , this caused death of aquatic animals , disruption of food chains , diseases and etc . Water pollution is coming back to hurt humans in many ways. What can be done to stop pollution from ruining our environment? To help stop pollution , we can stop littering , throw the garbage into trash-cans instead of onto the sidewalk or the side of the road. We can also carry around small bags and if we see a piece of litter on the ground while we’re walking , we can pick it up and toss it out in a trashcan. And if there isn’t enough garbage cans on the street , then we can send a letter to the local government , asking them to put more trash-cans in order to help stop pollution. I would write a letter to the local government if I see a big issue about littering. From this essay I learned the 3 types of pollution ( air pollution, land pollution and water pollution) . I also learned the causes of pollution. I will try to inform others about pollution by telling them the causes of pollution.

School Development Planning Process | Research Study

School Development Planning Process | Research Study School Development Planning is an ongoing process that helps schools as complex communities to meet the dual challenge of enhancing quality and managing change. (DES, 1999:9, Online). In recent years schools started giving more thought to how the planning and management of change need to be taken more into account and carefully planned. Decentralisation, a common characteristic of quite a few of the national educational systems worldwide such as the USA, Canada, England and Wales (Anderson, 2005) and in Malaysia, Honk Kong, Singapore, China and Korea has opened doors to development and effectiveness in schools (Bolam, 2006:77). Over the years, the education scene in Malta has likewise witnessed a paradigm shift from an essentially centralised system to one that encourages self-government. One of the most effective implications of this shift is that of a systematic and whole school approach to development planning enhancing freedom [and] allowing institutions to shape the possibilities provided by greater autonomy (Lumby, 2007a:86). Moreover, Bush and Coleman, (2006) argue that, placed in a competitive environment, self-managing schools have to meet the students needs efficiently if they are to achieve survival and success. While increasing autonomy (Karstanje, 1999), self-managing schools are encouraged to shoulder more responsibilities and promote their own identity and character. One of the most beneficial implications of this shift is that a School Development Plan (SDP) can be tailored by the same school. Considering that, the Maltese Education Authorities are at present discussing at length the process and the implementation of a national reform in the education system, the topic seriously appears to be of great interest. This study may be expected to serve as an eye-opener to the strengths and weaknesses of the SDP being currently implemented at St.Helen Girls Secondary School. Consequently, the study might be envisaged to be an asset to the school, before it actually starts to negotiate the tailoring of a new SDP as will be suggested in the education reform to take place. The purpose of this study is to investigate the SDP as an effective tool to enhance appraisal and collegiality among the teaching staff and to promote improvement among the learners. The Literature review shall briefly justify the need for and the process of development planning in relation to what literature has to say about the subject. Furthermore, the following research questions will be discussed and analysed, mainly: What is the importance of a SDP to the school? How is the planning process carried out? Who is involved in the planning process? Is the SDP opening doors to school improvement? After conducting a case study through qualitative and quantitative research, an analysis will emerge, based on a questionnaire distributed to teachers and an open-ended interview with the Head of School. The research findings will be analysed and compared to the literature findings. Finally, suggestions will emerge in respect to what can be done in order to evaluate, maintain and/or change what has been done during the past seven years since development planning has started to be organised in an official way at St.Helen Girls Secondary School. Literature Review Introduction All schools should have a vision of where they hope to go and what they hope to achieve. This implies that a school plan should aim at leading the whole school community in the direction for improvement and growth. With its insistence on schools to have their own SDP, the Maltese National Minimum Curriculum (NMC) came into effect on the 1st of October 2000. Following is a brief description of the SDP both as a process as well as a product. It examines the concepts of development, improvement, collegiality and appraisal through effective planning. What is the importance of a SDP to the school? A school without planning is like a boat without a rudder. We cannot achieve goals unless we plan ways and means of getting there. (Bezzina, 1999:58) In order to keep on course, schools require a clear sense of direction, expressed in vision and mission statements and aims and objectives, as well as an effective strategic plan and good efficient action plans (DES, 1999, Online). The SDP can be a great asset to the school in various ways. Bezzina claims that it: helps in giving the school a sense of direction establishes aims and priorities identifies the needs to be done in order to bring about improvement identifies staff needs monitors the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process evaluates the success of the changes made, and implements any changes to the planning cycle (1999:35). The SDP is a means whereby the vision, believed by Jenkins to be the strategic intent which guides planning (1991:38), is transformed into reality through clear priorities, targets and actions. It is an instrument, through which schools are able to articulate their needs and also their priorities (Ministry of Education, 2001:14). Moreover, it is meant to indicate the institutions capacities and limitations and thus open doors to school improvement. An English publication defines the SDP in that: It will be based on the schools analysis of current levels of performance, its assessment of how current trends and future factors may impact on the school and set out priorities and targets for improvement for the period ahead. (DOE, 2005:1, Online). This implies that the concept underpinning a SDP is that each school would undertake, on an on-going basis, a limited number of small-scale development projects, which the staff identifies as significant priorities. The SDP has at its heart the learning of all students while raising standards of attainment. It is a process of learning and growth for all those involved in it. Moreover, it allows schools to organise their programmes of innovation and change with much greater efficiency and success (Hargreaves and Hopkins, 1991). Furthermore, the SDP is highly beneficial for schools since it is worked out by those who put their heads together in a common effort to develop a realistic strategy as to how the educational goals are to be reached (NMC:85). How is the process of School Development Planning carried out? The School Development Plan Initiative (SDPI) in Ireland considers the Mission, Vision and Aims of the plan to be the core of the SDP process (DES, 1999:16, Online). As depicted by Hargreaves and Hopkins (1991), Bezzina (1999) and Nathan, a SDP is made up of four stages, mainly: Audit when the school analyses its strengths and weaknesses and assesses its own needs Planning and decision making generation and evaluation of options Implementation putting the plan into action, and Evaluation checking the success of implementation and reviewing targets (1996:61) This entails that the SDP works in a cycle. Furthermore, the SDPI suggests three features through which the SDP is accomplished, mainly through: Initiation: where the school decides to embark on school development planning,  ensuring that there is commitment to it among members of staff and preparing for participation. Familiarisation: when the school community is learning how to carry out the whole process. Embedding: when school development Planning becomes part of the school life and of the normal way of doing things at school. (DOE, 1999, Online). The Irish Document (1999) further argues that the SDP process needs to be systematic, collaborative, ongoing, progressive, enhancing and flexible to work properly. It therefore involves a systematic approach to the planning work, which draws the whole school community together in shaping the schools future. This needs to be an on-going process, rooted in a school culture where policies and plans are continuously being developed, implemented, evaluated and revised according to the schools aims and the changes which continuously take place in the community. It is also flexible since it offers a framework for collaborative creativity and each school is free to adopt the framework to suit its own particular needs. Who is involved in the planning process? Nathan (1996) maintains that, to a large extent, the work entailed in the school plan is performed by the Head of school and the SMT. However, Bradley (1988) argues that a partnership in which people work together will lead to the successful achievement of their goals. This is also depicted in an English publication. The document highlights parental, pupil and staff involvement in the planning process as one of the factors that will help schools achieve high standards and improve the quality of learning and teaching (DOE, 2005:6, Online). Through partnership, the educational needs will be identified and action will be taken accordingly (DES, 1999:15, Online). Bradley (1988) further claims that partnerships are encouraged when they are willing to yield to some of their autonomy. Their sense of joint ownership strengthens and encourages partnership and is extended beyond the planning process into the actual implementation of the activity. Parent participation is seen as very important in schools. According to Braithwaite (1994) 22 Actions are involved in the Australians SDP process, among which is parental involvement. The NMC (2000) claims that parents should be seen as partners in the education of their children, so much that it believes in site-based curriculum development, where teachers and administrators can work alongside with parents and the local community to be able to respond to the needs of that particular school. In explaining how a shared vision is achieved, Lumby (2007a:89) holds that notwithstanding the principal leading the planning process, all staff [should] share in the re-creation and adjustment of vision. Furthermore, Jenkins considers staff involvement as the most useful part of the planning process (1991:38) in not only arriving at plans but also in raising the chances of their successful implementation (Lumby, 2007a:98). While being a threshold to school improvement, Newton and Tarrant declare that Evaluation needs the co-operation of the whole organisation to be effective and accurate. (1992:33). Is the School Development Plan opening doors to school improvement? Bush and Coleman say it quite simply: The origins of school development planning lie in the move towards school improvement and effectiveness (2006:75). The SDP enables the school community to develop a clear vision of what the school is about and where it is going, a shared sense of purpose, a common set of goals and consensus on the means of achieving them. It characterises the school as a learning organisation that focuses on meeting the professional needs of teachers in order to meet the educational needs of pupils. The Irish National Progress Report 2002, states that This focus is essential if SDP is to achieve its core purpose: school improvement. (DES, 2003:55, Online). As seen by Law and Glover (2000), school improvement is the result of a three-stage process: establishing targets, planning to attain them and finally monitoring and evaluating them. Moreover, studies conducted by Gray et al. lead an improving school to be measured and defined as one that increased in its effectiveness over time (1999:137). It is also worth mentioning that, an English publication states that Appraisal should support development planning and vice versa. (DES:1991) According to Jones (1993:12), improvement in the teaching and learning is guaranteed when appraisal is considered an integral part of the SDP. Likewise, through their research, Horne and Pearce maintain that integrating appraisal into the SDP resulted in a way of improving the quality of education for the pupils and of raising standards (1996:62). One reason to which Davies attributes an ineffective school is to the teachers lack of punctuality resulting from a low motivation that keeps the teachers lingering in the staffroom till the last minute (1994:35). This implies that lack of appraisal may lead to low motivation in teachers, which in turn will result in ineffectiveness. Furthermore, in discussing the issue about strategic planning, Sergiovanni compares the Traditional with the Alternative rule of planning. He suggests that the latter brings about school improvement in that it emphasizes first the means appraising people involved, then the ways allowing them to discern what needs to be done, and finally the ends in that they themselves will decide on and attain aims (2009:95). Conclusion Dalin and Rust believe that: A good school is one which itself learns; it is a learning school, a living institution that changes in order to remain an institution that stimulates learning. (1996:7) This implies that, the changes that take place in a school, must support the preservation of what has worked well in that school, to be able to give it stability and reputation. The schools SDP is a means of implementing change. It must, in the process, provide a way of dealing effectively with new developments so as to ensure school improvement whereby, all stakeholders are empowered to make decisions and engage in planning their own educational future. Investigation Introduction The first part of this section presents the aim and objectives of this study. Some methodological considerations are then examined. Subsequently, the research instruments are considered. Finally, this section gives an account of the ethical framework considered, the school context, the procedure and the data analysis used. The Aim and Objectives of this Research This research was undertaken in an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of the process of school development planning of the school under consideration. Also, the research project has more specific objectives, mainly to investigate: the importance of a SDP to the school how the process is carried out who is involved in the planning process whether the SDP is opening doors to school improvement. Methodological Considerations There are two approaches to academic research that can be adopted by a researcher quantitative and qualitative (Bell, 2008; Briggs and Coleman, 2007). In this study, an educational case study (Bassey, 2007:142) was used, conducted through both qualitative and quantitative research. According to Bassey, one of the strengths of case study research is that it is carried in its natural context [it] entails being where the action is (2007:143). The case study is aimed at improving educational action (Bassey, 2007:142) and which has theory seeking and theory testing as an end point (Basset, 2007:147). This leads to a theoretical structure that not only provides sound data and limits assumptions but also attempts to tease out why a situation is good, bad or mediocre (Bassey, 2007:154). In this research project, an interview with the Head of School was carried out in order to seek insights rather than statistical perceptions of the world (Bell, 2008:7). One should say that the major advantage of qualitative approach is adaptability (Bell, 2005:157) as it emphasises direct human experience. On the other hand, the major disadvantage is that it is time-consuming and generalisation is much more limited (Bell, 2005:157). In an attempt to take advantage from the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches, Triangulation is used to cross-check findings (Bell, 2005:116). In this manner, the findings are compared in order to determine the accuracy of information (Bush, 2007:100) rendering them more reliable. The Research Instruments used for Data collection The Interview with the Head Teacher (HT) An approximately one hour-long unstructured interview was carried out with the HT. Although it takes a great deal of time to analyse, the unstructured interview was deemed best for this research as the interviewee is free to talk about what is of central significance (Bell, 2005; Ribbins, 2007). The interview consisted of ten questions aimed to elicit detailed information about the HTs personal view of the SDP, how the process is managed and who is involved to participate and whether the SDP is opening doors to school improvement (see Appendix 1). The face-to-face interview (Ribbins, 2007:212) served as a means of getting the real feelings of the HT, regarding the content, the process and the implementation of the SDP. The Teachers Questionnaire Quantitative research was also used in a questionnaire consisting of ten closed statements and one open-ended question (see Appendix 2). In order to select a group which is as representative as possible (Bell, 2005), stratified sampling was used (Fogelman and Comber, 2007). In fact, the questionnaire was distributed to eighteen teachers one teacher from every subject being taught. The respondents were asked to tick one of three options: Yes, No, or Do not know. Statements 1-8 were intended to investigate positive perceptions on the SDP while statements 9 and 10 were intended to bring to light any negative perceptions, if any. Moreover, an open-ended question was set in order to give the respondents the opportunity to give their personal views on SDP matters at school. This question placed each teacher in a position to reflect and answer freely, thus reducing the interviewer effects regarding emotionality and free response (Cohen et al., 2000). Procedure and Ethical Considerations An appointment was made with the HT of St.Helen School (a pseudonym used to maintain confidentiality) and the date for the interview was agreed. Permission to carry out the research was informal, due to the fact that the investigation was carried out in ones own institution. The interview with the HT was carried out onsite (Busher and James, 2007:110) and in the Heads office. At the beginning of the interview, the Head of school was shown the set of questions prepared for the interview as well as other relevant material that proved the interview was required for the research. Though very time-consuming to transcribe, the interview was recorded to ensure data collection and maintain eye contact with the interviewee (Bell, 2005). The HT was given assurance of confidentiality. It is also worth mentioning that the questionnaires were anonymised so as to assure protection to the participants. Moreover, the respondents were made aware of what the research was about and also of its purpose (Bell, 2005:156) (see Appendix 2). Consent for answering the questionnaires was granted freely and without force. The School Context The investigation was carried out at St. Helen Girls Secondary School one of the 22 church schools on the island operating at secondary level. A profile of the school is given in the Table below. ST.HELEN GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL PROFILE Year founded 1999 Secretary Clerk Affiliation Church Librarian Student Admission Feeder Area Counsellor Student Population 364 Guidance Teacher Number of Classes 15 Spiritual Director Average Class size 24 Pastoral Care Team No. of Assistant Heads 2 Discipline Team Teaching Staff 37 P.T.A. Classroom Support Staff 4 Student Council Ancillary Staff 3 Eco School Council Table 1: School Profile Conclusion This section has served the purpose of describing and giving an explanation for the methodology used in carrying out this research supported with all the necessary ethical issues arising from the same research. Following is an analysis of the findings that emerged from the investigation. Analysis Introduction This section includes the significant features that emerge from the Teachers Questionnaire as well as the Head Teachers Interview. Both research tools were based on the following research questions: What is the importance of a SDP to the school? How is the process of development planning carried out? Who is involved in the planning process? Is the SDP opening doors to school improvement? The presentation and discussion of the findings that follow, aim at providing answers to these questions. Presentation of Findings Teachers Questionnaire The questionnaire, consisting of ten statements and one open-ended question was distributed to 18 teachers. All questionnaires were collected. Following are the results for statements 1-10 of the questionnaire. Open-ended question The teachers questionnaire ended with an open-ended question asking the respondents to comment in general about the SDP at their school. Only 6 (33.3%) out of 18 respondents answered this question. Four respondents agreed that the SDP is of utmost importance both for the teaching staff as well as for the students improvement. They claim that at their school, the SDP is discussed thoroughly most especially during the Staff Development Days. However, they argue that it is hardly mentioned during the rest of the scholastic year. Another respondent states that more time should be allocated to see if everything planned has been carried out, and if not, why. Similarly, another respondent argued that the SDP should be more carefully monitored and evaluated, and that while it is frequently very cautiously planned, however, it is not adequately implemented. The Head Teachers Interview Following is a summary of the Head Teachers responses to the Interview (see Appendix 1). The Head Teacher (HT) of the school under investigation holds that the SDP conducted since 2002 plays a very important role in the life of every school. Asked about who is involved in the process, the HT mentioned various stakeholders. Regarding the process, the HT states that it takes place in different stages. The difficulties encountered during the process are time and the staffs interest and cooperation. However, since the latter has become an annual process, nearly all teachers help in formulating objectives and action plans. The HT declares that the SDP definitely provides a framework for evaluation and improvement; otherwise it will be of no value. Finally the HT expressed her hopes that the SDP will lead to open wide the doors to school improvement. Analysing the Findings The following section is an attempt to go into the main concerns and interests raised during research. After being collected and classified, the research findings will be discussed and analysed in relation to the research questions and compared to the literature review. What is the importance of a SDP to the school? As shown in Table 2, all 18 teachers interviewed consider the SDP as important to their institution. Moreover, in an attempt to answer the open-ended question at the end of the questionnaire, one teacher claims that the SDP is of utmost importance both for the teaching staff as well as for the students improvement. As suggested by Bezzina (1999), another teacher claims that the SDP is important to enhance the students potential and that it must be used to tackle all their needs. While Bezzina acknowledges that a SDP encourages team effort (1999:37), the Irish document holds that it is a great benefit to the whole school community (DES, 1999, Online). Similarly, the HT holds that: It is a great opportunity to enhance teamwork, collaboration and collegiality among the whole school community, that is, the Senior Management Team, the staff, the students and their parents, and all those who rightly give their share. (Interview with HT). Also, this implies that the style of leadership of the HT at St.Helen is participative (Coleman, 2005a:18), as the issue of decision-making is shared with other stakeholders. Moreover, the HT confirms what is suggested in the DES document (1999, Online), mainly that the SDP gives the teachers a sense of direction as They all know what the school is after (Interview with HT). Who is involved in the process? Bezzina claims that A SDP calls for a co-ordinated effort, a belief in each others worth, and a sincere willingness to work together to achieve set goals (1999:36) Similarly, Lumby maintains that even though the principal may lead in the process, all staff is responsible for the recreation and adjustment of vision on a daily basis (2007a:89). This is evident at St.Helen, so much that the HT mentions the following as stakeholders: Staff Members, P.T.A Members, Ladies Circle, the School Handyman, Parents, Students Council and Students. Moreover the participation of groups such as the Pastoral Team, The Green/Eco-School Team and Discipline Team is encouraged. The HT claims that, All these groups give their contribution. Different meetings are held with different groups on different topics; they all do their utmost to achieve goals. (Interview with HT) Teachers Participation Although The Principal plays a prominent role in the leadership and management of the planning process (DES, 1999:26, Online) 83.3% of the questionnaire responses claim that teachers participation is encouraged in the planning process. Researchers like Bush and Coleman (2006) and Lumby (2007b) hold that the involvement of staff might cause difficulties. However, Early (2007) maintains that staff involvement in becoming increasingly important for school success. Moreover, the above mentioned Irish document states that The whole-hearted participation of the teaching staff is crucial to the success of the planning process and that the whole staff should be actively involved to enable all members of staff to participate in discussion and decision-making (DES, 1999:27, Online). In fact, 55.6% of the responses show that the teaching staff is committed to the SDP. Also, this implies that the staff should be made aware of what the SDP is, why it is inevitable and how it is to be organised. If not, there will be the risk of having staff members who are uninterested, sceptical of the whole process and determined to resist change (Lumby, 2007b:97). In fact, this might be the case with a couple of teachers who joined the school only recently and who in the questionnaire (11.1%) expressed their doubt whether the SDP is threatening to the school or not, while another (5.6%) does not know whether or not the SDP is an added burden to the school (see Table 11). This implies that while the rest of the respondents (94.4%) are rooted in the three features constituting the SDP process (DOE, 1999, Online), these newly recruited teachers are not. According to the HT, the teachers are called in for SDP consultation through questionnaires and also on Staff Development Days. In addition to this, some teachers volunteer to work together in teams and in collaboration with the SMT in order to analyse audit results as well as to prioritise and draw strategic plans (Interview with HT). The response of 83.3% of the respondents shows that at St.Helen teacher participation is quite evident. Nevertheless, the HT feels that some teachers still need to be reminded to give their contribution. Also worth mentioning is the fact that, once a month or twice in a term, the HT holds subject meetings with teachers in order to sustain continuity and on-going monitoring (Interview with HT). Parent Participation Epstein (1992) states that parental involvement is an asset to their childs education in that the school equips them with the necessary tools to help them. While learning more about educational programmes they also get familiar with how the school functions. The NMC also holds that parents or guardians should be involved as partners in their childrens education (NMC 1999:31). Although this idea is confirmed by the HT, however it is not so in style with 44.4% of the teachers who have doubts as to whether or not the SDP has brought about greater parental involvement (see Table 8). This also implies that the teachers at St.Helen are not yet embedded with parental involvement in the SDP process (DOE, 1999, Online). Student Participation The HT believes that feedback from students is an essential input to the school (Interview with HT) so much that Hargreaves holds that they play an active role in implementing the plan and have an interest in the outcomes (1989:17). This implies that the students are to be involved throughout the whole process. This is likely so at St.Helen where the SMT takes into great consideration any suggestions proposed by the student council especially when they have to do with any aspect of the SDP. Also, a questionnaire is distributed annually to the students so as to ascertain their views (DES, 1999, Online). How is the process of development planning carried out? The HT gave very vivid and clear explanations of how the school goes about the process of development planning. As expressed in the Irish document (DES, 1999, Online), the HT maintains that it takes place at different stages, mainly at three Staff Development Days together with monthly afternoon staff meetings. On such days, the teachers are grouped according to their subject, interest or specialisation, and so they are more motivated to contribute to the discussions which usually focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the targets implemented. From these elements, decisions are taken as to what the school will be tackling as aims. Moreover, these meetings offer the SMT and the Staff an ideal opportunity to audit and evaluate progress. Furthermore, the HT asserts that, speakers who are authority on different subjects as well as Personnel from the Education Department also give their contribution during these meetings. Most of the teachers feel a sense of ownership and commitment when carrying out the SDP tasks assigned to them. This emerges quite plainly in the questionnaire with 83.3% of the respondents considering the SDP to be an on-going process while 55.6% believing that the school community is motivated to implement plans. According to the HT, the SDP establishes a clear programme to follow; it defines targets, implements strategies, time limits, necessary resources and evaluation procedures. Similar to what Hargreaves and Hopkins (1991), Nathan (1996), Bezzina (1999), the Irish document (DES, 1999, Online), and Bush and Coleman (2006) suggest, the HT identifies four main processes to SDP in St.Helen, mainly, the Audit, Construction, Implementation and Evaluation. This implies that St.Helen Girls Secondary is meeting the standards that are required by the SDP. Is the SDP opening doors to school improvement? Sammons, Khamis and Coleman state that The normal measurement of effectiveness is usually to do with better than expected academic outcomes (2005:137). Consequently, 77.8% of the questionnaire responses show that the SDP promotes improvement among students. Following are three positive outcomes in addition to the acquisition of examination results (Ouston, 1999:176) and as elicited from the HTs interview, in which the process to SDP implemented at St.Helen proves to be fruitful in being effective and in bringing about improvement. Improving the attitude towards Literature Literature is Fun is one of the target-titles listed for implementation in this years SDP. The HT argues that after finding that Literature and Culture of Languages was weakening, the management provided a Literature Room, which h

Neurosurgeon :: Medicine Medical Surgery Neurology Papers

Neurosurgeon Tumors located in the frontal lobe are quite common since this lobe is the largest in humans. These growths are categorized as primary, which means they originate in the brain (benign), or secondary, meaning they have a different origin and it spread to the brain (metastasized). Primary tumors tend to grow slower and cause less noticeable damage and behavioral changes. Secondary tumors, on the other hand, pose a bigger threat because they grow faster and tend to be malignant. Tumors can be operated, with low mortality, but it is usually the individual’s behavior, life, and family that have to change in order to adapt with these new conditions brought on by these growths. Neurosurgeon Neurosurgeons will first want to diagnose the individual complaining of certain complications. Most individuals will report having seizures and/or recurrent headaches, usually recurring in the same area. But, other symptoms could occur depending upon the location. For example, personality changes, being overactive, trouble paying attention, and a loose, disconnected feeling. When the complaint is registered, the neurosurgeon will most likely want to run a couple of tests to see if what the patient is experiencing is due to a tumor. To alleviate some of the symptoms in less threatening cases, the surgeon may prescribe some medicine. Steroids are usually given to reduce swelling and inflammation from growth. Anticonvulsants are given to help reduce or stop seizures caused by tumors. And, to help alleviate hydrocephalus, a shunt is inserted in order to drain fluids and to reduce that build up caused by the tumor. But of course these medications could have unwanted side effects. Steroids like dexamethasone could cause restlessness, anxiety, and/or depression; antipsychotic medicines usually are given to subdue those effects. If anticonvulsant drugs’ dose is too high or too low, it could exhibit aggression, insomnia, and/or psychosis. They could also have a bad reaction with chemotherapy and cause sleepiness, depression, confusion, speech and vision problems, and/or gait problems. This could be solved by either changing dosage or anticonvulsant. Modern imaging techniques have allowed neurosurgeons to better examine the brain and especially locate tumors. The neurosurgeon could start with some X rays and look for any abnormalities in the skull and for calcium deposits, but it could be a waste of time when a Computerized Tomography (CT) could be used. Equally, positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have emerged to provide more detailed and valuable

Analysis of Lucy Gayheart by Willa Cather Essay -- Lucy Gayheart Willa

Analysis of Lucy Gayheart by Willa Cather Lucy Gayheart is a young, spirited, intelligent music student from Havorford, on the South Platte River. In the winters, she attends a conservatory in Chicago, under the tutelage of Professor Auerbach. In Chicago, she lives in a room above a German bakery, where she takes her breakfasts and suppers. These small quarters do not distress her; indeed, she craves the solitude of her own will, her own piano, her own bed. She walks hungrily through Chicago, her appetite for life never disappointed by the thriving midwestern metropolis. She is beautiful, she is talented, and her young heart has never been broke. The year is 1901. At some point in everyone's life, you meet someone whom you think can lift you beyond where you are, to a place where you al... Analysis of Lucy Gayheart by Willa Cather Essay -- Lucy Gayheart Willa Analysis of Lucy Gayheart by Willa Cather Lucy Gayheart is a young, spirited, intelligent music student from Havorford, on the South Platte River. In the winters, she attends a conservatory in Chicago, under the tutelage of Professor Auerbach. In Chicago, she lives in a room above a German bakery, where she takes her breakfasts and suppers. These small quarters do not distress her; indeed, she craves the solitude of her own will, her own piano, her own bed. She walks hungrily through Chicago, her appetite for life never disappointed by the thriving midwestern metropolis. She is beautiful, she is talented, and her young heart has never been broke. The year is 1901. At some point in everyone's life, you meet someone whom you think can lift you beyond where you are, to a place where you al...

Metapath Case Essay

Metapath was a hi-tech company providing software products for wireless carriers. It had a revenue of 22 million and was emerging as the premier company in its market space. The ultimate goal of the founder, Hansen, was to see the Metapath go IPO in two years. However, this company confronted two main obstacles for that goal: concentrated customers and fluctuant quarterly revenues. To expand his business and also solve these problems, Hansen need to again raise more money. Like most of the software companies, Metapath demands continuously money supply during the premature period of its life. The main financial strategy of Metaph was to raise several rounds of money by turning to venture capital investors: get money from them in exchange for Metapath’s preferred stock and a promise to redeem or convert to commom stock in event of IPO. It had raised $ 9 million in four rounds of financing before 1997, in which STI and Bessemer participated in the first two rounds. Unlike the fol lowing standard convertible preferred stock instruments, these first two rounds had a structure called â€Å"straight redeemable, cheap common†, which required a principal payment in the future, making the two classes of preferred stock more like debts. Therefore, by paying yearly (or quarterly) dividends and guarantying the safety of principle value to venture investors, Metapath raised its first four rounds of capital. Selling the company to CellTech could bring Metapath many advantages. First, CellTech offered an attractive price $115 million, relatively large for a premature company with revenue of 25.6 million and negative income -$1.9 million. Second, it was already an public company, which prevented the dilution of possible further financings. Third, by merging with CellTech, Metapath could achieve synergy from expertise of CellTech’s engineers, and the fully-formed marketing and domestic sales organization. However, since the merging was plan to be in stock exchange and CellTech had gone public only few months, information could be limited to value its stock price fairly. Also in the big environment of late 1990s, too much investments in high-tech companies made this industry overheated, and CellTech could be overvalued by analysts. For the VC option RSC offered, one big advantage was that the immediate cash flow of $11.75 million, which would be very helpful for Metapath’s operation. Another advantage was that it bought time for Metapath to initiate an independent IPO in the future, which had potential to worth more than CallTech offered. But it brought  concerns to Metapath as well. RSC brought up the strike term called â€Å"participating convertible preferred stock†, at which holder could not only convert from the preferred stock, but also in the event of sale, receive face value and participate in further consideration of common stock. This term could make a sale of Metapath extremely dilutive to the founders.