Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Investment Decision Of A Corporation - 1513 Words

Topic With the development of global economy, there are various types of firms in the financial market, such as sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations and limited liability companies. Even though the kind of firms is different, the ultimate goal that is to make profit is the same. So the return predictability plays an important role in making the investment decision of a corporation. The average return on common stocks is different because of the different firm characteristic, such as, dividends, stock prices and investment horizons. In this dissertation, I plan to research the relationship between the predictability of return and these variables. I plan to select the financial market in the United States and the United Kingdom†¦show more content†¦Due to the expect return need a large number of historical figures to estimate the future outcome, I need to build a time series model to analysis these variables except for the mathematical derivation. So this dissertation th rough compare two theories which are Jonathan and Peter theory and Fama and French theory respectively to investigate the influence of different variables on the return predictability. Theory Both of these two theories are based on a basic rule that is the law of one price. The rule indicates that the price of a security is equal to the discounted value of the cash flows in the future when the investor purchases it. Jonathan and Peter use a lot of mathematical inference to analysis the stock return from one year to many years, which is called the dividend-discount model. Besides, the dividend growth is also considered in which forms the constant dividend growth model finally. From these formulas, it can be easily observed that the expect return of a security is a function about the dividend yield ( ). For one year: For multiyear: Constant dividend growth model: Although Jonathan and Peter have been carried out the relationship between the dividend yield and the expected return, there is a general lack of research in the impact of different horizons on the return. This problem is that the correlation between variance horizons and the anticipated return, which is solved by Fama and French through a regression test: r(t,

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Child Sexual Violence And Sexual Abuse - 1371 Words

Child on child sexual violence/assault cases has been on the rise. Sexual Violence is defined by Webster’s dictionary as any illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person without consent or is inflicted upon a person who is incapable of giving consent (as because of age or physical or mental incapacity) or who places the assailant (as a doctor) in a position of trust or authority. There is growing understanding that the vast majority of children who has experienced sexual assault, are typically assaulted by someone they know, and often times trust (family member, friends of family, their own friends etc.) (Chaffin, 2008). Research indicates that over one third of children sexually assaulted is committed by someone under the age of 18 (Browne Finkelhor, 1986; Paolucci et al., 2001). Sexually victimized youth experiences greater risk for a multitude of antisocial behaviors and sexualized behaviors compared to those who have not experienced sexual victimizat ions (Browne Finkelhor, 1986; Paolucci et al., 2001). Tragic events are reported nearly every day such as the 2009 Gabriel Myers case involving the 7-year old boy who had previously been sexually assaulted by another child and later ended his own life. The importance of child on child sexual violence/assaults tend to be overlooked by adults due to the denial of thinking the youth and/or adolescences we love cannot possibly cause abuse and harm upon another loved one(COCSA, 2014). It is reported thatShow MoreRelatedSexual Abuse And Child Violence1862 Words   |  8 PagesAbuse is currently the number one cause of injury to women in the U.S., four million women every year are abused by men. These women often are disfigured or can develop permanent disabilities. Each year 2,500 deaths occur every year in abusive domestic situations, 1,500 women are killed violently by their perpetrators, and around 1,000 kill their abusers to save themselves (Mankiller). Statistics show that women are more often killed or disfigured by their abusers than are able to save themselvesRead MoreFrom the beginning of a child’s life, he/she holds the key to their own destiny. However, this is1000 Words   |  4 Pagesthe beginning of a child’s life, he/she holds the key to their own destiny. However, this is no longer the case when child sexual abuse is brought in as a factor. In surveys conducted, it was indicated that six percent to sixty-two percent of women and two percent to fifteen percent of men have been victims of sexual abuse as a child (Finkelhor 79). That was not their choice. Abuse is the result of force - not from a person’s willingness to fulfill an act. Victims also have to cope with the aftereffectsRead MoreLong Term Effects Of Child Sexual Abuse1467 Words   |  6 PagesLong-term effects of child sexual abuse Child Abuse can be a fundamental reason of causing issues for children and young people in physically and mentally. The primitive damage caused by child sexual abuse effect on the child’s developing capacities for trust, intimacy, agency and sexuality so that child sexual abuse is considered as a trigger of mental health problems and increase the risk of major depressive disorder in early adulthood or throughout their lifetime. There is a fact that thoseRead MoreA Short Note On Disorders And Families : Effects On Children1548 Words   |  7 Pagesnot be perpetuated into future generations. Denov (2004) explored the effects of sexual abuse by women on male and female victims. Society popularly underestimates the severity of childhood sexual abuse by women and tend to believe that sexual abuse by men is more destructive. The study focused on individual victims of childhood sexual abuse by women in a cross-sectional design and hypothesized that sexual abuse is equally destructive between male and female abusers. The independent variablesRead MoreSexal Abuse in America Essay1360 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the United States, sexual abuse is more common that one may think and is not always understood to it’s full definition. In fact, in her book, Why Me? Help for Victims of Child Sexual Abuse (Even If They Are Adults Now), Lynn B. Daugherty, Ph.D., states that one in every four children are subject to some type of sexual abuse by the time they are eighteen years old. That means twenty-five percent of children some form of sexual abuse before they are adults. Although it is often thought ofRead MoreChild Molestation And Its Effect On Children1638 Words   |  7 Pagesaware of the nature of the crime or offense. One of the most traumatizing experiences that a child can ever encounter in their adolescent life is sexual abuse. Child molestation has been inflicted on many children throughout history and most will agree that it is a harmful and despicable act, however do we know why it occurs? Do we know what causes child sexual abuse and does it have the same effect on every child? Are some children even aware of the fact that they are being victimized? There are manyRead MoreEssay on Sexual Abuse on Women1250 Words   |  5 PagesSexual abuse, also known as sexual assault, is any sort of sexual activity that one doesn’t agree to which includes, inappropriate touching, vaginal, anal, or oral penetration, sexual intercourse that one says no to, rape, attempted rape, as well as child molestation. Sexual abuse is usually verbal or visual. It can also be anything that forces a person to be in unwanted sexual contact. There are many examples of sexual abuse like voyeurism, exhibitionism, incest, and sexual harassment. VoyeurismRead MoreThe Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse Essay1694 Words   |  7 PagesAn estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today (Darness2Light, 2009a ). This figure continues to grow daily as perpetrators of this crime continue in this destructive path. The definition of child sexual abuse is the force, coercion, or cajoling of children into sexual activities by a dominant adult or adolescent. Sexual abuse of children includes touching (physical) sexually including: fondling; penetration (vaginal or anal using fingers, foreign objects orRead MoreChild Sexual Abuse And Children1301 Words   |  6 PagesChild sexual abuse effects tens of thousands of children, and young teens every year. With the rate of this issues, p arents and other adults are not prepared nor willing to deal with problems of their children or family members been sexual abused. Child sexual abuse can take many forms, but it’s always a violation of a young person’s rights, and it increases the risk of many adverse physical and mental health conditions. Furthermore, child sexual abuse is defined as direct genital contact and indirectRead MoreSexual Assault And Sexual Abuse978 Words   |  4 PagesSexual assault  is any type of  sexual  contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of  sexual assault  are  sexual  activities such as forced  sexual  intercourse forcible sodomy child molestation fondling attempted rape The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was passed in the United States, and its definition of who might be covered under the law included sexual abuse. 1 In 6 Women in the united states and 1 in 33 men have experienced

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Last Sacrifice Chapter Twelve Free Essays

string(28) " area she was last seen in\." DIMITRI AND I BOTH FROZE as the shock of that name hit us. Sydney, glancing between our faces, gave us a dry smile. â€Å"I take it you know who that is?’ â€Å"Of course,’ I exclaimed. We will write a custom essay sample on Last Sacrifice Chapter Twelve or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"She was my teacher. She went crazy and turned Strigoi.’ Sydney nodded. â€Å"I know.’ My eyes widened further. â€Å"Shes not †¦ she’s not the one who had an affair with Lissa’s dad, is she?’ Oh dear God. That would be one of the most unexpected developments in the rollercoaster that was my life. I couldn’t even begin to process the effects of that. â€Å"Not likely,’ she said. â€Å"The account was opened several years before she was added as the beneficiary–which was right when she turned eighteen. So, if we’re assuming the account was created around the time the baby was born, then she would have been way too young. Sonya’s probably a relative.’ My earlier astonishment was giving way to excitement, and I could see the same thing happening to Dimitri. â€Å"You must have records about her family,’ he said. â€Å"Or if not, some Moroi probably does. Who’s close to Sonya? Does she have a sister?’ Sydney shook her head. â€Å"No. That’d be an obvious choice, though. Unfortunately, she has other family–tons of it. Her parents both came from giant families, so she has lots of cousins. Even some of her aunts are the right age.’ â€Å"We can look them up, right?’ I asked. A thrill of anticipation was running through me. I honestly hadn’t expected this much information. True, it was small, but it was something. If Sonya Karp was related to Eric’s mistress, that had to be something we could track. â€Å"There’s a lot of them.’ Sydney shrugged. â€Å"I mean, yeah, we could. It’d take a long time to find everyone’s life history, and even then–especially if this was covered up enough–we’d have a hard time finding out if any of them is the woman we’re looking for. Or even if any of them know who she is.’ Dimitri’s voice was low and thoughtful when he spoke. â€Å"One person knows who Jane Doe is.’ Sydney and I both looked at him expectantly. â€Å"Sonya Karp,’ he replied. I threw up my hands. â€Å"Yeah, but we can’t talk to her. She’s a lost cause. Mikhail Tanner spent over a year hunting her and couldn’t find her. If he can’t, then we’re not going to be able to.’ Dimitri turned away from me and stared out the window. His brown eyes filled with sorrow, his thoughts momentarily far away from us. I didn’t entirely understand what was happening, but that peaceful moment in the library–where Dimitri had smiled and shared in the daydream of an ordinary life–had vanished. And not just the moment. That Dimitri had vanished. He was back in his fierce mode, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders again. At last, he sighed and looked back at me. â€Å"That’s because Mikhail didn’t have the right connections.’ â€Å"Mikhail was her boyfriend,’ I pointed out. â€Å"He had more connections than anyone else.’ Dimitri didn’t acknowledge my comment. Instead, he grew pensive again. I could see turmoil behind his eyes, some inner war. At last, it must have been decided. â€Å"Does your phone have reception out here?’ he asked her. She nodded, reaching into her purse and handing him her phone. He held it a moment, looking like it caused him total agony to touch it. At last, with another sigh, he stood up and headed for the door. Sydney and I exchanged questioning looks and then both followed him. She lagged behind me, having to toss cash on the table and grab her laptop. I emerged outside just as Dimitri finished dialing a number and put the phone to his ear. Sydney joined us, and a moment later, the person on the other end of the line must have answered. â€Å"Boris?’ asked Dimitri. That was all I understood because the rest was a string of rapid Russian. A strange sensation spread over me as he spoke. I was confused, lost because of the language †¦ but there was more than that. I felt chilled. My pulse raced with fear. That voice †¦ I knew that voice. It was his voice and yet not his voice. It was the voice of my nightmares, a voice of coldness and cruelty. Dimitri was playing Strigoi. Well, â€Å"playing’ was really too gentle of a word. Pretending was a better way to describe it. Whatever it was, it was pretty damned convincing. Beside me, Sydney frowned, but I didn’t think she was experiencing what I was. She had never known him as Strigoi. She didn’t have those horrible memories. His change in demeanor had to be obvious, but as I glanced at her face, I realized she was focused on following the conversation. I’d forgotten she knew Russian. â€Å"What’s he saying?’ I whispered. Her frowned deepened, either from the conversation or me distracting her. â€Å"He †¦ he sounds like he’s talking to someone he hasn’t spoken to in a while. Dimitri’s accusing this person of slacking off while he’s been away.’ She fell silent, continuing her own mental translation. At one point, Dimitri’s voice rose in anger, and both Sydney and I flinched. I turned to her questioningly. â€Å"He’s mad about having his authority questioned. I can’t tell, but now †¦ it sounds like the other person’s groveling.’ I wanted to know every word, but it had to be hard for her to translate to me and listen at the same time. Dimitri’s voice returned to normal levels–though still filled with that terrible menace–and among the flurry of words, I heard â€Å"Sonya Karp’ and â€Å"Montana.’ â€Å"He’s asking about Ms. Kar–Sonya?’ I murmured. She hadn’t been my teacher for a long time. I might as well call her Sonya now. â€Å"Yeah,’ said Sydney, eyes still on Dimitri. â€Å"He’s asking–er, telling–this person to locate someone else and see if he can find Sonya. This person †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ She paused to listen again. â€Å"This person he’s asking about sounds like he knows a lot of people in the area she was last seen in. You read "Last Sacrifice Chapter Twelve" in category "Essay examples"’ I knew â€Å"people’ in this context meant â€Å"Strigoi.’ Dimitri had risen quickly in their ranks, asserting his will and power over others. Most Strigoi operated solo, rarely working in groups, but even the lone ones recognized threats and more dominant Strigoi. Dimitri was working his contacts, just as he’d said earlier. If any Strigoi had heard about his transformation–and believed it–they wouldn’t have been able to pass the news quickly, not with their disorganization. As it was, Dimitri was already having to play leapfrog to find sources who knew other sources who might know Sonya’s location. Dimitri grew loud and angry again, his voice becoming–if possible–more sinister. I suddenly felt trapped, and even Sydney looked scared now. She swallowed. â€Å"He’s telling this guy that if he doesn’t get answers by tomorrow night, Dimitri’s going to find him and rip him apart and †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Sydney didn’t bother finishing. Her eyes were wide. â€Å"Use your imagination. It’s pretty terrible.’ I decided then that I was kind of glad I hadn’t heard all of the conversation in English. When Dimitri finished the call and returned Sydney’s phone, that mask of malice melted from his face. Once again, he was my Dimitri, Dimitri the dhampir. Dejection and despair radiated off him, and he slumped against the cafe’s wall, staring upward into the sky. I knew what he was doing. He was trying to calm himself, seize control of the emotions that had to be warring within him. He’d just done something that might give us clues we needed †¦ but it had been at a terrible cost to himself. My fingers twitched. I wanted to put a comforting arm around him or at least pat his shoulder so he’d know he wasn’t alone. But, I held back, suspecting he wouldn’t like it. At last, he turned his gaze back to us. He’d regained his control–at least on the outside. â€Å"I’ve sent someone to ask about her,’ he said wearily. â€Å"It might not work out. Strigoi are hardly the type to keep a database. But they do occasionally keep an eye on one another, if only for their own self-preservation. We’ll find out soon if there are any hits.’ â€Å"I †¦ wow. Thank you,’I said, fumbling at the words. I knew he needed no thanks, but it felt necessary to me. He nodded. â€Å"We should get back to the Keepers †¦ unless you think this is a safe place to stay?’ â€Å"I’d rather stay off civilized radar,’ said Sydney, moving toward the truck. â€Å"Besides, I want my car keys back.’ The ride back felt ten times longer. Dimitri’s mood filled up the whole cabin, almost suffocating us with its despair. Even Sydney could feel it. She’d let him drive again, and I couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing. Would the road distract him from his Strigoi torment? Or would his agony distract him from the road and put us off in a ditch? Fortunately, we made it back safe and sound and found two of the Keepers waiting for us in the lot, a Moroi woman and a human guy who both looked fierce. I still couldn’t shake the strangeness of both races being battle-ready. I wondered if these two were a couple. Back in the camp, we found the communal bonfire ablaze and people sitting out around it, some eating and some just socializing. I’d learned at breakfast that the fire was always there for those who wanted to bond but that plenty of families kept to their own households as well. We went back to Raymond’s house, but only Sarah and Joshua were there. She was cleaning up dishes, and he sat restlessly in a chair. As soon as he caught sight of me at the door, he sprang up, radiant smile on high-beam again. â€Å"Rose! You’re back. We were starting to worry †¦ I mean, not that anything had happened to you–not with your skills–but that maybe you’d just left us.’ â€Å"Not without our car,’ said Sydney, placing the truck keys on the table. The CR-Vs were sitting there already, and relief flooded her face as she snatched them up. Sarah offered us leftovers, which we declined, having stocked up on snack food at Rubysville’s gas station. â€Å"Well,’ she said, â€Å"if you’re not going to eat, you might as well join the others out at the fire. Jess McHale might sing tonight if they can get her to drink enough, and drunk or sober, that woman has the finest voice I’ve ever heard.’ I briefly met Dimitri and Sydney’s eyes. I admit, I was a little curious to see how this wilderness group partied it up, even though moonshine and folk songs weren’t really my first choice of entertainment. Dimitri still wore that haunted look from the phone call. I had a suspicion he would have been content to isolate himself in our room, but when Sydney said she’d go to the fire, his response came automatically: â€Å"I’ll go too.’ I knew instantly what he was doing. His Strigoi days tormented him. Talking to Strigoi tormented him. And maybe–no, certainly–he wanted to hide away and try to block it all out, but he was Dimitri. Dimitri protected those who needed it, and even if listening to fireside songs wasn’t exactly life-threatening, it was still a semi-dangerous situation for a civilian like Sydney. He couldn’t allow that. Plus, he knew Sydney would feel safer with both of us nearby. I started to say I’d join them, but Joshua spoke before I could. â€Å"Do you still want to see my cave? There’s a little light left outside. You’ll get a better view that way than if we have to use a torch.’ I’d forgotten about my last conversation with Joshua and started to decline his offer. But then, something flashed in Dimitri’s eyes, something disapproving. So. He didn’t want me going off with some young, good-looking guy. Was it legitimate concern about the Keepers? Was it jealousy? No, surely not the latter. We’d established–many, many times–that Dimitri wanted no romantic connection with me. He’d even stood up for Adrian earlier. Was this some kind of ex-boyfriend thing? Back in Rubysville, I’d believed Dimitri and I could be friends, but that wouldn’t happen if he thought he could control me and my love life. I’d known girls with exes like that. I wouldn’t be one. I could hang out with whomever I wanted. â€Å"Sure,’ I said. Dimitri’s expression darkened. â€Å"I’d love to.’ Joshua and I headed off, leaving the others behind. I knew part of my decision was to prove my independence. Dimitri had said we were equals, yet he’d made an awful lot of decisions in this escape plan without me. It was nice to feel like I had the upper hand for a change, and besides, I liked Joshua and was kind of curious to learn more about how his people lived. I don’t think Sydney wanted me to leave, but Dimitri would look after her. As Joshua and I walked, we passed plenty of Keepers out and about. Just like earlier, I received a fair amount of stares. Rather than lead us down the road to where his father lived, Joshua took me around the small mountain. It was still good-sized, but after living near the Rockies, everything in the Appalachians seemed â€Å"small’ to me. I guess I was a mountain snob. Still, the mountain extended quite a ways, and we moved farther and farther from the Keepers’ main settlement. The forest grew thicker, the light growing scarce as the sun finally began sinking into the horizon. â€Å"I’m kind of on the outskirts,’ Joshua said apologetically. â€Å"We keep growing and growing, and there’s not much room in the town’s center.’ I thought â€Å"town’ was an optimistic term but didn’t say so. Yeah. I was definitely a snob. â€Å"But the caves keep going, so there’s still space.’ â€Å"Are they natural?’ I asked. â€Å"Some are. Some are abandoned mining caves.’ â€Å"It’s pretty out here,’ I said. I liked all the deciduous trees. I might be homesick for Montana, but the wide leaves here were a neat contrast to pine needles. â€Å"And hey, at least you get lots of privacy, right?’ â€Å"True.’ He smiled. â€Å"I figured you’d think it was †¦ I don’t know. Too rustic. Or savage. You probably think we all are.’ His observation startled me. Most of the Keepers had been so fiercely defensive of their way of life that I hadn’t thought anyone would even think an outsider would question it–or that any Keeper would care if we did. â€Å"It’s just different,’ I said diplomatically. â€Å"A lot different from what I’m used to.’ I felt a flash of homesickness for all the people and places I was now cut off from. Lissa. Adrian. Our other friends. Court. St. Vladimir’s. I shook the feeling off quickly. I had no time to mope and could at least check on Lissa later. â€Å"I’ve been to human towns,’ continued Joshua. â€Å"And other places the Tainted live. I can see why you’d like them.’ He turned a bit sheepish. â€Å"I wouldn’t mind electricity.’ â€Å"Why don’t you guys use it?’ â€Å"We would if we could. We’re just too far out, and no one really knows we’re here anyway. The lily-people say it’s better for hiding us.’ It hadn’t occurred to me that they simply endured these conditions because they were forced to in order to conceal themselves. I wondered how many of their choices came from clinging to the so-called old ways †¦ and how much was influenced by the Alchemists. â€Å"Here we are,’ said Joshua, pulling me from my musings. He gestured to a dark hole at ground level. The opening was big enough for an adult to enter. â€Å"Nice,’ I said. I’d noticed earlier that some of the caves were set higher into the mountains and had watched their residents either climb the rock bare-handed or use homemade ladders. An easy-access doorway seemed luxurious. Joshua looked surprised at my praise. â€Å"Really?’ â€Å"Really.’ We’d ended up losing too much daylight. He paused to light a torch, and then I followed him inside. We had to duck a little at first, but as we went deeper into the cave, the ceiling slowly expanded and opened up into a wide, rounded space. The floor was hard-packed dirt, the stone walls rough and jagged. This was a natural cave, but I could pick out the efforts made to civilize it. The floor had been cleaned and leveled, and I saw some stones and rocks in a corner that looked like they’d been gathered up to clear space. A couple pieces of furniture had already been moved in: a narrow wooden chair and a mattress that looked like it could barely hold one person. â€Å"You probably think it’s small,’ said Joshua. It was true, but it was actually bigger than my dorm room at St. Vladimir’s. â€Å"Well †¦ yeah, but I mean, how old are you?’ â€Å"Eighteen.’ â€Å"Same as me,’ I said. This seemed to make him pretty happy. â€Å"Having your own, um, cave at eighteen is pretty cool.’ It would have been cooler still with electricity, Internet, and plumbing, but there was no need to bring that up. His blue eyes practically shone. I couldn’t help but notice what a pretty contrast they made against his tanned skin. I dismissed the thought immediately. I wasn’t here for a boyfriend. But apparently, I was the only one who believed that. Joshua suddenly took a step forward. â€Å"You can stay if you want,’ he said. â€Å"The other Tainted would never find you here. We could get married, and then when we had kids, we could build a loft like my parents’ and–‘ The word married had me moving toward the entrance as shocked and panicked as I would be by a Strigoi attack. Except, I usually had fair warning before those. â€Å"Whoa, whoa, slow down.’ No. I hadn’t seen a proposal coming. â€Å"We just met!’ Thankfully, he didn’t come closer. â€Å"I know, but sometimes that’s how it is.’ â€Å"What, marriages between people who hardly know each other?’ I asked incredulously. â€Å"Sure. Happens all the time. And seriously, just in this short of time, I already know I like you. You’re amazing. You’re beautiful and obviously a good fighter. And the way you carry yourself †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ He shook his head, awe on his face. â€Å"I’ve never seen anything like it.’ I wished he wasn’t so cute and nice. Having creepy guys profess their adoration was a lot easier to deal with than one you liked. I remembered Sydney saying I was a hot commodity here. Scorching was more like it, apparently. â€Å"Joshua, I really like you, but,’ I added hastily, seeing hope fill his features, â€Å"I’m too young to get married.’ He frowned. â€Å"Didn’t you say you were eighteen?’ Okay. Age was probably not a good argument around here. I’d seen how young people had kids back in Dimitri’s home-town. In a place like this, they probably had child marriages. I tried another angle. â€Å"I don’t even know if I want to get married.’ This didn’t faze him. He nodded in understanding. â€Å"That’s smart. We could live together first, see how we get along.’ His serious expression turned back into a smile. â€Å"But I’m pretty easygoing. I’d let you win every argument.’ I couldn’t help it. I laughed. â€Å"Well, then, I’m going to have to win this one and tell you I’m just not ready for †¦ any of it. Besides, I’m already involved with someone.’ â€Å"Dimitri?’ â€Å"No. Another guy. He’s back at the Tainted Court.’ I couldn’t even believe I was saying that. Joshua frowned. â€Å"Why isn’t he here protecting you then?’ â€Å"Because †¦ that’s not how he is. And I can take care of myself.’ I’d never liked the assumption that I needed rescuing. â€Å"And look, even if he wasn’t in the picture, I’m leaving soon anyway. It would never work out between you and me.’ â€Å"I understand.’ Joshua looked disappointed but seemed to be taking the rejection okay. â€Å"Maybe when you’ve got everything sorted out, you’ll come back.’ I started to tell him not to wait for me and that he should just marry someone else (despite how ridiculous it was at his age), but then I realized that was a pointless comment. In Joshua’s fantasies, he could probably marry someone else now and then add me on to his harem later, like Sarah and Paulette. So, I just simply said, â€Å"Maybe.’ Groping for a change in subject, I searched for anything to distract us. My eyes fell on the chair and a leafy pattern carved into it. â€Å"That’s really neat.’ â€Å"Thanks,’ he said, walking over. To my relief, he didn’t pursue the earlier topic. He ran his hand lovingly over the ornately carved wood. The design looked like braided leaves. â€Å"I did it myself.’ â€Å"Really?’ I asked in true surprise. â€Å"That †¦ that’s amazing.’ â€Å"If you like it †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ His hand moved, and I feared there was a kiss or embrace coming. Instead, he reached into his shirt pocket and produced a finely carved wooden bracelet. It was a simple, sinuous design, the true marvel being how narrow and delicate it was to all be one piece. The wood had been polished to brilliance. â€Å"Here.’ He handed me the bracelet. â€Å"This is for me?’ I ran my finger along the smooth edge. â€Å"If you want it. I made it while you were out today. So you’ll remember me after you leave.’ I hesitated, wondering if accepting this would be encouraging him. No, I decided. I’d made my views on teenage marriage clear, and anyway, he looked so nervous, I couldn’t stand the thought of hurting his feelings. I slipped it onto my wrist. â€Å"Of course I’ll remember. Thank you.’ From the happy look on his face, taking the bracelet made up for my earlier refusal. He showed me a few more details around the cave and then followed my suggestion to join the others at the fire. We could hear the music echoing through the trees long before we made it back, and while it was hardly my style, there was something warm and friendly about this community’s way of life. I’d never been to summer camp, but I imagined this was what it’d be like. Sydney and Dimitri sat near the group’s edge. They were quiet and watchful, but everyone else sang, clapped, and talked. Again, I was stunned at how easily dhampirs, humans, and Moroi could all be involved with one another. Mixed couples were everywhere, and one–a human and Moroi–were openly making out. Every so often, when he kissed her neck, he’d also bite and take some blood. I had to glance away. I turned back toward my friends. Sydney noticed me and looked relieved. Dimitri’s expression was unreadable. Like always, the others’ eyes followed my movement, and to my surprise, I saw open jealousy on some of the guys’ faces. I hoped they didn’t think Joshua and I had been off getting naked in the cave. That was hardly the reputation I wanted to leave behind. â€Å"I have to talk to Sydney,’ I told him over the noise. I decided it’d be best to keep my distance before any rumors started, and truthfully, Sydney looked like she wanted me by her side. Joshua nodded, and I turned away. I’d taken two steps when a fist suddenly came right toward my face. I’d had no defenses up and just barely had the presence of mind to turn my head and catch the blow on my cheek, rather than end up with a broken nose. After the initial surprise, all my training kicked in. I quickly sidestepped out of the line of attack and put my body into a fighter’s stance. The music and singing stopped, and I turned to face my attacker. Angeline. She stood in a way similar to my own, fists clenched and eyes completely honed in on me. â€Å"Okay,’ she said. â€Å"It’s time to find out how tough you really are.’ What it was time for was someone–say, like, a parent–to come and drag her off and punish her for punching guests. Amazingly, no one moved or tried to stop her. No–that wasn’t quite true. One person stood up. Dimitri had sprung to action the instant he saw me in danger. I expected him to come pull Angeline away, but a group of Keepers hastily moved to his side, saying something to him that I couldn’t hear. They didn’t try to physically restrain him, but whatever they said, it kept him where he stood. I would have demanded to know what they’d told him, but Angeline was coming at me again. It looked like I was on my own. Angeline was short, even for a dhampir, but her whole body was packed with strength. She was pretty fast too, though not fast enough to get that second hit in on me. I neatly dodged it and kept my distance, not wanting to go on the offensive with this girl. She could probably do a fair amount of damage in a fight, but there was a sloppy– no, more like rough–edge to it. She was a scrapper, someone who’d done a lot of brawling but without any formal training. â€Å"Are you insane?’ I exclaimed, moving out of the way of another assault. â€Å"Stop this. I don’t want to hurt you.’ â€Å"Sure,’ she said. â€Å"That’s what you want everyone to think, right? If you don’t actually have to fight, then they’ll all go on believing those marks are real.’ â€Å"They are real!’ The insinuation that I’d faked my tattoos sparked my temper, but I refused to get drawn into this ridiculous scuffle. â€Å"Prove it,’ she said, coming at me again. â€Å"Prove you’re who you say you are.’ It was like a dance, keeping away from her. I could have done it all night, and a few dismayed cries from the crowd demanded we â€Å"get on with it.’ â€Å"I don’t have to prove anything,’ I told her. â€Å"It’s a lie then.’ Her breathing was heavy now. She was working a lot harder than me. â€Å"Everything you Tainted do is a lie.’ â€Å"Not true,’ I said. Why was Dimitri letting this go on? Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of him, and so help me, he was smiling. Meanwhile, Angeline was still continuing her tirade as she tried to hit me. â€Å"You all lie. You’re all weak. Especially your â€Å"royals.’ They’re the worst of all.’ â€Å"You don’t know them at all. You don’t know anything about them.’ She might be able to carry on a conversation, but I could see her growing increasingly frustrated. If not for the fact I was pretty sure she’d hit me in the back, I would have taken the noble approach and simply walked away. â€Å"I know enough,’ she said. â€Å"I know they’re selfish and spoiled and don’t do anything for themselves. They don’t care about anyone else. They’re all the same.’ I actually agreed with Angeline about some royals but didn’t like the generalization. â€Å"Don’t talk about things you don’t understand,’ I snapped. â€Å"They’re not all like that.’ â€Å"They are,’ she said, pleased to see me angry. â€Å"I wish they were all dead.’ It was hardly enough to push me into offense mode, but the comment did cloud my thoughts enough that I let her get through my guard, just a little. I never would have let that happen with a Strigoi, but I’d underestimated this wild girl. Her leg snaked out just enough to hit my knee, and it was like tossing a spark into gasoline. Everything exploded. With that hit, I stumbled slightly, and she pushed her advantage. My battle instincts took over, and I had no choice but to strike back before she could hit me. People began cheering now that the fight was â€Å"really going.’ I was on offense, trying to subdue her, meaning the physical contact had jumped up exponentially. I was still better than her, no doubt, but in trying to get to her, I put myself in her range. She landed a few blows on me, nothing serious, before I was able to tackle her to the ground. I expected that to be the end, but she pushed back against me before I could fully restrain her. We rolled over, and she tried to take the dominant position. I couldn’t allow that and managed a punch on the side of her face that was a lot harder than the earlier one. I thought that would be the end of the fight. My hit had knocked her off me, and I started to stand, but then that little bitch grabbed my hair and jerked me back down. I twisted out of her hold–though I’m pretty sure she took some hair away with her–and this time managed to fully pin her, throwing all my weight and strength into it as I pressed down. I knew it had to be painful but didn’t really care. She’d started it. Besides, this skirmish had gone beyond defense. Pulling someone’s hair was just playing dirty. Angeline made a few more attempts to break away, but when it became clear she couldn’t, those around us began whistling and cheering. A few moments later, that dark and furious look vanished from Angeline’s face, replaced by resignation. I eyed her warily, not about to let down my guard. â€Å"Fine,’ she said. â€Å"I guess it’s okay. Go ahead.’ â€Å"Huh? What’s okay?’ I demanded. â€Å"It’s okay if you marry my brother.’ How to cite Last Sacrifice Chapter Twelve, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Human Resource Management In Global Economy-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Human Resource Management In Global Economy? Answer: Introduction The case study of No Name furnishes a disturbing sight of management policies. CEO Adam OMearawitnessed team to lose outlook of organisational goals, in the endeavour to raise organisational profits and maximise shareholders returns. Adam OMeara of No Name Aircraft realizes that teams and workers are not well synchronized and there appears a communication knock out amongst integrated teams and the management. In context to diversity management there reigns an issue of working with different people. Primarily, at Headquarters in Australia there happen to be intolerance to working with people from dissimilar generations. Secondly there are no practices at No Name that reinforces international performance management. Also the indicators of performance exhibits theres very strong urge for concentrating more on development and training across the organization. This vignette demonstrates the theories and concepts of organisational human resource management (HRM) combat with current practices that are indispensable for the functioning of HRM. Globally human resource management is a vital function, which instigates to portray an essential role in higher management. Human resource management as we comprehend today has been developed from wide spectrum of theories from psychologists, sociologists, organizational behaviourists and management. HRM identifies the skills required for a peculiar job and the process to hire and coach employees to perform to the requisite levels (Brewster and Vernon 2007). Globalisation is guiding HR authorities to create an international strategy which can influence on the policies and practices of the HR department. HRM practices are capable to shape companies that are extra flexible, competent and intelligent than their competitors by virtue of application of practices and policies that concentrate on selecting, recruiting, and training skilled people and guiding there superior efforts to coordinate within the source bundle of companies (Torrington, Hall and Taylor, 2008). Armstrong (2009) states Human Resource Management (HRM) as a coherent and strategic approach towards the management of a company most valued assets; that is, the people employees working there who personally and collectively contribute to the attainment of its objectives. Furthermore, Human resource management techniques can be described as a set of organisational practices that goal at administering a pool of human being capital and assuring that this capital is engaged towards t he attainment of organisational purposes. Organisational HRM can be characterised in four vital components which have been discussed under. Diversity Management Diversity in workforce acknowledges the fact that individuals differ in several ways, invisible or visible, namely age, gender, social status, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, religion, ethnicity, personality and culture. The chief diversity related issues in each nation may be dissimilar. Multi-culturiasm has at all times been the most significant element of multiplicity in Western countries, like Australia, US, New Zealand and EU where there exists numerous international immigrants. A diverse work team encompasses a multitude of values, understanding, beliefs, unique information and ways of visualizing the world (Brown, 2008). The hasty globalization and internationalization has accelerated the importance of work team diversity. A multicultural and cross culture work team is a common fibre not merely in companies in Western economies but although in all international economies (Ely and Roberts, 2008). Companies with efficient diversity management endure to advantage through bottom lines revenues. Affirmative job based conflict management are the resolution to the value in dissimilarity argument. Administering diversity is situated on the recognition of differences and diversity as affirmative traits of an establishment, rather than as challenged to be solved. Apart from optimum utilisation of potential and skills of all workers, managing diversity can support to organizational success by empowering access to a shifting marketplace by reflecting rising diverse market places and refining corporate impressions (Kreitz, 2008). Consequently, cherishing the diversity may turn out a basis of competitive benefit, raise the quality of organizational ambience and apparently be positive for business. The recipe to diversity management relies on people centric policies and strategic thinking .Where diversity management is a style which rotates around members, the Human resource management job is the guardian of the people management procedure. Altogether HRM and diversity management are primarily focussed on assistance of human resource operational to competitive techniques (Macibi,(2007).Diversity management and HRM are concerns related with personal differences, the growth and well-being of all members .HRM tools concentrates on inequality in hiring, appraisal, reward and advancement can boost resourcefulness in a diverse work team. HRM techniques are considered as significant in superseding group and individual process issues at the same time addressing the bottom line. Diversity management has a status in HRM and must be at the centre of human resource policies and practices (Knouse et.al, 2008). Efficient HR strategies concentrate on enhancing knowledge creation, flexibility, organizational learning and advancement of a work ambience which is encouraging diversity management. Culture Trade nowadays is global and the prime players are the international organizations like No Name. Contemporary human resource authorities cannot restrain themselves to mere understanding of human capital in their native countries (Sippola and Smale, 2007). Everybody must have sense of global HRM. Organizational culture demonstrates to a scheme of communal meanings understood by members that discriminate one organization from another one. Culture offers staff a clear perception of the attributes that are carried out in that organization. Culture is the apparent subjective impression of the formal technique, the informal pattern of authorities and other vital environment components on the beliefs, attitudes, motivation and values of the people in a peculiar environment (Skerlavaj Dimovski ,2007). The notion of culture is visualized as bridge amidst the person and the organization. Culture executes several purposes inside an organization. Each and every culture has a broad spectrum along with a bunch of beliefs and values. This could be worthwhile to its members but strange for others. Aftermath we view persons from different cultures, observe that their behaviours and conduct and frequently dislike their approaches. Managers who have cross culture accountabilities and inter border responsibilities are required to be prepared to efficiently manage the inevitable multi-cultural charge and challenges entangled. There are dissimilarities not only amongst cultures but then again within cultures. For instance, Australian culture could be acknowledged as significantly Anglo-Celtic mass, nevertheless the nations culture also comprises of several distinctive sub cultures. A persons culture might have several phases: Human resource authorities have a significant role to administer in preparing employees for overseas task (Agarwala,2010). Provided the sensibility and range of cultural divergence it is presumed that persons employed in global context can gain from training in social manners and business customs of the nations they work in.HR people can exhibit a significant role in building programs for sales and other department whose conduct must be fully acquainted in desired nation (Redman, Wilkinson, 2009). The concept of corporate culture has been long recognized and it is a well-known fact that it cannot be merely illustrated in context to formal structure. The notion of corporate culture is the fundamental theme of the distinct literature along with HRM and control management. The main proponents represented a dominant corporate culture as a vital element in boosting competitive performance by virtue of flexibility and enhance employee commitment. In the presence of strong cultures employee s clearly know what is expected from them. On the other hand, staff in feeble culture waste time in identifying what is necessitated .As per this concept staff recognize in strong and vibrant culture and feel pride in their company. International Performance Management Literally performance refers to the actual performance accomplished by manager. Performance has a correlation with the personal potential and how optimally it is attained by an individual. In fact, it is the employees traits and resources that ascertain an organizations ability to perform and to influence or to satisfy its shareholders. Such resources and potential exhibit the measure of the in-house status of an organization that is demonstrated by virtue of its results. Performance management is the technique of systematically administering people for goal focus, innovation, satisfaction and productivity (Walters, 2009). The prime objective is to assure success to all leaders such as all team members who consider in its approach, process and its implementation with commitment and sincerity. The authorities success is exhibited in organizations bottom line in context of accomplishing its desired objectives. Performance management is a boundless process which correlates several proce sses such as planning; administering performance for the complete year, taking note of employee potential and performance (Barzantny and Festing, 2008) .Also it comprises recognizing and rewarding accomplishment at the completion of year. Performance management associates this system in such a manner that a managees outcome is always concerned towards attaining organizational objectives. International performance management of staff is the formal evaluation along with potential for improvement during a specific span by seniors or another authority that are acquainted with their performance (Denisi and Budwhar, 2008). It is amongst the primogenital and broadly used management techniques. Performance appraisal is an imperative tool for a company Performance enhancement is not only a by-product of well performing system but also relies on efficient human resource techniques that succeed in hiring and maintaining a motivated and committed workforce. Traits of effective International Performance management: International performance management is a multifaceted conception that encompasses diverse dimensions of the people and the people. The goals, objectives and mission of the organization should be thoroughly structured. Performance forecasting, reward and development system empowers the authorities to recognize their true capacity in order to be a factor for organizational development and growth. The underpinned comprises the prerequisites to ensure efficient practices of performance management: a) Transparent organizational goals the concerned authorities are required to precisely and clearly lie down the organizational objectives, goals and assure that these are well notified to the superiors and other members and make them comprehend what the organization envisages from them. b) Evaluation the team, divisional /department performance requires to be assessed on constant basis. The company should develop an assessment process and system which is developed and structured on scientific ground. c) Coordination the managers must foster the practice of getting task done through the technique of acquiring managees consent rather than by virtue of coercion or control. d) Self-management units- the authorities are required to boost the teams and individuals for self-management of their functioning. This technique creates in the people a vibe of responsibility and accountability and builds a spirit to perform with commitment and assess their weakness and strengths regularly and plan for eliminating the performance gaps. e) Managers development the authorities are required to identify some of the people who have leadership attributes and apart from honesty and sincerity to ensure effective and superior two way communication amidst the managers and the members. f) Feedback the company should have a proper feedback procedure teams/departments/individuals performance. This must be monitored constantly and generate opinion for superior performance management. Training and Development Training plays a vital role in boosting employee functioning. A prescribed description of training and development is an effort to recuperate present or future staff by raising an employee capacity to perform by means of learning, typically by mending the employees aptitude or increasing their knowledge and skills. Where training is perceived to be a procedure of imparting peculiar skills, development is stated to be the knowledge opportunities outlined to assist employees mature. Training is the proper and systematic alteration of behaviour by virtue of learning which happens as an outcome of instruction, education, development and anticipated event.For training to have a deep impact on performance, its outline and delivery must be well enforced. A diagrammatic presentation of training and development is represented below: On the job training Training structure Organizational Performance Training and Development Delivery The organisational responsibility or the virtual strength of a persons identification and engrossment in a specific organisation relies on efficient training and development strategies. Irene (2009) states that ample training generates marked improvements in staff communication and expertise of performance combat with prolonging retention time. Furthermore when strategies concentrates on communication aptitude with co-workers there are prominent increment in profits along with higher number of informed affirmative working relationships that comes into shape. Moreover education and training have exhibited to have a substantial positive influence on job satisfaction, job involvement and organisational commitment. Correspondingly, weak performance reviews on account of insufficient job training can generate employee conflict and dissatisfaction. Development is a wide multi angled, constant multi faced group of activities to uphold an organization up to another verge of performance, usually to execute some task or fresh role in the near future. As per Quartey (2012), staff must be trained and wherever likely developed to encounter their self-career requirements and the needs of the organization. It has been observed that training usually is a planned endeavour by an organization to enable workers learning of the work related proficiency. Such expertise comprises of skill, knowledge and traits that are significant for fruitful job performance. Whereas several human resources amateur contemplate training and development after recruitment activity, Quartey (2012) views that it must be amalgamated into the orientation schedule for freshly recruited members. As per him, the training and development section should describe to new members what training and development stand for and what facilities and programs are available to staff . In this phase, training and development describes internal training schedules available and how they can involve. Training and development should concentrate on all the issues of organisational management including corporate culture. Conclusion HRM is an array of idiosyncratic activities, processes and functions that are directed at enticing, instructing and maintaining establishments human resources. The HR operations have accelerated substantially in the last few decades and shelter the entire range of people management processes. There are diverse opinions about the character of HRM and there prevails an enormous variation of HR procedures adopted by several organizations. Even though, it is broadly recognized that the chief practices of HR comprises selection and recruitment, diversity management, training and development, culture administering, performance management, and rewards and compensation. HRM techniques are reciprocally independent in ascertaining organizational functioning. The eventuality perspective recommends that in sequence to be efficient, an organisations HR practices must be coherent with other facets of the company. Rather than embracing best technique, a fit must subsist amongst business strategy an d HRM. Recommendations Efficient HRM techniques cannot endure in a vacuum .In order to be efficient; they should be in sync with the organizations premeditated vision. The insight will offer an indication of where the establishment is heading and the human resources required assistance to get there. HRM authorities must review the organizations current to ascertain manners in which HR activities can aid that vision .Like in this case studyunderpinned suggestions are being provided: To comprehend some of the significant human resource procedures and practices in aircraft industry. To evaluate the appropriateness of those HR procedures and policies To assess the culture of the organization and take necessary steps to maintain affirmative communication at all levels To assess international performance management as per the demographics of the employees and infuse motivation to outperform To impart proper training and development activities regularly in order to polish the skills of members and keep them in sync with the latest trend To evaluate the level of satisfaction of employees with the procedures and practices of HRM Reference List Agarwala,Tanuja (2010), Strategic Human Resource Management, 9 th Edition, Oxford University Press. Apospori, E., Nikandrou, I., Brewster, C., and Papalexandris, N. (2008), HRM and Organizational Performance in Northern and Southern Europe, International Journal of Human Resource Management 19, 7, 11871207. Armstrong, M. (2009), Armstrongs Handbook of Performance Management, An evidence bazed guide to delivering high performance, 4th edition,London, Kogan Page. Barzantny, C. and Festing, M. (2008), Performance management in France and Germany, in Varma, A., Budwhar, P. and Denisi, A., PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: A Global Perspective, Routledge, London and New York, pp. 147-167. Brewster, C., Sparrow, P. and Vernon, G. (2007), International Human Resource Management, 2nd Ed, Wimbledon, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, C.I.P.D. Publishing. Brown, S. L., (2008) ,Diversity in the Workplace: A Study of Gender, Race, Age, and Salary Level. UMI Number: 3297416 by Pro Quest Information and Learning Company. Denisi, A., Varma, A. and Budwhar, P., (2008) , Performance management: what have we learned? , PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: A Global Perspective, Routledge, London and New York pp. 254-261. Edinger, S. (2012), Dont innovate. Create a culture of innovation, Forbes, available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottedinger/2012/11/20/dont-innovate-create-a-culture-of-innovation/ Ely, R. J., and Roberts, L. M. (2008). Shifting Frames in Team-Diversity Research: From Difference to Relationships. In A. P. Brief (ed)., Diversity at Work, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 265-317 Irene, F.L. (2009), A Thesis on the Impact of Training and Development on the Worker Performance and Productivity in the Public Sector Organizations: A case study of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, (Submitted Thesis), Institute of Distance Learning: KNUST Kennedy, P.E, Chyung, S.Y, Winiecke, D.J., Brinkerholff, R.O.,(2013) : Training professionals usage and understanding of Kirkpatricks Level 3 and Level 4 evaluations. In: International Journal of Training and Development , 18:1 Knouse Stephen B., Alvin Patricia Smith, (2008), Issues in Diversity Management, Internal Report Number 05-08, Department of Management, B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration, University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Kreitz, P. A. 2008. Best Practices for Managing Organizational Diversity. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, March 2008, Volume 34, Number 2, pages 101120 Macibi, N.A (2007), Human Resource Management Success. Tips for HRM Theorists and Practitioner. Kampala. Makerere University Printery Ltd. McMahon, G., (2009) SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: EFFECTIVE STRATEGY, BEST PRACTICE AND KEY SKILLS, Liffey Press, Dublin. Quartey, S. H. (2012), Effect of Employee Training on the Perceived Organisational Performance: A Case Study of the Print-Media Industry in Ghana, European Journal of Business and Management, 4(15), pp,77-88 Redman, T. and Wilkinson, A., (2009) CONTEMPORARY HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: Text and Cases, Prentice Hall-Financial Times, Third Edition. Sippola, A. and Smale, A. (2007). The Global Integration of Diversity Management: A Longitudinal Case Study. International Journal of Human Resource Management 18:11. The Special Issue of Global Diversity Management. Skerlavaj, M., Indihar, M. S., Skrinjar, R., Dimovski, V. (2007). Organizational learning culturethe missing link between business process change and organizational performance. Int. J. Production Economics, 106(2), 346367. Torrington, D., Hall, L. and Taylor, R., (2008) HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Prentice Hall Financial Times, Essex. Walters, M. (2009), The performance Management handbook, Jaico Publishing House, London.