Illegal Immigration And Illegal Immigrants - 1335 Words

Illegal immigration has been one of the main topics during the last three presidential election. Many bills and laws have been passed in order to keep them out but is it really necessary to neglect illegal immigrant? Most Americans believe that illegal immigrants are only people of Mexicans or Latin American descent but illegal immigrants can be from any race or country. Illegal immigration is defined by United States Department of Homeland Security as â€Å"†¦ all foreign-born non-citizens who are not legal residents. Most unauthorized residents either entered the United States without inspection or were admitted temporarily and stayed past the date they were required to leave. . .† In general, an illegal immigrant is a person who enters and remains in a country without a valid visa or permit from that country, or who has overstayed the duration of a visa that has been granted, or whose visa has been cancelled. After reading and processing all of the history of the world, it is difficult for one to understand why we are discriminating illegal immigrants. Dating back some 12,000 to 15,000 years ago, humans and animals began migrated to new lands in order to survive. This trend would continue until people began to build towns and stopped making their normal migration with the food sources. During the late 1400’s, humans sailed from continent to continent looking for new land to conquer and settle in [Tindall, Shi, 6; vol. 1]. Great Britain settled in the Eastern part of theShow MoreRelatedIllegal Immigration : Illegal Immigrants955 Words   |  4 PagesIllegal Immigration Problems In the United States, there are roughly eleven million people who can be classified as illegal immigrants, which is by far way too many. When it comes to the history of illegal immigrants, most United States citizens could be considered as an illegal immigrant. In the early years of American history, our ancestors fled into this country for better life styles and to start their own families. During this time there were not laws dealing with who could and could not enterRead MoreIllegal Immigrants : Illegal Immigration1627 Words   |  7 PagesIllegal Immigration in the US What does illegal immigration mean to a hard working, middle class worker providing for a family of four? What does illegal immigration mean to someone who is getting jobs taken right underneath them from illegal immigrants that are willing to work the same job for a lower paycheck? What does illegal immigration mean to someone who is in need for a job? Illegal immigration is an epidemic occurring in the United States of America, the land of the free (to the legal citizens)Read MoreIllegal Immigration : Illegal Immigrants949 Words   |  4 PagesIllegal immigrants have been a hot topic lately due to the popularity of this topic amongst the Republican Presidential Nominees, especially Donald Trump. These illegal immigrants bring various things to this country when they come. Some things are positive, such as a family simply seeking to find a better life, while some things are harmful to the United States, such as the amount of crime among illegal immigrants. In July 2015, the most re cent estimate of illegal immigrants was 11.2 million. ThisRead MoreIllegal Immigrants And Illegal Immigration1100 Words   |  5 PagesIllegal immigration Over the past few years illegal immigration has become a bigger problem. Statistics reveal that more and more immigrants are entering the country illegally by crossing the borders. If something is not done soon, this may get out of hand and be to gone far not to handle. The number of illegal immigrants have gone up over the past years drastically In 2011, there were 40 million immigrants in the U.S. Of that 11.1 million were illegal. Although the number of illegalRead MoreIllegal Immigrants : Illegal Immigration1155 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Illegal Immigration is a huge topic especially in 2017, bringing in different aspects about illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants are told to be killers, drug dealers, job stealers and whom also hurt the U.S. economy. Is this true? Could it possibly be that they do all of this to hurt the United States? Or could it be that they truly come here for the American Dream? On one side of people’s perspectives illegal immigrants come here to help provide for their family and don’t takeRead MoreIllegal Immigrants And Illegal Immigration1902 Words   |  8 PagesSince the 1980s, the US government has undertaken initiatives to make its borders more non-porous to illegal immigration from its neighboring countries. The menace of illegal immigrants seeking better opportunities in the USA started reflecting in the 1970s. The migrating people are motivated by the better non-skilled or semi-skilled employment opportunities in the USA and the relatively higher remuneration for se rvices rendered in the USA than in the neighbor countries especially Mexico (HansonRead MoreIllegal Immigrants And Illegal Immigration1286 Words   |  6 Pages Undocumented Immigration An analysis of illegal immigration in the United States reveals one challenge facing the banks and other institutions: whether to provide banking and other services to the illegal immigrants or to treat them as criminals because they are illegal and therefore, not to provide them with banking and other services. The articles, â€Å"Crossing the Line† by Stein and â€Å"Illegal Immigrants – They’re Money,† by Rodriguez discuss the impact of illegal immigration in the United StatesRead MoreIllegal Immigrants And Illegal Immigration964 Words   |  4 Pages Attention Step (quotation, question, or story) About four months ago in government class, we had a class discussion. The topic was illegal immigration. One student said that America should send the illegal immigrants back to their country because they are taking American’s jobs. He stated that he would send his dad back to Mexico because he is an illegal immigrant. Going around the circle that we created, everyone gave their opinions, most disagreed, but some agreed with the student. When it wasRead MoreIllegal Immigrants And Illegal Immigration1044 Words   |  5 Pagesmany Americans take for granted. Many of the illegal immigrants come to America where they hope to obtain the freedom that is not given in their country. There is a serious problem with the immigration policy: it is very difficult for immigrants to become an actual U.S. citizen. If the policy were to be readjusted, and the length of time the immigrant has to live in the United States before they can become a citizen were to be shortened, illegal immigratio n could be slowed or even stopped. AccordingRead MoreIllegal Immigrants And Illegal Immigration1710 Words   |  7 PagesIllegal Immigration in the US What does illegal immigration mean to a hardworking, middle class worker providing for a family of four? What does illegal immigration mean to someone who is getting jobs taken right underneath them from illegal immigrants that are willing to work the same job for a lower paycheck? Illegal immigration is an epidemic occurring in the United States of America, the land of the free (to the legal citizens). There are many reasons why immigration is harmful and in some cases

Operating System Security ( Os Security ) Essay - 2068 Words

Operating System Security (OS Security) What is Operating System Security, Operating system security is the process of ensuring OS integrity, confidentiality and availability also OS security refers to specified steps used to protect the OS from threats, viruses, worms, malware or remote hacker. OS security include all avoiding-control techniques, which safeguard any computer information from being stolen, edited or deleted if OS security is included. OS security allows different applications and programs to perform required tasks and stop unauthorized interference. OS security may be applied in many ways. We re going to discuss following topics in this article. A brief description about security and what are the types of encryption and what is Authentication, One Time passwords, Program Threats, System Threats and Computer Security Classifications. Security, There are numerous security threats to your computer, in other words many types of malware, which is short for malicious software. This includes computer viruses, which can interact with the normal operations of your computer. Viruses can be very harmful and result in loss of data or system crashes. The OS of a computer has a number of built-in tools to protect against security threats, including the use of virus scanning utilities and setting up a firewall to block unsafe network activity. One of the most common ways to get a computer virus is by e-mail. If you have received an e-mail message from someone you don tShow MoreRelatedOperating System Security Concerns : Os1691 Words   |  7 PagesOperating System Security Concerns The OS in general lacks security and portability. The services on an OS are acutely vulnerable to malicious and random faults, as the OS are huge and are prone to security and reliabilities gaps. Moreover, the modification of the state of an OS is extremely complex in nature. Additionally, changes like cloning, encrypting, moving, or restoring are too challenging to accomplish. The OS provides the capabilities of event logging, however, this ability has a few shortcomingsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article The Other Hand 1749 Words   |  7 Pagesdemonstrates acquisition cost savings of $25,489, or around 85%, by using a Mac OS server instead of Windows. That’s for 100 users. For the 10 and 25-user options in the table, using SBS would cut the Windows licensing costs by nearly half, but Mac OS still comes in way ahead.† Analyzing the technical support available for each operating system .Windows 10 According to the Microsoft Windows support page, the operating system Windows 10 has a wide range of categories that help any kind of problem thatRead MoreChrome Os1330 Words   |  6 Pages[Target Application]{ The Chrome OS is designed to work with only specific hardware produced by Google such as Chromebook. It is created for user who spend most of the time on the Web. Hence, only a browser, a media player and a file manager are pre-installed together with the Chrome OS. } [Scheduling]{ Chrome Operating System runs the Linux 3.4.6 kernel which utilizes the Completely Fair Scheduler. This is to ensure fairness by allowing processes an equal share of the CPURead MoreComputer Operating System Security Its Design And Different Aspect Of It1160 Words   |  5 Pagestechnology has begun and we are living in with various technology around us and are using it in different aspect. With the technology we have its system on it which allocates and manages various resources like processors, memory, input/output and information on secondary devices. Here, in this essay we are going to find the important of computer operating system security its design and different aspect of it. A computer is basically a lump of metal. With its software, a computer can store, process and retrieveRead MoreOperating System Essay1185 Words   |  5 Pagesprocessor. What is the operating system on your device? It is having licensed copy of Microsoft’s Windows Operating System for home devices and edition for this OS is 64 bit Windows 10 Home. What was it about the operating system that made you choose it? There are many operating systems developed in the world; categorized for private at home, school, government, while others are distributed in the marketplace on a wider scale for businesses. The most popular released operating systems are Window, MacRead MoreAn Appropriate Os For Your Business Is Its Popularity1179 Words   |  5 Pagesto be considered before choosing an appropriate OS for your business is its popularity. The question is: which one is more widely used and taught so that firms can reduce training cost? According to the â€Å"National Center for Education Statistics 2008 report† at nces.edu.gov, Windows XP held about 84 percent of U.S schools instructional computers, Mac OS 10 held about 31 percent, and other OS held about 2%. (Some schools reported more than one system used) The September 2015 report from MarketshareRead MoreChrome Os1316 Words   |  6 Pages[Target Application]{ The Chrome OS is designed to work with only specific hardware produced by Google such as Chromebook. It is created for user who spend most of the time on the Web. Hence, only a browser, a media player and a file manager are pre-installed together with the Chrome OS. } [Scheduling]{ Chrome Operating System runs the Linux 3.4.6 kernel which utilizes the Completely Fair Scheduler. This is to ensure fairness by allowing processes an equal share of the CPU. To do thisRead MoreMac Os X And Windows Operating System1338 Words   |  6 PagesThe advent of the Mac OS X and Windows Operating System, have revolutionized how we interact with computers. They have enormously increased our productivity in the work place, improved our efficiency, as well as accurately predicting the future of technology and the potential of innovation. Choosing one over the other, is chiefly a matter of personal preference. Although, fans and users alike, tend to share sentimental opinions on why one is better than the other. Their distinct qualities, make itRead MoreDifferences Between Operating Systems And Software And Embedded Systems Markets1252 Words   |  6 PagesOpen-Source and Transparency: 3 Security through variety: 3 Conclusion: 4 References 4 ABSTRACT The comparison between operating systems is a very broad topic and this has been a long running debate within the computer industry. Microsoft has been a runaway success in the retail realm with large sales throughout the different iterations of Windows. Similarly Linux has a successful run and it is still being considered one of the most prominent open source operating systems and it is being used widelyRead MoreMaintaining Information Stored On A User Freedom Without Someone Seeing Them Making A Purchase Online1128 Words   |  5 Pages Operating systems have to provide a level of security to allow a user freedom without someone seeing them making a purchase online. An attacker would find that purchase made very valuable, they can acquire that information. From threats and attacks which could allow sensitive information to be looked at or taken. The idea of an OS having a built in security levels is now a very crucial task. This helps to secure information to not be looked at. Sec uring information stored and allowing only certain

Tragic Heros Throughout History free essay sample

Tragic Heroes over the Course of History in Literature In the works Oedipus by: Sophocles, Macbeth by: William Shakespeare, and The Natural by: Bernard Malamud, the main protagonists, Oedipus, Macbeth, and Roy Hobbes, all find themselves in the unfortunate situation of being a tragic hero. They strive to do great things, but in the end meet their downfall through an unfortunate hamartia, or tragic flaw. Although they all live in different time periods and locations (Oedipus, hundreds of years before Christ in Greece, Macbeth, the Middle Ages in Scotland, and Roy Hobbes, the early Twentieth Century in America). They all possess a flaw that brings them down. They all have multiple flaws, and coincidently are all cursed by one hamartia, excessive pride or hubris. Oedipus thought he could solve any problem placed before him, when in fact he himself was the problem. Macbeth thought he deserved to be King of Scotland more than anyone else, and was driven to do horrible and heinous crimes to accomplish this. We will write a custom essay sample on Tragic Heros Throughout History or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Roy Hobbes thought he was going to be the best baseball player there ever was, and was concentrated more on his own performance rather than the whole teams. Supporting characters did not help any of the protagonists either. Roy Hobbes was manipulated by women into doing things for them, and Roy’s fatal vulnerability ruined him in the end. Macbeth was practically forced to kill his own king by his wife, who was more ambitious than he was. Oedipus was driven to do bold things because of the mystery and his dependence on oracles. It was all the precautions he took that eventually lead to his downfall. All of these characters are united by their fatal flaws that define their actions and destiny. Though the characters lived in different time periods, they all have flaws that bring about their downfall. In the Greek tragedy Oedipus the King by: Sophocles, a heroic king falls as a result of poor actions, horrible luck, and fate. All of these unfortunate qualities can be attributed to his incessant hubris that is evident throughout the play. Oedipus falls into the hands of fate after becoming terrified of a message from an oracle, who stated that Oedipus would kill his father, and marry his mother. He then ran away from who he thought were his parents in Corinth, to his actual parents in Thebes. At an intersection, Oedipus killed a man who was treating him poorly, and this man happened to be his father. He then went to Thebes, where he defeated the mighty Sphinx who had been plaguing the city for years. After, all of the citizens of Thebes celebrated the liberation of their city, and made Oedipus king, and the queen who was already in power his wife. Unfortunately for Oedipus, the Oracle’s prophecy had come full circle, as this was his mother. Through a long grueling turn of events, Oedipus realizes the nature of his current life, and is in severe emotional agony. Through all this pain, he realizes the consequences of his pride, but he does claim at the end of the play that he truly did not know the nature of his marriage or the nature of his murder at the intersection. This is where he truly has realized all of his weaknesses. As a result, he gets somewhat uplifted at the end of the play. Oedipus’s shortsightedness was the reason for most of his suffering. As a result, he was unable to recognize any information that reflected badly on him to be true. Jonathan Lear comments on Oedipus’s inability to see the consequences of his actions: Oedipus is living a life where he denies the possibility of tragedy. He cannot recognize any dimension of meaning other than the one he already knows. It’s fine, he thinks, to consult oracles and prophets if they can give useful advice; otherwise they’re worse than useless. His way of life shows that he does not take seriously the idea that there may be meaning opaque than human understanding. (Lear 198) Oedipus’s shortsightedness can be attributed to his extreme hubris. He places his achievement of defeating the Sphinx above anything the God’s could accomplish. This is one of the biggest â€Å"no-no’s† in literature. This leads to his ultimate downfall. His cockiness determines his horrible fate, which means that Sophocles emphasized both the ideas that fate exists, and that one is the master of his or her own fate. Oedipus assures the crowd of citizens that he is great, and will find the source of the plague, and end it: This quest that throngs you here, poor needy children, Is no new quest to me. (Sophocles 7) Oedipus noted how he can back up his â€Å"big talk† by bluntly saying that he has been in the face of evil before, and since he has done it once, he can do it again. Little does he know that the â€Å"rotting canker in the state† is Oedipus himself, and no amount of practice against evil will help him when he has to square with that truth.

Music history Analysis Essay Example For Students

Music history Analysis Essay Music Appreciation Text Questions Please complete the following questions. It is important that you use full sentences and present the questions and answers when you submit your work. Submit the work as a file attachment. This means you complete all work in a word processing document (e. G. , Microsoft Word) and attach the file using the dropped tool. Use the Unit 4: Text Questions dropped basket. The answers to the Review Critical Thinking questions are worth 10 points. Review Questions 1 . What were the three forms of English madrigals? Describe each type. 2. What were chorales? Why were they popular? 3. What is a consort? 4. Who was Gallinule Duffy? What contributions did he make to Renaissance music? 5. Who was William Byrd? What contributions did he make to Renaissance music? Critical Thinking Questions 1. How did music in the Renaissance differ from medieval music? 2. What were the effects of the printing press on music and composers? 3. If the Renaissance is thought to represent a rebirth or new birth, how is this reflected in the music of the Renaissance? 4. What was the role of music during the Renaissance? How was it used in society? 5. Many of the songs from ancient times through the Renaissance built on the melodies of previous songs. What were the advantages for composers of using a melody that had already been created? Discussion Questions Please post questions and answers on the UNIT FOUR discussion boards. Unless otherwise instructed, you should submit at least one full paragraph for each question. Each discussion assignment is worth 5 points.

Brief Look At Jewish History Essays - Zionism, Land Of Israel

Brief Look at Jewish History The Jews are a people with a multitude of dilemmas. From the Israelite tribes to the prosperous modern day Israel , bigotry towards the Jews has been greatly evident. The Jewish race has acted as Escape Goat for many crisis throughout history including the black plaque which swept across Europe in the 14th century. The establishment of Israel was a great incident was something the Jewish people were striving to obtain for generations. This, however, led to four major conflicts between Israel and the Arab countries. One of the most meaningful wars was the Six-Day War. Events such as the holocaust have also had a dramatic effect on world history and whose mysteries are still being unravelled. For twelve years following 1933 the Jews were persecuted by the Nazi's. Jewish businesses were boycotted and vandalized. By 1939,Jews were no longer citizens,could not attend public schools,engage in practically any business or profession, own any land, associate with any non-Jew or visit public places such as parks and museums. The victories of the German armies in the early years of World War II brought the majority of European Jewry under the Nazis. The Jews were deprived of human rights. The Jewish people were forced to live in Ghetto's which were separated from the main city. Hitler's plan of genocide was carried out with efficiency. The total number of Jews exterminated has been calculated at around 5,750,000. In Warsaw ,where approximately 400,000 Jews had once been concentrated,was reduced to a population of 60,000. They, virtually unarmed, resisted the German deportation order and had held back the regular German troops equipped with flame throwers,armoured cards, and tanks for nearly a month. This heroism was similar to the revolt which took place around 165BC. This uprising was led by the Maccabees, a provincial priestly family (also called Hasmoneans). They recaptured the Temple and rededicated it to the God of Israel. The Maccabees made there last ezd on a mountain and was able to hold back the syrians for more then a month. There is a distinct similarity between the two stories and that is possibly why they are both recognised as holidays in the Jewish faith. These horrific events of the holocaust have let to some consequences which are beneficial and some are unfortunate to the Jewish people. The population of the followers has greatly declined. Also the Jewish people after the war still had problems finding jobs. They had to essentially start there life over. Most of them lost a close relative or at least knew someone who died in the gas chambers of the Nazi concentration camps. This has put a psychological strain on Jewish survivors or no longer having family and friends with them for support. This event has awaken the world up to the needs of the Jewish people. It has given them political power and a justification for some of their actions. On May recognised,1945 ,the end of World War II was seen. Organized Jewry in the European continent was damaged beyond repair. The Jews concentrated on the preservation of Israel and on the bringing of Nazi war criminals to trial. There is a day of commemoration, Holocaust Day, observed in Israel and elsewhere on Nisan (April) 19 and 20. The date is considered the anniversary of the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The emergence of Israel as a Jewish state on the former territory of Palestine was the central political issue of the Middle East after World War II. A movement was established to work on the reestablishment of the Jewish national state of Israel. This movement was given the name Zionism. The Zionists were full of energy,enthusiasm, and skill which led to remarkable accomplishments. Israel was a modern European state in an underdeveloped area. This was the source of there problems and their achievements. The Jews received vast amounts of financial and military support from Western governments. The Israelis also benefitted from a highly trained and motivated citizenry to create a unique nation-state. It had taken the Zionists seventy years to purchase 7 per cent of Palestine. Now the UN was offering them another 50 per cent. The partition plan was objected by all of that Arab and Palestinian Arab governments. The Zionists excepted the plan. They however were upset that Jerusalem was excluded from the Jewish state. The Jews were the most fertile land including the citrus groves upon which the Arabs depended on for their living. Many of the nations of the world felt guilt or grief of the Hitler era. This is

John Deere Invented a Better Plow

John Deere Invented a Better Plow John Deere was an Illinois blacksmith and manufacturer. Early in his career, Deere and an associate designed a series of farm plows. In 1837, on his own, John Deere designed the first cast steel plow that greatly assisted the Great Plains farmers. The large plows made for cutting the tough prairie ground were called grasshopper plows. The plow was made of wrought iron and had a steel share that could cut through sticky soil without clogging. By 1855, John Deeres factory was selling over 10,000 steel plows a year. In 1868, John Deeres business was incorporated as Deere Company, which is still in existence today. John Deere became a millionaire selling his steel plows. History of Plows The first real inventor of a practicable plow was Charles Newbold, of Burlington County, New Jersey, to whom a patent for a cast-iron plow was issued in June 1797. But the farmers would have none of it. They said it poisoned the soil and fostered the growth of weeds. One David Peacock received a patent in 1807, and two others later. Newbold sued Peacock for infringement and recovered damages. Pieces of Newbolds original plow are in the museum of the New York Agricultural Society at Albany. Another inventor of plows was Jethro Wood, a blacksmith of Scipio, New York, who received two patents, one in 1814 and the other in 1819. His plow was of cast iron, but in three parts, so that a broken part might be renewed without purchasing an entire plow. This principle of standardization marked a great advance. The farmers by this time were forgetting their former prejudices, and many plows were sold. Though Woods original patent was extended, infringements were frequent, and he is said to have spent his entire property in prosecuting them. Another skilled blacksmith, William Parlin, at Canton, Illinois, began in about 1842 making plows that he loaded upon a wagon and peddled through the country. Later his establishment grew large. Another John Lane, a son of the first, patented in 1868 a soft-center steel plow. The hard but brittle surface was backed by softer and more tenacious metal, to reduce the breakage. The same year James Oliver, a Scotch immigrant who had settled at South Bend, Indiana, received a patent for the chilled plough. By an ingenious method, the wearing surfaces of the casting were cooled more quickly than the back. The surfaces which came in contact with the soil had a hard, glassy surface, while the body of the plow was of tough iron. From small beginnings, Olivers establishment grew great, and the Oliver Chilled Plow Works at South Bend is today [1921] one of the largest and most favorably known privately owned. From the single plowit was only a step to two or more plows fastened together, doing more work with approximately the same manpower. The sulky plow, on which the plowman rode, made his work easier, and gave him great control. Such plows were certainly in use as early as 1844, perhaps earlier. The next step forward was to substitute for horses a traction engine.

Critical Thinking Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Thinking Questions - Essay Example The use of this method will provide different ways of making sense of ideas, developing product, attaining content, and processing information so as to promote effective learning. Question a (ii) The six-column framework highlights the basics of an individual. Everyone must employ these questions to be complete. In addition, scopes of the framework classification technique, the abstractions, and perspectives are complete and can categorize any concept or knowledge. An individual can utilize the what, who, how, where, why, and when questions to classify students. This is because the differentiated instruction understands every student is unique. This framework will assist the teacher to instruct according to student’s learning style and needs. The framework will also determine the students’ skills, level of knowledge, and comprehension in a unit of study. Question a (iii) The leader may employ the framework to assess the readiness and growth level of students. This will help improve instruction. The leader may use the framework to retrieve information on different aspects, for example; the leader may ask the instructor â€Å"how can below average students improve?† or â€Å"how are the students coping with the new teaching techniques?† The different responses will guide the leader on areas that need Improvement or change. The leader may also employ the framework to ensure students are responsible and active. This framework will make both the instructors and students fill challenged whenever they are engaged in an activity, in class (Caine & Caine, 1994). This will help improve instruction or change instruction. Question b (i) Concept formation is an inductive educating technique that assist learners establish an apparent understanding of an idea or concept by examining a small number of examples of a concept. Concepts may be presumed to be fittings in the mind. A mind that is well fitted provides lifelong learning, joy, career satisfa ction, citizenship, and academic satisfaction. When the teachers create a concept from its example, they know more exists to a practice or concept. For example, if they see a student is underperforming in class, they know there is more to it than lack of understanding or grasping of ideas (Tomlinson, 1999). Step 1 allows the teachers examine their preferred or presumed comfortable learning environment. Step 2 permits the teacher compare their findings on suitable learning environment and enable them device the most suitable environment. Step 3 enables the teachers categorize the learning environment in terms of the most suitable. Question b (ii) The steps will act as a pre-assessment to the extent to which the teachers have established their concepts. This is because the proof is not in the decisions they have reached, but the reasons they will provide. In addition, each step provides the leader a chance to understand the backgrounds, interests, weaknesses, strengths, and the dissim ilarities between the teachers in several areas. The pre-assessment will also allow the teachers become extra purposeful in conducting class activities. Question c (i) The factors include cooperative learning groups, ability grouping of learners, class size, and the instructor. Cooperative groups have learners with strong class cohesion, positive perception, adequate degree of social support, and high scores of achievement. The ability grouping

Maximizing profits in market structures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Maximizing profits in market structures - Essay Example Monopoly – The monopoly is the only producer of a particular good or service; therefore, it has a downward-sloping demand curve. If the firm sells its product at a high price, it will be able to sell only a small quantity because few people would be able to afford it, and there are not substitutes. If the firm would wish to sell more units of the product, it will have to lower its prices (Mankiw, 2009). The type of product may be homogeneous or differentiated and the monopoly firm has full control over its price (Jain & Khanna, 2009). Oligopoly – An oligopoly is a market with only a few suppliers. Because they are so few, actions taken by one seller creates an impact on the other sellers, such that they become interdependent upon each other. They therefore tend to behave pursuant to certain strategies depending on the actions of the other firms (Mankiw, 2009), and there are situations that alternatively present opportunities for conflict and for cooperation. The product may be homogeneous or differentiated (Jain & Khanna, 2009). ... For monopolies, P > MR = MC (price exceeds marginal costs). The firm first determines the output quantity at which it will produce, at the point where marginal revenue and marginal costs are equal. The demand curve is thereafter used to determine the highest price the firm may charge in order to sell the quantity determined. This is so because the demand curve tells the quantity buyers are willing to buy at a certain price. Oligopoly – For oligopolies, the profits a firm makes depends to a great deal of what its competitors make, because there are so few of them supplying the market. Based on this observation, game theory has been developed, the method by which a firm in an oligopoly tries to predict how its competitors will react if it makes a strategic move. For instance, in an oligopoly it is generally observed that firm will lower their price in response to a price reduction by one of the other firms, particularly if the product they produce is homogeneous. However, if one of the firms raises its prices, the other firms do not automatically follow. The reason for this is that the firms whose prices are viewed as too high in comparison with its competitors would lose its buyers to those firms with lower prices, because their products are deemed to be easily substitutable with each other. The result is a kinked demand curve. Barriers to entry Competition - In a competitive market, the barriers to new entrants are low and few, if any, thus the market is open to many sellers and the products are undifferentiated as to be easily substituted. Everybody sells at the same price, and there is always demand at that price. Monopoly - For natural monopolies, barriers to new entrants are high because the

Roles and Role Dynamics within the Daimler-Chrysler Corporation after Essay

Roles and Role Dynamics within the Daimler-Chrysler Corporation after Their Merger - Essay Example The paper tells that merger is one more important element of globalization. The phenomenon of a merger has been observed by the specialists of various sciences. One of the interesting aspects of the phenomenon is its influence on the corporate relations and the role dynamics after the process of merger. The case with Daimler-Chrysler Corporation is interesting to be examined as the example within the research as the case of the merger that appeared to be a takeover, with all its effects, influencing the relations within the corporation with its financial success. "In fact, up to 80 percent of corporate mergers and acquisitions fail to garner the expected financial gains, mainly because the deal-makers fail to anticipate the psychological and philosophical clashes that can undermine the alliance, industrial/organizational (I/O)". Before describing the circumstances of the merger it is important to describe the major events that happened just before the merger. The Chrysler company was a successful enterprise when it was headed by Lee Iacocca, its President. By the end of the 70s, he provided his company with $1.5 billion dollars as federal loan guarantees. These loan guarantees made Chrysler a profitable company until 1988 when innovations became necessary. The President of the company decided to risk and produced four kinds of new products - pickup trucks, sedans, minivan, and jeep. But at the beginning of the 90s Lee retired and it led the company to failure. After the merger, Chrysler began to lose money very quickly... The factors that led to such regress need careful consideration and the specialists are ambivalent as to determine the reason for the situation occurred. The company seemed to run well when the problems fell. When the problems revealed, the successor of Lee Iaccocoa, Robert Eaton, was fired and some other executives were fired with him. His place was occupied by Dieter Zetche, who found that the present market situation demands reorganization in the company structure. He created a team of specialists that replaced the executives that were fired with Robert Eaton. His innovations comprised changes in the improvement of the quality and as well as producing new products - a new model of pickup and jeep. This policy turned out to be successful and Chrysler received 788 million euros in 2002. In the merger of 1998, Daimler Benz and Chrysler Corporation created a new corporation of companies approximately of the same size but quite different in organizational culture and corporate relations. Chrysler was a company created in the USA, with the business strategy of the company dictated by the necessity of the flexible approaches and innovations. Daimler Benz was inspired by the features of the German culture - it is characterized by the strict hierarchical structure with high diversifications in corporate relations. The merger looked like it was the union of two partners with equal rights, and this was the information that had b een presented to the USA public by Daimler. But the fact was that the Chrysler Corporation had been sold. This led to numerous problems that occurred in the company itself, and these problems may partially influence the failure the company faced in 1998 - 2000.

A study on Fraud prevention and Detection

A study on Fraud prevention and Detection The aim of this writing is to present how fraud is defined today, why fraud prevention and detection is global concern and introduce main means of detecting and preventing fraud. It can be seen that fraud can range from small employee theft, fruitless behaviour, embezzlement of company`s assets and fraudulent financial reporting. This kind of actions can have strong adverse effect on company`s market value, reputation and it reduces company`s power to achieve its strategic objectives, etc. Lately, numerous cases that found themselves in limelight of public attention, such as Enron and WorldCom, sensitized everyones awareness about the effect of fraudulent and deceptive reporting. Therefore, large number of companies started to be more proactive in taking serious measures to prevent and detect its occurrence. The jeopardy of fraud can be minimized through effective combination of prevention, deterrence and detection measures. As it will be described in more detail in the rest of this paper, fraud can be very hard to detect. As means of detection are becoming more sophisticated, so do the ways of committing fraud. For this very reason every company should strongly emphasise fraud prevention, which can definitely reduce chances for fraud to take place, and fraud detection, which can create atmosphere at work that fraud will be detected and committers will be punished. Moreover, costs for fraud prevention are less expensive than the time and money needed for fraud detection and investigation. Definition Defining fraud can be harder than it seems. It is a term that can be heard very often in everyday life. Though, what is meant by fraud in business world can be somewhat different. Finding consistent meaning and precise definition of fraud is crucial for understanding it. For this reason a few legal definitions of what is considered by fraud will be presented. In UK fraud is defined in Fraud Act form 2006. In explanatory notes to Fraud Act 2006, Chapter 35 it can be seen that there are several ways fraud can be committed, such as: by false representation (person must make dishonest and false representation with clear intention to gain or cause loss to other party), by failing to disclose information (failing to disclose an important information to another person to which you have legal duty to disclose it, is considered as fraud), by abuse of position (abusing privileged position, where by virtue of this position a person is expected to protect another`s financial interest and do not act against those intersperses), by gaining or losing property dishonestly (whether material or intellectual), possession of items for use in fraud, making or supplying articles for use in fraud (for example manufacturing machines for false money making), by participating in fraudulent business carried out on by sole trader (fraudulent trading for under the companies legislation), by taking part in fraudulent business carried on by a company, obtaining service dishonestly (for example by avoiding payment) and liability of company officers for offences by company (if a person has specific corporate role for which is responsible, it usually applies to directors, managers, etc). In USA there are numerous state and federal laws which are regulating fraud in number of areas, such as consumer fraud, insurance fraud, corporate fraud, etc. Summary of what is generally perceived as fraud leads one to conclude that there are some similarities with fraud definition in UK by Fraud Act 2006. In both cases there must be purposive misinterpretation of facts made by one, fully aware party in order to cause injury or damage (material, intellectual, etc.) to other party. Fraud of failing to disclose information in U.S. is interpreted as omission or `purposive failure to state material facts, which nondisclosure makes other statement misleading` (www.uslegal.com) Moreover, in Canada fraud is classified as criminal offence. In Canada`s Criminal Code, Article 380 (1) and 380 (2) it is stated clearly that fraud is considered to be any fraudulent behaviour designed to manipulate other party, so as this party will give something of value to him/her by means of lying purposively misleading the second party although fully aware of falseness of that act hiding a fact from the other part which may have prevented the party to suffer any kind of loss or damage. Additionally, `every one who, by deceit, falsehood or other fraudulent means, whether or not it is a false pretence within the meaning of this Act, defrauds the public or any person, whether ascertained or not, of any property, money or valuable security or any service (or) with intent to defraud, affects the public market price of stocks, shares, merchandise or anything that is offered for sale to the public` Canada`s Criminal Code, Article 380 (1). Contemporary researchers (Weirich and Reinstein, 2000; Albrecht et al., 1994, 1995) define fraud as intentional deception, stealing and cheating investors, creditors, public, government bodies, etc. Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 82 identifies two separate fraud types: Fraudulent financial reporting or management fraud (managers try to report inflated profit, overstates assets and revenues or understate expenses and liabilities with intention to modify financial statements) and Misappropriation of assets or employee fraud (employees steal money or other companies belongings). This statement also points out different fraud schemes such as employee embezzlement, management fraud, investment scams, vendor fraud, customer fraud, and miscellaneous fraud. However, it can be concluded that though these countries have similar definitions of what fraudulent activities are considered to be, there are substantial differences. Businesses operating in different countries, especially multinational companies, must be aware of these differences, acts and statements as they are the one in greatest danger suffering from not thoroughly knowing them. Causes associated with individuals committing fraud Fraud Triangle Before explaining main methods and bodies within company responsible for prevention and detection of fraud, psychological factors that might influence the behaviour of fraud committers must be mentioned. It is suggested (Moyes and Hasan, 1996; Hernan, 2008) that the best way of fraud prevention is understanding what main drivers of fraud are. The three following drivers are most commonly known as fraud triangle. Need there are numerous types of financial pressure, gambling habits or maybe unreasonably high expectations of high returns that create enough pressure for management to commit financial statement fraud. Some warning signs of pressure in organization and among employees could be discovered by internal control questionnaires, interview with managers, surveys or communication with employees. Opportunity people often see opportunity to commit fraud when internal control system in organization is weak. Internal auditors and managers should from time to time test the effectiveness of various types of control in order to reduce opportunities for fraud. Justification the third component of fraud triangle is rationalization for fraudulent activity. There are a lot of different explanations and justifications of fraudulent activity. Some fraudsters concludes that they did not get a deserved promotion and want to make things right on their own. Others did not get deserved bonuses at the yearend or they rationalize their act as just borrowing from the company. The risk is higher in companies with poor management structure and unclear bonus system. Hernan (2008) suggests evaluation of management competences, objectivity and transparency in order to identify and spot on time fraud risks. If management, internal control or any other entity in a company, which duty is fraud prevention and detection, is aware of these factors, then that entity will certainly be more effective in developing mechanisms of fraud detection and punishment The Cost of Fraud Before any prevention and detection method or entity within a company is discussed the cost of fraud must be explained as only then when we realise how big damage fraud can cause, we are able to truly understand significance of internal controls, audit committee, management, internal auditors, independent auditors and certified fraud examiners. Fraud is a global problem affecting organizations of all types and sizes. According to the Association of Certified fraud examiners (ACFE) estimates that US companies loose approximately 5% of their annual revenues to fraud. Majority of frauds are detected by tips or accidently. The most frequently type of fraud are: asset misappropriation (91,5% of reported frauds), corruption accounts for 30,8% and financial statements fraud accounts for 10,6% ,with median loss estimated at 2 million dollars. Most recent large fraudulent schemes were Enron (63 billion dollars in assets) and WorldCom (107 billion dollars in assets) were investors lose billions of dollars. According to Adams et al. (2006), the greatest financial impact of fraud is in small firms and businesses. The loss of 7% of revenues (estimated by ACFE) is also significant for large companies but small companies will probably be out of business because of it. On the other hand, when fraud occurs companies could suffer from damage of brand and reputation. Stakeholders could see that as an early warning sign. Big bills caused by fraud are almost never paid by committers, but unfortunately, by innocent parties such as consumers, insurance companies etc. This just amplifies opening statement how important job of bodies in charge of fraud detection and prevention is. Fraud prevention and detection Many authors (Mclnnes and Stevenson 1997, Adams et al 2006, Hernan 2008, Grambling et al 2009) suggests that prevention of fraud is the most cost-effective way to deal with possible financial and reputation loss. For all of the reasons mentioned in previous sections of this work it is crucial for every company to develop mechanism for effective detection and prevention of fraud. Statement on Auditing Standards No. 99 by AICPA (2002) suggest that there should be a body within a company with appropriate overight function. Oversight function can take many forms such as audit committee, board of directors etc. Measures this entities can implement are divided into three categories: create atmosphere of honesty and high ethics; evaluate the risks of fraud and implement adequate processes, procedures, and controls necessary to reduce the risks and the opportunities for fraud develop an appropriate oversight process The pivotal role in the process has the companies CEO. Although the management is responsible for implementing these activities, without CEOs support, this process is likely to be successful. In the oversight process specific companys entity has specific role in preventing and detecting fraud. The most important entities will now be discussed and their role will be explained. Culture of honesty and high ethics Every organization should posses a set of core values and nurture culture of honesty and high ethics. This set of values is often involved in companys code of conduct which has aim to guide employees in everyday activities (often include topics like ethics, confidentiality, conflicts of interests etc.). Management must show to employees through their actions that dishonest or unethical behaviour will not be tolerated. It is also important for management to create: a positive workplace environment. For example, if employees work in bad work environment, the chances of committing fraud against a company are greater To hire and promote appropriate employees Provide training to new employees and introduce them with code of conduct Require from employees to annually sign code of conduct and to write about possible breaking of code of conduct If fraud occurs in organization, the appropriate steps should be taken to examine all aspects of fraud and to improve existing internal controls Implement and Monitor Appropriate Internal Controls As mentioned before in work, people often see opportunity to commit fraud when internal control system in organization is weak. That is the main reason why organization should be put more effort to minimize fraud opportunities. According to AICPA (2002) some risks are inherent within the environment of the company, but large number of them can be most can be discovered with a proper internal control system. One process for assessment of fraud risk takes place; the company can recognize controls, processes and other procedures that are crucial for reducing identified risks. Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) report of the Treadway Commission states that effective internal control should include: a well-developed control environment an effective and secure information system, appropriate control and monitoring activities. Information technology plays pivotal role in operations and transactions over information generated by computers. For this reason management need to implement and sustain proper controls (automated or manual). Especially, management is obliged to assess whether internal controls have been implemented in those areas where high risk of fraud exists and in entities where financial reports are processed. Reporting of fraudulent activities can be going on temporary basis, hence management should evaluate internal controls responsible for short term financial reporting. The institute for fraud prevention in 2007 mentioned that upper level management is usually involved in fraudulent financial reporting by overriding internal controls involved in controlling the process that fraudulent financial reporting by upper-level management typically involves override of internal controls within the financial reporting process. Because management has the ability to override controls the need for a strong value system and a culture of ethical financial reporting becomes more important. This helps create an environment in which other employees will decline to participate in committing a fraud and will use established communication procedures to report any requests to commit wrongdoing. The potential for management override also increases the need for appropriate oversight measures by the board of directors or audit committee which will be discussed in the following section. Fraudulent financial reporting by lower levels of management and employees may be detected by appropriate monitoring controls, such as having higher-level managers review and evaluate the financial results reported by individual operating units or subsidiaries. Unusual fluctuations in results or the lack of expected fluctuations may indicate potential manipulation by some department managers or employees. DEVELOP AN APPROPRIATE OVERSIGHT PROCESS After implementation of code of conduct, core values and internal control process into organization, management should also develop an appropriate oversight process to overlook internal controls and reduce as much as possible risk of fraud. The oversight process contains management, internal auditors, audit committee, independent auditors and certified fraud examiners. Audit Committee or Board of Directors Gramling et al. (2009) in his work argue that audit committee is critical element of internal controls and have important stewardship responsibility to shareholders. Also he cited former SEC chairman Arthur Levitt who described audit committee as one of the most reliable guardians of the public interest ( Gramling et al.,2009,p.24). According to research taken by Cohen et al.(2009), audit committee effectiveness has been improved since Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002. From auditors perspective, audit committee has enough expertise to identify main risks and oversee internal controls. It is crucial that audit committee members be independent of management to provide oversight and comply with regulations. This could be a problem especially in smaller companies. Also smaller companies facing with another problem- How to find and recruit quality and qualified members for audit committee. AICPA(2005) suggested to audit committee to consider periodical meetings with representatives from each of the above mentioned groups (internal auditors,external auditors etc.) to discuss any matter could affect the financial reporting process and increase the risk of fraud. The main duties of audit committee should be to: evaluate managements identification of fraud risks and implementation of antifraud measures. Audit committee can by active oversight support management in implementation of appropriate fraud prevention measures. The final aim is better protection of all stakeholders. The Report of the NACD Blue Ribbon Commission on the Audit Committee (2000) emphasized the importance of role which audit committee plays in helping the board of directors in oversight duties, with regard to companys financial reporting processes and internal control systems. When taking the oversight responsibility, the audit committee must take care not to override managements control responsibilities. Therefore, they should have a good communication with internal and external auditors and may consider to review from time to time firm`s reported information with forecasted ones and industry averages as well. In addition to this SAS 60 in AICPA (2002) argues that communication with external auditors could improve strength of the firms internal control and give higher potential to deal with fraudulent financial reporting 10 See Statement on Auditing Standards No. 60, Communication of Internal Control Related Matters Noted in an Audit (AICPA, Professional Standards, vol. 1, AU sec. 325), and SAS No. 61, Communications With Audit Committees (AICPA, Professional Standards, vol. 1, AU sec. 380), as amended. Audit committee, as part of their oversight duties, should try to motivate management to encourage all employees to report everything that looks like unethical behaviour, fraud, or any violations of the code of conduct. The committee should then receive periodic reports from management and employees, describing the nature of any possible unethical behaviour. Report of the NACD Best Practices Council (1998) suggests that if senior management is involved in fraud (according to Deloitte survey 2008, which is the case in 68 per cent of all financial statement fraud), next management level is very likely to be cognizant of it. Hence, it would be recommended that audit committee has an open communication with one or two levels of management under senior executives. In this way they could take part in fraud identification at the top positions of the organization. Usually, the audit committee has the power to investigate all suspicious activities that catch their attention and within the realm of their responsibilities. They could also benefit from assistance of accounting and professional advisors. All committee members must be educated about finances and have at least one expert in that field. Management Mclnnes and Stevenson (1997) argue that according to statements in SAS 110 management is responsible for the prevention and detection of fraud. Also Cadbury committee (1992) requires from directors to report on effectiveness of a companys internal control system. On the other hand, Kranacher and Stern- Cpa journal argue that despite the responsibility for preventing fraud lies on management of company, auditors should be also prepared to detect fraud. Authors underpin their statement with presentation of SAS 99-Consideration of fraud in financial statements, which set new fraud standards for auditors. It requires from auditors to discuss with management about possible frauds in organization and to be aware of risk that fraud may occur and be material for financial statements. The main concerns about fraud prevention could be data presented from The institute for fraud prevention in 2007 that executive directors (CEO and CFO) could deceive auditors and audit committee by providing false information. Their analysis further indicates that in 21% of the financial statements fraud cases, external auditors were named as participants. Also in 40% of companies where fraud took place, board members were participants. This can be significant obstacle in effective fraud detection. Similar evidences could be seen from Deloittes survey taken in 2008 about financial statement fraud. CEO, CFO and controller of the company were involved in 68% of individuals who committed financial statement fraud. Other members of management were involved in 24% of all financial statement fraud. That survey can give us a lot of interesting data about financial statement fraud. For example, most common fraud schemes are revenue recognition (38%, especially recording of fictitious revenue), manipulation of expenses (12%) , improper disclosures (12%) and manipulation of liabilities and assets etc. The financial fraud schemes are most common in industries like telecommunications, technology, media and entertainment. The average duration of fraud schemes has been seven years in 2008 and has increasing trend. Responsibility of management is to supervise the employees` activities. They typically do that by implementing and montiroing all control means previously mentioned. Management is also able to commence, take part in, or direct means against fraudulent acts. Audit committee is responsible (if there is no audit committee the board of directors is in charge) to supervise activities of senior managers and think about risks that fraudulent financial reporting brings. Mclnnes and Stevenson (1997) in their work conclude that although general public perceive external auditors as strongest defensive against corporate fraud that is not their primary objective. Board of directors have a duty to safeguard the assets of their companies and to report on the effectiveness of their companies internal control system (section 404 of SOX). The most effective way of implementation of measure for reducing wrongdoing is to establish them on a range of core values that could be embraced by the company. These values consist of important key principles that have the potential to guide all employees` actions. Then this values could be taken a step further and a platform for detailed code of conduct could be forms. Companys code should entail specific descriptions about what is permitted and what is prohibited. At the end management must be clear in stating that all employee`s will be hold accountable in the company`s code of conduct. Also Mclnnes and Stevenson (1997) argue that board of directors are responsible for prevention and detection of fraudulent activities by others in the company, but on the other hand it is not clear who has a legal responsibility for preventing and detecting fraudulent activities by directors. Internal Auditors Organized audit team can very effectively be involved in many aspects of oversight control. Their familiarity with how entity operates can help them identify indicators of fraud. The Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing (IIA Standards), issued by the Institute of Internal Auditors, state The internal auditor should have sufficient knowledge to identify the indicators of fraud but is not expected to have the expertise of a person whose primary responsibility is detecting and investigating fraud. Internal auditors are in position to asses fraud risks and control, and suggest actions for risk minimization and control improvement. Some standards, such as IIA Standards, even require from internal auditors to perform assessment of possible company`s risk. These assessments of risk then provide starting point for audit plans and internal control tests are based on them. Additionally, the same standard demands that all audit plans are presented and permitted by the audit company (where audit committee does not exist this should be presented to board of directors). Furthermore, audit plans provide guarantee for affirmation of management`s control. Internal audit can have two roles detection and deterrence. Internal auditors are included in fraud deterrence by analysing and evaluating the appropriateness and efficiency of internal control systems, though Hillison et al (1999) states that it is responsibility of management. In executing this responsibility, internal auditors should: evaluate the control environment identify control weaknesses have strong communication with management Hillison et al (1999) argue that internal auditors should pay attention on cash transactions as well as on other non-balance sheet assets. The following steps should be taken: increased use of analytical review (because ratio analysis and trend analysis sometimes could show us unusual relations with other accounts, especially when we have several years data to analyse and compare Cohen et al.(2009) stated that reliance on internal auditors has increased in the post-SOX period, mainly because of section 404. Internal auditors could use a lot of techniques (analythical or other procedures) to prevent and detect fraudulent behaviour in organization. They could search for particular types of fraud or they could check high-risk accounts for frauds. Every suspicion of fraud or management involment should be directly reported to the audit committee. Independent Auditors and existing audit approach to prevent fraud External auditors have a significant role in oversight process. They should provide information to management and audit committee about possible risks. In order to have full benefit from external auditors, management should have open communication with them. Glover and Aono (1995) in their work presented basic audit-risk model which consists of three elements: inherent risk, control risk and detection risk. They stressed that auditors should understand clients internal control system because they should determine how much they can rely on accounting information generated from clients financial reporting system. On the other hand, McKee and Norway (2006) argue that auditors become too predictable in their audits and that fraudsters could anticipate their actions. Moreover, the public and stakeholders expects from auditors to do better job at fraud prevention (that is the main reason of existence of audit expectation gap). Audit plans should incorporate an element of unpredictability according to SAS 99 and ISA 240 in order to decrease fraud risk. The main benefits of unpredictable auditors approach according to authors would be increasing chances of fraud discovery (more effective audit), deterrence of fraud will be also increased (because of reduced opportunity to commit fraud) and audit will become more enjoyable. On the other hand, this will have impact on costs associated with unpredictable audit approach: extra planning time, extra time to perform necessary procedures and additional training time. Also, authors suggested a following procedures for unpredictable audit approach: random sampling, unannounced inventory observation, changing techniques from prior years, test some small and low risk accounts etc. Certified Fraud Examiners Certified fraud examiners as professionals could have the important role in oversight process. They have a lot of knowledge and experience in fraud detection and prevention and could use their knowledge to assist the audit committee and internal auditors. As professionals from outside the company they can give more objective opinion about internal control system. Also, they can evaluate possible risks of fraud ( especially fraud committed by top management) and implement appropriate measures in order to minimize it. fraud.5 5 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, 2006 Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse (Austin, TX: ACFE, 2004), p. 18 Ernst Young International Fraud Group, Fraud: the Unmanaged Risk: An International Survey of the Effects of Fraud on Business (London, UK: Ernst Young, 1998), p. 2. To conclude, despite management have responsibility to conduct adequate fraud risk assessment, audit committee should overlook quality of the financial reporting process. According to Silver et al. (2008), audit committee should not only apply traditional fraud risk assessment (like segregation of duties), but to consider and incorporate proactive approach. In order to be good in their stewardship role they should improve their accounting and fraud knowledge , search for collusive fraud and obtain feedback. Conclusion Some organizations have significantly lower levels of misappropriation of assets and are less susceptible to fraudulent financial reporting than other organizations because these organizations take proactive steps to prevent or deter fraud. It is only those organizations that seriously consider fraud risks and take proactive steps to create the right kind of climate to reduce its occurrence that have success in preventing fraud. It was also found that organisations with strong internal controls, internal auditors and audit committees were better equipped to deal with fraud in any form according to Alleyne and Howard(2005)

The Prince :: essays research papers

"An Outline and Arguments on The Prince by Machiavelli" Niccolo Machiavelli was a very knowledgeable man. He was born in Florence in 1469 and when he was of the age 43 he wrote The Prince. His first admission into politics happened in1498 with the title as Secretary to the Second Chancery of the Signoria. He held this job through the year 1512 right before the Medici took over Florence. He was very faithful to his elders and to the policies of the government. In 1502 he became assistant to Soderini who was elected chief magistrate of the Republic. One of his finest accomplishments came in the year 1509 when he made Pisa acquiesce after a 15 year struggle. He was mostly credited because he directed the land and sea blockade that brought about Pisa’s submission. Three years later the Spaniards attacked Prato. They broke the walls, attacked the defenders, and totally destroyed the town. A couple days later Soderini resigned and went into exile. The Medici took control of Florence and six weeks later dismissed and banished Machiav elli for one year. Early in 1513 he was suspected of plotting to overthrow the Medici government. He was first arrested, then tortured, and then released after his innocence was satisfactorily proven. He then went to a small farm near San Casciano where he was restless and bored. There he wrote the book called The Prince. There are a lot of ideas and teachings mentioned in the book. It as a whole discusses what a principality is, what kinds there are, how they are won, how they are maintained and why they are lost. He first states that there are either republics or principalities (inherited or new). Principalities that are inherited are more easily to keep because the citizens already know and are familiar with the family in power. So the new prince should not keep away from the methods of his predecessors. This theory holds value because if the people are already familiar with the law and are acquainted with family then the heir to the throne will be loved and taken in as a brother. If a new state is conquered then it will be hard to keep because of all the injuries that took place while occupying the new principality. Therefore, he will probably lose it. But, after one has conquered a territory a second time it will be easily lost because the ruler can use the rebellion as an excuse. The Prince :: essays research papers "An Outline and Arguments on The Prince by Machiavelli" Niccolo Machiavelli was a very knowledgeable man. He was born in Florence in 1469 and when he was of the age 43 he wrote The Prince. His first admission into politics happened in1498 with the title as Secretary to the Second Chancery of the Signoria. He held this job through the year 1512 right before the Medici took over Florence. He was very faithful to his elders and to the policies of the government. In 1502 he became assistant to Soderini who was elected chief magistrate of the Republic. One of his finest accomplishments came in the year 1509 when he made Pisa acquiesce after a 15 year struggle. He was mostly credited because he directed the land and sea blockade that brought about Pisa’s submission. Three years later the Spaniards attacked Prato. They broke the walls, attacked the defenders, and totally destroyed the town. A couple days later Soderini resigned and went into exile. The Medici took control of Florence and six weeks later dismissed and banished Machiav elli for one year. Early in 1513 he was suspected of plotting to overthrow the Medici government. He was first arrested, then tortured, and then released after his innocence was satisfactorily proven. He then went to a small farm near San Casciano where he was restless and bored. There he wrote the book called The Prince. There are a lot of ideas and teachings mentioned in the book. It as a whole discusses what a principality is, what kinds there are, how they are won, how they are maintained and why they are lost. He first states that there are either republics or principalities (inherited or new). Principalities that are inherited are more easily to keep because the citizens already know and are familiar with the family in power. So the new prince should not keep away from the methods of his predecessors. This theory holds value because if the people are already familiar with the law and are acquainted with family then the heir to the throne will be loved and taken in as a brother. If a new state is conquered then it will be hard to keep because of all the injuries that took place while occupying the new principality. Therefore, he will probably lose it. But, after one has conquered a territory a second time it will be easily lost because the ruler can use the rebellion as an excuse.

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Ten

The bell rang. There was no time to go back to the cafeteria and tell Bonnie and Meredith. Elena set off for her next class, past the averted faces and hostile eyes that were becoming all too familiar these days. It was hard, in history class, not to stare at Caroline, not to let Caroline know she knew. Alaric asked about Matt and Stefan being absent for the second day in a row, and Elena shrugged, feeling exposed and on display. She didn't trust this man with the boyish smile and the hazel eyes and the thirst for knowledge about Mr. Tanner's death. And Bonnie, who simply gazed at Alaric soulfully, was no help at all. After class she caught a scrap of Sue Carson's conversation. â€Å"†¦ he's on vacation from college – I forget exactly where†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena had had enough of discreet silence. She spun around and spoke directly to Sue and the girl Sue was talking to, bursting uninvited into their discussion. â€Å"If I were you,† she said to Sue, â€Å"I would keep away from Damon. I mean that.† There was startled, embarrassed laughter. Sue was one of the few people at school who hadn't shunned Elena, and now she was looking as if she wished she had. â€Å"You mean,† said the other girl hesitantly, â€Å"because he's yours, too? Or – â€Å" Elena's own laughter was harsh. â€Å"I mean because he'sdangerous ,† she said. â€Å"And I'm not joking.† They just looked at her. Elena saved them the further embarrassment of having to reply or to get tactfully groupies and headed for Meredith's locker. â€Å"Where are we going? I thought we were going to talk to Caroline.† â€Å"Not anymore,† Elena said. â€Å"Wait until we get home. Then I'll tell you why.† â€Å"I can't believe it,† said Bonnie an hour later. â€Å"I mean, I believe it, but I can'tbelieve it. Not even of Caroline.† â€Å"It's Tyler,† Elena said. â€Å"He's the one with the big plans. So much for men not being interested in diaries.† â€Å"Actually, we should thank him,† said Meredith. â€Å"Because of him at least we have until Founders' Day to do something about it.Why did you say it was supposed to be on Founders' Day, Elena?† â€Å"Tyler has something against the Fells.† â€Å"But they're all dead,† said Bonnie. â€Å"Well, that doesn't seem to matter to Tyler. I remember him talking about it in the graveyard, too, when we were looking at their tomb. He thinks they stole his ancestors' rightful place as the town's founders or something.† â€Å"Elena,† Meredith said seriously, â€Å"is there anything else in the diary that could hurt Stefan? Besides the thing about the old man, I mean.† â€Å"Isn't that enough?† With those steady, dark eyes on her, Elena felt discomfort flutter between her ribs. What was Meredith asking? â€Å"Enough to get Stefan run out of town like they said,† agreed Bonnie. â€Å"Enough that we have to get the diary back from Caroline,† Elena said. â€Å"The only question is, how?† â€Å"Caroline said she had it hidden somewhere safe. That probably means her house.† Meredith chewed her lip thoughtfully. â€Å"She's got just the one brother in eighth grade, right? And her mom doesn't work, but she goes shopping in Roanoke a lot. Do they still have a maid?† â€Å"Why?† said Bonnie. â€Å"What difference does it make?† â€Å"Well, we don't want anybody walking in while we're burglarizing the house.† â€Å"While we'rewhat ?† Bonnie's voice rose to a squeak. â€Å"You can't be serious!† â€Å"What are we supposed to do, just sit back and wait until Founders' Day, and let her read Elena's diary in front of the town?She stole it from your house. We've just got to steal it back,† Meredith said, maddeningly calm. â€Å"We'll get caught. We'll get expelled from school – if we don't end up going to jail.† Bonnie turned to Elena in appeal. â€Å"Tell her, Elena.† Besides, it seemed such a†¦ aviolation , to go into someone's house when they were not there, to search their possessions. She would hate it if someone did that to her. But, of course, someone had. Caroline had violated Bonnie's house, and right now had Elena's most private possession in her hands. â€Å"Let's do it,† Elena said quietly. â€Å"But let's be careful.† â€Å"Can't we talk about this?† said Bonnie weakly, looking from Meredith's determined face to Elena's. â€Å"There's nothing to talk about. You're coming,† Meredith told her. â€Å"You promised,† she added, as Bonnie took a breath to object afresh. And she held up her index finger. â€Å"The blood oath was only to help Elenaget Stefan!† Bonnie cried. â€Å"Think again,† said Meredith. â€Å"You swore you would do whatever Elena asked in relation to Stefan. There wasn't anything about a time limit or about ‘only until Elena gets him.' â€Å" Bonnie's mouth dropped open. She looked at Elena, who was almost laughing in spite of herself. â€Å"It's true,† Elena said solemnly. â€Å"And you said it yourself: ‘Swearing with blood means you have to stick to your oath no matter what happens.' â€Å" Bonnie shut her mouth and thrust her chin out. â€Å"Right,† she said grimly. â€Å"Now I'm stuck for the rest of my life doing whatever Elena wants me to do about Stefan. Wonderful.† â€Å"This is the last thing I'll ever ask,† Elena said. â€Å"And I promise that. I swear – â€Å" â€Å"Don't!† said Meredith, suddenly serious. â€Å"Don't, Elena. You might be sorry later.† â€Å"Now you're taking up prophecy, too?† Elena said. And then she asked, â€Å"So how are we going to get hold of Caroline's house key for an hour or so?† November9,Saturday Dear Diary, I'm sorry it's been so long. Lately I've been too busy or too depressed – or both – to write you. Besides, with everything that's happened I'm almost afraid to keep a diary at all anymore. But I need someone to turn to, because right now there's not a single human being, not a single person on earth, that I'm not keeping something from. Bonnie and Meredith can't know the truth about Stefan. Stefan can't know the truth about Damon. Aunt Judith can't know about anything. Bonnie and Meredith know about Caroline and the diary; Stefan doesn't.Stefan knows about the vervain I use every day now, Bonnie and Meredith don't. Even My life is full of lies right now, and I need someoneto be completely honest with. I'm going to hide this diary under the loose floorboard in the closet, so that no one will find it even if I drop dead and they clean out my room. Maybe one of Margaret's grandchildren will be playing in there someday, and will pry up the board and pull it out, but until then, nobody. This diary is my last secret. I don't know why I'm thinking about death and dying. That's Bonnie's craze; she's the one who thinks it would be so romantic. I know what it's really like; there was nothing romantic about it when Mom and Dad died. Just the worst feelings in the world. I want to live for a good long time, marry Stefan, and be happy. And there's no reason why I can't, once all these problems are behind us. Except that there are times when I get scared and I don't believe that. And there are little things that shouldn't matter, but they bother me. Like why Stefan still wears Catherine's ring around his neck, even though I know he loves me. Like why he's never said he loves me, even though I know it's true. It doesn't matter. Everything will work out. It has to work out. And then we'll be together and be happy. There's no reason why we can't. There's no reason why we can't. There's no reason. Elena stopped writing, trying to keep the letters on the page in focus. But they only blurred further, and she shut the book before a betraying teardrop could fall on the ink. Then she went over to the closet, pried up the loose board with a nail file, and put the diary there. She had the nail file in her pocket a week later as the three of them, she and Bonnie and Meredith, stood outside Caroline's back door. â€Å"Hurry up,† hissed Bonnie in agony, looking around the yard as if she expected something to jump out at them. â€Å"Come on, Meredith!† â€Å"There,† said Meredith, as the key finally went the right way into the dead bolt lock and the doorknob yielded to her turning fingers. â€Å"We're in.† â€Å"Are you surethey're not in? Elena, what if they come back early? Why couldn't we do this in the daytime, at least?† â€Å"Bonnie, will you getinside ? We've been through all this. The maid's always here in the daytime. And they won't be back early tonight unless somebody gets sick at Chez Louis. Now, come on!† said Elena. â€Å"Nobody would dare to get sick at Mr. Forbes's birthday dinner,† Meredith said comfortingly to Bonnie as the smaller girl stepped in. â€Å"We're safe.† â€Å"If they've got enough money to go to expensive restaurants, you'd think they could afford to leave a few lights on,† said Bonnie, refusing to be comforted. Privately, Elena agreed with this. It was strange and disconcerting to be wandering through someone else's house in the dark, and her heart pounded chokingly as they went up the stairs. Her palm, clutching â€Å"It's got to be in her bedroom,† she said. Caroline's window faced the street, which meant they had to be even more careful not to show a light there. Elena swung the tiny beam of the flashlight around with a feeling of dismay. It was one thing to plan to search someone's room, to picture efficiently and methodically going through drawers. It was another thing actually to be standing here, surrounded by what seemed like thousands of places to hide something, and feeling afraid to touch anything in case Caroline noticed it had been disturbed. The other two girls were also standing still. â€Å"Maybe we should just go home,† Bonnie said quietly. And Meredith did not contradict her. â€Å"We have to try. At least try,† said Elena, hearing how tinny and hollow her voice sounded. She eased open a drawer on the highboy and shone the light onto dainty piles of lacy underwear. A moment's poking through them assured her there was nothing like a book there. She straightened the piles and shut the drawer again. Then she let out her breath. â€Å"It's not that hard,† she said. â€Å"What we need to do is divide up the room and then searcheverything in our section, every drawer, every piece of furniture, every object big enough to hide a diary in.† She assigned herself the closet, and the first thing she did was prod at the floorboards with her nail file. But Caroline's boards all seemed to be secure and the walls of the closet sounded solid. Rummaging through Caroline's clothes she found several things she'd lent the other girl last year. She was tempted to take them back, but of course she couldn't. A search of Caroline's shoes and purses revealed nothing, even when she dragged a chair over so that she could investigate the top shelf of the closet thoroughly. Meredith was sitting on the floor examining a pile of stuffed animals that had been relegated to a chest with other childish mementos. She ran her long sensitive fingers over each, checking for slits in the material. When she reached a fluffy poodle, she paused. â€Å"I gave this to her,† she whispered. â€Å"I think for her tenth birthday. I thought she'd thrown it away.† Elena couldn't see her eyes; Meredith's own flashlight was turned on the poodle. But she knew how Meredith was feeling. â€Å"I tried to make up with her,† she said softly. â€Å"I did, Meredith, at the Haunted House. But she as good as told me she would never forgive me for taking Stefan from her. I wish things could be different, but she won't let them be.† â€Å"So now it's war.† â€Å"So now it's war,† said Elena, flat and final. She watched as Meredith put the poodle aside and picked up the next animal. Then she turned back to her own search. But she had no better luck with the dresser than she had with the closet. And with every moment that passed she felt more uneasy, more certain that they were about to hear a car pulling into the Forbes' driveway. â€Å"I've got it. Elena, it's a diary!† Relief swooped through Elena then, and she felt like a crumpled piece of paper being straightened and smoothed. She could move again. Breathing was wonderful. She'd known, she'd known all along that nothingreally terrible could happen to Stefan. Life couldn't be that cruel, not to Elena Gilbert. They were all safe now. But Meredith's voice was puzzled. â€Å"It's a diary. But it's green, not blue. It's the wrong one.† â€Å"What?† Elena snatched the little book, shining her light on it, trying to make the emerald green of the cover change into sapphire blue. It didn't work. This diary was almost exactly like hers, but it wasn't hers. â€Å"It's Caroline's,† she said stupidly, still not wanting to believe it. Bonnie and Meredith crowded close. They all looked at the closed book, and then at one another. â€Å"There might be clues,† said Elena slowly. â€Å"It's only fair,† agreed Meredith. But it was Bonnie who actually took the diary and opened it. Elena peered over her shoulder at Caroline's spiky back-slanted writing, so different from the block letters of the purple notes. At first her eyes wouldn't focus, but then a name leapt out at her.Elena. â€Å"Wait, what's that?† Bonnie, who was the only one actually in a position to read more than one or two words, was silent a moment, her lips moving. Then she snorted. â€Å"Listen to this,† she said, and read: † ‘Elena's the most selfish person I've ever known. Everyone thinks she's so together, but it's really just coldness. It's sickening the way people suck up to her, never realizing that she doesn't give a damn about anyone or anything except Elena.' â€Å" â€Å"Carolinesays that? She should talk!† But Elena could feel heat in her face. It was, practically, what Matt had said about her when she was after Stefan. â€Å"Go on, there's more,† said Meredith, poking at Bonnie, who continued in an offended voice. † ‘Bonnie's almost as bad these days, always trying to make herself important. The newest thing is pretending she's psychic so people will pay attention to her. If she wasreally psychic she'd figure out that Elena is just using her. There was a heavy pause, and then Elena said, â€Å"Is that all?† â€Å"No, there's a bit about Meredith. ‘Meredith doesn't do anything to stop it. In fact, Meredith doesn'tdo anything; she just watches. It's as if she can't act; she can onlyreact to things. Besides, I've heard my parents talking about her family – no wonder she never mentions them.' What's that supposed to mean?† â€Å"Try around October eighteenth. That was when it was stolen,† said Elena, putting her questions aside. She'd ask Meredith about it later. There was no entry for October eighteenth or the weekend after; in fact, there were only a few entries for the following weeks. None of them mentioned the diary. â€Å"Well, that's it then,† said Meredith, sitting back. â€Å"This book is useless. Unless we want to blackmailher with it. You know, like we won't show hers if she won't show yours.† It was a tempting idea, but Bonnie spotted the flaw. â€Å"There's nothing bad about Caroline in here; it's all just complaints about other people. Mostly us. I'll bet Caroline wouldlove to have it read out loud in front of the whole school. It'd make her day.† â€Å"So what do we do with it?† â€Å"Put it back,† said Elena tiredly. She swung her light around the room, which seemed to her eyes to be filled with subtle differences from when they'd come in. â€Å"We'll just have to keep on pretending we don't know she has my diary, and hope for another chance.† â€Å"All right,† said Bonnie, but she went on thumbing through the little book, occasionally giving vent to an indignant snort or hiss. â€Å"Will you listen to this!† she exclaimed. â€Å"There isn't time,† Elena said. She would have said something else, but at that moment Meredith spoke, her tone commanding everyone's immediate attention. â€Å"A car.† It took only a second to ascertain that the vehicle was pulling up into the Forbes' driveway. Bonnie's eyes and mouth were wide and round and she seemed to be paralyzed, kneeling by the bed. â€Å"Go! Go on,† said Elena, snatching the di-ary from her. â€Å"Turn the flashlights off and get out the back door.† They were already moving, Meredith urging Bonnie forward. Elena dropped to her knees and lifted the bedspread, pulling up at Caroline's mattress. With her other hand she pushed the diary forward, wedging it between the mattress and the dust ruffle. The thinly covered box springs bit into her arm from below, but even worse was the weight of the queen-size mattress bearing down from above. She gave the book a few more nudges with her fingertips and then pulled her arm out, tugging the bedspread back in place. She gave one wild glance back at the room as she left; there was no time to fix anything more now. As she moved swiftly and silently toward the stairs, she heard a key in the front door. What followed was a sort of dreadful game of tag. Elena knew they were not deliberately chasing her, but the Forbes family seemed determined to corner her in their house. She turned back the way she had come as voices and lights materialized in the hall as they headed up the stairs. She fled from them into the last doorway down the hall, and they seemed to follow. They moved across the landing; they were right outside the master bedroom. She turned toward the adjoining bathroom, but then saw lights spring to life She was trapped. At any moment Caroline's parents might come in. She saw the french windows leading to a balcony and made her decision in that same instant. Outside, the air was cool, and her panting breath showed faintly. Yellow light burst forth from the room beside her, and she huddled even farther to the left, keeping out of its path. Then, the sound she had been dreading came with terrible clarity: the snick of a door handle, followed by a billowing of curtains inward as the french windows opened. She looked around frantically. It was too far to jump to the ground, and there was nothing to grab hold of to climb down. That left only the roof, but there was nothing to climb up, either. Still, some instinct made her try, and she was on the balcony railing and groping for a handhold above even as a shadow appeared on the filmy curtains. A hand parted them, a figure began to emerge, and then Elena felt something clasping her own hand, locking on her wrist and hauling her upwards. Automatically, she boosted with her feet and felt herself scrambling onto the shingled roof. Trying to calm her ragged breath, she looked over gratefully to see who her rescuer was – and froze.

Procrastination essays

Procrastination essays We've all been plagued by procrastination at one time or another. For some, it's a chronic problem. Others find that it hits only some areas of their lives. The net results, though, are usually the same - wasted time, missed opportunities, poor performance, self-deprecation, or increased stress. Procrastination is letting the low-priority tasks get in the way of high-priority ones. It's socializing with colleagues when you know that important work project is due soon, watching TV instead of doing your household chores, or talking about superficial things with your partner rather than discussing your relationship concerns. We all seem to do fine with things we want to do or enjoy doing for fun. But, when we perceive tasks as difficult, inconvenient, or scary, we may shift into our procrastination mode. We have very clever ways of fooling ourselves. Procrastination is a bad habit. Like other habits, there are two general causes. The first is the "crooked thinking" we employ to justify our behavior. The second source is our behavioral patterns. A closer look at our crooked thinking reveals three major issues in delaying tactics - perfectionism, inadequacy, and discomfort. Those who believe they must turn in the most exemplary report may wait until all available resources have been reviewed or endlessly rewrite draft after draft. Worry over producing the perfect project prevents them from finishing on time. Feelings of inadequacy can also cause delays. Those who "know for a fact" that they are incompetent often believe they will fail and will avoid the unpleasantness of having their skills put to the test. Fear of discomfort is another way of putting a stop to what needs to be done. Yet, the more we delay, the worse the discomforting problem (like a toothache) becomes. Our behavioral patterns are the second cause. Getting started on an unpleasant or difficult task may seem impossible. Procrastination is likened to the physics c...

The Level of Internet Adoption in Saudi Arabia

The Level of Internet Adoption in Saudi Arabia Introduction The Internet has introduced a wide range of opportunities for organizations, businesses, and citizens in terms of communication, cooperation, and social interaction. Being one of the greatest contributions, it has also presented new options and services that can substitute physical infrastructures with online presence of the above-mentioned systems. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Level of Internet Adoption in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Certainly, such innovation has considerably improved social and cultural interaction, yet some countries are in extreme need of these introductions that significantly them from successfully communicating at the international level. Public and private organizations, government, and citizens in Saudi Arabia also realize the core benefits of using the virtual space for overcoming the problems with delivering services, selling products, and co mpeting with other, more progressive international companies (Al-Ghaith, Sanzogni, and Sandhu, 2010). Unfortunately, the problem is that not all online services available for the Arab users are worth relying on, which creates the problems of confidentiality, security, and credibility of information delivered online (Aladwani, 2003, p. 18). Specifically, the Saudi websites are commonly created by the governmental organs and ministries, banking systems, and educational establishments that can offer high-quality online services. Other economic segments, such as e-customer services, attorney services, healthcare services, renewing passports services are not developed enough in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the identified gaps through the analysis of existing services in Saudi Arabia and those in other countries to evaluate the level of Internet adoption and define the area that should be more advanced in that matter.Advertising Looking for research pape r on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Introducing the Sites Already Available in Saudi Arabia The adoption of electronic services in Saudi Arabia is largely carried out by governmental and banking infrastructures as presented by Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (2011), Saudi Government (Online Services, 2011), Portal of Ministry of Health (Electronic Services, 2011), Ministry of Higher Education (2011), etc. All these websites are secured enough to provide valid information. As per the other sectors, insufficient attention is paid to the problems of insurance, confidentiality, and accessibility for commercial activities performed online. It should also be stressed that the contemporary community can offer a wide array of online services among which are those that are not available in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, the increasing rates of globalization process have had a potent impact on the commercial system in the country. According to Oxford Business Group (n. d.), a 2008 period was marked by significant rise of customers using phone handsets to purchase product and services. Increasing potential is observed within Business-to-Consumers (B2C) e-commerce environment that creates greater opportunities for global integration and for penetrating to the international market (Oxford Business Group, n. d.). Overall evaluation of existing problems. The studies presented by Al-Ghaith, Sanzogni, and Sandhu (2010) shed light on existing problems in the sphere of online services whose accessibility is not of the highest level. Particularly, the researchers identify the major problems of Internet adoption. One of such problem consists in presence of a considerable gap between the increasing number of internet users and development of security systems for online databases. Similar challenges are considered by Aladwani (2003) who believes that the purchasing power of the Arab world currently depen ds on the quality and availability of online services. However, specific political, cultural, and religious ideology negatively contributes to improving the situation. More importantly, the research suggests that improper analysis of language, traditions, history, and values established in the Arab countries makes it impossible to define the main what improvement should be made to reach greater accessibility and security. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Level of Internet Adoption in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Another problem is that Saudi Arabia does not have enough resources for creating a well-secured online system ensuring great potential and options of Internet users. In this respect, both Aladwani (2003) and Al-Ghaith, Sanzogni, and Sandhu (2010) are more concerned with shortcomings of online system which is more oriented on governmental and political needs. E-government websit es and online banking infrastructures In the studies provided by Abanumy, Al-Badi, and Mayhew, P. (2005), the problem of e-government accessibility is evaluated in terms of guidelines provided, tools applied, and underpinnings of human factors introduced. While evaluating these key areas, the researchers try to outline the problems connected with the integration of Information and Communication Technology aimed at improving the agencies service and enhancing the internal development of the organization. The introduction of more advanced communication technologies will contribute greatly to transforming e-government websites and making them more citizen-oriented. Impetuous diffusion of the Internet has dramatically changed the distribution channels utilized by the financial systems. Many banking infrastructures are currently referring to online technologies much more frequently in order to provide customers with wider opportunities to participate in retail banking operations (Aladwa ni, 2003; Al-Somali, Gholami, and Clegg, 2009). According to Al-Somali, Gholami, and Clegg (2009) â€Å"round-the-clock availability and ease of transactions and avoidance of queues and restrictive branch operating hours† are the basic reasons for preferring online presence to the physical ones while carrying specific banking procedures (p. 1). Importantly, the studies also prove the idea that social influences and reluctance to change significantly prevent the banking website from normal functioning. With regard to this, extreme necessity for the introduction of online services to all spheres of life is predetermined by the rigid competition on the e-market arena. According to the Oxford Business Group (n. d.), online â€Å"[a]ccession has led to the creation of new laws for all sectors from banking and insurance to telecoms and distributions, enabling the creation of a plethora of new companies† (p. 39). Interpreting this, the country will be able to stand a compe tition only when effective online services are introduced.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Exploring Online Services Offered in Other Countries Though Saudi Arabia gradually enters online infrastructure, the Internet adoption considerably lags behind other developed countries, such as the United States, Australia, and European countries. The explicit gaps exist in the sphere of passport renewal, e-commerce, legal considerations, and healthcare system. The broadband in Saudi Arabia is not developed enough to introduce renewing passport and driving license services, which is heavily practiced in the United States (Travel.State.Gov, n. d; Australian Government, n. d.). Hence, the service enables the users to renew their passports via e-mail by fulfilling a number of simple procedures. This introduction would greatly contribute to the online communication systems developed in Saudi Arabia and provide more opportunities for the Arab women who can freely participate in certain procedures without male’s consent. With regard to the above, Gibbs, Kraemer and Dedrick (2003) present a comparative analysis of political environment impacting the formation of global e-marketing to reveal that Business-to-Business commerce is usually caused by external, or global forces whereas Business-to-Customers marketing is more determined by local influences. Despite global orientation, international companies still pay closer attention to the individual demands and local diversity issues to work out more effective strategies of online marketing (Oxford Business Group, n. p.). Therefore, the primary focus should be made on considering consumer values and preferences, national culture and peculiarities and distribution system that differ considerably across countries and these differences identify the global perspectives of development. In addition, Gibbs, Kraemer and Dedrick (2003) insist on the idea that telecommunication optimization seems to have the most tangible impact on e-marketing by providing more affordable Internet access both to consumers and firms. As a result, the necessity for introducing consistent system of e-commerce legislation is indispensible to favorable development of online services in Saudi Arabia. In general, a cross-country examination of the e-commerce websites as well as quality and security of information delivered online provides a clearer picture of existing gaps in Saudi online services systems in terms of options and demands. Specific emphasis should be placed on considering customer’s needs and preferences, cultural peculiarities, and security and reliability of online network in Saudi Arabia. Gaps to be fulfilled in the sphere of online services Due to the fact that the Internet usage is dramatically increasing in Saudi Arabia, many government ministries and leading companies have an Internet presence and, therefore, new e-commerce strategies should be adapted to meet social and cultural challenges, specifically those caused by Western influences. First of all, direct cost, extensive investments, a nd introduction of active business models will be the best contribution to advancement of online services quality in Saudi Arabia (Aichholzer G., Schmutzer R., 2000, p. 380). In addition, e-marketing strategies should also be oriented on creating effective advertising campaigns that would attract more consumers who are the core indicators of marketing success. Without consumers’ demand, e-commerce will be nothing, but a bulk of hardware and software platforms. Second, online website should involve more people to participate in online forums and discussions where each question asked by a consumer should be immediately answered by online operators. With regard to this, human resource management should be adopted to provide a sufficient support to customers and create a more reliable ground for seller-buyer interaction within the virtual space. Third, the above-presented review of sources provides more reasons for integrating more effective e-commerce law as established in co untries having more experience in online marketing. Summary of Reviewed Literature In literature review section, such aspects as analysis of existing online services, assessment of e-government and online banking infrastructures in Saudi Arabia have been examined to relate them to the global trends of Internet adoption. A cross-country analysis contributes to presenting the most sophisticate problems and challenges that Saudi Arabia online services currently face. While assessing the current options, the review has also provided a number of gaps to be fulfilled in online systems in terms of accessibility, quality and credibility of information delivered, and options offered. The results of literature review and surveys have shown that significant emphasis should be put on creating e-commerce infrastructures regulated by e-commerce legislature, websites offering the attorney services, and sites providing other specific services, such as passport renewing and drive licensing. Saudi government should be aware of the benefits offered by the virtual space and in order to introduce technological advancement in the identified spheres, it is imperative to re-consider political, social, and cultural issues that have a potent impact on the formation of a more globalized online services system. Reference List Abanumy, A., Al-Badi, A., and Mayhew, P. (2005). E-Government Website Accessibility: In-Depth Evaluation of Saudi Arabia and Oman. The Electronic Journal of e-Government. 3(3), pp. 96-106. Aichholzer G., Schmutzer R., (2000). Organizational Challenges to the Development of Electronic Government, IEEE Press, pp. 379-383. Aladwani, A. M. (2003). Key Internet Characteristics and e-commerce issues in Arab Countries. Information Technology People. 16(1), pp. 9-20. Al-Ghaith, W., Sanzogni, L., and Sandhu, K. (2010). Factors Influencing the Adoption and Usage of Online Services in Saudi Arabia. EJIDC, 40(1), pp. 1-32 Al-Somali, S. A., Gholami, R., and Clegg, B. (2009, August). An Investigation into the Acceptance of online banking in Saudi Arabia. Technovation. 29(2), pp. 130-141. Australian Government (n. d.) Renewing an Australian Adult Passport. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved from https://www.passports.gov.au/web/renewal/index.aspx Dwivedi, Y. K. and Weerakkody, V. (2007). Examining the Factors Affecting the Adoption of Broadband in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Electronic Government, an International Journal. 4(1), pp. 43-58. Electronic Services (2011). Portal of Minister of Health. Retrieved from moh.gov.sa/en/Pages/Default.aspx Gibbs, J., Krammer, L. K., and Dedrick, (2003). Environment and Policy Factors Shaping Global E-Commerce Diffusion: A Cross Country Comparison. The Information Society: An International Journal. 19(1), pp. 5-18. Ministry of Higher Education. (2011) Ministry of Higher Education. Retrieved from mohe.gov.sa/ar/pages/default.aspx Online Services. (2011). Saudi Government. saudi.gov.sa/wps/portal/!ut/p/ c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDCyPHYE8TIwN_s1BXA08jrxAfP0sXYyNnA_3g1Dz9gmxHRQAgjys4/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/mcit/MCIT_en/Home/StaticContent/GovOnlineServicesDisplay Oxford Business Group (n. d.) The Report: Saudi Arabia 2008. UK: Oxford Business Group. Travel.State.Gov (n. d.). Renew Passport. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved from http://travel.state.gov/passport/renew/renew_833.html Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. (2011). Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. Retrieved from sama.gov.sa/sites/SAMAEN/Pages/Home.aspx Annotated Bibliography Abanumy, A., Al-Badi, A., and Mayhew, P. (2005). E-Government Website Accessibility: In-Depth Evaluation of Saudi Arabia and Oman. The Electronic Journal of e-Government. 3(3), pp. 96-106. In order to understand the level of e-government accessibility, the researchers from the School of Computing Sciences have studied three core aspects of online government accessibility, namely, guidelines, tools applied, and implication of human factors contributing t o successful introduction of e-Government websites. In addition, the paper briefly overviews evaluation methods, accessibility guidelines and analyzes tools attached to e-Government websites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the site is of high relevance for the research paper because it outlines the current situation and availability of online services ensuring the communication between the government and its citizens. Aladwani, A. M. (2003). Key Internet Characteristics and e-commerce issues in Arab Countries. Information Technology People. 16(1), pp. 9-20. The study is dedicated to the analysis of the Internet usage in Arab countries. The researcher comments on the basic Internet characteristics of e-commerce in the identified regions and introduces the challenges that the Arab users face while applying for online services. The results of the study have revealed that the Arab world still has much work to be done to fulfill an available range of Internet services. Al-Gha ith, W., Sanzogni, L., and Sandhu, K. (2010). Factors Influencing the Adoption and Usage of Online Services in Saudi Arabia. EJIDC, 40(1), pp. 1-32. The researchers from the Griffith Business School use data obtained from 651 participants by using survey questionnaires and base their study on the diffusion of innovations theory in order to prove the hypothesis that complexity is the most crucial factor influencing the adoption of online services in KSA, which is also accompanied by such problems as Compatibility and Privacy. In addition, the research has identified the risk of quality of the Internet usage because it significantly prevents the online services from effectively integrating into the management system in Saudi Arabia. The study itself presents credible information because it is based both on practical information and theoretical frameworks. Al-Somali, S. A., Gholami, R., and Clegg, B. (2009, August). An Investigation into the Acceptance of online banking in Saudi Arabia . Technovation. 29(2), pp. 130-141. The scholars of Aston Business school refer to the technology acceptance model and important control varieties for the purpose of examining the core factors affecting the adoption of the online banking system and evaluating the behavior of 400 customers. According to the results, such aspects as awareness of benefits of online banking, quality of online communication, computer self-efficacy, and social influence are crucial element identifying the usefulness and acceptance of online banking. Dwivedi, Y. K. and Weerakkody, V. (2007). Examining the Factors Affecting the Adoption of Broadband in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Electronic Government, an International Journal. 4(1), pp. 43-58. The researcher examine the main reasons for slow adoption of the internet usage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and analyze the quality of online quality and connection, usefulness and usage, type of accommodation and connection as the main factors. In addition, the study mainly focuses on social and cultural influences to explain what research limitations, implication, and future directions exist for the development of broadband in Saudi Arabia.