Jurisprudence - Liberal Feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Jurisprudence - Liberal Feminism - Essay Example Just as feminism, feminist jurisprudence cannot be explained by any single theory4. It is a family of different frameworks or view-points that are used in the analysis of the desirable or real relationship between gender and law5. In her view, Christine Littleton considers feminist jurisprudence as a collection of various attempts aimed at critiquing, changing and explicating the law for the sake of, and from women’s point of view6. Christine Littleton argues that, feminist jurisprudence aims at explaining women’s experiences and at the same time transforming the law. Despite the fact that feminist jurisprudence is considered by many to be practical, theorists such as Carol Smart borrows from Carl Marx ideology and argues that feminist jurisprudence is both practical and theoretical; it is brought about through the methodology that ensures theoretical insights are reflected in political action and that practical insights are shown on theoretical development7. As far fem inist legal theories and feminist jurisprudence is concerned, there is one thing that stands out; both are aimed at the gender effects of legal practice and rules-particularly, how legal practices and rules affect women, and how law and legal practices define and reflect on gender identities. Additionally, both feminist theories and feminist jurisprudence focus on critiquing and exposure of the masculine nature of methods of law with a goal of changing both the methods and substance of law with respect to the goal of liberating women and feminist rejection of patriarchy. It must, however, be noted that-as had earlier been mentioned-feminist theorists have had different ideologies as to how legal transformation should be achieved and how it should be. Liberal feminism theorists have considered and argued that putting women into legal consideration and looking at them in the same breadth-equally-as men, may be the way to go about achieving the goal liberating women. Today, the debate is not only with regards to gender difference or sameness, feminist legal theorists have gone a step further and are more concerned with how to transform legal values, logic and the perception of justice. This notion of considering law as a neutral system of dispute resolution, regulation and justice,-a stand taken by liberal feminists-has been sharply criticized and rejected by contemporary feminist theorists, who have an issues with the concepts of objectivity, universalism, rationalism, and neutrality. They argue that defining law in the scientific sense without considering the political, moral and social reality is not the way to go; an argument also held by legal realist theorists. Those ideologies held by liberal feminists are disregarded and attacked on various grounds by other feminists. Accordingly, all of them argue that, the legal notions of objectivity and impartiality are just but perceptions that conceal the dominance and bias of the dominant groups-male. The argument is that, if sexes are considered unequal, there is neither un-gendered perspective nor reality8. In particular, the concept of objectivity has been attacked and it’s gendered nature exposed by MacKinnon, who argues that, the dominance shown by the male, is the most obstinate and universal system of power9. Similarly, the concept of impartiality has

International Student Essay Example for Free

International Student Essay Nowadays , Education play an important role in our life . However , there are some countries which have poor education , poor teaching and learning strategies . Actually , Those students will go to higher education institutions country . It calls ‘’ International Students ‘’ . More importantly , United Kingdom is the most famous about education . The term ‘’ international students ‘’ is taken here to mean those students who have been educated in a national education system outside the UK and who on the whole are likely to be non-native speakers of English . There is a real story in the UK ‘’ Nicos Story’’ http://www.economicsnetwork. ac. uk/showcase/bamford_international Nicos was a postgraduate student at the Business School. He was diligent and conscientious and achieved good marks on his MA programme. He was expected to gain an overall distinction grade. He had excellent English language skills. An excerpt from Nicos email: I really wanted to finish my dissertation by September so that I would not have to go back to London again, but I broke down, I suddenly felt that I could not do it. I was going crazy and could not write a word anymore. I would stand in front of the computer for hours just writing a paragraph. So on Sunday I left and came to Greece. Today I went to the airport for the flight back, so that I could see you in the morning but as soon as I had to leave my parents and go to the boarding gate, I freezed and panicked. I could not picture myself alone again in the same places for even an hour. The last few days I have started feeling a human being again. I can talk with people and they are people who care about me, I go out with friends for coffee and I want to cry. The first morning I woke up, I started crying because my mother had washed my bag, someone had done something for me. Common diffiuculties for International students. According to this story , there are clearly challenges for international students studying at higher education institutions in the UK . As University City London adds that major problems for International students They go on to say that culture shock . ‘’ As well as having to cope with a new institution and educational environment, international students are having to adjust to a different national culture with often unfamiliar social customs and conventions. They may become very homesick. Where English is not the first language, having to converse with strangers all the time in a foreign language is a strain. Some women students come from cultures where they have had a sheltered life and spent little time on their own or in the company of males outside their family. They may be vulnerable in certain social situations or upset by conventions that they do not understand ‘’. Secondly , ‘’ Students for whom English is a second language may struggle with their courses, International students are often under considerable pressure to succeed academically and their expectations of themselves may be unrealistic. The transition to a different educational system and new approaches to study is often more challenging than to home students. For example, students from abroad are sometimes unaccustomed to active learning situations, such as participating in discussion and working on a team project. They may have had a much more formal relationship with their teachers and thus be less inclined than home students to seek help from their personal tutors ‘’ Thirdly, ‘’ The number of students experiencing financial difficulties has increased significantly in recent years and is likely to continue doing so. Some students are more or less permanently hard up; others create short-term difficulties for themselves by managing their money badly . It is expensive to come to university ‘’. More exactly , According to J. K Bamford ( 2008 ) ,’’ The first of the these challenges concerns English language ability, or rather consideration of the fact that many international students are non-native speakers of English. This has two aspects to it. Firstly, there is a minimum language requirement for entry for all overseas students and secondly, even if students have more than met this entry requirement they may not be familiar with technical terminology for a specialist subject area. For some students who have only just met the criterion for language, studying in English particularly at Masters level can prove onerous and stressful. In this case study this aspect of language ability , that is those students who had just met the language entry requirement, covered half of the students and the levels of independent study required at a very early stage of the course caused a lot of stress. Secondly, there are those that are confident in their language ability and who feel that language support classes do not meet their needs as the classes are too generic and what they are seeking is further explanation of specialised terminology, little time is spent in addressing the more specialist support required by these students. As a consequence, there is frustration expressed by these students as lecturers can mistake their lack of knowledge regarding technical or even political or cultural terminology as the students having difficulties with language, which is not the case. In addition the students have different levels of English, which can hinder the educational experience of the whole group. One student commented in a focus group that there are some people who come from different backgrounds I dont know enough about how people are taught in China but we have different levels of English and different backgrounds some people just receive and not give. Not speaking up in class can also make it difficult for tutors to gain a clear picture of the levels of English language ability and the understanding of the students. ’’ The second issue is that of the social and cultural adjustments of the students. Volet and Ang (1998) comment that tertiary institutions have a social responsibility to design learning  environments which foster students developments on intercultural adaptability (1998:21) While students did not feel that a lack of social and cultural knowledge of the UK had affected their ability to study, there was a feeling that lecturers should incorporate the knowledge of the students native cultures into their class discussion as this could benefit everyone. Class contribution can also be a traumatic experience but this can be facilitated by tutors who make the students feel more comfortable in discussing subjects with other students that they dont know. The importance of class interaction for overseas students is reinforced by Jackson (2003) who comments on the necessity for building a considerable rapport with the group. This rapport is seen as one of the most effective learning and teaching techniques for overseas students. As De Vita (2001) observes, different discourse styles create tensions that affect a students performance. Groupwork may also be an issue and the cultural diversity of groups requires students to use intercultural skills which require training. Understanding the International Student Experience. Moreover , Catherine Montgomery ( 2010 )has written a clear, small study of international students at one UK university, how they network and how they change. Its value lies in the depth of insight into student thinking. She has not drawn her conclusions from a one-off survey, which is the main research tool used to study international students. In surveys of students from non-English-speaking backgrounds, the prior assumptions of the researcher define the issues and pre-set the potential for discovery, the voices of the students are muted and anything different or unexpected is screened out in advance. In contrast, after a tour through part of the literature, Montgomery uses participant observation of the daily lives of seven networked students from China, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Italy and the Netherlands over a period of six months. The resulting picture challenges conventional thinking about international students. International students are often typecast as slow learners with poor English, limited class-participation skills, inability to think critically and a dodgy approach to referencing. In short, they are in learning deficit if not social deficit. It is no wonder they are studying abroad, goes the thinking, because their home systems are of a poor standard. They badly need our help. Montgomery turns all of this on its head. Her students are mature, curious and quick to respond and to learn. They are high achievers and a couple are truly exceptional within their milieu. After an initial period of academic adjustment, they learn to intervene and they power past the locals. They are conspicuously better motivated, focused and more aware of the benefits of higher education. These students are studying in an English-speaking country not because its culture is intrinsically superior but because English is the global language of business, professions and knowledge. They do not need to abandon the educational backgrounds and cultural identities that they brought to the UK, but they are eager to layer new learning and new identities on top. The effects of being a foreign student ‘’ Usually becoming a foreign student in order to study in another city can change your life in many aspects. Living in a city far away from home can bring many consequences and effects which almost always change a student’s form of life. When I became a foreign student, many things changed or had to change. You do not live with your family, so usually you have to learn how to live in harmony with others, how to do things by yourself, how to move to other places, etc. Being a foreign makes you learn a lot of things, but at the beginning it can be somewhat difficult, as it happened to me. That is why the purpose of this paper is to discuss the three main effects of being a foreign student. The main effect and the one that affects you most is the fact that you do not live with your parents and in your house, which means that you will not enjoy its commodities. It was so good when your mom cooked for you, and when the house maid used to make your bed. Your dad took you to school, and when classes finished, you returned to your room and made yourself completely comfortable. But becoming a foreign student implies that you will live in a dormitory or that you will rent an apartment . Usually you have to take care of dirty dishes, messy rooms, and cooking. This means you have to learn many new things, like how to cook several dishes. In a few words, you have to learn how to be independent. Another effect is that you have to find your way around the city, so you have to know the main parts of the city. If you have a car, it may be easier to explore the city. You can just get lost and see where each street takes you, and then find a way back home. But if you don’t have a car, you need to learn how to get around by walking, in buses, or with taxis. For this you may find out about bus routes or find out how much costs to use taxis, and in this way you can plan the time it will take you to get from your house to school, for example. This will force you to plan your time better, and maybe you will have less available time along the day. This may decrease the time you have to make homework or to hang out with your friends, for example. But over time, you learn how to plan your activities in a better way. A foreign student may also find himself feeling somewhat lonely, since arriving in a new city means you don’t know anyone. You may be lucky if another friend from your city comes with, but usually you are alone. It is important to start meeting people and making friends. In this way it will be much easier to get used to being a foreign student. You will have new people with who to hang with, with whom to go to parties. Besides you won’t have to be quiet all the time in classes like when you don’t know someone. Sometimes friends can also help you in a lot of situations, like when you have problems about running out of money, when you need to go to your house quickly but you don’t have a car, or when you need to get something that is not easily found. But most of all, with friends you can have a great time and learn a lot of things. Leaving your house and going to another city to study is an experience in your life that cannot be compared to any other experience in your life. You learn how to be independent, and you get to meet tons of people. It may be somewhat difficult to live without your parents and in another city, but this makes you learn how to live your life better and how to appreciate what you have, like your parents and your belongings. Besides, you get to appreciate the things you achieve during your life because you learn that your goals are not achieved easily, but that they cost a lot of work and effort. In conclusion, being a foreign student is great! ‘’

Dr. Jeffrey MacDonalds Fight for Innocence Essay -- Dr. Jeffrey MacDo

Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald's Fight for Innocence Debated as one of the most misrepresented cases in American legal history, Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald still fights for innocence. Contrary to infallible evidence, prosecution intentionally withheld crucial information aiding MacDonald’s alibi. Such ratification included proof of an outside attack that would have played a major role in Jeffrey’s case. Convicted for the murders of his wife and two kids, thirty-four years ago, Dr. MacDonald still endures the agony of being accused of killing his family. Even after twenty-four years of imprisonment and several unlawful court hearings, additional documentation continues to up hold Dr. MacDonald’s testimony. It happened on a rainy night on February 17, 1970 at the base of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Military police were responding to a call from Green Beret surgeon Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, which they thought was a routine call. When the military police arrived they discovered the slaughtered bodies of MacDonald’s wife, Colette, who was twenty six, and his two daughters Kimberley, five, and Kristen, two. A MP who preformed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation revived Dr. MacDonald. He told the police he and his wife stayed up drinking some orange liquor. She went to bed and he stayed up to finish watching the Johnny Carson show. MacDonald fell asleep on the sofa. He was awakened by screams of his wife and daughters. MacDonald claimed that three men standing over the sofa started to attack him with a bladed weapon and a baseball bat. He identified the person holding the bat as a black man with an army jacket with E-6 stripes and two white men, one carrying the bladed weapon. Before he was knocked unconscious he said that there was a lady in the back with a large floppy hat, holding a candle and was saying â€Å"acid is groovy† and â€Å"kill the pigs.† When MacDonald woke back up he found his wife lying on the ground, and tried to revive her with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with no success. He then found his daughters and tried to help them. This is when he called for an ambulance. The Army CID sent a new, inexperienced investigator named William Ivory to investigate the scene. Ivory decided after looking around the house that MacDonald made up the story of the killers. He also persuaded everyone that he was the culprit. This meant that everyone in Ivory’s chain... ...t his the evidence in front of a jury. Still believing in his innocence Jeff is filing for parole after fourteen years of eligibility. He is hoping to meet parole board criteria so he can be released on parole. This is a good case to show how it isn’t always the poor, black, or Hispanic groups getting tried for something they haven’t done. It shows that a white doctor could get his life destroyed by an unfair Judge and prosecutors. Works Cited Briscoe, Daren, MacDonald Wants Out. Newsweek, January 24, 2005. Vol. 145, Issue 4, p8, 1/4p, 1c. Retrieved from EBSCO database on the World Wide Web: http://web3.epnet.com/ Briscoe, Daren, The Green Beret Murders Haven’t Given Up. Newsweek, August 30, 2004. Vol. 144, Issue 9, p6, 4/5p, 1c. Retrieved from EBSCO database on the World Wide Web: http://web3.epnet.com/ Http://www.themacdonaldcase.org/case_overview.html Http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/family/jmacdonald/2.html?sect=12 The Associated Press, DNA Tests for Jeffrey MacDonald/ Former Physician Seeks Evidence in 1970 ‘Fatal Vision’ Slayings. Newsday. March 24, 1999. Retrieved from eLibrary on the World Wide Web: http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/libweb/

Accounting Is Dubbed “Language” of Business Activities

Essential link in objectives of business —–‘Accounting is dubbed â€Å"language† of business activities conducted by firms as it is used to communicate business transactions per se to all stakeholders’ According to Weygand, Kieso and Kimmel (2012, p. 4), the main purpose of accounting is consists of three basic activities, identifying, recording and communicating the business events by users. These three activities help the firm to operate the business to make decision be meaningful. Business has closely connection when doing transaction with their stakeholders by using the accounting, in order to make maximize profits.Role of firm Firm (also known as business or enterprise) is an organization involved trade goods and services to consumers. Business use different models and plans to figure out their target and outcome, in order to achieve organizational goal and achieve sufficient profit to finance our company growth, which create value and wealth fo r our shareholders. There are three forms of ownership, proprietorship, partnership and corporation. Every type of business receives different targets and objectives; it is because the employer or shareholder is taking different level of risk and responsible.Each organization’s employer sets its objectives to overcome difficulties. It relates to produce in different firms with different types products and how to satisfied their consumer, such as restaurant produce well-prepared food to hungry customers and cars factory fabrication and assembly of cars to produce in high-quality to buyers. Therefore, the method used or issued meet should be different. Each type of business system will meet different levels of target. The objective, however, is quite similar to each other. As Edmonds, McNair and Olds (2006, p. ) mentioned, in most cases, the companies aim to satisfy consumer preferences efficiently (at lowest cost) and aftermath with higher earnings. During business transaction , the main purpose for firms is to obtain maximize profits and the buyers to pay at least amount of money. Otherwise, the loss will lead firms be bankrupt and result in unemployment rate increased. Business Transactions Business transactions are recording the business’s economic events by accountant. The economic events such as transaction are passing through accounting process of organization to users.The accountant records the transaction when the financial position (assets, liabilities or equity) of the company changed. In addition, the accounting equation must include the transactions, two or more items, which have dual effect and could be affected. There are two types of transactions which called external and internal. External transaction is record business events between the company and some outside enterprise. For example, LMS pizza shop purchases of cooking machine (equipment) from a supplier, and then sale the piazzas to customers are related to external transaction s.Different to external transaction, internal transactions are economic events that occur all within one company. The use of cooking and washing machine (supplies) are internal transactions for this company. However, the company must analyze each event to illustrate if it affects the components of the accounting equation. For example, the company ordered additional films at $1000. This event will not be record. In the reason, the company’s financial position does not change during this activity. But if there is deposit that company needs to pay.Then the accountant should record this transaction. The accountant has ability to decide which transaction should be record. Determine the Value changing International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) companies can apply fair value to property, plant, equipment and natural resources. The companies can sell the assets to fair value at the reporting data. If revaluation is used, business needs to follow the revaluation procedures. As sets that are experiencing rapid price changes must be revalued on an annual basis. Otherwise, less frequent revaluation is acceptable.However, most companies choose to remain the original cost they paid instead to revalue. It is faithful to represent the fair value and the negative effects on the net income. Business should evaluate the faithful representation and relevance of trades-off in any case and determine the importance that the company considered at. To illustrate asset revaluation accounting, assume that an organization called as LMS pizza shop, they purchased the used machine to making pizza for $10,000 on March 11, 2013. But at the end of May 2013, the cooking machine is increased its wealth value to $13,000.At this time, the accountant has two decisions to record this value changed. One is to revalue the price and another one is to keep it remains the same. However, this action should consider by the company own perspective. It is because the revaluation is affecting t he net income. In the short summary, if it is the case that the value falls, the company gets positive effects on the net income. Otherwise, the company obtains negative effects on the net income. Finally, the company can fetch a higher price if sold the assets at the reporting date. Essential link in objectives of businessTarget as the core of growth for companies. During operation, companies have many decision-makings, like which firm is better to award of contract and which firm can bring most benefits. These decisions are related to company’s benefit (profit), which are the business objectives. This is because the business objectives are the main purpose for running business to obtain maximum profit at lowest cost. The statement is more clearly to anyone, even who outside the organization. It is benefit for everyone to use the information of financial accounting.Especially is for investors, creditors and other external users. That is all of the fundament about financial a ccounting. According to IFRS, there are two measurement principles they usually use, the historical cost principle or the fair value principle. By using these two principles, company can clearly be seen in the earning profit or loss. According to Williams, financial accounting is wide range uses in the business community nowadays (Williams et. al, 2011). Any decisions that the business makes need to concern about all of three activities in accounting quation. The companies all predicate of the objectives that is bringing as much as profit to them. Summary Accounting as a major indicator for simply convenient operation and shorten the time to achieve company’s goals. It is not only a kind of business language, but also a tool for measuring the target for company. As a business tool, it help employer to narrow the distance with all stakeholders in any transactions, hence to help achievement of objective and then obtain higher rate of return in anytime. Words: 1068Reference * We ygandt, J, Kieso, E& Kimmel, D (2012), Financial Accounting (IFRS edition). WILEY. USA * Edmonds, T, Edmonds, C, McNair, F& Olds, P, (2006), Fundamental Financial Accounting Concepts (5th edition) McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. New York * Williams, Haka, Bettner, and Carcello (2011), Financial Accounting: Including IFRS, Financial Accounting (Fourteenth Edition, McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. New York * International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), retrieved from http://www. iasb. org/

El salvador

This case was written by Susan Bartholomew based on personal interviews. Names, dates, and details of situations have been modified for illustrative purposes. The various economic, political, and cultural conditions described are presented as perceptions of the individuals in the case; they do not necessarily reflect the actual conditions in the region. The events described are presented as a basis for classroom discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of a cross- cultural situation.December 10, 1998: The Job Offer John and Joanna Lafferty had Just opened a bottle of wine to share with friends who had come to see their new apartment in Toronto when the telephone rang. John, a lanky, easygoing development economist, excused himself to answer the phone in the kitchen. Recently married, John and Joanna were excited to be building a life together in the same city at last. As a development economist specializing in Latin America, John Laffertys work had taken him to Peru, Bolivia, and Guatemala on a series of three- to four-month assignments over the previous three years.While he loved the challenge and adventure of this fieldwork and had come to love the people and culture, he also wanted a home base and steady presence in Toronto, where Joanna worked as a human resource management consultant. Just before their wedding six months earlier, John accepted a position with a Toronto-based NGO (non-government organization) focused on research, fund-raising, and government lobbying on issues related to Central American political refugees.Throughout the 1980s, tens of thousands of refugees had fled political persecution and human rights abuse in war- orn Central America to seek political asylum in Canada; John's field experience in Guatemala and his natural diplomacy were invaluable to the Canadian organization. He was passionate about his work and quickly gained a reputation for being a sa'. n. y and politically astute advocate of refugees' c ases. As Joanna went to get some wineglasses from the kitchen, she could overhear her husband speaking in Spanish on the phone.Joanna had studied Spanish in college but had difficulty following the rapid, one-sided conversation. However, one phrase, â€Å"Me allegre mucho,† and John's broad grin as he said it, was impossible to isinterpret. Joanna returned to her guests in the living room: â€Å"It sounds like good news. † John's work with refugees in the Canadian NGO had caught the attention of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, headquartered in Geneva, and he had recently returned from a one-week visit and series of interviews. While John had not been searching for a new Job opportunity, the Geneva invitation had been too exciting to resist.John walked back into the living room with a huge smile: â€Å"Forget the wine, I think we should open some champagne. The U. N. has Just offered me the most incredible Job. † â€Å"In Geneva? Joanna asked ex citedly. Decision The El Salvador assignment would be for two years, as a Program Officer responsible for organizing the repatriation of Salvadoran refugees from various refugee camps back to El Salvador and developing programs to ensure the protection and well-being of such refugees in their return to Salvadoran communities. The position would report to the Charge de Mission of the El Salvador office.While this office was based in the capital city, San Salvador, the Job would also require frequent travel to various field offices and refugee camps throughout El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras. The challenge of the assignment excited John tremendously; he also believed that this was an exceptional opportunity for him to make a real difference in the lives of the refugees of Central America. He certainly wanted to accept the Job; however, he would only go if Joanna would be willing and happy to go with him.Two questions would weigh heavily on Joanna's mind: 1 . â€Å"Wha t about the political instability of the area? † The politics of El Salvador were complicated and difficult to understand, and the story seemed to vary depending on the source. As Joanna gathered, the civil war in El Salvador had come to an end in 1992 with a U. N. -brokered peace treaty between the conservative government of the Republican Nationalist Alliance (Arena) and the Marxist-led Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN). Throughout the war, the U. S. ad apparently spent more than $4 billion to support the government and military, while the Soviet Bloc supported the FMLN. Human-rights groups alleged that right-wing death squads had murdered 40,000 of the 70,000 people killed during the 12-year war. However, the peace agreement had significantly reduced the size of the rmy, disbanded corrupt police forces, purged the country of the most notorious human-rights abusers, and disarmed the FMLN, allowing it to become a legal political party. The country appeared to h ave made substantial progress toward peace and democracy.The information and briefings they received from Salvadorans and other expatriates who had recently returned from the country suggested that life in the capital, San Salvador, was quite safe. Economically, the country was becoming more internationally open, with establishment of large export factories, increasing rivatization, and reforms aimed at stimulating foreign investment. While certain precautions were required, and the area was still heavily patrolled by armed forces, Joanna was told she could expect a relatively normal lifestyle. They would live in a highly secure part of the city, in the area populated by all the foreign embassies.They would also be living and traveling on a U. N. diplomatic passport (â€Å"Laissez- passer†), which would afford them excellent protection. 2. â€Å"What about my career? † Moving to El Salvador was the last thing Joanna had imagined when she married John Lafferty six month s earlier. Joanna had worked in Toronto for three years as a human resource consultant after graduating with an MBA. She was bright and ambitious, and her career was advancing well. While she was very happy to be married, she also enjoyed her professional and financial independence.Besides, Toronto was not only professionally rewarding, it was also home, friends, and family. However, Joanna was also ready for a change; secretly, she had always envied John the sense of adventure that accompanied his work. Maybe this was an opportunity for her to develop her After much discussion, they decided that John would accept the assignment. January-March 1999: Predeparture Arrangements When John confirmed with the Geneva office that he would take the assignment, it was arranged for him to move to San Salvador at the end of March and for Joanna to follow one month later.It was often recommended in assignments of this kind to send married staff ahead of time to get settled into the Job before th eir spouse and/ or family arrived. This option made sense to the Laffertys and had several advantages. First, it would give Joanna more time to finish off her current consulting rojects in Toronto and make a graceful exist from her present firm. She had a strong professional reputation and wanted to ensure she was remembered favorably by her corporate clients when she returned to Toronto two years later. Second, John would be able to get the housing arrangements settled before Joanna's arrival.John's employer would provide ample financial and logistical supports to staff in finding housing; however, John also knew from past experience that dealing with local real estate agents and utility companies in Central America could be highly frustrating. Tasks that were quite simple in Toronto, such as having a lease drawn up and getting a telephone installed, Just didn't seem to follow any system or set of procedures. â€Å"Tomorrow' could mean next week or even next month. Patience, flexi bility, and a good deal of charm were usually required; getting angry rarely helped.While John was used to the inconvenience and unpredictability of local services in Central America, he was uncertain how Joanna would react initially. John held a deep affection for the Central American people and felt hopeful that Joanna would develop an affinity for the culture as well. However, he hoped to at least have the majority of the living arrangements worked out before she arrived to make her transition to El Salvador as smooth as possible. Finally, the extra time gave Joanna more opportunity to prepare herself for the transition.Joanna had taken a course on international human resource management as an MBA and was familiar with the phenomenon of culture shock in international assignments. She recalled from her course that predeparture preparation and cultural orientation made a significant difference in helping employees and their families adapt to the foreign environment. Joanna was dete rmined to read and learn as much about Salvadoran history and politics as she could. She was also keen to improve her Spanish before she arrived and as soon as the decision was made that they would be going to El Salvador, she enrolled in night courses for six hours a week.As Joanna walked home from her Spanish class one evening, pleased with her results on her comprehension test, she recalled with amusement a conversation she had had with Joan Taylor. Joan was the wife of a senior executive with Altron, a Canadian firm with offices throughout Latin America. The Taylors had Just returned rom a two-year assignment in Guatemala City, and Joanna had contacted Joan to get some insight on the practicalities of living in the region. â€Å"My dear Joanna,† Joan began, â€Å"you will have a very fine life in Central America, or in most developing countries your husband will be sent to, for that matter.You will â€Å"Just watch out for the ‘gilded cage syndrome. †  "The what? † Joanna had asked. â€Å"As corporate executives or diplomats in third-world postings, we live a pretty high life, certainly a standard of living far beyond what we could have in our own countries. Everything is there for you and everything is done for you. It's like living in a gilded cage. Some people love it, and get pretty spoiled; after a while you cant imagine even making a sandwich for yourself†¦ .† Humph, Joanna thought to herself at the time. That would certainly never happen to me.I am a professional. This is an incredible learning opportunity and I am going to make the most of it! May 1999: Joanna's Arrival Joanna arrived on a balmy afternoon, grateful for the warm breeze after a cold Toronto winter. She was excited to see John and only slightly disappointed that their first drive into San Salvador would not be alone, but accompanied by a young Salvadoran named Julio Cesar, who had been assigned as their driver. On the drive from the airport, Joanna tried hard to follow his rapid banter as he pointed out the sights to her.She had felt confident in her Spanish in the classroom in Toronto, but now she could barely understand a word Julio Cesar said. John, sensing her frustration, began to translate, and by the time they reached the house, Joanna was exhausted and discouraged. John was proud of the house he had found, next door to the Mexican embassy and only a block from a tennis club where most of the members were expatriates. He hought this might provide a good social base for Joanna if she got homesick for North American lifestyle. The large 12-room house was certainly impressive, with its shining terrazzo floors and two large gardens.Joanna wondered what to do with all the space. It was also quite secure, with metal bars on all the windows, and surrounded by 12-foot walls. â€Å"This isn't a house, John, it's a fortress,† Joanna said in amazement. mieah . I know it's a bit much,† said John. â€Å"But thi s is the one area of the city we are strongly advised to live in, for security reasons. Smaller homes or apartments Just on't exist. Most of the families living here are either expats or very wealthy Salvadorans. Most have live-in help and need the space. † â€Å"But I don't want anyone else living with us †¦ † . I want you to meet Maria. † Joanna followed John out to the back of the â€Å"Come .. house, and was introduced to a small, brown woman, vigorously scrubbing clothes. â€Å"Maria worked for the family who lived here before; it only seemed right that she should stay. She only lives a few blocks away, though, so she will go home each evening. † After a week, Joanna soon learned Maria's work patterns. Maria would hand wash all their clothes in the cement tub and hang them to dry outside, a chore that would take all day long, as Maria would often wash things three times.The following day she would return to do the ironing, which would take anothe r full day. As Joanna sat in her study upstairs, reading her books and newspapers, she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt thinking of Maria, hand washing every last item of their clothing in the own clothes in a washing machine. Then, when Joanna found out that John paid Maria $6. 00 per day, she was furious. John explained to Joanna that this was the ustomary wage for the women from the â€Å"barrios marginales† who worked as domestic help for wealthy Salvadorans and expatriates.These â€Å"marginal communities† were small groupings of tin shacks located in the ravines that surrounded the city. A few had electricity, but many of the communities, including Maria's, still cooked their meals over fires and lit their homes with candles. Joanna began to slip more money into Maria's pay envelope. Joanna hoped to make a friend of Maria and looked forward to having lunch each day with her and learning more of the local way of speaking. Joanna realized now hat the formal Span ish she had learned in school was vastly different from the language she heard each day on the streets of San Salvador.However, Maria refused to eat at the same table as Joanna and insisted on serving Joanna first in the dining room, and then eating her own lunch on the stone steps in the back room. Joanna was deeply uncomfortable with this and began to eat lunch at the restaurant in her nearby tennis club instead. Other things began to irritate Joanna as well. For example, one day, she started to wash the car in the driveway. Suddenly, Maria's son appeared and insisted that he do he Job for her, horrified that â€Å"la Senora† would undertake such a task herself.Another time, Joanna began to dig up some of the plants in the garden for replanting; the following morning, a gardener appeared at the door, saying that he was a cousin of Maria's and would be pleased to take on additional gardening work. Joanna resented this intrusion into her daily life. If she was going to be spe nding so much time at home, she wanted privacy to read and study. It was going to be a while, she realized, before she found a Job. Joanna was disappointed with the Job prospects among local and even international companies. Most available positions were clerical, for which she was vastly overqualified. l didn't get an MBA to work as a file clerk! † she would think to herself angrily. Then, she would think sadly, â€Å"My Spanish probably isn't even good enough to get a Job as a file clerk. † One day, in frustration, Joanna called her two closest friends in Toronto, colleagues from her old firm. â€Å"l can't win! † Joanna complained. â€Å"l feel guilty all the time. I feel guilty because I don't do anything myself. And I feel guilty if I don't hire local people to the housework. They need the money so much. Then I feel guilty that we pay them six dollars a day. We can afford so much more.I feel guilty that I have a maid and she lives in a tin shack in a ravine two blocks from my house. But John says we can't pay her more than the going rate because it would upset the whole balance of her community. He says they have their own economic structure and norms and we have to respect that. My Salvadoran neighbors tell me that if I pay Maria or the gardener more they won't respect me. But I do anyway, and then I feel guilty because I don't tell John. And then our driver, Julio Cesar . The sarcastic response was the same from both. Gee, Joanna, sounds tough.Beautiful house, a maid, gardener, and driver, afternoons at the tennis club †¦ n wonder you're so miserable. † been a big mistake? She knew how much this Job meant to John, and it was a great step forward for his career. But what about her career and her own happiness? This had been a mutual decision. Something was going to have to change or they would be on a plane back to Toronto very soon. The question was †¦ what? Questions For discussion 1 . Is Joanna suffering from cultu re shock? What elements of the Salvadoran culture seem most difficult for her to adapt to? 2.Should Joanna have done anything differently in terms of her preparation for moving to El Salvador? What do you think she should do now? 3. How could Joanna further her career as a human resource consultant while living in El Salvador? What skills could she develop? Would these skills be transferable if she moved back to Toronto? To another country? 4. If you were John, would you have taken the Job in El Salvador? If you were Joanna, would you have agreed to go? 5. Do you think international careers are feasible for dual-career couples? What issues are important to consider for the individuals involved? What can companies do to make foreign assignments more successful for couples and families? Is the happiness of the employee's spouse the responsibility of the company? 7. What recommendations would you make to international organizations and companies sending employees to politically unstabl e regions? Do companies have a responsibility for the physical safety of expatriate employees? Does this responsibility extend to locally hired staff as well? 8. Do you think Joanna should pay her cleaning lady and gardener more than the standard $6. 00 per day? Why or why not?

Free Essays on OCD

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you may feel you are the only person facing the difficulties of this illness. But you are not alone. In the U.S., 1 in 50 adults currently has OCD and twice that many have had it at some point in their lives. Fortunately, very effective treatments for OCD are now available to help you regain a more satisfying life. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder where a person has recurrent and unwanted ideas or impulses (called obsessions) and an urge or compulsion to do something to relieve the discomfort caused by the obsession. Compulsions are behaviors that help reduce the anxiety surrounding the obsessions. Worries, doubts, and superstitious beliefs are all common in everyday life. However, when they become so excessive such as hours of hand washing or driving around and around the block to check that an accident didn’t occur then a diagnosis of OCD is made. In OCD, it is as though the brain gets stuck on a particular thought or urge and just cant let go. People with OCD often say the symptoms feel like a case of mental hiccups that won’t go away. OCD is a medical brain disorder that causes problems in information processing. It is not your fault or the result of a â€Å"weak† or unstable personality. The thoughts and behaviors a person with OCD has are senseless, repetitive, distressing, and sometimes harmful, but they are also difficult to overcome. OCD is more common than schizophrenia, bipolar disease, or panic disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Yet, it is still commonly overlooked by mental health professionals, mental health advocacy groups, and people who themselves have the problem. Many people still carry the misconception that they somehow caused themselves to have these compulsive behaviors and obsessive thoughts. â€Å"Nothing could be further from the trut... Free Essays on OCD Free Essays on OCD Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you may feel you are the only person facing the difficulties of this illness. But you are not alone. In the U.S., 1 in 50 adults currently has OCD and twice that many have had it at some point in their lives. Fortunately, very effective treatments for OCD are now available to help you regain a more satisfying life. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder where a person has recurrent and unwanted ideas or impulses (called obsessions) and an urge or compulsion to do something to relieve the discomfort caused by the obsession. Compulsions are behaviors that help reduce the anxiety surrounding the obsessions. Worries, doubts, and superstitious beliefs are all common in everyday life. However, when they become so excessive such as hours of hand washing or driving around and around the block to check that an accident didn’t occur then a diagnosis of OCD is made. In OCD, it is as though the brain gets stuck on a particular thought or urge and just cant let go. People with OCD often say the symptoms feel like a case of mental hiccups that won’t go away. OCD is a medical brain disorder that causes problems in information processing. It is not your fault or the result of a â€Å"weak† or unstable personality. The thoughts and behaviors a person with OCD has are senseless, repetitive, distressing, and sometimes harmful, but they are also difficult to overcome. OCD is more common than schizophrenia, bipolar disease, or panic disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Yet, it is still commonly overlooked by mental health professionals, mental health advocacy groups, and people who themselves have the problem. Many people still carry the misconception that they somehow caused themselves to have these compulsive behaviors and obsessive thoughts. â€Å"Nothing could be further from the trut...

Reflections, Rotations, and Translations ACT Geometry Strategies and Practice

Reflections, Rotations, and Translations ACT Geometry Strategies and Practice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Reflections, rotations, translations, oh my! Whether you’re dealing with points or complete shapes on the coordinate plane, you can spin 'em, flip 'em, or move 'em around to your heart’s content. And, often enough, you’ll be asked to do so on the ACT. This will be your complete guide to rotations, reflections, and translations of points, shapes, and graphs on the ACT- what these terms mean, the types of questions you’ll see on the test, and the tips and formulas you’ll need to solve these questions in no time. Before You Continue Reflection, rotation, and translation problems are fairly rare on the ACT, only appearing once per test, if at all. If you’re shooting for a perfect or nearly perfect score and want to make sure you have all your bases covered, then this is the guide for you. But if you still need to brush up on your fundamentals, then your focus will be better spent on studying the more common types of math problems you’ll see on the test. Remember, each question is worth the same amount of points, so it is better that you can answer three or four questions on integers, triangles, or slopes than to answer one question on rotations. So if you’ve got a solid grasp of all your foundational math topics (or you just really, really like coordinate geometry), then lets talk reflections, rotations, and translations! What is a Reflection? A reflection in the coordinate plane is just like a reflection in a mirror. Any point or shape can be reflected across the x-axis, the y-axis, or any other line, invisible or visible. This line, about which the object is reflected, is called the "line of symmetry." Let's look at a typical ACT line of symmetry problem. To find our lines of symmetry, we must divide our figure into symmetrical halves. This means that each side must be a reflection of the other, about a line. If we connect opposite angles in our figure, we will have several lines of symmetry. Let us do so. Now, from here, we can see that there are also lines of symmetry between our interior angles, like so: If we put them together, we get this. But wait! We can count our total number of lines (diameters, since they're spanning the entire length of the circle), but we CANNOT count each individual point that connects to the circumference of the circle as a line of symmetry. The number of actual lines of symmetry will be half the number of connecting points, because we need to only count each line one time. Because this is a busy figure, let us look at it a little more simplistically. Here, we have gotten rid of the other half of each line of symmetry and transformed them into all the radii of the circle. Now we can count the lines of symmetry without fear that we are double-counting one line. If we count them as they are, we can see that there are eight lines of symmetry total. Our final answer is H, 8. Nature's take on lines of symmetry in action. What is a Rotation? Objects in the coordinate plane can also be rotated (turned) clockwise or counterclockwise. Imagine that we can adjust the object with our hands- it will spin, while still lying flat, like a piece of paper on a tabletop. We must always select a point to act as the center point for our rotation. This center point of our rotation can be anywhere on the coordinate plane or on the shape in question (notice that it does NOT have to be the center of the shape). Let us look at a visual demonstration of this. We can have an object that rotates about its own center. A trapezoid is rotating about its center. Or the same shape can also be rotated about a different point. Here, the trapezoid is rotating about a point on the base of the trapezoid. But on the ACT, you'll almost always be asked to rotate an object "about the origin." This means that the origin (coordinates $(0,0)$) acts as your center of rotation. The angle about which the object moves is called the angle of rotation. As we rotate an object, the angle of rotation will be: Positive when we move the object counterclockwise Negative when the object is rotating clockwise. A positive angle of rotation. A negative angle of rotation. You can see that our shape ended up in the same place, but it got there by being rotated either $+180Â °$ or $-180Â °$. On the other hand, sometimes the ACT will have you rotate objects in a way that runs counter to these standard rules. Always follow the given instructions, even if they seem to contradict mathematical laws. For instance, (We will walk through this question later in the guide) We will walk through how to solve this question later in the guide, but for now notice that the question asks you to rotate the circle 90 degrees clockwise. Really, the degree measure would be $-90$ degrees, even though it is technically correct to say that you’re moving $+90$ degrees in a certain direction. Because this can be confusing and seemingly contradicts the rules of rotation degrees (though technically does not), just follow the information you are given in the question, rather than trying to overcomplicate the problem. As you might also guess from the above question, if you are asked to rotate an object on the ACT, it will be at an angle of 90 degrees or 180 degrees (or, more rarely, 270 degrees). These are nice numbers that evenly divide the coordinate plane into four parts, and each of these degree measures has a standard rule of rotation, when rotating a point about the origin. Let us look at these rotation rules. Some rules are more helpful than others. Rotation rules and formulas happen to be quite useful. Rotation Rules/Formulas Whether you are asked to rotate a single point or a full object, it is easiest to rotate the point/shape by focusing on each individual point in question. You can determine the new coordinates of each point by learning your rules of rotation for certain angle measures. Each of the three degree measures- 90, 180, or 270- will shift the coordinates of your original point to a different, calculable, position on the graph. If rotating counterclockwise (a positive angle of rotation), you can use these rules to find your new coordinate points. If you're a little rusty on which quadrants of the $xy$-coordinate plane have positive and negative $x$- and $y$-coordinates, you should take a quick detour to our article on graph quadrants before moving on. [Note: these formulas only apply when rotating an object about the origin. If you are asked to rotate objects about another center of rotation (as with the circle question above), these rules will NOT apply.] Let us say we begin with a point at coordinates $(8, 3)$. For 90 degree rotations: $(a, b)$ = $(-b, a)$ A 90Â ° rotation bring our original coordinates of $(8, 3)$ to $(-3, 8)$. For 180 degree rotations: $(a, b)$ = $(-a, -b)$ A $180Â °$ rotation brings our original coordinates of $(8, 3)$ to $(-8, -3)$. For 270 degree rotations: $(a, b)$ = $(b, -a)$ A $270Â °$ rotation brings our original coordinates of $(8, 3)$ to $(3, -8)$. (And, of course, a 360 degree rotation will bring you right back to the beginning at $(a, b)$ again!) A $360Â °$ rotation bring our original coordinates of $(8, 3)$ back to $(8, 3)$ once again. Keep your head on you- those rotations can be a doozy! What is a Translation? In addition to reflecting or rotating an object, we can also translate the object to another place on the coordinate plane. Translation is the act of "sliding" our point or shape along the coordinate plane in a particular direction. The shape can be translated up or down (or both!) any amount of distance along the plane. It maintains its shape and bearing, but is simply located elsewhere in the plane. The way to notate that a translation is to occur is to say: $T_{a,b}(x,y)$ This means that your final coordinates for this point will be: $(x+a,y+b)$ For example, What is the new point for $T_{5,−2}(−3,6)$? A. $(3, 3)$B. $(2, 4)$C. $(-3, 6)$D. $(11, -5)$E. $(-1, -2)$ We know that we must add together our translated points to the corresponding $x$ and $y$ values of our original coordinates. So: $T_{5,−2}(−3,6)$ $(−3+5,6+−2)$ $(2,4)$ Our new coordinates for this point are at $(2, 4)$ You can see why this is true if we look at it on a graph. Here, we have our starting point of $(-3, 6)$. Now, we are moving positively (to the right) 5 spaces and negatively (downwards) 3 spaces. If we started at $(-3, 6)$, this wll put our new point at $(2, 4)$. Our final answer is B, $(2, 4)$. Typical Reflection, Rotation, and Translation Problems Again, these types of questions are fairly rare on the ACT, and you will only ever see one question on reflections, rotations, or translations, if indeed you see any at all. That said, there are four different types of reflection/rotation/translation problems that will show up, when they appear. These questions will be either a reflection, rotation, or translation questions about: #1: Points #2: Shapes in the coordinate plane #3: Function graphs #4: Shapes and their lines of symmetry Let’s look at all three. Points Because a point is individual, points are the simplest objects to be rotated, reflected, or translated. Each point will always be made up of an $x$ and $y$ coordinate- written $(x,y)$- but you only have to keep track of the solitary point and how it should shift and move, rather than having to keep track of it in relation to other points (as you will have to when working with shapes). Shapes Shapes are slightly more complicated to reflect or rotate than points are, due to the fact that all the points on a shape (and the lines connecting those points) will have a relationship with one another that must be maintained or altered in a controlled manner. This means that any shape rotation/reflection/translation will require more consideration and care, in order to make sure all your pieces are properly aligned. It is often much easier, when working with modified shapes, to map out the positions of the points alone. Don’t worry about the lines- mark the proper position of the new coordinates for the points and the lines will fall into place. Let's look at an example. The red line makes up one side of the trapezoid above. If this line has a slope of $3/2$, what is the slope of the line when the trapezoid is reflected across the $x$-axis? A. $−2/3$B. $−3/2$C. $2/3$D. $3/2$E. $4/3$ Instead of focusing on the slopes themselves, let us map out the new trapezoid by its points and only then connect the lines. Now, if we connect the lines to actually make the trapezoid... We can find the new slope of the line by counting the rise of over the run. The rise is $-3$ and the run is $+2$. The new slope of the equivalent line in our trapezoid will be $−3/2$. Our final answer is B, $−3/2$ Function Graphs Function graphs can be reflected or translated just like shapes and points, though they CANNOT be rotated. (Why can functions not be rotated? If a function were rotated, it would fail the vertical line test (more on this is covered in our guide to ACT functions) and no longer be a function.) A reflected function. A translated function. A function CANNOT be rotated. A graph with more than one $y$ value (output) for the same $x$ value (input) is NOT a function. Function Translations We can translate our function up or down by adding or subtraction from our output. Adding to output translates the graph up. If this is the original placement of our graph, $f(x)$.... We can translate it up by adding to the output, aka $f(x)+5$. Subtracting from the output, on the other hand, moves the graph down. Again, if this is the original placement of our graph, $f(x)$.... We can translate it down by subtracting from the output, aka $f(x)−5$. This kind of translation will work on any function graph. We can also translate a function side to side (horizontally) by adding or subtracting from the input. Adding to the input will shift the graph left. If this is the placement of our original graph, $f(x)$... We can translate it left by adding to the input, aka $f(x+5)$ Subtracting from the input will shift the graph to the right. Again, if this is our original graph, $f(x)$... We can translate it right by subtracting from our input, aka $f(x−5)$ This kind of translation will work on any function graph as well. Function Reflections We can also reflect our function about a line of symmetry along the $x$ or $y$-axis. Making the output negative makes the function reflect across the $x$-axis (inverts it about the $x$-axis). $f(x)$ becomes $−f(x)$. Making input negative makes the function reflect across the $y$-axis. $f(x)$ becomes $f(−x)$ Lines of Symmetry As we saw with our earlier line of symmetry problem, the ACT will sometimes present you with a picture and ask you to identify the lines of symmetry. If you understand how a line of symmetry works (that everything on each half of the line must be symmetrical, i.e. a reflection), and you make sure to count each line only once, then you should be able to breeze through these questions without fail. If you feel you are in information overload right now, don't worry! You can always make notes and flashcards to review and memorize later; just understanding how and why rotations and translations work is enough for now. Strategies for Reflection and Translation Problems Though no two reflection/translation/rotation problems are exactly alike, there are a few tips and tricks to follow for any kind you may come across. #1: Draw your own graphs Sometimes you will be given a diagram, or half a diagram, and sometimes you won't. But always, when the test asks you to reflect, rotate, or translate a point or a shape, you must form your own new picture, either on the page or in your head. Because it is entirely too easy to make mistakes when working out math problems in your head alone, it is always a good idea to take a moment to sketch out a graph of the object’s new position in space (if not the old one as well). Seeing a diagram on the page is especially useful if you are asked to find more information, rather than simply identifying a new coordinate point (a feat in and of itself!). For instance, you might be asked to find the slope of a reflected or rotated line (as we saw above), or the product of two translated $x$-coordinates, or anything else the ACT might think of. Without making your own drawings and diagrams, it can be easy to become confused, fall for bait answers, and lose precious points. #2: Drill your rotation formulas When working with translations or reflections, it is simple enough to draw your own picture and line up your corresponding points, but when it comes to rotations, it can be much harder to visualize the movement of the point or the object. Even when you’ve mapped out the original point, rotations are often much trickier than they appear. Unless you have a paper cut-out of your point, shape, or function and want to spend your time spinning your scratch paper around in circles, it’s better to simply memorize your rotation rules for 90, 180, and 270 degrees. #3: Double-check, double-check, (triple-check) Rotations, reflections, and translations may seem simple (and, indeed, the underlying principles are not any more complex than anything else on the ACT), but the difficulty in solving these kinds of problems is in just how easy it is to mis-map a coordinate point or two. It is especially precarious, because the test-makers will throw as many bait answers at you as they possibly can. Nothing is more frustrating than when you know how to solve a problem, but go too quickly or too carelessly through your test and so end up getting the question wrong. Make sure you double-check that you’ve properly shifted your coordinates before you bubble in that final answer. Excited to do some practice questions? Test Your Knowledge Now let's test your knowledge on some real ACT math questions on reflections, translations, and rotations. 1. When $ABCD$ is reflected over the $y$-axis to $A'B'C'D'$, what are the coordinates $D'$? F. $(-12, 1)$G. $(-12,-1)$H. $(12,-1)$J. $(1,12)$K. $(1,-12)$ 2. The graph $y=f(x)$ is shown below. What could be the graph of $y=f(x−4)$? A. B. C. D. E. 3. 4. Answers: F, B, K, C Answer Explanations: 1. Because we need to reflect our trapezoid, let us draw ourselves a picture. Note: be very careful to reflect your shape around the correct axis. The way the diagram is laid out, you may be tempted to reflect your object across the $x$ axis, like so This will give you the wrong answer and lead you to fall into one of the bait answer traps. Because we are told to reflect the trapezoid across the $y$ axis, our graph will instead look like this: You can see, then, that the reflection of point D will be at coordinates $(-12, 1)$ Our final answer is F, $(-12, 1)$ 2. Because we are being asked to find $y=f(x−4)$ from our original $y=f(x)$, we are subtracting from our input value. (For more on function inputs and outputs, check out our guide to ACT functions). If you remember our definitions on how to translate functions from above, you know that subtracting from the input translates our graph to the right and has no affect on the height (meaning, the graph does not move up or down). The only graph example that moves the function to the right and does not move it up or down is answer choice B. Again, here is our original graph. And here is the graph for answer choice B. Our final answer is B. 3. We are supposed to reflect our given triangle, so let us use our most important strategy and draw our picture out, so that we won’t make any mistakes trying to do the problem in our heads. Once we have reflected our triangle about the line of symmetry x, we can see that the perimeter is made of: $y+z+z+y$ $2y+2z$ Or, in other words, $2(y+z)$ Our final answer is K, $2(y+z)$ 4. We are being told to rotate the point $(6, 6)$ on the circle 90 degrees clockwise about the center of rotation $(2, 3)$. Because we are not rotating our point about the origin, our rotation rules unfortunately will not apply to this problem. That means we must find another way to rotate our point 90 degrees clockwise. By far, the simplest way to solve this problem is to divide our circle into four by drawing two diameters perpendicular to one another. (Why divide the circle into four? A circle is 360 degrees, and $360/90=4$ By dividing our circle this way, we can see that a 90 degree rotation would put the point slightly below the x-axis at coordinates approximately $(5, -1)$. Our final answer is C, $(5, -1)$ Phew! That wasn't so hard, now was it? The Take Aways Though rare(ish), the occasional rotation, reflection, or translation question can certainly throw you for a loop if you’re unprepared for it. But nothing the ACT can put on the test is unsolvable (and, indeed, the test is designed to give you opportunities to succeed, even as it tests your diligence and eye for detail). Once you’ve got your basic building blocks and formulas down tight, you will be well on your way to mastering all your coordinate geometry questions and earning that perfect score. What’s Next? You’ve tackled reflections, translations, and rotations (go you!), so take a minute to look over all the math topics on the ACT. Making sure you’re prepared for whatever comes your way is most of the battle, so look to our individual ACT math guides- all of which have real practice questions!- to brush up on any weak areas in your mathematical portfolio. Want to master two of the most invaluable math strategies for mastering the ACT? Check out our guides on how to use plugging in numbers and plugging in answers to make sense of some of the trickiest ACT problems out there. Looking to get that perfect score? Look no further than our guide to getting a perfect 36 on the ACT math, written by a perfect scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Absolute Beginner English Telling Time

Absolute Beginner English Telling Time Telling the time is a basic skill that most students will eagerly acquire. You will need to take some sort of clock into the room. The best clock is one that has been designed for teaching purposes, however, you can also just draw a clock face on the board and add various times as you go through the lesson. Many students might be used to a 24-hour clock in their native culture. To begin telling time, its a good idea to just go through the hours and make students aware of the fact that we use a twelve-hour clock in English. Write the numbers 1 - 24 on the board and the equivalent time in English, i.e. 1 - 12, 1 - 12. It is also best to leave out. a.m. and p.m. at this point. Teacher: (Take the clock and set it to a time on the hour, i.e. seven oclock) What time is it? Its seven oclock. (Model what time and oclock by emphasizing what time and oclock in the question and response. This use of accenting differing words with your intonation helps students learn that what time is used in the question form and oclock in the answer.) Teacher: What time is it? Its eight oclock. (Go through a number of different hours. Make sure to demonstrate that we use a 12-hour clock by pointing to a number above 12 such as 18 and saying Its six oclock.) Teacher: (Change the hour on the clock) Paolo, what time is it? Student(s): Its three oclock. Teacher: (Change the hour on the clock) Paolo, ask Susan a question. Student(s): What time is it? Student(s): Its four oclock. Continue this exercise around the room with each of the students. If a student makes a mistake, touch your ear to signal that the student should listen and then repeat his/her answer accenting what the student should have said. Part II: Learning a Quarter to, Quarter Past and Half Past Teacher: (Set the clock to a quarter to an hour, i.e. quarter to three) What time is it? Its a quarter to three. (Model to by accenting to in the response. This use of accenting differing words with your intonation helps students learn that to is used to express time before the hour.) Teacher: (Repeat setting the clock to a number of different quarters to an hour, i.e. quarter to four, five, etc.) Teacher: (Set the clock to a quarter past an hour, i.e. a quarter past three) What time is it? Its a quarter past three. (Model past by accenting past in the response. This use of accenting differing words with your intonation helps students learn that past is used to express time past the hour.) Teacher: (Repeat setting the clock to a number of different quarters past an hour, i.e. quarter past four, five, etc.) Teacher: (Set the clock to half past an hour, i.e. half past three) What time is it? Its half past three. (Model past by accenting past in the response. This use of accenting differing words with your intonation helps students learn that past is used to express time past the hour, specifically that we say half past an hour rather than half to an hour as in some other languages.) Teacher: (Repeat setting the clock to a number of different halves past an hour, i.e. half past four, five, etc.) Teacher: (Change the hour on the clock) Paolo, what time is it? Student(s): Its half past three. Teacher: (Change the hour on the clock) Paolo, ask Susan a question. Student(s): What time is it? Student(s): Its a quarter to five. Continue this exercise around the room with each of the students. Watch out for students using oclock improperly. If a student makes a mistake, touch your ear to signal that the student should listen and then repeat his/her answer accenting what the student should have said. Part III: Including the Minutes Teacher: (Set the clock to a minutes to or minutes past the hour) What time is it? Its seventeen (minutes) past three. Teacher: (Change the hour on the clock) Paolo, ask Susan a question. Student(s): What time is it? Student(s): Its ten (minutes) to five. Continue this exercise around the room with each of the students. Watch out for students using oclock improperly. If a student makes a mistake, touch your ear to signal that the student should listen and then repeat his/her answer emphasizing what the student should have said.

Discuss the relationship between love and aggressivity in Freud's Essay

Discuss the relationship between love and aggressivity in Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents - Essay Example Finally, Freud deploys his concepts of love and aggression to show that civilized societies are bound to fail: they place restrictions on our natural sentiments of love and aggressiveness which are in many cases insupportable - in particular, he criticises societies founded on the Christian principle of love, and those founded on communist ideas. Freud's discussion of the origins of our aggressiveness show how strongly it is related to love, as he conceives it. The initial aggressive sentiment is directed inwards, at the child's own ego, Freud claims, due to a frustration of the desires of the child's ego. This 'introjected' aggressive impulse results in the formation of the super-ego, and so the initiation of feelings of guilt. For example, when a child is forbade by a parent to do something which is desired by his ego, he initially feels aggressiveness towards that parent as a result of the frustration of his desires. However, since aggressiveness cannot be directed towards the parent, it is directed at the ego, the source of the frustrated desire. Why can aggressiveness not be directed at a parent (or another figure of authority) Here, Freud shows how essential he believes the concept of love to be to the formation of aggressive impulses: the child directs aggressiveness towards his own ego rather than towards the figure of authority because of a "fear of loss of love" (p. 757). Thus, the need for love is instrumental in the formation of the super-ego, which results in aggressive impulses directed at the ego: self-hating feelings of guilt. In situations where aggressiveness is in fact directed towards the figure of authority, and not introjected, love is still essential to the changes in the individual's psychological make-up. Freud claims that this would only happen in situations involving the Oedipus complex: that is, when sons kill their fathers. This supposedly was a more common occurrence in earlier societies which were less bound by 'civilizing' restrictions. Here, the actual aggression involved in killing the father results in a feeling of remorse at the action: this is because of the love that the son naturally has for his father. Hence, for Freud, the origins of feelings of aggression are always bound up with feelings of love. However, it is not obvious that non-repressed aggression need always be followed by feelings of remorse. As stated above, Freud believes that the only cases of actual aggression by a child will be from a son to his father, and, since this relationship necessarily involves some love, rem orse is a necessary consequence. However, it is not clear that son-to-father aggression would be the only case of actual aggression from a child to a figure of authority - a child may show aggression towards a teacher or minder, for example - and if aggression is directed at others, there may not be a necessary bond of love from the child to these people, so remorse may not be a necessary consequence. Freud's assumption is that a child's initial authoritative influence will be from his father, so it is towards the father that initial aggression (suppressed or not) will be directed. Whilst this assumption

Summary of findings Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Summary of findings Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The study was guided by the theoretical framework defined under the Technology Acceptance Model and the Innovation Diffusion Theory. TAM incorporated perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, intention to use, and usage behaviour (Khosrow-Pour, 2006). On the other hand, Innovation Diffusion Theory enumerates stages through which innovation diffusion is introduced into society – awareness, early adoption by innovators, assessment and endorsement by opinion leaders, and finally acceptance by the general public (Baran & Davisi, 2011). In the study, findings reveal that the users of IFR in Saudi Arabia belong to the investors, businessmen and the professional class, who comprise the opinion leaders of the Saudi Arabian society. Reliance upon IFR and regular patronage of financial reports in company websites by this class of society constitutes the penultimate stage when the public would generally come to rely on IFR. It is even likely that this has already occurred at present. Analysts, students, academe, join the small investors in sourcing these reports, confident in their truthfulness and reliability because of compliance with standards specified in disclosure regulations (GPDS) enforced by the SOCPA, the international accounting profession as well as the government. As for perceived ease of use (facility), usefulness (relevance), intention to use (confidence) and usage behaviour (adaptability), respondents indicate that they experience relative ease of access to IFR (Table 7), ease of locating the IFR (Table 1 4), ease of comparing IFRs of different companies (Table 15), and that website contact was effective as a rule (Table 9). Reports were presented in convenient formats (Table 8), namely PDF and Excel spread sheet, which increases the usefulness and facility by which the information may be put to use. The information is proven reliable by the inclusion of the audit report and signature with the online version (Tables 10 and 11). These elements contribute to a heightened sense that the IFR data are created in the form and with the substance and reliability that engender trust and confidence in the information and the system that made it possible. From the perception study conducted in the course of this research, there is an apparent consensus among IFR users that financial information published in company websites have attained the level of trust and confidence investors have formerly reserved for the hardcopy audited financial statements issued by external auditors. They agree that t he web copy’s counterpart is complete, reliable, useful, and important to performance (Items 8, 9, 10 and 16 of Table 13, and Item 6 of Table 20). However, they likewise agree that the IFR disclosure might be influenced by politics, the internal auditor (despite the fact that audited financial statements are generated by external auditors), the ownership structure, and the company board (Item 13, 18, 19 and 20), all of whom have vested interests in the image of the company which may be projected by the IFR. This is an interesting pragmatism displayed by the investor respondents, to realize the possible existence of conflicts of interest in the preparation and publication of the IFR, and yet to repose trust and confidence in it. The reason appears to be anchored upon the reliance of the public on the government’s surveillance mechanism and the political will of a bureaucracy that aims to play a more significant role in global trade and economy. This reliance is undersco red by the exceptionally strong agreement among investors that they rely upon the IFR specifically to

Gaming Impact Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gaming Impact Study - Essay Example New Jersey is one of the states, which provides funding for education and treatment programs for people with a gambling problem. Due to the efforts of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, the activity has been kept under manageable limits. One of the commendable efforts of the Control Commission has been to impose a partial ban on smoking in the casinos. In New Jersey, the tax is 9.25 percent on gross gaming revenue, which the state uses to benefit senior citizens and people with disabilities. There are reports that New Jersey casino revenues fell by 10 pct. in January 2008 as compared to January 2007. The 11 casinos in Atlantic City reported a 10 percent decrease in total revenue in January 2008, with every gambling hall, even the formidable Borgata, showed a decline. Revenues declined across the board, whether it was slot games or table games. The casinos reported decreases that ranged from 21 percent at the Tropicana and Trump Marina, to 0.8 percent at Trump Plazai. Another factor contributing to the decline in revenues could be the competition offered from casinos recently opened in Pennsylvania . The impact of Pennsylvania slots on Atlantic City has been dramatic. Last year's total revenue for the 11 casinos was down by almost 10 percent as compared to the previous year. A major part (almost one-third) of the casinos' revenues is cont

Law of Trusts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law of Trusts - Essay Example Since the repeal of the Preamble, the law has progressed on the back of judicial decisions arrived at in the light of the Preamble. The traditional definition of such trusts came from Commissioners for Special Purposes of Income Tax v Pemsel (1891), which divided charitable trusts into four categories: trusts for 'Relief of Poverty', for 'Advancement of Education', for 'Advancement of Religion' and, trusts for 'Purposes Beneficial to the Community'. Trusts for the advancement of education, includes conventional education and training. Thus trusts for schools, colleges, universities and other institutions of learning are valid. But this head extends to any mode of acquiring useful knowledge from literary learning to scientific researches etc. In the case of Re Shaw (1957) it was held that a gift by George Bernard Shaw in his will for research of a forty letter alphabet and translation of one of his plays into it was not charitable. It is arguable whether the same result would have been reached under the principle laid down in the later case of Re Hopkins (1965). It concerned a gift to Francis Bacon Society to be used to find manuscripts proving that the plays of Shakespeare were written by Francis Bacon. The gift was held charitable. The result of research must also enter the public ... Therefore research carried out by companies and kept for their exclusive commercial use is not charitable. Although far from the concerns of the Preamble, trusts for animal welfare such as that of the preservation of wildlife through animal sanctuaries have been held to be charitable, this has been due to a change in the general approach that was adopted by the courts in the mid-nineteenth century, where charities of this kind were likely to be held to be a failure because of various reasons. Trusts for animals would be charitable if they 'tend to promote and encourage kindness towards animals and to stimulate humane and generous sentiments in man towards lower animals': Re Wedgewood. However in Re Grove Grady (1929), the Court of Appeal held that a gift for an animal sanctuary which specifically excluded humans so that the animals would not be molested was not charitable, for such a gift produced no public benefit. If it is found that the charitable purpose would be a failure because the means for its implementation as chosen by the testator are either impractical or impossible to carry out then the doctrine of cy-pres or ss13 and 14 of the Charities Act 1993, can be applied so that it would not fail. The cy-pres doctrine allows the courts to direct that the trust property be applied to a purpose as close as possible to the one intended by the settler. Cy-pres can save charitable trusts from failure at the outset or from subsequent failure when carrying out the purpose becomes impossible or impractical. The doctrine only applies to a purpose which already counts as a charitable purpose. In order for the courts to re-direct trust money intended for charitable purposes, the courts must find that the donor

Transformation of African culture in Midaq Alley and Death and The Research Paper

Transformation of African culture in Midaq Alley and Death and The King's Horseman - Research Paper Example The novel critically focuses on the presence of the British soldiers during WWII, and these represent the western forces that have been brought to Midaq valley and influence the lives of people in this area according to the western cultures. Likewise Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman deals with the questions of cultural identity, the themes and forms of the general audience as the author brings them out clearly. The book presents contrast between the life of Europeans and the lives of Africans in a contrast of cultures. To this, Soyinka attributes lives to the forms of lives that originally developed on African soil and in the civilized world to mean Africa and European respectively. The difference of what is perceived as local and what is imported through the white man presents a case of contrast and the play brings out these contrasts to indicate how the western culture has influenced people on the African soil. Therefore, the two books portray a case of cu ltural degradation where Africans are influenced by the western cultures through a process that is termed as civilization, to adopt new ways of lives and depart from their traditional ways of life. The negative influence of the western culture in Midaq valley is portrayed by Hamida. This is a lady who grows in middle class environment and has no attachment to her mother or to any other neighbor. Hamida knows that she is beautiful and wants to control men those who are powerful and those that are rich (Amyuni, 1). While her husband Abbas is away in the army making an honest living, she is attracted to the rich Salim who is lasting for her. Hamida later realizes that prostitution is her calling and she is a â€Å"whore by instinct† (Mahfouz, 205). This presents a case of immorality where the riches that are accumulated in Cairo as are breaking up families and African communal settings as well as values. Mahfouz (1) explains Midaq valley to be enclosed between 3 walls with darkn ess. The unity and communal life is portrayed by uncle Kalim where he says; â€Å"good evening everyone.† Come on its time for evening get together†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..† this is a setting that would portray a close connection between the people of Midaq Valley, which has been broken by the presence of the white man with women such as Hamida turning to prostitution with these rich men. Mahfouz further explains how Hamida realizes that her honor had been bought several times by the British soldiers; meaning that she has been prostituting with these soldiers. This case is portrayed by Alwan a family man with complete family but is not satisfied with his wife he is â€Å"unable to find the pleasures he yearned for in his wife† this makes him be attracted to Hamida (Mahfouz, 80). In addition the book presents the negative changes of religion though civilization. This is observed when Mr Kirsha claims that â€Å"public reciters still have an appeal which won’t disap pear. The radio won’t replace us† the cafe owner however replies that â€Å"this is you say and not what my customers say and you are not going to ruin my business† (Mahfouz, 5). Though Kirsha and other public reciters had been used to recite the Quaran in public places with no resistant, the radio that represents the western civilization has brought another element where people see beyond this, and are not any more interested in these reciters or too much of their religion . This might be attributed to civilization,

Law of Trusts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law of Trusts - Essay Example Since the repeal of the Preamble, the law has progressed on the back of judicial decisions arrived at in the light of the Preamble. The traditional definition of such trusts came from Commissioners for Special Purposes of Income Tax v Pemsel (1891), which divided charitable trusts into four categories: trusts for 'Relief of Poverty', for 'Advancement of Education', for 'Advancement of Religion' and, trusts for 'Purposes Beneficial to the Community'. Trusts for the advancement of education, includes conventional education and training. Thus trusts for schools, colleges, universities and other institutions of learning are valid. But this head extends to any mode of acquiring useful knowledge from literary learning to scientific researches etc. In the case of Re Shaw (1957) it was held that a gift by George Bernard Shaw in his will for research of a forty letter alphabet and translation of one of his plays into it was not charitable. It is arguable whether the same result would have been reached under the principle laid down in the later case of Re Hopkins (1965). It concerned a gift to Francis Bacon Society to be used to find manuscripts proving that the plays of Shakespeare were written by Francis Bacon. The gift was held charitable. The result of research must also enter the public ... Therefore research carried out by companies and kept for their exclusive commercial use is not charitable. Although far from the concerns of the Preamble, trusts for animal welfare such as that of the preservation of wildlife through animal sanctuaries have been held to be charitable, this has been due to a change in the general approach that was adopted by the courts in the mid-nineteenth century, where charities of this kind were likely to be held to be a failure because of various reasons. Trusts for animals would be charitable if they 'tend to promote and encourage kindness towards animals and to stimulate humane and generous sentiments in man towards lower animals': Re Wedgewood. However in Re Grove Grady (1929), the Court of Appeal held that a gift for an animal sanctuary which specifically excluded humans so that the animals would not be molested was not charitable, for such a gift produced no public benefit. If it is found that the charitable purpose would be a failure because the means for its implementation as chosen by the testator are either impractical or impossible to carry out then the doctrine of cy-pres or ss13 and 14 of the Charities Act 1993, can be applied so that it would not fail. The cy-pres doctrine allows the courts to direct that the trust property be applied to a purpose as close as possible to the one intended by the settler. Cy-pres can save charitable trusts from failure at the outset or from subsequent failure when carrying out the purpose becomes impossible or impractical. The doctrine only applies to a purpose which already counts as a charitable purpose. In order for the courts to re-direct trust money intended for charitable purposes, the courts must find that the donor

International Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International Business - Assignment Example The failure of Virgin Express was due to a lack of environmental study of the country and the competition. Richard Branson subsequently desired to repeat the success of Virgin Blue in the United States by the new venture Virgin USA. This will be possible by taking a corrective strategic management and marketing analysis. The objective of the study is to evaluate the factors on which the success of the aviation industry depends upon when starting a new venture in a different location. The study reveals the importance of research, strategic management and environmental analysis for the success of Virgin Airlines. Introduction Virgin Blue airline under the guidance of Sir Richard Branson was launched in the year 2000. The motive of the airline was to provide a low fare carrier to the people of Australia. The Virgin Blue airline demonstrated the success story in the airline industry in the short run. Virgin Blue occupied nearly 30% of the market share of Australia through its low price s trategy. In this case study, the success and the failure of the Virgin brand is depicted. The case reflects that Branson did not get success in the low cost airlines in the initial years. The airlines before Virgin Blue and Virgin Express did not succeed in the European market and was unable to compete with its rival Ryanair and Easyjet. The company was in the exploratory process to merge with the SN Brussels to recover its status, but failed after the 9/11 attack. Furthermore, the venture by Branson to provide air liner facility to the tour operator in the name of Virgin Sun failed to succeed. The Virgin Sun airline was sold to the Firstchoice because of its failure in the market (Daas, 2004). Cynics one of the observant analysed that the success of Virgin Blue was because of the lack of competition in the Australian market. The downfall of the other airline created a scope for the Virgin Blue and gave it an easy entry. According to Branson, the success of Virgin Blue was because o f the strong management, strategy and the financial planning by the management. The objective of the case is to analyse the failure of the Virgin Express in the European market. It is important to analyse the local market before the implementation of the airline expansion strategy in a new country or region. The reason for the mergers by Virgin Express and the success of Virgin Blue are evaluated in the case. Question 1 The Virgin Express started its operations in the year 1996. The airline was formed by Virgin Group when it bought the Euro Belgian Airlines and renamed it as Virgin Express. The aim of the airline was to produce a low cost carrier for the people of Europe. The company had to face severe competition from the rival airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet. These two airlines were well established in the European market because of their strategic and marketing implementations. The airlines offered a very cheap rate foe the tickets. The tickets were sold at lower prices to t he people on the basis of first come first serve. This strategy encouraged people to buy the tickets much earlier. This created the demand for the airline of Ryanair and Easyjet. Moreover, the flexibility provided in the pricing strategy was attracting more customers. These strategies made the airlines to flourish and on the other hand the new airline Virgin Express was unable to meet these requirements in the European market and hence failed. The airline was then sold to SN Brussels Airlines in the year 2006

Sas Institute’s “Best Employer Award” Essay Example for Free

Sas Institute’s â€Å"Best Employer Award† Essay SAS Institute’s â€Å"Best Employer Award† is based largely on its financial success and the overwhelming job satisfaction its employees report. From free health care to copious amounts of MMs, SAS spares no cost to keep their â€Å"chief assets† happy, for, as their CEO / majority owner says Contented cows give more milk. Still, today’s talented workers are not apt to spend the majority of their careers at one company because of luxurious perks. The truth is that what seems like random and excessive, is actually a well-crafted and impeccably executed strategy to create an unparalleled work and life environment. SAS is successful in applying the principles of Cognitive Evaluation Theory that emphasize keeping employees’ cognitive attention on intrinsic rewards rather than extrinsic ones. SAS steers clear of Insufficient Justification or Insufficient Punishment by deemphasizing such extrinsic rewards as pay and promotion, and instead emphasizing intrinsic controllable rewards as membership within a community and a way of life. For example, SAS’s unique sick-day policy which, in contrast to industry standards, does not have a set number of allowable sick-days. David Russo states, â€Å"If youre out sick for six months, youll get cards and flowers†, and â€Å"We expect adult behavior. The result is that SAS employees average only two sick days annually. The focus on â€Å"Adult behavior† makes employees feel responsible for their obligation to the company as part of their overall reciprocity for all that the company has done for them. The lack of any real explicit punishment actually creates intrinsic pressure on the individual employee to not to take advantage of the policy in order to keep his self-perception in line with beliefs about being a good and accountable employee. By downplaying pay as an extrinsic reward and gauge of performance, SAS successfully uses Insufficient Justification to help in sidestepping the usual salary comparisons issues. The informational aspect of Cognitive Evaluation Theory is crucial to the understanding of SAS’s unique structure and policies. SAS avoids assigning tasks that have high probability of failure. Also it allows its employees freedom in choosing what to work on. As Goodnight states, â€Å"If theyve grown bored with their job, they have great freedom to move horizontally instead of having to hunt for another employer.† Jenn Mann echoes Goodnight when she states, â€Å"nobody much cares whether you show up at 9 or 11.† Taking the focus off such trivial extrinsic matters frees up employees to focus their attention on intrinsic motivations such as having fun. Self-concordance suggests that these intrinsic motivations are stronger, more internally justifiable and therefore much more likely to make the individual work harder to achieve his goal. SAS uses Needs Theory to focus its recruiting on people who exhibit a high need for affiliation and achievement, while paying close attention to those with an overtly high need for power. To cater to high achievers’ needs managers make sure to assign tasks that are realistically achievable within the prescribed timeframe and the individual’s competencies. Managers provide subordinates with rapid feedback through everyday walking and talking techniques. Praise and recognition are also provided through increasing responsibilities and tasking employees with full ownership of their products including placing their names on the finished product. Knowing that high achievers generally do not possess the gamblers mentality, SAS tailors its incentive package around security and predictability. Bonuses are not emphasized and stock options are not granted. Instead, employees are offered a competitive salary, full 401K contribution and a myriad of non-merit based benefits for thems elves and their families. For those with a high need for power, SAS provides autonomy, a collaborative environment and control over the life-cycle of a product. For example, each employee gets to plan his own schedule. SAS’s thinly staffed management ranks are designed to boost reliance on an honor code that emphasizes, above all else, adult behavior. This produces ample opportunities for employees to take on additional responsibilities. As a result, employees feel a sense of power and control over their work. SAS does differentiate those individuals whose need for control extends to control over others, or whose need for recognition extends to being treated like superstars. David Russo states, â€Å"SAS is not a good place for someone who wants to feel like a star or feel particularly important†. Recruiters reject these want-to-be star applicants because they believe SAS’s structure and environment cannot accommodate their needs. The need for affiliation is nurtured through a work-life balance that stresses community over personal economic gain. As stated in the article, â€Å"The perks are the most obvious manifestation of corporate munificence, but at their core they are only part of a workplace ethos thats based on a degree of trust.† SAS takes advantage of its relative isolation to reinforce its middle class utopian environment. By design, almost all essential services are provided on campus and by SAS employees. This includes healthcare, education, food services, entertainment, recreation and even subsidized housing (near the campus). The company organizes a plethora of extracurricular group activities that encourage collaboration, provide needed support and connects people on a personal level. Its success in satisfying employees Need for Affiliation manifests itself in SAS’s historical low turnover rate. An unfortunate byproduct of SAS’s homogenous environment is its relative lack o f innovation. Innovation, the better use of a novel idea or method, is a crucial element to the growth of a corporation. SAS has indubitably been successful in reshaping its own software and selling it to additional markets, but has not had the same success in branching out and innovating in other areas. Perhaps SAS, a monopoly in the data software industry, has consciously elected to steer clear of this more risky innovation because of financial and social concerns. Attraction-Selection-Attrition (ASA) model helps explains why today’s SAS, while still being remarkably efficient at providing new or improved software, is not truly a leading innovator. SAS’s pay structure and overall emphasis on a family friendly, low stress environment is a conscious effort to attract the more risk adverse individual. The selection process takes care to repel mavericks who seek power and fame. The problem is that these competitive, challenging personalities are willing to take more chances. SAS is a g reat example of ASA’s chief assertion that â€Å"The People Make the Place†. But while preaching autonomy and individuality, SAS employees are quietly advocating for conformity, cloaked as corporate citizenship. The resulting atmosphere works, through attrition, to weed out any nonconformist. Pushing out dissident voices makes the remaining collective even more homogenous and less likely to innovate. The fact that SAS’s retention at this point is so low is another indication of the high level of homogeneity. The company’s reliance on a small number of working managers makes self-regulation or as they call it â€Å"adult behavior† an essential part of the overall strategy of an employee-regulated firm. Thus, SAS’s focus on attracting and selecting a particular type of risk adverse individual, while allowing attrition to remove dissidence is an effective use of ASA, all be it a rather insensitive one. These polices have essentially forced SAS to outsources the task of innovating to its client base through constant solicitation of fee dback and ideas. Another theory that could explain SAS’s relative weakness in innovation is Equity Theory which focuses on perceptions of fairness. SAS does a good job of shaping their employees perceptions of its overall Organizational Justice through such techniques as the allocation of offices for all, having no executive cafeterias and providing identical health plans for all. The two core principles for SAS are â€Å"†¦that all people at SAS are treated fairly and equally† and â€Å"†¦that the workplace should be fun and people treated with dignity and respect†. The problem is that the two principles are different. The first advocates equality and the latter respect. Treating people with respect and dignity is universally accepted and supports employees’ feelings of Interactional Justice. Equal treatment for all is not universally accepted, and conflicts with the reality of varying levels of individual contributions to a company’s success. Universal equality skews the individual’s perception of Procedural and Distributive Justice. Talented, hardworking employees find it hard to stand out because both the evaluation process and the resulting recognition are purposefully watered down. This lack of strong correlation between risk and reward, input and output makes it less likely that unique innovation will occur b ecause the risk–taking innovator will perceive an inequitable Distributive Justice. The inequitable feeling is compounded by SAS casually defined performance review process which could leave successful innovators feeling a lack of Procedural Justice. Equity theory states that there are four referent comparisons that an employee can use to gauge equitability of his situation. Even if SAS is successful, through isolationist polices, in sheltering its employees from other-outside comparison, it still needs to contend with employees’ past experiences and internal company comparisons. Admittedly, general perception of equality is a major factor in SAS’s tremendous retention rate, but for those few want-to-be superstars it’s a major deterrent to joining the firm. This is evident in the interviewee who stated â€Å"I want to have performance that permits me to do whatever I want. When I walk down the hall, I want to feel like ‘I’m the man.† Who wouldn’t want their stellar performance to lead to more money, autonomy, recognition and better future opportunities? At SAS this potential innovator was quickly ushered out the door. For good or bad, SAS is built around a sense of equality and homogeneity, even if these terms are relative and somewhat reminiscent of an Orwellian Society, where all are equal, but some are just more equal than others. To protect its successful egalitarian culture, SAS would do better to create (like many other have) a separate off-campus RD offshoot. With a distinct culture and a more equitable compensation structure, this entity can compete for innovative talent.