The Church's View on Contraception Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Church's View on Contraception - Essay Example Based on the Scriptures, particularly in the Book of Genesis 38:8-10, the act of Onan spilling his seed – which is an equivalent of coitus interruptus – was condemned by God and the Jewish law. Based on the ancient Jewish law of fathering children, it was a duty of the brother to perform to his sister-in-law the role of husband if his brother dies. However, Onan changed his mind about fathering a child which was supposed to be his brother’s and thus â€Å"spilled the semen on the ground†¦And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, and he slew him also† (Brom; Gen. 38:9-10). In Deuteronomy 25:7-10, it is stated that the man who does not give children to his sister-in-law in case his brother dies would naturally get punished with public humiliation. However, since God slew Onan, then the spilling of one’s semen – or more loosely, the concept of contraception – is obviously a more serious moral offense that simply not g iving one’s brother’s widow a child. Other books of the Bible also condemn contraception. In the New Testament, Paul’s Epistle to the Romans states, â€Å"God has given them over to shameful passions. ... These writings were after all based on the principles of the Bible and the natural law. Onanism, or the act of Onan spilling his semen, was echoed by several church fathers during the early years of the Church. One of the most prominent Church Fathers who condemned contraception in this way was Clement of Alexandria, who, in 195 AD, wrote in The Instructor of Children 2:10:91:2, â€Å"Because of its divine institution for the propagation of man, the seed is not to be vainly ejaculated, nor is it to be damaged, nor is it to be wasted† (Brom). Although the aforementioned statement of Clement of Alexandria somehow includes even acts like masturbation, it is still clear that the Church condemns contraception in whatever form that it can be carried out. The Protestant Reformer Martin Luther also expressed condemnation against onanism and referred to it as â€Å"the exceedingly foul deed of Onan† and that Onan â€Å"deserved to be killed by God† (Brom). Luther, therefo re, emphasizes, through Onan’s example, that the sinner deserves God’s punishment. John Calvin of the Calvinist Church echoed Luther’s condemnation by saying that the intentional spilling of semen is â€Å"a monstrous thing† (Brom). Moreover, John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, stated that onanism was â€Å"very displeasing to God† and was tantamount to the destruction of the soul (Brom). Contraceptives and methods to tighten the reproductive system have also long been condemned by the ancient Christian Church. Another Church Father in the name of Hippolytus of Rome indicated in his Refutation of All Heresies 9:12, in 255 AD, that â€Å"the so-called faithful [should not] use drugs of sterility or bid themselves tightly in order to expel a fetus which

Ratio Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ratio Analysis - Essay Example Financial statement analysis consists of the application of analytical tools and techniques to the data in financial statements in order to derive from them measurements and relationships that are significant and useful for decision making (ICFAI Center for Management Research ICMR). The process of financial analysis can be described in various ways, depending on the objectives to be obtained. Financial analysis can be used as a preliminary screening tool of future financial conditions and results. It may be used as a forecasting tool of future financial conditions and results. It may be used as a process of evaluation and diagnosis of managerial, operating, or other problem areas. Above all, financial analysis reduces reliance on intuition, guesses and thus narrows the areas of uncertainty that is present in all decision making processes. Financial analysis does not lessen the need for judgment but rather establishes a sound and systematic basis for its rational application. In the analysis of financial statements, the analyst has a variety of tools available from which he can choose those best suited to his specific purpose. The following are the important tools of analysis. Ratios are well known and the most widely used tools of financial analysis. ... The analysis of ratios can disclose relationships as well as bases of comparison that reveal conditions and trends that cannot be detected by going through the individual components of the ratio. The usefulness of ratios is ultimately dependant on their intelligent and skillful interpretation. Ratios are used by different people for various purposes. As ratio analysis mainly helps in valuing the firm in quantitative terms, two groups of people are interested in the valuation of the firm and they are creditors and shareholders (Blackwell publishing). Creditors are again divided into short-term creditors and long-term creditors. Short-term creditors hold obligations that will soon mature and they are concerned with the firm's ability to pay its bills promptly. In the short run, the amount of liquid assets determines the ability clear off current liabilities. These persons are interested in liquidity. Long-term creditors hold bonds or mortgages against the firm and are interested in current payments of interest and eventual repayment of principal. The firm must be sufficiently liquid in the short-term and have adequate profits for the long-term. These persons examine both the liquidity and profitability of the firm (ICFAI Center for Management Research ICMR). Ratio Analysis - A strategic tool Insight into the financial situation of a company will quickly place its condition in perspective. The critical areas in any profit or non-profit organization can be summed up as follows: Scanning and using funds Planning for securing and using funds Controlling expenditure Reporting all transactions and results to appropriate parties Facts can be gathered and tentative conclusions can be

The Tensions of the Old and New During the 1920s Essay Example for Free

The Tensions of the Old and New During the 1920s Essay After witnessing the devastating, yet human-induced tragedies of World War I, the psyche of America was never the same. They abandoned their fundamental beliefs that the Western Civilization was not a model, but flawed society and turned their attention towards internal affairs, signaling the beginning of American isolationism. As William Allen White put it, Americans were â€Å"tired of issues, sick at heart of ideals, and weary of being noble. † The Roaring Twenties reflected this rejection of tradition ideals as consumerism and sexual revolution swept the nation. In the 1920s, the boom in technology, coupled with cultural and social developments led to tensions between the old and new. The manifestation of these conflicting ideals was a focal point of the Election of 1920 and Scopes Monkey Trial. The reform movements and Woodrow Wilson’s staunch moral legislation preceding the 1920s were a source of exhaustion for the American public. The American public was disillusioned with the failed League of Nations, and quickly embraced the Election of 1920 as what the victorious Warren G. Harding put it, â€Å"the return to normalcy. † â€Å"The return to normalcy† was essentially calling for the return to the older and simpler times in America, which also condoned American isolationism. Warren G. Harding and his successor, Calvin Coolidge’s presidencies embodied the return to a laissez faire economy with their pro-business stance. The Fordney-McCumber Tariff of 1922 and Smoot-Hawley Tariff protected American companies to foreign companies. Treasury Secretary, Andrew Mellon was also successful in lowering income taxes for the wealthy. Their disdain for liberalism was apparent with their lackluster reform legislations passed in office, but they left office with high approval ratings as a result of that staunch conservatism. The reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan nativism was another key topic of these administrations with the passing of the American Immigration Act of 1924 and the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 which placed severe quotas on the number of immigrants from these countries. Appointing the Nativism and conservative judges like Webster Thayer to the trials of Sacco and Vanzetti demonstrated that their subsequent executions were not the result out of justice, but of the sour public opinion against immigration. The reemergence of Nativism, spearheaded by Ku Klux Klan (Document D) served to reestablish and enforce tradition and morality in society. They used tactics of violence to preserve Protestant principles and decency, as a method to â€Å"return of power into the ands of the everyday†¦. average citizen of the old stock. † Their fight however was not just limited to Southern Hicks, but Northerners, and Midwesterners like Indianans who comprised of half the Klan membership during the decade. Their slogan, â€Å"100% Americanism† echoed through all the regions of the nation, where they targeted Jews, Catholics, and anyone that posed a threat to their middle-class protestant. Their religious conservatism was prominently voiced during the Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, TN (Document C) where the clash between fundamentalism and evolution reached a culmination with the whirlwind trial of hot shot Chicago lawyer, Clarence Darrow versus 4 time presidential nominee, William Jennings Bryan. Clarence Darrow‘s loss in the courtroom was viewed as a triumph for liberals. Women, one of the most deprecated groups in society countered against the confinements and expectations of society. With the passage of the nineteenth amendment and the availability of jobs in the city, women were in some aspects, free from the constraints that plagued the previous generations of women. Flappers, embodied by the carefree, smoking, and sexually charged female outraged the previous generations with their overt rejection of the Victorian ideals of a lady. The new women had the highest divorce rates than their predecessors as well (Document H). Margaret Sanger’s invention of birth control and the open discussions of sexuality contributed to the change in women roles. Although most women still clung to their gender norms, the sexual and gender revolution of this time period would serve as the foundation of the feminism movement of the 60s. The boom in consumer technology and inventions spurred mass consumerism and decadence within the American public. Mass production made goods cheap and readily available to the mass market, and almost every household owned a Ford Model T by the end of the decade. The desire to keep up with the Joneses became a measure of one’s social standing and identity. Sinclair Lewis’s Babbitt satirized the conformist and shallow existence of the average American household. Writers of the Lost Generation expressed their contempt for America’s growing consumerism by becoming expatriates and publishing literary masterpieces exposing the folly of conspicuous consumption. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby showcased the tragic ending of the title character due to his infatuation with material gains. The cartoon, â€Å"If Grandpap Could Only Return with some of his discipline,† illustrates the current, undisciplined generation being spanked by the frugal forefathers for their lack of appreciation and materialism for all the new technological advances. It served as a plead for morality as the older generations warned the current generation that excess will get them in moral and economic trouble since the introduction of credit and installment plans. Instead of following Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Compromise and waiting to assimilate and be accepted into White Society, the Garvey Movement completely rejected it and called for the establishment of a black nation, which wasn’t successful, but still had a lasting impact on the black community. Racial tensions were brought to the surface with the influx of arts and literature of the Harlem Renaissance, where writers proclaimed and expressed their frustrations at white society. Langston Hughes and other famous African American authors created a black culture that proudly declared in their own superiority. Langston wrote, â€Å"Why should I want to be white? I am Negro-and beautiful† (Document E). Although White Society did not accept them as they had hoped, the artistic and cultural impact of the movement would serve as the basis of the Civil Rights movement several decades later. The 1920s were a time of great social, technological, and cultural changes. Set against the backdrop of staunch American conservatism, these changes were inevitably bound to clash. The manifestations of old and new tensions were highlighted in two defining legal battles, the Scopes Monkey trial and Sacco and Vanzetti. Although this period of upheaval did not impose significant changes on the minorities and outsiders of American society, it did provide the principle components of the equal rights movements for these largely ignored members of society,

Importance of Employer Branding

Importance of Employer Branding Employer Branding 1.0 Introduction: Employer Branding is the most critical people management topic in todays flattened global business environment. The economic downturn has further brought attention to the importance of people in delivering the brand promise. Increasingly the shareholder value of a company rests in its intangible assets e.g. its people, reputation and culture. Organizations spend millions on their corporate brand. But how much do they invest in their Employer Brand? Employer branding plays an important role in attracting and retaining talent in the face of a shrinking talent pool. HR professionals are considered primarily responsible for employer branding initiatives, with most of the companies reporting HR as one of the key stakeholders in employer brand management. While employer branding is predominantly seen as the domain of HR, marketing also plays an important role 2.0 Literature review: 2.1 What is Branding? It is a way to package information about functional attributes, economic value, and psychological benefits so its easily understood and absorbed by the target audience. Marketers today engage in two different types of branding namely external branding and employer (internal) branding. The latter yet to pick up in full speed, has tremendous potential in this increasingly competitive scenario. 2.2 External Branding Defining External Branding: The image that an organization projects to consumers, suppliers, investors, and the public. An external brand gives information on the attributes of the goods or services to current and potential buyers. It answers questions such as: 2.3 Internal Branding Defining Employer Branding: The image that employees have about what what type of employer an organization is. Whether the brand is explicit or implicit- and even if it has not been deliberately developed- every organization has an internal brand. An Employer Brand (or Internal Brand) gives current and potential employees information about the employment experience and what is expected of them. It answers questions such as: Employer branding can be defined as â€Å"a form of the corporate branding by which companies establish an image of services they provide, in order to attract or motivate employees† (Bates, 2001).The below provides an overview of the different types of branding. Product branding focuses on communication to customers about the companys products. Corporate branding communicates the companys financial results to the stakeholders. In the marketing literature, the importance of reconciling perceptions of the firms internal and external image in managing the congruence of all brand messages has been recognized (Dukerich and Carter 2000; Duncan and Moriarty 1998). Not only does this positively influence the perceptions of these messages among employees, potential employees, and customers, but it also ensures that employees are ‘properly aligned with the brand and what it represents (Keller 2002). This allows employees to ‘live the brand and reinforces corporate values and expectations of performance among new and existing employees (Ind 2001). Ind also recognizes that some companies have de facto employer brands without a formalized marketing approach. However, at a time when the financial markets are increasingly recognizing human capital as a source of value for firms and shareholders (Cairncross 2000); Michaels et al. (2001) propose the explicit development and communication of the Employee Value P roposition (EVP) to attract and retain talented employees. Clearly, there are a number of different marketing inputs that contribute towards the formation of the employer brand, from the development of an EVP to recruitment marketing plans, and outputs which may require advertising, press coverage, sponsorship, word-of-mouth endorsement and contacts with employees (Kennedy 1977; Dowling 1994 2002; Stuart 1999). In this way, the formation of the employer brand image is closely associated with the firm in its role as an employer. In the recruitment literature, Gatewood et al. (1993) find that the employer brand image is a particularly significant predictor of early decisions made by new recruits about their employers. Turban et al (1998) find that employer brand image positively influences both applicant perceptions of recruiter behaviors and post-interview job and organizational attributes. As to how potential recruits form images of a particular organization, the phenomenon of signaling has been investigated and found to have an influence on employer brand image, particularly in the early stages of the recruitment process (Taylor Bergmann, 1987). That is, recruitment experiences are taken as ‘signals of unknown organisational characteristics (Barber, 1998; Rynes, Bretz and Gerhart 1991). For example, job applicants may infer employer brand values based on their recruitment materials e.g. an organization that emphasizes promotion and salary may be perceived as valuing dedication to career (Honeycutt Rosen 1997). Also, Goltz and Giannantonio (1995) found that recruits infer more positive characteristics about an organization when exposed to a friendly recruiter than an unfriendly one. Moreover, Rynes, Bretz and Gerhart (1991) find that line employees have a bigger signaling impact than staff recruiters and that both are conditioned by the feedback of applicants regarding their impressions of the employer brand image. Very often employer branding is thought to be restricted to recruitment communications and only be concerned with the attraction of employees. In reality however, this is not the case. An employer brand explains how the organisation has been communicating and engaging with all of its stake holders be it current, prospective or past employees. Another critical thing to be noticed is that unlike other branding initiatives, an employer brand is not a true brand in its own right. It is not something envisioned and executed by recruitment and advertising agencies that stands alone and separate. An employer brand will be successful only if it operates in conjunction with the organisations corporate and consumer brands. It therefore becomes pertinent to find a connect between employer brand and the existing brands and reflect the behaviours exhibited throughout the organisation, to investors and consumers. It should be able to bring out the real and the aspirational truth about working in an organisation and mirror the values that are exhibited through the external corporate and consumer brands. If there is a disconnect between the two, the ‘brand promise that is given to new employees will vanish as the reality of working in a very different organisation to the one promised. The roots of the concept of employer branding stretch back to the 1990s. However, due to uncomfortable market conditions and a grim recession, the concept could not flourish completely and it has only been in the last five years that employer branding has become a major force. In 1996, Simon Barrow and Tim Ambler gave this definition: We define the Employer Brand as the package of functional, economic and psychological Benefits provided by employment and identified with the employing company. The most significant role of employer branding is to provide a comprehensive framework for management to be able to define priorities, increase productivity and improve recruitment, retention and commitment. Employer branding may seem superficial from a certain point of view, since it is not directly helping in increasing the sales s and thus impacting bottom lines but it is definitely here to stay. Organisations have realised that its people provide one of the few distinct competitive differentiators in todays world. Good talent management makes sense and employer branding is an important part of an organisations armoury from now on. In order to be able to create a successful employer brand, there are three critical stakeholders who must be involved. Senior management: to give insight into the vision, strategic intent, core objectives, competition landscape and understanding of consumers attitudes towards the organisation. Key employee groups: in order to give opinions on the activities that take place on the work floor, benefits, management and communication within the organisation. Relevant external labour pools: to highlight their understanding of an organisation, any roadblocks to success and perception of the organisation in the market. Like all other kinds of branding exercises, employer branding does and will pay off. Following are some benefits to a good employer branding exercise: True differentiation in campuses from where recruitment is done Enthusiastic and aspirational set of messages to be sent out to potential as well as existing employees Mainting a brand consistency through the candidate/new starter journey A better understanding of how the organization is perceived externally Higher engagement levels for the existing employees Financial returns can also be observed in the long run through efficient employer branding practices. If the right kind of employer branding exercise is done, it will lead to a reduction in the amount of money needed to invest to bring good people into the business. The Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is an important outcome of employer brand. It essentially comprises of the promise that the organization makes to current, future and potential employees. In the process of defining an employer brand, the organizations EVP is automatically created. For example, on a recent employer branding project for HSBC, it was found that the central tenet of the organisation was the investment in, and development of, their employees. The organisation invests hugely in its people, there are opportunities to work locally, nationally and internationally. Because of these reasons the EVP that was developed for HSBC was ‘Here you can. As mentioned earlier, Employer branding is not just about reaching potential employees but also about the existing ones. It is about an employer promise which is consistently carried through all stages of employees experiences of that organisation through recruitment processes, into employment and then even after having left the organization. There is a strong correlation between the engagement and commitment levels and the different stages in the lifecyle of the tenure in an organization. An employee who joins an organisation with an exemplary EVP will exhibit high levels of commitment compared to if he were joining the organization with a poor EVP. After a year, if the EVP is correctly managed, commitment will fall but not as low as the commitment level in organisations with a poor EVP. 2.4 Current Scenario A lot of work has been done on employer branding, its importance, characteristics etc. Firms from diverse industry sectors have formally defined, and are strategically managing, their employer brands. There is no doubt that many practitioners view having a successful employer brand as desirable but there has not been much progress on measuring the effectiveness of employer branding. Quantifying employer branding is very critical from new talent point of view as an â€Å"index† is psychologically better conceived and also making a comparison among organizations. Currently analytics companies such as Hewitt Associates and Mercer conduct surveys for the best employer brands once every year based on certain parameters. However, these surveys are valid only for a certain period of time and there is no mechanism to compute the value of an employer brand at any other point of time. 2.5 Absence of Measurement of Effectiveness of Employer Branding: Sixty-two percent of respondents to a recent survey said they support employer brand initiatives, but only 24% have metrics in place to measure these initiatives. The research was conducted by the Bernard Hodes Global Network. Not surprisingly, â€Å"The study reveals that a key driver for employer brand development is the need to acquire talent in a competitive global market,† said Alan Schwartz, president and CEO. Other findings of the research include: The most frequently cited key expectations of employer branding were â€Å"ease in attracting candidates† (84%) and â€Å"recognition as employer of choice†(82%). Ninety-four percent of respondents use their corporate Web sites more than other channels, such as printed materials, to promote the employer brand. Seventy-nine percent of respondents reported that HR is one of the key stakeholders in managing the employee brand. 3.0 Research Objective The objective of the research is to develop a quantitative frame work on employer branding of organizations. As a first phase of this work, I would first identify key metrics to measure employer branding. The second phase of the study would develop a generic framework which would help new talent and/or organization to calculate the index of a brand as an employer. 4.0 Rationale Such a mathematical framework would help to estimate and compare the value of an employer brand at any point of time that would benefit all the stakeholders including current employees, potential recruits, competitors etc. It would enable organizations to understand if their efforts are in the right direction and how they stand vis-a-vis their competitors 5.0 Hypothesis All organizations make efforts to establish themselves as sought after employer brands. However, the perception of the employer brand varies from person to person be it a new talent or an existing employee. 6.0 Research Questions Identifying key attributes that employees/ new talent consider important when looking at an organization as an employer brand. Relative weightages given to the attributes identified above Developing an index to calculate comparable values for various employer brands across industries Research Methodology Research Design The study was divided in two phases. First phase was focussed on conducting an in depth secondary research along with qualitative primary research to identify wide range of attributes or metrics which impact employer branding of an organization. This was followed by the designing of questionnaire targeted at final year students at various post graduate colleges. The second phase of the study further analyzes the collected data to build up a mathematical relationship between these set of attributes and index of employer branding. The index would be a guide for new recruits to quantify the employer brand and also help them to compare employer branding of different employers. A total of 3 focus group discussions were conducted, which had respondents who were in their final year of graduation and could also be looked at as potential employment seekers. The participants in the FGD were students from management institutes like MICA, Lal Bahadur Shastri (Delhi) and Fore School (Delhi). Each group lasted for about approximately 90 minutes. The discussion guide contained questions about the respondents ‘ideal workplaces, naming the organizations that they would like to work for and the reasons for it, the attributes considered while considering potential employers, employers that they would least be interested in along with the reasons for it. The discussion finally concluded with the means and methods by which the students finally go about for seeking employment. The main objective of conducting focus group discussions was to come up with a set of attributes that capture all important aspects of employer branding. Through these focus group discussions I was able to arrive at a set of 48 attributes, all of which seemed extremely important from an ideal work place point of view. The following are the attributes that emerged from the various FGDs.: A friendly and informal working environment An attractive overall compensation package (Basic, HRA, LTA) (fixed component) Application of knowledge Bonuses (Variable Component) Brand name of the organization Customer-orientation Emotional attachment with organization Encouragement for new initiatives Feel good factor with the organization Financial Health of Company Flexible working schedule Frequency of appraisal cycle Gaining career-enhancing experience Global alignment of the organization (MNC) Good relationship with colleagues Good relationship with superiors Growth opportunities Humanitarian organisation gives back to society Impression formed by recruiters of the organization Industry in which company operates Innovative employer novel work practices Innovative products and services Internationally diverse mix of colleagues Job Content Job content and satisfaction Job security within the organization Knowledge sharing opportunities Knowledgeable supervisor Leadership style of supervisor Non-monitory benefits (medical check-ups, insurance at work place, club memberships, maternity/ paternity leave) Opportunities for overseas exposure Positive feedback from current or previous employees Products (essentials, luxury etc) Quality of Top Management Reputation of the organization Rewards recognition Scope for creativity Scope for lateral movement Stock Options Stress-free working environment Supportive and encouraging colleagues Supportive supervisor Synchronization between corporate goals and employee future plans Training and development of its employees Vision of Leadership Website of the organization Working hours/ week Working in shifts All these attributes were tested in the survey instrument to arrive at the final set of metrices for measuring the value of employer branding. Employer Branding in Times of Recession There are various points of views on how recession has impacted employer branding. On one hand, the thought process says that recession has increased the human resources because of widespread layoffs and thus made employer branding relatively less important. During the recession periods, one of the primary objectives in all the organizations was to increase the top lines while managing to reduce the bottom lines. And this was made possible by showing a number of employees the way out. Another point of view towards the impact of recession claims that it is at these times that an organizations behaviour towards its employees goes through a litmus test. This is the time for organizations to ensure not to spoil their employer brand by large scale termination of employment or general misbehaviour with its existing employees. Infact this is the time to step in and make efforts towards strengthening the employer brand along with being able to retain the talent in the organization. As has been noted by many HR experts, it always easier to retain an existing and trained employee rather than to get a new one. Thus, to conclude according to this second school of thought, employer branding becomes all the more critical in times of recession, making it even more important to retain existing talent. Data Collection Respondents: 102 respondents from Delhi and Ahmedabad, all in the final year of graduation from management institutes. Section 1: Demographics The demographics include variables such as gender, age, total number of years of work experience, monthly household income, area of management specialization. DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLE: GENDER What is your gender? Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1. Male 64 62.7 62.7 62.7 2. Female 38 37.3 37.3 100.0 Total 102 100.0 100.0 DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLE: AGE What is your age? Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1. Under 20 years 7 6.9 6.9 6.9 2. 20-24 years 68 66.7 66.7 73.5 3. 25-34 years 3 2.9 2.9 76.5 4. 35-44 years 23 22.5 22.5 99.0 5. 45 years and above 1 1.0 1.0 100.0 Total 102 100.0 100.0 DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLE: TOTAL NUMBER OF YEARS OF WORK EXPERIENCE What is your total number of years of work experience? Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1. No experience 29 28.4 28.4 28.4 2. Less than a year 35 34.3 34.3 62.7 3. 1-2 years 30 29.4 29.4 92.2 4. 2-3 years 5 4.9 4.9 97.1 5. More than 3 years 3 2.9 2.9 100.0 Total 102 100.0 100.0 DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLE: MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD INCOME What is your monthly household income? Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1. less than Rs. 25,000 8 7.8 7.8 7.8 2. Rs. 25,000- Rs. 50,000 18 17.6 17.6 25.5 3. Rs. 50,000- Rs. 1,00,000 59 57.8 57.8 83.3 4. More than Rs. 1,00,000 17 16.7 16.7 100.0 Total 102 100.0 100.0 DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLE: AREA OF SPECIALIZATION What is your area of specialization? Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1. Marketing 36 35.3 35.3 35.3 2. Media 20 19.6 19.6 54.9 3. Market Research/ Analytics 10 9.8 9.8 64.7 4. Finance 30 29.4 29.4 94.1 5. HR 5 4.9 4.9 99.0 6. Operations 1 1.0 1.0 100.0 Total 102 100.0 100.0 DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLE: ASPIRED INDUSTRY Which industry do you aspire to work in? Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1. Consulting 43 42.2 42.2 42.2 2. Manufacturing 17 16.7 16.7 58.8 3. Media 14 13.7 13.7 72.5 4. IT 3 2.9 2.9 75.5 5. Finance 18 17.6 17.6 93.1 6. Others 7 6.9 6.9 100.0 Total 102 100.0 100.0 Section 2: Information Sought This section includes the data collected to understand the sources of information used by students to know more about a potential employer and the nature of information that is sought while developing an understanding about the potential employer. SOURCES OF INFORMATION TO KNOW ABOUT A GIVEN COMPANY What are your sources of information to know about a given company?1. Peers Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 70 68.6 100.0 100.0 Missing System 32 31.4 Total 102 100.0 What are your sources of information to know about a given company?2. Colleagues Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 41 40.2 100.0 100.0 Missing System 61 59.8 Total 102 100.0 What are your sources of information to know about a given company?3. Family members Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 33 32.4 100.0 100.0 Missing System 69 67.6 Total 102 100.0 What are your sources of information to know about a given company?4. Online search Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 72 70.6 100.0 100.0 Missing System 30 29.4 Total 102 100.0 What are your sources of information to know about a given company?5. Company personnel Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 51 50.0 100.0 100.0 Missing System 51 50.0 Total 102 100.0 What are your sources of information to know about a given company?6. Press reports Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 30 29.4 100.0 100.0 Missing System 72 70.6 Total 102 100.0 What are your sources of information to know about a given company?7. Others Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 22 21.6 100.0 100.0 Missing System 80 78.4 Total 102 100.0 NATURE OF INFORMATION SOUGHT What is the nature of information you look for when applying to a company?1. Type of work Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 62 60.8 100.0 100.0 Missing System 40 39.2 Total 102 100.0 What is the nature of information you look for when applying to a company?2. Investor information Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 24 23.5 100.0 100.0 Missing System 78 76.5 Total 102 100.0 What is the nature of information you look for when applying to a company?3. Personal experience of employees in that company Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 42 41.2 100.0 100.0 Missing System 60 58.8 Total 102 100.0 What is the nature of information you look for when applying to a company?4. Best Employers Survey ranking Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 25 24.5 100.0 100.0 Missing System 77 75.5 Total 102 100.0 What is the nature of information you look for when applying to a company?5. Work life balance Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 50 49.0 100.0 100.0 Missing System 52 51.0 Total 102 100.0 What is the nature of information you look for when applying to a company?6. Pay packages Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 71 69.6 100.0 100.0 Missing System 31 30.4 Total 102 100.0 What is the nature of information you look for when applying to a company?7. Others Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 33 32.4 100.0 100.0 Missing System 69 67.6 Total 102 100.0 Section 3: Reliability Analysis This analysis has been done to study the properties of measurement scales and the items that compose the scales. The Reliability Analysis procedure calculates a number of commonly used measures of scale reliability and also provides information about the relationships between individual items in the scale. Alpha (Cronbach) model of reliability has been used to check for internal consistency, based on the average inter-item correlation. Case Processing Summary N % Cases Valid 102 100.0 Excludeda 0 .0 Total 102 100.0 a. Listwise deletion based on all variables in the procedure. Reliability Statistics Cronbachs Alpha Cronbachs Alpha Based on Standardized Items N of Items .874 .892 48 Cut-off criteria. By convention, a lenient cut-off of .60 is common in exploratory research; alpha should be at least .70 or higher to retain an item in an adequate scale; and many researchers require a cut-off of .80 for a good scale. The Cronback Alpha in this case is .874 and thus, the data set is consistent. Section 4: Factor Analysis Principal Component Analysis has been conducted on the collected data in order to establish a relationship between inter-related variables and to represent them through a set of a few underlying factors. It would help in identifying the intrinsic factors thus, examining the inter dependent relationships. The following are the specifics on the factor analysis: 1. Descriptives 1. Initial solution 2. Correlation matrix 1. Coefficients 2. KMO and Bartletts 2. Extraction 1. Analyze Correlation matrix 2. Display Screen plot 3. Extract Eigenvalues over 1 4. Rotation Varimax (uncorrelated factors) 5. Options Sort by size and Suppress values less than .20 Output of Factor Analysis: Total Variance Explained Component Initial Eigenvalues Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative % dimension0 1 10.001 20.836 20.836 9.357 19.493 19.493 2 7.845 16.344 37.180 6.465 13.468 32.962 3 5.768 12.016 49.196 5.812 12.109 45.071 4 4.211 8.774 57.970 4.503 9.382 54.453 5

The Estate Tax Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Papers Politics

The Estate Tax Have you heard the phrase "No taxation without representation"? It was the common cry of the colonists before the revolutionary war. The colonists did not want to be taxed by England if they were not allowed to vote in the English elections. England’s refusal to allow them to vote was a major reason the colonists decided to create their own government. When this new government was first created it did not tax those people that were not allowed to vote. Then things changed; in 1916 the estate tax was created. (The estate tax is a levy that taxes deceased people’s estates if it is worth more than $675,00.) If one is to remain true to the American ideal of "no taxation without representation," the estate tax should be lifted. Dead people are not allowed to vote and, therefore, should not be taxed. Sadly many people no longer care what principles America was founded on. So I shall expound upon other reasons to repeal the "death" tax. The reasons being: it makes it difficult to pass on family farms, it taxes the dead, it has outlived its original purpose and it creates an obstacle for small businesses. It is true that tax exemption is allowed for the first $675,000 that is left by the deceased. Therefore, a repeal of the estate tax would be a tax break for those who many consider rich. It is also true that some money escapes taxation due to loopholes in the tax code. Thus making the estate tax a way to make sure that all the wealth involved in the estate is taxed at least once. It is also true that the estate tax brings in revenue for the Federal government. However, those who say that the repeal of the estate tax is a tax cut for the rich may not have considered that family farmers are considered rich as far ... ...al of the estate tax would be made up in other taxes. So what is being done about the oppressiveness of the estate tax and the projected benefits of its repeal? Well just this last session a repeal of the estate tax passed both the house and the senate and was subsequently vetoed by President Clinton. (Thomas) The bill then went back to the house for a vote to overrule President Clinton’s veto. The vote to overrule the veto lost by 13 votes. (Tax Bites) This proves that many of your congressmen and women are pulling for you. This also proves that some are not. Victory for family farms small business owners, and philanthropists is close at hand, but it can only happen if you write your congressman urging him to support legislation that will repeal the estate tax, and by making your voice heard by voting for people who already support the repeal of the estate tax.

Violence In Video Games :: essays research papers

You open your eyes to a narrow hallway with various passages opening to the left and right. The walls seem to be made of some pseudo-stucco material. You ignore the passages as you head forward to the opening at the end of the hallway. A spacious chamber opens up before you, with three passageways that open to the left, forward, and right respectively. After a few steps forward, you turn around and see another floor above the original hallway you came in, about twenty feet up. There are ramps from the left and right heading up towards it. At the foot of one of the ramps is a small white box with a red cross on it. As you walk closer to inspect it, footsteps are heard coming from behind you. You spin around to face a man of generic description toting a sinister looking modified chain gun. Before you can say anything, he opens fire, unloading three or four rounds into you. Time to take evasive action. You backpedal to the right, arriving at the white box. You feel instantly healed. Tu rning, you sprint back into the hallway you came in from, dodging left and right to avoid flying bullets. The second right takes you into a small windowless room with nothing but a low-powered handgun and some loose clips littered about the floor. It will serve its purpose. The gun seems heavier than it should be as you slam a clip home and take an ambush position to the right of the door. The man barges in and misses seeing you. You take careful aim and unload eight rounds into the back of his skull. As he falls to the ground in his final death throes, the words ‘Falco_Lombardi fragged NeoNess101 with a handgun’ appear at the top of your vision. You smile to yourself and pick up his chain-gun, ready now for anything. This is the type of rush most gamers get playing an online multiplayer first-person shooter such as Quake III, Unreal Tournament, Half-Life, or classic DOOM. But can these games be destructive to mental health? Can they actually desensitize people to the point where they cannot tell the difference between reality and virtual reality? The evidence will be presented for it, the evidence against it, and then I’ll show my own personal experience. You can draw your own results. First of all, the evidence that video games promote violence.

Assessment for Learning †the Case for Formative Assessment

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING – THE CASE FOR FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT This paper provides findings on assessment for learning, It begins with analysis of the formative approach in exemplary practice carried out in secondary schools in eight education systems. The second half of the paper comprises key analyses on formative assessment in adult language, literacy, and numeracy provision, and a framework for strengthening policy and practice across the sector as well as for building the evidence base. Assessment is vital to the education process.In schools, the most visible assessments are summative. Summative assessments are used to measure what students have learnt at the end of a unit, to promote students, to ensure they have met required standards on the way to earning certification for school completion or to enter certain occupations, or as a method for selecting students for entry into further education. Ministries or departments of education may use summative assessments and evalua tions as a way to hold publicly funded schools accountable for providing quality education.Increasingly, international summative assessments – such as OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) – have been important for comparing national education systems to developments in other countries. But assessment may also serve a formative function. In classrooms, formative assessment refers to frequent, interactive assessments of student progress and understanding to identify learning needs and adjust teaching appropriately.Teachers using formative assessment approaches and techniques are better prepared to meet diverse students’ needs – through differentiation and adaptation of teaching to raise levels of student achievement and to achieve a greater equity of student outcomes. But there are major barriers to wider practice, including perceived tensions between classroom-based formative assessments, and high visibility summative tests t o hold schools accountable for student achievement, and a lack of connection between systemic, school and classroom approaches to assessment and evaluation.The principles of formative assessment may be applied at the school and policy levels, to identify areas for improvement and to promote effective and constructive cultures of evaluation throughout education systems. More consistent use of formative assessment throughout education systems may help stakeholders address the very barriers to its wider practice in classrooms.This overview shows how formative assessment promotes the goals of lifelong learning, including higher levels of student achievement, greater equity of student outcomes, and improved learning to learn skills. The chapter then discusses barriers to wider practice of formative assessment and ways in which those barriers can be addressed, and outlines the study scope and methodology. Meeting goals for lifelong learning Each of the national and regional governments pa rticipating in this study promotes formative