Personal Response on Sexual Identity Free Essays

I am guided by the pursuit of pleasure because I prefer to do what feels right rather than what is best. I answer to my gut feeling or listen to my heart if you will. Was raised to do what Is best for me and not for anyone else, and have also taught myself never regret anything that I do but learn and grow from my mistakes. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Response on Sexual Identity or any similar topic only for you Order Now I also relate to the value rationalism, which may seem like I contradict myself but sometimes I do stop and think about the consequences before I act instead of living in the moment. In my past, I have made some terrible mistakes and has made me want to be more cautious about certain situations I come across. I believe that I will always relate to these values. Critical Thinking and Sexual Decision Making People may not know that they use critical thinking every time they make a sexual decision, but I know how Important It Is to think a sexual decision through before making a decision. I would consider myself a skeptic even after this class. Being a skeptic means that I have to question anything related to sexual activities. I find it important to think about the consequences before making a decision because I can avoid making mistakes. A time that I had to use critical thinking was when I was deciding whether to lose my virginity or not. That decision was not something that I could choose right away but would take me a while to think about the consequences. It was my decision ultimately to make, and no one could help me decide. Critical thinking is a must anytime you are about to make a life-altering decision. Gender Identity Gender identity is the belief in which you truly are. Before we are born we are given a sex assignment, based on the internal and external organs we have in the womb. As e grow up, we learn whom we are and determine which gender we agree with. Most of the time we identify with the gender we were assigned with when In the womb or after birth. There are times that Individuals choose the opposite gender than the one they were assigned. Factors that help determine gender identity is genetic factors, social factors and environmental factors. Between man and woman, 23 chromosomes are combined to make up the genetic code. The egg carriers the X sex chromosome and the sperm can carry either the X or Y sex chromosome. This is the sex assignment and usually the gender most people identify as. Social factors help they raised you as a boy, you would most likely identify yourself as a boy. Also, your peers can have an effect on how you determine your gender identity. If one wants to fit in, he or she may try to identify as the gender that their peers are. Environmental factors can help determine your gender identity by naturally shaping you into whom you believe you are. People go through many situations that can have an effect on your gender identify. The factors that have affected my gender identity are genetic factors, environmental factors and social factors. At birth, it was determined that I m a girl because of my internal and external organs I have. Social and environmental factors determined my gender identity because my parents raised me based on my sex assignment. My parents and our society taught me that there was only one way. Which technically meant that I had no say in my gender identity since I was born as a girl I was to remain a girl. The factor that most helps me to determine my gender identity was the social factor of my parents raising me as I was meant to be. Masculinity and Femininity On the continuum of masculinity-femininity, I fall close to the middle but closer to Minnie. I like to get dressed up and be â€Å"girl’ with makeup and purses, but I also like to hang with the guys and watch football and drink a beer. I would not say I am masculine in any way, but I do have masculine tendencies because I’m not afraid to get dirty. I grew up with both parents so I would say they balanced my feminine and masculine qualities. They taught me the important parts of being feminine and masculinity. My mother taught me to act like a lady, and my father taught me how to change a tire. Attraction There are three components of attractiveness; they are attitude, physical attraction ND reciprocity. The first thing someone notices about another person is his or her physical appearance. What makes a person want to further the relationship is his or her attitude. If they find the attitude to be attractive, chances are they will try to further the relationship. Reciprocity is when both parties want the same thing and will work together to make their relationship a lasting one. The factor that is most important to me would be an attitude because while physical attraction is the first thing I notice, attitude is the component that makes me want to act on my feelings. If someone does not have a good attitude or a similar attitude as mine, I will not find him or her attractive. Styles of Love The styles of love that are constant in my life right now are romantic love, possessive excited love and friendship. Romantic love has always been a constant in my life because I am a lover. When I fall in love, I fall hard. Romantic love is probably the truest love today. Possessive excited love is a style of love that I find in my life today. Although my boyfriend and I are not possessive, we have a lot of excitement in our relationship. The excitement to see each other after a long day of work or the excitement to have a date night keeps our relationship strong. Before my boyfriend and I decided to be in a relationship, we were really great friends. We bonded instantly and got along very well. When I started to feel like being friends was not enough for me, I had to let him know. Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Homosexuality is when an individual is attracted sexually or romantically to people of in our society we have people who protest against gays having equal rights such as arraign. Of course, our society has come a long way with heterosexuals fighting along side the homosexuals for the their rights. Historical and scientific perspectives have shaped the way I perceive my sexual orientation and myself. Historically, homosexual practices were either done in secret or known about but shunned. Homosexuals were looked down on and seen as abominations. In the past individuals who were accused of homosexuality were convicted by the â€Å"Office of the Night†, which was a group of Christians who felt negatively on homosexuals. In today’s society, homosexuals do not have to hide that they are gay because they can not be convicted for whom they are. Unfortunately, there are still individuals out there that do not agree with homosexuality. There is still the potential of gay individuals being harassed by those individuals. Hate crimes are still common in our society. I am not gay, but I do have gay friends and family, and I do not look at them any differently; instead I stand beside them and protect them from any hate that comes their way. History has only taught me that we need to fight for the rights and that I need to be true to myself. Scientific perspectives have researched the possibility of genetics and mental health being the cause of homosexuality. They have studied family trees to determine if homosexuality can be passed down through generations. They only found that the X chromosome could influence sexual orientation. The researchers have also studied the brain and the possibility that homosexuality can be caused by a mental illness of some sort. Scientific perspectives have not reflected on my sexual orientation. I am straight because I choose to be. I believe that anyone should be able to love whoever they want without being Judged for it. Abortion When I was younger I always thought abortion was wrong because it was taking a life of a baby. As I grew up and learned more, I realized I was making my decision on abortion based off of others ideas of abortion. I became aware of abortion when a friend of mine in high school had an abortion after having sex once. I understood why she would want an abortion because of being in high school and she had her whole life ahead of her. Her family was very strict, and she was worried about her parents disowning her. How to cite Personal Response on Sexual Identity, Papers

Business Intelligence for Different Business Situations

Question: Describe about the Business Intelligence for Different Business Situations. Answer: Accounting firm case Business Intelligence (BI) Business climates are constantly changing to which organizations have to respond with appropriate decisions. Business intelligence is the conceptual foundation for making such business decisions and thus, they can be used for getting data, visualizing it, performing models, dashboards, and taking critical decisions. To survive in a challenging business environment, companies have to keep responding to competitive pressures and measure if the response is in the right direction towards achieving right business objectives(Cokins, 2006). At any point of time, this requires a manager to navigate through hordes of responsibilities and information to come up with appropriate decisions in different business situations. This would demand designing of business situational models such that decisions can be made tactically and strategically in an organized way. These decisions can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured. Use of computers for making such decisions can speed up the process and improve the accuracy of efficiency of decision-making. Business Intelligence tools like Decision support systems are thus being used by many organization that act as the foundations to rely on for taking critical business decisions (Holodnik-Janczura Golinska, 2010). Business Intelligence is actually an umbrella term for a various set of IT entities including databases, tools, architecture, applications, and methodologies. The key approach used in any of the BI system is consolidation of data on company processes, extraction of information from this data and presentation of the same in such a way that it can be used as a foundation for taking strategic and tactical business decisions. There are a wide variety of BI tools that are available for use such as Enterprise resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Supply Chain Management (SCM)(IBM Cognos, 2009). For presentation of the business information, certain front-end components and tools are used in BI software systems such as databases, data transformation tools, analytics, visualization, and connectivity tools. BI is used in many areas, disciplines and departments of an enterprise including marketing, sales, customer relationship management, procurement, logistics, m anufacturing, financial control, search engineer optimization, human resource management, information and communication management and so on(Horakova Skalska, 2013). Competitive Advantage with BI Business Intelligence implementations in organizations bring some major benefits that include: Saving in data management costs due to consolidation Time saved on data search and deliveries Better quality of information Support for decision making Business process reengineering (Kumar, et al., 2013) Support for strategic goals of a business reduction of the dispersion in the business related information Improved interaction between users real time information availability flexibility built into system in adopting to dynamics of business Improvement in employee productivity(Nandi, 2012) With a set of these benefits in place, a company can build a competitive advantage for its business. Some ways this can be done by deploying BI tools are: Visualization: Visualization can be used for identifying patterns in data and companies can detect even that information, which can otherwise go ignored, in a manual data scanning. This could reveal if the data or information is aligned with the strategic goals and objectives of the organization such that deviations can be observed and corrective measures can be taken(Guarda, et al., 2013). Figure 1: Tableau Software Screenshot(Ajayi, 2013) In an accounting organization, visualization can be used for analysing and explaining complex financial problems with information dashboards and data models. Financial reports like Balance sheet and PL accounts can also be created fast through data abstraction making it easier for accountants to compare yearly reports and analyze exact numbers in financial statements for better understanding of company performance. Interactive charts and dashboards can be drilled down to minute details to discover patterns and issues in the accounting data. For instance, Tableau is a BI tool that allows one to create pie charts and histograms that are interactive allowing users to go deeper into the data (Ajayi, 2013) Consolidation of historical and new data: Any organization can utilize the repository of its historical data to identify patterns that could be advantageous for understanding business processes and improving them. This can help organizations take critical business decisions such as arriving at the most influential pricing model, identifying most effective marketing strategy and so on. In an accounting firm, the historical data on financial performance can be used for comparing performance of the company over the years to understand if the company is able to achieve the strategic goals of the organization over the years(Walker, 2006). Integration of information: Any organization that is a part of a supply chain may get affected by or need information from other members of the channel. With BI, all these supply chain partners can be brought together with their data consolidated enabling a smooth flow of information between them such that business processes can be formalized and real time information about the business can be obtained (Munteam Mircea, 2008). System integration: With integration of different tools used for various processes such as monitoring, reporting, data management, and other features, standards and procedures can be formally defined such that the organization can ensure that the procedures adopted comply with objectives and there is a proper visibility into the system(Horakova Skalska, 2013). Defining Stakeholder requirements: BI tools can be use to record and define stakeholder requirements for any project such that any deliveries made by any organization using BI tool can ensure that all stakeholder requirements are met thereby improving the stakeholder satisfaction. Various stakeholders can be team members, internal customers, external customers, line managers, senior managers, other departments, clients, industry experts, opinion leaders, communities, government agencies, shareholders, trade unions, and suppliers. Recording of stakeholder requirements in an accounting firm can help a firm understand if there are any conflicts in the requirements such that the same can be resolved. As stakeholders have a strong influence on the success of any organization, this information would be helpful in understanding their needs such that conflicts between different stakeholders could be avoided and communication can be improved so as the improve the performance of internal stakeholders and perception of external stakeholders about the organization(ContentExtra, 2012). Data Mining and Analytics in retail loyalty card schemes Analytics can be used for identifying meaning patterns from a data set. In a retail industry, the customer data is used for performing analytics such that the results obtained can be used for designing customer loyalty schemes. Analytics can be used for predictive modelling in retail by studying pas data about consumer behaviour to predict specific consumer behaviour as a reaction to a product or in response to a marketing message or campaign. Descriptive models may also be used for identifying consumer relationships and creating a classification for them. With the use of analytic tools, a retail organization can do the following: Identify consumer segments and do a detailed profiling of each segment to identify target customers who can be most profitable for the organization. A special loyalty benefit may be provided to these consumers in response to their purchases. Identify consumer needs and predict their behaviour in response to various loyalty schemes such that loyalty scheme that gives most profitable customers can be utilized to build loyalty in customers. Targeted promotions and advertisements can be formulated and delivered based on the analytics to get more loyal customers Retail organizations use the methods for overcoming specific challenges of loyalty schemes by using in-store and online analytics. In the in-store analytics, consumers are monitored physically in the store and the data is collected on their movements through video capture, about their gender, store visits and so on. This is often used for identifying products that are hot for customers and their movement patterns can be used for designing a better store experience. Online analytics is possible through the collection of data from social media, mobile devices, and web searches that could be useful in understanding online movement of consumers, sentiments of consumers about the brand, and their online shopping patterns. This can help a company understand the satisfaction levels of customers. It also helps a company design personalized services to consumers based on their preferences, demographics and other personal information(Gupta Kumar, 2014). Data Analytics is now being used as a core of loyalty programs by many organizations for segmenting consumers by using consumer data such as demographics, transactional data, and credit reports and so on. The analytics data is obtained by these organizations from multiple sources including websites, mobile devices, and social media and analytics methods that are used for gaining insights from this data include market basket analysis, customer experience analysis, social media analytics and so on(Friesen, et al., 2014). Figure 2: Customer Loyalty Trends There exist some key trends that are being observed in retail organizations that use insights from consumer analytics to design and customize their loyalty programs such as providing seamless channel experience, use of customer rating mechanism, automated product placements and so on. Queensland Health systems implementationCase Implementation Failure Queensland government consisted of three types of organizations that were connected including government departments and agencies, their owned corporations, and general statutory bodies. Queensland health was one organization that was run by the government for providing medical, dental and age care services across geography for Australian population. The employees of the organization were paid through a payroll system called LATTICE which as rolled out in the organization between 1999 and 2002. However, by the year 2005, the system became obsolete and a decision was taken to replace the legacy system by a standardized software solution (SSI) including SAP HR and SAP Finance. Figure 3: Queensland Health Schedule Delays This SSI was expected to deliver a series of benefits including system consolidation, increased cost visibility, reduced duplication of data, licence cost reduction, reduction in personnel requirements, economies of scale, increase in service standards through focus on core, and information consistency across governmental organizations. However, due to inherent system and solution complexities, the implementation project completely failed after exceeding both budget and planned schedule with huge variations. While the go Live was to happen in the year 2008, the dates were missed over the coming years and the project could only be completed by 2010. While the project was 18 months behind schedule, the cost variance was even huge going 300% over budget. Several reasons that had caused these cost and time overruns included: NO specific project management methodology was followed for implementation The roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders were not properly identified and defined Business requirements were not defined properly leading to challenges in testing The approach and structure used for the implementation was same as used for department of Public Housing project, which was not as complex as Queensland health and thus, did not suit the needs of new project. Any organization that plans to go for a complex software implementation process should follow certain best practices of project management such as clear articulation of requirements, use of an appropriate strategy for implementation, appropriate levels of system testing before go live, use of appropriate project management methodology and communication of project requirements and progress to stakeholders. None of these processes was followed in the case of Queensland health payroll system implementation(Mansharamani, 2011). Major challenges that were faced by the implementation project included: Industry Complexity: Healthcare industry catered to people, processes, and services that were managed by hospitals, pharmacies, and different diagnostic agencies. The industry structure was very different from other industry in terms of focus and size. While other industries catered to a few thousands of clients, this industry had to deal with millions. The diversity was huge, every case of individual patient was different, and thus, the requirement for having specialists was huge in numbers. There was a huge array of different roles, responsibilities, and salary brackets. There were some 24,000 combinations of wages for different types of healthcare professionals who managed cases of around 40,000 patients per day across 300 sites in Queensland. Requirement Definition: requirements of the project were not articulated clearly in the case of Queensland health payroll system implementation. There was no clear documentation of this requirement and thus, when the stage of testing came, issues arose in user acceptance and functionalities testing. The issues identified demanded additional components that were to be added to the project scope resulting in the increase of the project cost. Implementation strategy: The project was actually a part of solution that was to be implemented for the whole government and thus, it could have been done one by one in smaller and less complex government agencies but due to the LATTICE system which was obsolete, the payroll systems would not work if the implementation was not done for whole system and thus, the implementation was decided to be carried out for the entire government. For this complete implementation, the case of Department of Housing was taken as a base for developing implementation strategy. However, the complexities involved in the housing department was much less as it was a much smaller entity and thus, the approach was unlikely to appropriately manage the complexities of healthcare system which was much larger and complex(Devedzic, 2000). System testing and data quality: For the testing of the project, 10% of employees were involved before Go Live, which revealed discrepancies of $1.2 million AUD in fortnightly payroll, and these were majorly attributed to casual staff and overnight claims. Another test followed excluding these types of claims resulting into $30,000 AUD discrepancy. Because of the defects found in four categories, the system was stopped from going live. During subsequent testing phases, more issues were identified and the same were reclassified from time to time. Because of no rigorous testing performed at one point of time but only considering small number of testing samples, no tests revealed complete picture and thus, many critical issues were not resolve till the end resulting into incorrect payment and non-payment to a huge number of people from staff in the end. Figure 4:quasi-multiple client-contractor relationships Client consultant relationship complexities: Usually, in any project, one prime contractor is involved who may hire additional sub-contractors to manage certain activities. However, in the case of Queensland healthcare project, two contractors were involved including CorpTech and IBM resulting into quasi-multiple client-contractor relationships. This resulted into lack of clarity about roles and responsibilities of different parties. Project management and governance complexities: Queensland project did not use any formalized project management methodology for managing the project. This resulted into issues of communication as no proper governance technique was formalized for defining individual roles and responsibilities. Communication Issues: IBM did not put their best people on the project and those put on the project were resisted by the government employees who were not willing to cooperate and transfer required functional knowledge to the IBM team(Eden, et al., 2014). Systems Development Lifecycle approach for Improvement System Development Lifecycle Approach (SDLC) is used by software companies for designing, developing and testing of software. The aim is to produce high quality software that meets quality expectations of customers and help completing the project as per the planned time schedule and within cost estimates. Thus, this methodology is suggested for cases like Queensland Healthcare payroll system. SLDC consists of six simple stages including planning, defining, designing, building, testing, and deployment of a software. In the planning stage, senior members of the project team are made to take the inputs from customers, company departments, domain experts, and individuals through surveys. The information obtained at this stage is actually utilized to conduct a feasibility study for the software development involving economical, operational, and technical concerns. If the development is found feasible then in this stage, approaches are considered to take decisions on approaches that can be used for development and implementation of software with minimum risks(Franch Carvallo, 2003). After the plan for implementation is clear, the next step is to define requirements, document them appropriately, and get them approved by customer or through a market analysis. This could be done by using a Software Requirement Specification (SRS) document. This document would record all the requirements of the product to be developed for the entire product life cycle. With this definition, the testing could have been done much smoothly in the case of Queensland project. The next stage involves designing of a product architecture that suits best to the needs of the project. Design approaches can be documented in Design Documentation Specification (DDS) such that they can be reviewed by various stakeholders based on certain parameters like risks, robustness, design modularity, budget constraints, time constraints, and so on such that the best approach for development could be selected. In the current case, no options for different design approaches were considered but a direct base case of Department of Housing was taken to develop the architecture for the software(Chang, 2012). After the design is chosen, actual development of the project begins as per the DDS. After development, the testing of product is required which could be done to identify bugs. Issues are tracked, resolved and retests are done until all bugs are removed and the product assumes the same level of quality standard as defined in the SRS. Only after the functional testing is completed successfully, the product may go to the users for final testing and acceptance. In case of the Queensland project, there was no appropriate functional testing that was performed but a direct user testing on a very limited number of users was conducted for first and for all retests leading to unresolved issues that were not revealed during user testing(Vennapoos, 2008). The company may use one from a variety of SDLC models including waterfall, iterative, spiral, and V-model. An appropriate approach may be chosen by an organization based on certain parameters like user requirements, familiarity of users with technology, complications of a system, reliability of system, schedule, cost constraints, project management methodology used stakeholder visibility, team skills, documentation needs, and components reusability and so on. For instance, if the user requirements have to be made very clear on a project then a waterfall or V-shaped approach may not be most appropriate. Further, if the system to be developed is very complex, agile methodologies may not be feasible. With limitations on costs, an iterative SDLC approach would be most appropriate. In the case of Queensland project, the requirements need to be very clear, the system is very complex, and thus, a spiral approach may be most appropriate(Mishra Dubey, 2013). References Ahmad, N. Laplante, P. A., 2009. Software Project Management Tools: Making a Practical Decision Using AHP, s.l.: Penn State University . Ajayi, O. T., 2003. Interactive Data Visualization In Accounting Contexts: Impact On User Attitudes, Information Processing, And Decision Outcomes, Lafayette: University of Louisiana. Awad, M. A., 2005. A Comparison between Agile and Traditional Software Development Methodologies , s.l.: The University of Western Australia. Bruegge, B. Johnstone, J., 1997. Software Project Management Plan: JAMES Project, Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University. Chang, C., 2012. Selecting an Appropriate Software Development Lifecycle (SDL) Model in an Agency Environment. [Online] Available at: https://www.metia.com/seattle/chong-chang/2012/08/sdl-model-in-an-agency-environment/ [Accessed 12 November 2015]. Cokins, G., 2006. How do Business Intelligence and Performance Management Fit Together?. [Online] Available at: https://www.information-management.com/news/columns/-1051320-1.html [Accessed 1 October 2015]. ContentExtra, 2012. Idnetifying Stakeholders and their relevance, s.l.: ContentExtra. Devedzic, V., 2000. Software Project Management , Yugoslavia: University of Belgrade. Eden, Rebekah, Sedera Darshana, 2014. Building a Better World Through Information Systems. Aukland, New Zealand, 35th International Conference on Information Systems. Franch, X. Carvallo, J. P., 2003. Using Quality Models in Software Package Selection, s.l.: Universitat Politcnica de Catalunya. Friesen, S., Pujol, M. Bastone, J., 2014. Successful Loyalty through Analytics, s.l.: SAS. Guarda, T. et al., 2013. Business Intelligence as a Competitive Advantage for SMEs. International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, 4(4), pp. 187-191. Gupta, S. Kumar, N., 2014. Retail Analytics: Game Changer for Customer Loyalty, s.l.: Cognizant. Hoodnik-Janczura, G. Goliska, I., 2010. Operations Research And DecisionS, s.l.: Wrocaw University of Technology. Horakova, M. Skalska, H., 2013. Business Intelligence and Implementation in a Small Enterprise. Journal Of Systems Integration, Volume 2, pp. 50-61. IBM Cognos, 2009. Scorecarding with IBM Cognos 8 Business Intelligence, s.l.: IBM. Kumar, T., G.Sravanthi Deepthi, D., 2013. Competitive Advantage through Business Intelligence for E-Commerce. International Journal of Computer Organization Trends , 3(11), pp. 579-585. Levine, H., 2000. Simplifying Project Management Software Selection: A Balanced Approach , s.l.: Scitor Corporation. Mansharamani, R., 2011. Performance Testing, s.l.: Free Software Foundation. Michael J. Saylor, 2007. Applications of Industrial-Strength business Intelligence. s.l.: MicroStrategy Incorporated. Mishra, A. Dubey, D., 2013. A Comparative Study of Different Software Development Life Cycle Models in Different Scenarios. International Journal of Advance Research in Computer Science and Management Studies, 1(5), pp. 64-69. Muntean, M. Mircea, B., 2008. Business Intelligence Solutions for Gaining Competitive Advantage, s.l.: West University of Timisoara. Nandi, V. T., 2012. Maintaining Database: Business Intelligence Tool For Competitive Advantage. Business Intelligence Journal, 5(2), pp. 352-357. Vennapoos, C., 2008. What is the necessity of SDLC?. [Online] Available at: https://www.learn.geekinterview.com/it/sdlc/sdlc-necessity.html [Accessed 30 November 2015]. Walker, R. G., 2006. Consolidated Statements: a History and Analysis, s.l.: Sydney University Press.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Essays - Bristol-Myers Squibb, Clairol

Bristol-Myers Squibb Michael Zouroudis Cornerstone student in the College of Business Administration University of Central Florida October 15, 1999 Table of Contents Section Introduction/Executive Summary................................................................................................................3 Background..................................................................................................................................................4 Marketing Product/Service..................................................................................................................6 Place/Distribution..............................................................................................................7 Promotion/Advertising.......................................................................................................8 Management /Human Resources Training and Development................................................................................................9 Compensation and Rewards..............................................................................................9 Labor relations.................................................................................................................10 Finance Profitability and Cash Flow..............................................................................................10 Liquidity...........................................................................................................................12 Leverage/Capital Management........................................................................................13 Conclusion...................................................................................................................................13 References...................................................................................................................................14 Introduction and Executive Summary This document consists of an overall business review for the Pharmacuetical company Bristol-Myers Squibb. Although by no means a complete summary of their 1998 business dealings or stragety, it does give a nice overview of three of the most component and fundmentally sound aspects of any business, let alone a Fortune 500 business. This document starts by covering the Marketing aspect of Bristol-Myers Squibb. First covered is the most important structure of any company; its product. Inside is information on how they distribute their product, and where they distribute it to. Finally, we see how they promote their product, and which ways it is advertised. Management is the next topic of discussion. What style of management does Bristol-Myers Squibb conduct? The document talks about compensation given to their employees, and how the average employee is rewarded for acheving the unaverage level of excellence. Finally, the document focuses on Finance. It shows Bristol-Myers Squibb profits, it debts, how much money is invested in the company, and basically the direction that the Company is headed. Once again, this document is not nearly a complete breakdown of Bristol-Myers Squibb's 1998 business transactions. All this document is aiming for is to give an idea of the extreme complexity of the business world, understand(at least a little more) the strategy and competitiveness between companies, and maybe to enlighten a few on how much time and effort goes into such a giant of a company like this. Enjoy. History Bristol-Myers In 1887 William McLaren Bristol and John Ripley Myers decided to sink $5,000 into a failing drug manufacturing firm called the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company, located in Clinton, New York. The company was officially incorporated on December 13, 1887, with William Bristol as president and John Myers as vice president. In May 1898 came a new name: Bristol, Myers Company (a hyphen replaced the original comma after Myers's death in 1899 when the company became a corporation). The postwar depression prompted Bristol-Myers to jettison its ethical drug business and devote itself entirely to its specialties: its two big winners and a dozen or so assorted toiletries, antiseptics and cough syrups. Company headquarters was established in Manhattan, where it has remained ever since. And having shifted squarely into the consumer products arena, Bristol-Myers began advertising its products directly to the public. In 1924, gross profits topped $1 million for the first time in Bristol-Myers history. The company's products were on sale in 26 countries. At this point, the shares held by John Myers's heirs became available for sale, triggering a series of moves that turned Bristol-Myers into a publicly held company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1929. In 1943, Bristol-Myers bought Cheplin Biological Labs, and quickly entered into the field of antibiotics. During the war, Bristol-Myers was a major distributor of penicillin and other types of antibiotics. By the end of the war, it was clear that penicillin and other antibiotics represented an immense opportunity for the company. Cheplin was renamed Bristol Laboratories, and Frederic N. Schwartz was put in charge of it. In 1957 Schwartz was appointed president and chief executive officer of Bristol-Myers when Henry Bristol chose to shed some of his former responsibilities and become chairman of the board. Reviewing the company's situation and prospects, Schwartz and then treasurer Gavin K. MacBain -- later Schwartz's successor as CEO -- decided that Bristol-Myers should embark on a program of acquiring well-managed smaller companies. The two executives' first major move in that direction was to acquire Clairol. Within a dozen or so years after Clairol joined the company, a number of other acquisitions followed, including those of Drackett, Mead Johnson, Zimmer and Westwood. In 1986 the company opened a state-of-the-art research complex in Wallingford, Connecticut, designed to house more than 800 scientists and support staff. In January 1994 Charles A. Heimbold, Jr., was elected chief executive officer. In 1995 Heimbold also became chairman. Squibb In 1856 Edward Robinson Squibb founded a pharmaceutical company in Brooklyn, New York, dedicated to the production of consistently pure medicines, like ether and chloroform. In 1905 the company was sold to Lowell M. Palmer

Could the self be an illusion

Could the self be an illusion The self, defined as an absolute, unchanging entity, which possesses unity, continuity and clear boundaries, may well be an illusion.Unity and continuity are easily disrupted in the normal course of life; they may be merely coincidental. Our supposedly unchanging selves do in fact alter according to their circumstances; the boundaries of the self change and a single self may even split to form multiple selves. By examining the self in terms of unity, continuity and boundaries, I will show how the possibilities for disruption of the self, as defined above, imply that it could be an illusion.Unity of a self implies that there is something that unites all my thoughts, feelings and experiences, i.e. that there is some sort of glue that makes them all true of me. The tendency is to call the glue the "self". Locke defined this as consciousness, that is, a person being "self to itself" by its consciousness of its present thoughts and actions .English: Neural Correlates Of ConsciousnessSo a single seat of consciousness may be termed a single self.This definition holds for my waking hours; however, there are obvious disruptions. What happens when I am anaesthetized, or fall into a deep sleep? I am not conscious of my present thoughts; I cannot even be said to have any "present thoughts". There are no experiences to be glued together, and there is no glue to bind them. Even when I dream, I may not be myself in my dream; I may, for example, be a butterfly . If the unified "I", as defined above, can somehow cease to exist for a time or be different things at different times, then unity, as defined by Locke, may be merely coincidental.The second question is that of continuity, that is, the sameness of the self over time.

What is statutory construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What is statutory construction - Essay Example The Right Honourable Kenneth Clarke QC MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice made this declaration during his speech at the Dinner for the Judges at the Mansion House. His words sum up the courts’ sentiments when it comes to the issue of statutory interpretation. Apparently, among the powers bestowed by the constitution of the United Kingdom unto the judicial branch, the power to interpret laws is the most difficult which the courts exercise with utmost care and caution. Indeed, when an ambiguous Act of Parliament is brought before the court for interpretation, the court is caught between the crossfire of two opposing parties, each wanting for the law to be interpreted in such a way that would favor their interests. However, unlike regular legal battles where the court’s powers are limited to the application of the laws, in the case of statutory construction, the courts are toeing the line between judicial and legislative powers. There are no clear laws to be applied. The courts first need to ascertain what the law is and then apply it to a case before it. The courts need to fathom the spirit and purpose of the law as the Parliament has intended it to be without asking the legislators what the law means. Rather, the courts rely on established principles in trying to determine the intent of the legislators. In the exercise of its interpretive powers, the courts are governed by established principles of statutory interpretation ... Medical terms must be given and understood within the context of medicine and economic terms must be understood in the same way that economists understand it. The second principle is the pro bono publico. Under this rule, the courts always interpret the law in such a way that it would serve the public good. The courts weigh which of the possible interpretations of a given legislation shall best serve the public good and those that fail this criterion are dismissed. Here, the system of check and balance is at work. When the Parliament passes an ambiguous legislation, the courts ensure that the Acts of Parliament are applied and enforced for the greater and public good. The third principle is called in pari materia. This principle literally translates as â€Å"on the like matter†. This rule is basically used when the purpose of the legislation being construed is ambiguous. Pursuant to this rule, the courts are entitled to seek reference to earlier legislations that deal with sim ilar matters in order to unveil the true nature and purpose of the later Act of Parliament. Another important principle in statutory construction is the mischief rule. This rule is commonly applied to legislations that amend or revise prior Acts of Parliament that have been found to have some defects or mischief. Under this rule, when the curative legislation is written in such a way that its purpose is rendered ambiguous, the courts interpret it as having the intention of curing or removing the defect in the prior legislation. No other interpretation shall be given except that it is intended to cure the defect or mischief of the law stated in its purpose in the first place. The next principle in statutory construction is the literal rule basically mandates the courts to use the literal

Objectives of GPFRs in AASB and IASB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Objectives of GPFRs in AASB and IASB - Essay Example It is to be noted that both the boards have set down the objectives of General Purpose Financial Reports on the different basis. The further sections of this report focus on the helpfulness of the objectives set down by International Accounting Standard Board to improve the general purpose financial report. There are several questions that have been raised regarding the usefulness of the objectives. A comparison of the objectives of both the Australian Accounting board and the International Accounting board is made to analyze which one of the two is better suited as objectives for the general purpose financial report. The next section deals with the meaning of general purpose financial report and helps understand the main reason why these reports are produced. General Purpose Financial Reports are prepared to focus on the requirements of users who require understanding the company’s financial status. This report provided the common information to users who cannot prepare speci fic information to meet their needs. There are a few financial entities that are authorized to prepare these reports. Since these reports are very general most of the time these reports focus on general information of the company which benefits only a few groups of people. The main users of General Purpose Financial Reports are divided into three main categories namely. Resource providers like employees, lenders, supplier, lenders, investors, etc. These groups of people are interested in knowing the financial status of the company to understand whether the resources provided are being put to efficient use and if the company is performing economically, efficiently and effectively (CPA Australia, 2002). Recipient of goods and services like consumers, customers, or any person benefiting from the goods or services provided by the reporting entity.  

Medea Euripides Analysis

Medea Euripides Analysis So long as the immense passion of the tragic heroine of the play is considered, Euripidess Medea is a work of pathetic tragedy from Aristotles point of view. It opens up with a major conflict between the heroine and her husband; the anger of a woman hero for her dishonest husband. Throughout the play, we see the culmination of anger and hatred rising to a point where everything dissolves and an anticlimactic end is attained through the accumulation of revenge in Medea. This is actually a shortcoming for a piece of tragedy because it does not reach to the highest possible quality and complexity from a plot as Aristotle would term it. The most important integral aspect in tragedy is its plot, the imitation of action. Because of the faulty treatment of the subject in hand, Euripides fails to achieve a complex plot in Medea. When Aristotle plunges into the components of a plot that make it complex, he cites three necessary elements successively; reversal of intention, recognition, and catastrophe. Accordingly, both reversal of intention and recognition must go hand  in hand in a cause-and-effect chain that ultimately in turn creates the catastrophe in the play for the best effect. However in Medea, we can observe no real reversal of intention as Medea is well de termined to take revenge from Jason in some way or the other right from the very start. Although there is an event where Medea directs her anger over her own children, this occurs in such an unexpected manner that it is difficult to consider it as a reversal of intention because there is no reasonable explanation or recognition for it to come afterwards. This unquestionably results in Medea lacking a recognition as there is no reversal of intention that precedes it. Medea already knows about the marriage of Jason to Creons daughter, and there is no other slight recognition that can be said to change the fortune of the tragic heroine. One could say that Aegeuss assurance of security in Athens for Medea is a discovery that allowed Medea to further proceed with her plans, but this is somewhat questionable as we can clearly see that she is determined to execute her planned scenario whether or not Aegeuss sudden appearance was included. The only surprising event that we can find remarkab le is when Medea slays her own children. This action is the one and only tragic incident that Aristotle would see as tragic. If this one and only tragic element did not exist, we could hardly say that Euripidess Medea was a tragedy even with a simple plot. But again, a surprising event can be favored only when it has relevance and a cause-and-effect relationship with the plot. That is however not exactly the case for Medeas decision to kill her children. Nevertheless, the intended action is executed in the end by the heroin, an act that is better than intending and not doing. When Aristotle comes to the skill of a tragedian to create a perfect unified play, he emphasizes the importance of firstly the complication, and secondly, the unraveling of the plot. To him, the best tragedian is one who can succeed in making these two parts equally well. But as long as in Medea there is no reversal of intention and recognition except for a simple catastrophe, the unraveling lacks the magnitude of the complication where Medea strategically makes plans, prepares for revenge, and tries to survive the pain. Moreover, the denouement of the play by a Deus ex Machina, a God interfering and allowing Medea to escape with a chariot, is very irrational for Aristotle as it does not arise out of the plot naturally. The Deus ex Machina used in Medea can be seen as faulty from another point which attributes to Aristotles moral understanding. Medeas escape or somewhat survival is morally not acceptable as she commits a cruel deed in killing her own children. We know that she is a descendent of a god and is the daughter of a king. But other than such circumstances she is in, she is in fact no better than us. Her tragic flaws such as extreme passion and anger all surpass being small frailties but they are rather vices. Though we see Medeas feelings of suffering through the visible evils of Jason, it is not easy for the audience to sympathize with a child murderess. Additionally, the past life of Medea is also full of blood and sin which are reminded to us from time to time either by the Chorus and ev en Medea herself. This ultimately results in the significant problem of Medea as a tragedy, as it fails in invoking catharsis towards the audience as little emotions of pity or fear can be aroused by the downfall of an utter villain. In Medea there is only one major plot which gives it a credit as a tragedy in Aristotelian terms. The struggle between a dishonest male and a sorceress female is the one and only simple basis of this plot. We dont see the level of complexity and perfection that Aristotle would seek, but our attention is not lost as Euripides does succeed us to be focused on the passionate angers and emotions of Medea throughout the whole play. Thus, the effect of tragedy is to a somewhat certain extent achieved in Medea but still fails in the main and most important purpose; the emotional cleansing that the audience is supposed to feel towards Medea. Statement of Intent Euripidess Medea revolves around the central passion of revenge towards her adversaries by the main protagonist, Medea as a result of her husband, Jasons betrayal towards her by an engagement to the daughter of Creon, King of Corinth. I decided to write a critical review of Medea through an Aristotelian perspective as to how Aristotle would criticize it if he had the chance. As Medea was different to the Aristotelian tragedies of the time, I expected that the Athenian audience would have responded in confusion and disfavor. I took Aristotles works of the Poetics as a backbone to my criticism. I tried to make the review critical in the sense that it not just only explains as to how the elements in Medea differ from Aristotles theory of tragedy, but attempts in exploring as to what effects were lost and why it mattered. In the early stages of my review, I criticize how Euripidess failure in creating a complex plot of one that Aristotle would expect results in how Medeas character is portrayed in a very limited and monotone manner in which her fate is seemingly doomed to lead to the final catastrophe from the very start. By breaking up the structure and examining its lack of Aristotelian concepts of tragedy in Medea, it allows one to lead to the discovery that the common understanding of Medea as a tragedy is actually an oversimplification and that one could even come to the conclusion that it barely qualifies to be even a tragedy by Aristotelian understanding. The criticisms towards the structural component of plot in Medea link into the characteristic flaws of Medea throug h my criticisms towards Euripidess use of the Deus ex Machina to resolve the plot in the final moments of the play. This sudden denouement in the play would strongly matter to Aristotle as its irrational manner would lack a unity where the action of each event leads inevitably to the next in a structurally self-contained manner that is connected by internal necessity, not by external interventions such as the one used by Euripides. Moreover, the Deus ex Machina has the strongest effect on the audience in which it ultimately fails to invoke the tragic emotions of pity and sympathy in the form of a catharsis towards the protagonist despite Euripidess attempts at doing so through the easily visible exposures of Jasons atrocities. This failure is not only just simply due to the immoral nature in which Medea kills her children, but from the fact that her life is full of atrocities which she does not seem to feel guilty as she confesses in her quarrel with Jason, I lit the way for your es cape I betrayed my father and my home I killed King PeliasAll this I did for you. And you, foulest of men, have betrayed me. (P33, Lines 460-468) Despite all the criticism that I have given to Euripides in my review, I do give credit to Euripides as to how he still manages to grasp hold of the audiences attention and involvement in the play. Nevertheless however, I still conclude with the Aristotelian perspective that the play still lacks the magnitude and perfection that Aristotle would have expected, which ultimately result in my greatest criticism that Euripides fails in creating the effect of convincement towards his audience to sympathize with Medeas emotions through catharsis.