Storm Born Chapter One

I'd seen weirder things than a haunted shoe, but not many. The Nike Pegasus sat on the office's desk, inoffensive, colored in shades of gray, white, and orange. Some of the laces were loosened, and a bit of dirt clung around the soles. It was the left shoe. As for me, well†¦underneath my knee-length coat, I had a Glock .22 loaded with bullets carrying a higher-than-legal steel content. A cartridge of silver ones rested in the coat's pocket. Two athames lay sheathed on my other hip, one silver-bladed and one iron. Stuck into my belt near them was a wand, hand-carved oak and loaded with enough charmed gems to probably blow up the desk in the corner if I wanted to. To say I felt overdressed was something of an understatement. â€Å"So,† I said, keeping my voice as neutral as possible, â€Å"what makes you think your shoe is†¦uh, possessed?† Brian Montgomery, late thirties with a receding hairline in serious denial, eyed the shoe nervously and moistened his lips. â€Å"It always trips me up when I'm out running. Every time. And it's always moving around. I mean, I never actually see it, but†¦like, I'll take them off near the door, then I come back and find this one under the bed or something. And sometimes†¦sometimes I touch it, and it feels cold†¦really cold†¦like†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He groped for similes and finally picked the tritest one. â€Å"Like ice.† I nodded and glanced back at the shoe, not saying anything. â€Å"Look, Miss†¦Odile†¦or whatever. I'm not crazy. That shoe is haunted. It's evil. You've gotta do something, okay? I've got a marathon coming up, and until this started happening, these were my lucky shoes. And they're not cheap, you know. They're an investment.† It sounded crazy to me – which was saying something – but there was no harm in checking, seeing as I was already out here. I reached into my coat pocket, the one without ammunition, and pulled out my pendulum. It was a simple one, a thin silver chain with a small quartz crystal hanging from it. I laced the chain's end through my fingers and held my flattened hand over the shoe, clearing my mind and letting the crystal hang freely. A moment later, it began to slowly rotate of its own accord. â€Å"Well, I'll be damned,† I muttered, stuffing the pendulum back in my pocket. There was something there. I turned to Montgomery, attempting some sort of badass face, because that was what customers always expected. â€Å"It might be best if you stepped out of the room, sir. For your own safety.† That was only half-true. Mostly I just found lingering clients annoying. They asked stupid questions and could do stupider things, which actually put me at more risk than them. He had no qualms about getting out of there. As soon as the door closed, I found a jar of salt in my satchel and poured a large ring on the office's floor. I tossed the shoe into the middle of it and invoked the four cardinal directions with the silver athame. Ostensibly the circle didn't change, but I felt a slight flaring of power, indicating it had sealed us in. Trying not to yawn, I pulled out my wand and kept holding the silver athame. It had taken four hours to drive to Las Cruces, and doing that on so little sleep had made the distance seem twice as long. Sending some of my will into the wand, I tapped it against the shoe and spoke in a sing-song voice. â€Å"Come out, come out, whoever you are.† There was a moment's silence, then a high-pitched male voice snapped, â€Å"Go away, bitch.† Great. A shoe with attitude. â€Å"Why? You got something better to do?† â€Å"Better things to do than waste my time with a mortal.† I smiled. â€Å"Better things to do in a shoe? Come on. I mean, I've heard of slumming it, but don't you think you're kind of pushing the envelope here? This shoe isn't even new. You could have done so much better.† The voice kept its annoyed tone, not threatening but simply irritated at the interruption. â€Å"I'm slumming it? Do you think I don't know who you are, Eugenie Markham? Dark-Swan-Called-Odile. A blood traitor. A mongrel. An assassin. A murderer.† He practically spit out the last word. â€Å"You are alone among your kind and mine. A bloodthirsty shadow. You do anything for anyone who can pay you enough for it. That makes you more than a mercenary. That makes you a whore.† I affected a bored stance. I'd been called most of those names before. Well, except for my own name. That was new – and a little disconcerting. Not that I'd let him know that. â€Å"Are you done whining? Because I don't have time to listen while you stall.† â€Å"Aren't you being paid by the hour?† he asked nastily. â€Å"I charge a flat fee.† â€Å"Oh.† I rolled my eyes and touched the wand to the shoe again. This time, I thrust the full force of my will into it, drawing upon my own body's physical stamina as well as some of the power of the world around me. â€Å"No more games. If you leave on your own, I won't have to hurt you. Come out.† He couldn't stand against that command and the power within it. The shoe trembled, and smoke poured out of it. Oh, Jesus. I hoped the shoe didn't get incinerated during this. Montgomery wouldn't be able to handle that. The smoke bellowed out, coalescing into a large, dark form about two feet taller than me. With all his wisecracks, I'd sort of expected a saucy version of one of Santa's elves. Instead, the being before me had the upper body of a well-muscled man, while his lower portion resembled a small cyclone. The smoke solidified into leathery gray-black skin, and I had only a moment to act as I assessed this new development. I swapped the wand for the gun, ejecting the clip as I pulled it out. By then, he was lunging for me, and I had to roll out of his way, confined by the circle's boundaries. A keres. A male keres – most unusual. I'd anticipated something fey, which required silver bullets; or a spectre, which required no bullets. Keres were ancient death spirits originally confined to canopic jars. When the jars wore down over time, keres tended to seek out new homes. There weren't too many of them left in this world, and soon there'd be one less. He bore down on me, and I took a nice chunk out of him with the silver blade. I used my right hand, the one I wore an onyx and obsidian bracelet on. Those stones alone would take a toll on a death spirit like him without the blade's help. Sure enough, he hissed in pain and hesitated a moment. I used that delay, scrambling to load the silver cartridge. I didn't quite make it, because soon he was on me again. He hit me with one of those massive arms, slamming me against the walls of the circle. They might be transparent, but they felt as solid as bricks. One of the downsides of trapping a spirit in a circle was that I got trapped too. My head and left shoulder took the brunt of that impact, and pain shot through me in small starbursts. He seemed pretty pleased with himself over this, as overconfident villains so often are. â€Å"You're as strong as they say, but you were a fool to try to cast me out. You should have left me in peace.† His voice was deeper now, almost gravelly. I shook my head, both to disagree and to get rid of the dizziness. â€Å"It isn't your shoe.† I still couldn't swap that goddamned cartridge. Not with him ready to attack again, not with both hands full. Yet I couldn't risk dropping either weapon. He reached for me, and I cut him again. The wounds were small, but the athame was like poison. It would wear him down over time – if I could stay alive that long. I moved to strike at him once more, but he anticipated me and seized hold of my wrist. He squeezed it, bending it in an unnatural position and forcing me to drop the athame and cry out. I hoped he hadn't broken any bones. Smug, he grabbed me by the shoulders with both hands and lifted me up so that I hung face to face with him. His eyes were yellow with slits for pupils, much like some sort of snake's. His breath was hot and reeked of decay as he spoke. â€Å"You are small, Eugenie Markham, but you are lovely and your flesh is warm. Perhaps I should beat the rush and take you myself. I'd enjoy hearing you scream beneath me.† Ew. Had that thing just propositioned me? And there was my name again. How in the world did he know that? None of them knew that. I was only Odile to them, named after the dark swan in Swan Lake, a name coined by my stepfather because of the form my spirit preferred to travel in while visiting the Otherworld. The name – though not particularly terrifying – had stuck, though I doubted any of the creatures I fought knew the reference. They didn't really get out to the ballet much. The keres had my upper arms pinned – I would have bruises tomorrow – but my hands and forearms were free. He was so sure of himself, so overly arrogant and confident, that he paid no attention to my struggling hands. He probably just perceived the motion as a futile effort to free myself. In seconds, I had the clip out and in the gun. I managed one clumsy shot and he dropped me – not gently. I stumbled to regain my balance again. Bullets probably couldn't kill him, but a silver one in the center of his chest would certainly hurt. He stumbled back, half-surprised, and I wondered if he'd ever even encountered a gun before. It fired again, then again and again and again. The reports were loud; hopefully Montgomery wouldn't do something foolish and come running in. The keres roared in outrage and pain, each shot making him stagger backward until he was all the way against the circle's boundary. I advanced on him, retrieved athame flashing in my hand. In a few quick motions, I carved the death symbol on the part of his chest that wasn't bloodied from bullets. An electric charge immediately ran through the air of the circle. Hairs stood up on the back of my neck, and I could smell ozone, like just before a storm. He screamed and leapt forward, renewed by rage or adrenaline or whatever else these creatures ran on. But it was too late for him. He was marked and wounded. I was ready. In another mood, I might have simply banished him to the Otherworld; I tried not to kill if I didn't have to. But that sexual suggestion had just been out of line. I was pissed off now. He'd go to the world of death, straight to Persephone's gate. I fired again to slow him, my aim a bit off with the left hand but still good enough to hit him. I had already traded the athame for the wand. This time, I didn't draw on the power from this plane. With well-practiced ease, I let part of my consciousness slip this world. In moments, I reached the crossroads to the Otherworld. That was an easy transition; I did it all the time. The next crossover was a little harder, especially with me being weakened from the fight, but still nothing I couldn't do automatically. I kept my own spirit well outside of the land of death, but I touched it and sent that connection through the wand. It sucked him in, and his face twisted with fear. â€Å"This is not your world,† I said in a low voice, feeling the power burn through me and around me. â€Å"This is not your world, and I cast you out. I send you to the black gate, to the lands of death where you can either be reborn or fade to oblivion or burn in the flames of hell. I really don't give a shit. Go.† He screamed, but the magic caught him. There was a trembling in the air, a buildup of pressure, and then it ended abruptly, like a deflated balloon. The keres was gone too, leaving only a shower of gray sparkles that soon faded to nothing. Silence. I sank to my knees, exhaling deeply. My eyes closed a moment, as my body relaxed and my consciousness returned to this world. I was exhausted but exultant too. Killing him had felt good. Heady, even. He'd gotten what he deserved, and I had been the one to deal it out. Minutes later, some of my strength returned. I stood and opened the circle, suddenly feeling stifled by it. I put my tools and weapons away and went to find Montgomery. â€Å"Your shoe's been exorcised,† I told him flatly. â€Å"I killed the ghost.† No point in explaining the difference between a keres and a true ghost; he wouldn't understand. He entered the room with slow steps, picking up the shoe gingerly. â€Å"I heard gunshots. How do you use bullets on a ghost?† I shrugged. It hurt from where the keres had slammed my shoulder to the wall. â€Å"It was a strong ghost.† He cradled the shoe like one might a child and then glanced down with disapproval. â€Å"There's blood on the carpet.† â€Å"Read the paperwork you signed. I assume no responsibility for damage incurred to personal property.† With a few grumbles, he paid up – in cash – and I left. Really, though, he was so stoked about the shoe, I probably could have decimated the office. In my car, I dug out a Milky Way from the stash in my glove box. Battles like that required immediate sugar and calories. As I practically shoved the candy bar into my mouth, I turned on my cell phone. I had a missed call from Lara. Once I'd consumed a second bar and was on I-10 back to Tucson, I dialed her. â€Å"Yo,† I said. â€Å"Hey. Did you finish the Montgomery job?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Was the shoe really possessed?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Huh. Who knew? That's kind of funny too. Like, you know, lost souls and soles in shoes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Bad, very bad,† I chastised. Lara might be a good secretary, but there was only so much I could be expected to put up with. â€Å"So what's up? Or were you just checking in?† â€Å"No. I just got a weird job offer. Some guy – well, honestly, I thought he sounded kind of schizo. But he claims his sister was abducted by fairies, er, gentry. He wants you to go get her.† I fell silent at that, staring at the highway and clear blue sky ahead without consciously seeing either one. Some objective part of me attempted to process what she had just said. I didn't get that kind of request very often. Okay, never. A retrieval like that required me to cross over physically into the Otherworld. â€Å"I don't really do that.† â€Å"That's what I told him.† But there was uncertainty in Lara's voice. â€Å"Okay. What aren't you telling me?† â€Å"Nothing, I guess. I don't know. It's just†¦he said she's been gone almost a year and a half now. She was fourteen when she disappeared.† My stomach sank a little at that. God. What an awful fate for someone so young. It made the keres' lewd comments to me downright trivial. â€Å"He sounded pretty frantic.† â€Å"Does he have proof she was actually taken?† â€Å"I don't know. He wouldn't get into it. He was kind of paranoid. Seemed to think his phone was being tapped.† I laughed at that. â€Å"By who? The gentry?† â€Å"Gentry† was what I called the beings that most of Western culture referred to as fairies or sidhe. They looked just like humans but embraced magic instead of technology. They found â€Å"fairy† a derogatory term, so I respected that – sort of – by using the term old English peasants used to use. Gentry. Good folk. Good neighbors. A questionable designation, at best. The gentry actually preferred the term â€Å"shining ones,† but that was just silly. I wouldn't give them that much credit. â€Å"I don't know,† Lara told me. â€Å"Like I said, he seemed a little schizo.† Silence fell as I held on to the phone and passed a car driving 45 in the left lane. â€Å"Eugenie! You aren't really thinking of doing this.† â€Å"Fourteen, huh?† â€Å"You always said that was dangerous.† â€Å"Adolescence?† â€Å"Stop it. You know what I mean. Crossing over.† â€Å"Yeah. I know what you mean.† It was dangerous – super dangerous. Traveling in spirit form could still get you killed, but your odds of fleeing back to your earthbound body were better. Take your own body over, and all the rules changed. â€Å"This is crazy.† â€Å"Set it up,† I told her. â€Å"It can't hurt to talk to him.† I could practically see her biting her lip to hold back protests. But at the end of the day, I was the one who signed her paychecks, and she respected that. After a few moments, she filled the silence with info about a few other jobs and then drifted on to more casual topics: some sale at the mall, a mysterious scratch on her car†¦ Something about Lara's cheery gossip always made me smile, but it also disturbed me that most of my social contact came via someone I never actually saw. Lately the majority of my face-to-face interactions came from spirits and gentry. It was after dinnertime when I arrived home, and my housemate, Tim, appeared to be out for the night, probably at a poetry reading. Despite a Polish background, genes had inexplicably given him a strong Native American appearance. In fact, he looked more Indian than some of the locals. Deciding this was his claim to fame, Tim had grown his hair out and taken on the name Timothy Red Horse. He made his living by reading faux-Native poetry at local dives and wooing naive tourist women by using expressions like â€Å"my people† and â€Å"the Great Spirit† a lot. It was despicable, to say the least, but it got him laid pretty often. What it did not do was bring in a lot of money, so I'd let him live with me in exchange for housework and cleaning. It was a pretty good deal as far as I was concerned. After battling the undead all day, scrubbing the bathtub just seemed like asking too much. Scrubbing my athames, unfortunately, was a task I had to do myself. Keres blood could stain. I ate dinner afterward, then stripped and sat in my sauna for a long time. I liked a lot of things about my little house out in the foothills, but the sauna was one of my favorites. It might seem kind of pointless in the desert, but Arizona had mostly dry heat, and I liked the feel of humidity and moisture on my skin. I leaned back against the wooden wall, enjoying the sensation of sweating out the stress. My body ached – some parts more fiercely than others – and the heat let some of the muscles loosen up. The solitude also soothed me. Pathetic as it was, I probably had no one to blame for my lack of sociability except myself. I spent a lot of time alone and didn't mind. When my stepfather, Roland, had first trained me as a shaman, he'd told me that in a lot of cultures, shamans essentially lived outside of normal society. The idea had seemed crazy to me at the time, being in junior high, but it made more sense now that I was older. I wasn't a complete socialphobe, but I found I often had a hard time interacting with other people. Talking in front of groups was murder. Even talking one-on-one had its issues. I had no pets or children to ramble on about, and I couldn't exactly talk about things like the incident in Las Cruces. Yeah, I had kind of a long day. Drove four hours, fought an ancient minion of evil. After a few bullets and knife wounds, I obliterated him and sent him on to the world of death. God, I swear I'm not getting paid enough for this crap, you know? Cue polite laughter. When I left the sauna, I had another message from Lara telling me the appointment with the distraught brother had been arranged for tomorrow. I made a note in my day planner, took a shower, and retired to my room, where I threw on black silk pajamas. For whatever reason, nice pajamas were the one indulgence I allowed myself in an otherwise dirty and bloody lifestyle. Tonight's selection had a cami top that showed serious cleavage, had anyone been there to see it. I always wore a ratty robe around Tim. Sitting at my desk, I emptied out a new jigsaw puzzle I'd just bought. It depicted a kitten on its back clutching a ball of yarn. My love of puzzles ranked up there with the pajama thing for weirdness, but they eased my mind. Maybe it was the fact that they were so tangible. You could hold the pieces in your hand and make them fit together, as opposed to the insubstantial stuff I usually worked with. While my hands moved the pieces around, I kept trying to shake the knowledge that the keres had known my name. What did that mean? I'd made a lot of enemies in the Otherworld. I didn't like the thought of them being able to track me personally. I preferred to stay Odile. Anonymous. Safe. Probably not much point worrying about it, I supposed. The keres was dead. He wouldn't be telling any tales. Two hours later, I finished the puzzle and admired it. The kitten had brown tabby fur, its eyes an almost azure blue. The yarn was red. I took out my digital camera, snapped a picture, and then broke up the puzzle, dumping it back into its box. Easy come, easy go. Yawning, I slipped into bed. Tim had done laundry today; the sheets felt crisp and clean. Nothing like that fresh-sheets smell. Despite my exhaustion, however, I couldn't fall asleep. It was one of life's ironies. While awake, I could slide into a trance with the snap of a finger. My spirit could leave my body and travel to other worlds. Yet, for whatever reason, sleep was more elusive. Doctors had recommended a number of sedatives, but I hated to use them. Drugs and alcohol bound the spirit to this world, and while I did indulge occasionally, I generally liked being ready to slip over at a moment's notice. Tonight I suspected my insomnia had something to do with a teenage girl†¦. But no. I couldn't think about that, not yet. Not until I spoke with the brother. Sighing, needing something else to ponder, I rolled over and stared at my ceiling, at the plastic glow-in-the-dark stars. I started counting them, as I had so many other restless nights. There were exactly thirty-three of them, just like last time. Still, it never hurt to check.

American Superconductor Case

American Superconductor offer electric power infra structure from its generation to distribution. AMSC is the leader in alternate energy. The company has two main business units: AMSC power systems and AMSC Superconductors. AMSC Superconductors American Superconductor has spent nearly 18 years as public limited company developing transmission wires of high quality in order to generate and deliver power. The Company has been posting continuous losses and mostly dwindling on cash.It has however posted recently its first ever profit for the quarter ended 31st March 2009 by earning a profit of $1. 3 million or 3 cents per share. (MSN Money) Debt Verses Equity Financing Equity and debt financing both have their advantages and disadvantages explaining why most big companies select an optimal capital structure which is a mix of debt and equity. Theoretically having a higher ratio of debt in the capital structure maximizes the return on equity. The interest payments on debt are tax deductibl e and usually the cost of debt is much lower than the cost of equity.With debt financing a company pays a fixed interest payment irrespective of the amount of profit or growth it has achieved i. e. it does not have to share its profits with its creditors. For a profitable company requiring extra capital, â€Å"debt financing† is the best option because with debt financing it does not have to share its profits or the ownership of the business with others. Equity injection however results in further dilution of earnings and management control. With the above argument one may feel that debt financing is the best option.Debt financing is a good option as long as the company has huge profits and liquid assets to support it. For a business that is facing losses, debt payments can be a huge burden in the form of interest payments. The creditors will have to be paid while the stockholders on the other hand will not get any dividends since the company is only making a loss. We can the refore say that equity financing puts less of a burden on a company’s financials when profitability is depleting or business is posting a loss.Higher equity percentage in the capital structure impacts the financial ratios of the company positively. Restructuring to 100% Equity It all started after the 2003 black out which occurred due to the over load of power grids and American Superconductors stocks surged by nearly 42% as an expectation that the quality wires manufactured by American Superconductors could be used to relieve congestion on the power grids. The company took this situation as an opportunity and the managers and board of directors decided to forgo debt financing of $50 million and adopt an equity financing strategy.The company raised $51. 1 million by selling shares which helped strengthen the balance sheet and enhanced the liquidity condition of the company. American Superconductors however continued making losses, but conversion of capital structure to 100% e quity allowed the company to reduce its interest expense significantly. Since higher leverages magnifies return on equity of a profitable business but also maximizes the loss by putting additional pressure on the profit and loss account of a company.AMSC after converting to 100% equity capital structure saved millions of dollars every year in terms of interest expense. Recently AMSC has posted its first profit since the capital restructuring in 2003. If AMSC had not converted to equity financing it would have had a major problem financing its cash needs and credit worthiness would have gotten worse. The Debt to Equity ratio would have increased and debt would have gotten more and more expensive for the company thus increasing the interest expense of the company and it may have never became profitable.Long term debt continues to be zero whereas the number of outstanding shares can be seen increasing from 19. 7 million shares to 41. 5 million shares. Conclusion American Superconductor being a technology company had to face many challenges such as failed projects, higher cost of business and ever changing environment. Board of Directors in my opinion took a very good decision by not using long term debt in their capital structure. AMSC has been a subject of criticism but it has finally posted a profit and if it stays profitable they might want to rethink their optimal capital structure.

An Analysis of Google’s Internal Management

An analysis of Google's internal management and its possible application to other industries. Abstract Google is a company which is well known for providing a unique work environment, welfare system and flat structure for employees. It has also been awarded â€Å"The best company for work† many times. We are going to do the research on their internal management, and then define their key factors of success; moreover applying Google's management to different industry. Keywords: Google, internal management, welfare system, work environment, different industry. List of figures Figure   Introduction In a company, the internal management is the most important factor. In addition, if a company has a good internal management, employees will not only enhance their effectiveness but also keep those employees with good performance to stay in the company and reduce errors.Consequently, my topic is to investigate how the internal management encourages employees to be creative and effect ive. I am going to do the research on Google, which is a well-known search engine. Google's internal management is also well known to the whole world for its work environment, welfare system and company culture. I have chosen this topic for my research report, on the one hand, I want to be a successful leader and I am going to study business management for my master degree.On the other hand, my father and his friends are all successful businessmen, who always teach me some practical and professional knowledge about management and share their personal experiences to me. Furthermore, they once suggested me studying business management, which may be useful in the future, for the reason that if you want to organize a company profitably and prosperously, you must master in good management skills. As a result, I am Interested in business management. I strongly believe that a good management method could affect the whole enterprise.Every year, Fortune Magazine sorts out a list, named †Å"Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work for†. In preparing the list, the magazine relies on two criteria: the culture and the policies of each company as well as the opinions of the company's own employees. Google has topped the Fortune's list for many times. It can be proven that Google's internal management has done very well. Thus, the following research objectives were set: 1. To analyse Google's internal management (SWOT). 2. To estimate how well Google's internal management could be applied to different industries. 2. Literature Review 2. Work environment A good work environment could influence employees very much. For example, to reduce stress, Google's employees can play volleyball, football, video games, table tennis or even roller hockey on the campus, which makes employees feel like they are still at the college campus rather than being in the office. (Kuntze, R. and Matulich, E. 2010). Another remarkable example is that respecting the employees who are from different cultures. Google currently has 14 offices in different states and more than 40 countries worldwide; it must have many workers from different nationalities.In different offices have various local customs of decoration and interior decoration (Google). 2. 2 Welfare system Google provides its employees with a wide range of benefits to make sure that the employees are satisfied and loyal to the company. These benefits include: free food, onsite childcare, healthcare services, transportation services, laundry and dry cleaning services, sport facilities, pets allowed, 20% creative time program, environmentalism, numerous holiday and leave days, and other services (Kuntze, R. and Matulich, E. 2010). The other companies have never executed these benefits mentioned above.In addition, their welfare system has few innovative rules, â€Å"The company has a policy of unlimited sick leave, and only expects employees to work 70% of the time. It factors in opportunities for staff to think of ways to work better, and allows impromptu sport during the work day. † (Logan, 2008:3). 2. 3 Company culture Although Google is a Large-scale company, their leader tries to maintain their atmosphere feels like a small company without hierarchy, employees can say whatever they want to say, they can bring up all of their ideas or thinking to their manager whenever they want. Google). Furthermore, Google attempts to keep the good employees in the company and have a good relationship between leaders and employees. Every Friday afternoon the founders gather all employees into an open area for a TGIF meeting. (Raphael: 2003). 3. Methodology A SWOT analysis is a well known management tool, one of which could very quickly to find strengths and weaknesses. It could apply to all kinds of research. That is the reason why SWOT is one of the most common used management tools recently. Strengths |Weaknesses | | | | |Opportunities |Threats | | | | Figure 1: SWOT analysis table. In this research d oes not need to calculate the data. SWOT analysis is one of suitable management tools in this research, it is also easy and clear to use and understand.Therefore, I will use SWOT to analyse Google's internal management, after that I will apply Google’s management method to manufacture industry, and do the SWOT analysis again, interpreting the analysis according to my own working experiences. First of all, the data will be collected from Google website and my work experience, moreover, some of the research which had published from experts. The collected data will be consisting of work environment, employee's welfare system, company culture, relationship between leader and team members. After that, using SWOT analysis to analyse all the aspects mentioned above.Followed by an investigation to see whether Google's internal management can be applied to different industry or not. 4. Analysis and results |Strengths |Weaknesses | |Good work environment. |High costs. | |Good welfare s ystem. |Low pay. | |Keep structures flat. |Lost in the crowd. | |Opportunities |Threats | |Create new policy for welfare system. More and more competitors use the same method. | |Encourage employee to work at home. | | Figure 2: SWOT analysis of Google's internal management. Strengths Google's internal management has many strengths, one of strengths is that all of its offices have good work environments; they design different interior decorations according to different culture, and build up many recreational facilities, for the sack of reducing stress as well as increasing creativity and efficiency.The second strength is good welfare system, Google formulates some benefits not only to keep the good employees and encourage them to do their best but also devote to the company. Hamel reports that The Founders' Awards, an annual multimillion dollar payout to teams who've made outsize contributions to Google's growth, is one key retention mechanism The goal: to ensure that internal entre preneurs have no incentive to take their best ideas somewhere else. (2006: A16).The third strength is to keep structures flat, in a large company usually has hierarchy that would waste lots of time on paper works and have difficulty in retaining a good relationship between high level managers and low level employees, however Google try to keep the office's atmosphere like a small company. In Google, employees could raise their queries or propose their ideas to the managers or founders directly. It is unlike usual management which needs lots of paper works. Weaknesses Certainly, not everything could be perfect; Google also has some problems about its management.The first problem is cost; Google spends about 50% of revenue on their welfare system. (Kafka, 2009). Although founders thinks that could increase productivity and efficiency of the organization, the budget of welfare system spending still too much. The second problem is low salary, Google sets up many employees’ benefi ts and bonus system are better than other competitors; however, their pay is lower than the others. Most of Google's employees have fixed salaries that are significantly lower than the industry average, even when those base salaries are supplemented by stock options. (About. com 2009).The last example is lost in the crowds, the problem is some of employees want to issue their ideas but there are too many ideas in Google. Consequently, employees feel depressed when they can not issue their ideas. Hardy (2007) reports that with more than 20,000 people working for Google, some people feel their ideas are lost in crowds. It is a highly competitive environment with everybody trying to make the next â€Å"in† thing. Opportunities Google could create new policy or develop their welfare system, trying to find the new thing could let workers pay more attention to their works and elevate employee's creativity.In addition, encourage employee to work at home. Even though offices are deco rated like home or any places make employee feels relaxed, it is still a office not home, as s result, enable the workers to work at home could be one of the new solution to increase efficiency also reduce the costs. Threats After Google created the new vision of internal management, there are more and more enterprises copying Google's management method, not only the same industry but also others industries and applied to their companies. Accordingly, Google's competitors could provide the same or better condition o attract Google's good employees to their company. |Strengths |Weaknesses | |Good work environment. |Working environment atmosphere too relax. | |Good welfare system. |Poor management. | |Opportunities |Threats | |Good relationship between managers and employees. |Worker's education level. | Figure 3: SWOT analysis of Google's internal management is applied on different industry (Manufacture).Strengths All of the employees who are from different industries, they all need to work at a good environment. In manufacture industry, employees work at dangerous environment, they need a place to release their stress. Like Google's office, there are many places or equipments to help their workers reduce their stress. The next point is welfare system, most of the manufacture companies use original management, they do not have a good welfare system. As a result, if manufacture companies use Google's management method might urge worker's morale.Employees would feel satisfied staying in the company for a long time, it is good for those manufacture companies, because in this industry, company prefer employee who has long experience. In manufacturing, experienced worker's efficiency is more than apprentice. Weaknesses Many employees find the work environment far too much fun and perhaps even an ‘overload' of happiness. Most workers are able to find their focus and sanctuary at work but for some, a more professional and structured work environment is necessary . Arrington, 2009). In manufacture industry, workers should be very engrossed when they are working. If employees feel too relaxed when they were working, an accident might happen. The other point is hierarchy structure, most of employees who work for manufacture industry, and the education level is less than employees who work for information industry. Thus, in manufacture industry should use hierarchy structure to contain every step, because it would be easier to find the problem if error happens during the process.Moreover, the last point is industry's character is different, the duty of the manufacture industry is to produce goods, company must have done their work in time, however information industries mainly focus on creating new things, time is not a big issue as for them. Opportunities As we known, manufacture industry usually use original management. This management has a big gap between leader and worker, because they are very difficult to meet each other. Using Google's method might ameliorate the relationship between leader and worker.Thanks to the low hierarchy, workers and managers can interact intimately, in this way; relationship between them will definitely become closer. Threats The Google's management style is free; it gives their worker to organize their time management by themselves. Although Google's employees have a lot of free time, they still do their job very well. The main problem is education level. In the information industry, most of employee's education levels are higher than people who are working for the manufacture industry.The meaning is high level education employees are more positive, their time management organization are better than those employees with low level education. 5. Conclusion I used SWOT analysis to define the unique aspects of Google's management and assumed that it is applied to different industries; I learned two important points from this research as well. The first one is that I understood why Google can win â€Å"The best company for work† many times. Actuality, Google's salary is lower than industry average but it

Interactive Learning Environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Interactive Learning Environment - Assignment Example   MUVEs are typically viewed as a popular structure of multimedia-based entertainment. It has been apparently observed that MUVEs are broadly executed in the field of education. The relevance of MUVEs to a learner can be determined by focusing on its usage particularly in the area of education. In this similar context, MUVEs are enthusiastically employed in education for a broad assortment of reasons. The reasons include generating online communities for the learners in order to provide greater opportunities relating to their professional advancements, involving in science-based activities with the intention of fostering communally responsive behaviors and supporting the learners to promote their moral as well as social developments through enrichment of societal cultures or cultural values. In addition, MUVEs are also used in education for delivering an environment of programming as well as collaboration, artistically discovering new mathematical perceptions and most importantly e ngrossing in any sort of scientific inquiry. The educational based MUVEs are specially designed for the learners in order to support their conceptual understanding along with inquiry-based learning. The different facets of MUVEs that comprise accessing diverse virtual contexts, establishing effective communication with other participants and interacting with various modernized digital artifacts ultimately prove to be quite relevant for a learner to advance his or her career in the field of education (Dieterle & Clarke, n.d.).  

Technical writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technical writing - Essay Example Therefore, the purpose of this memo is to provide information about the influence of the Japan’s business culture and negotiation styles on business. Despite the recent changes in the Japanese business culture, the Japanese negotiation style remains the most distinctive in the world. It is far different from negotiation styles in Japan’s closest neighbors such as Taiwan and Korea. Japanese executives adopt a subtle, low key bargaining, contrary to the typical aggressive haggling of Chinese and Korean business executives (Hodgson, Sano and Graham 39). This poses challenges in doing business because, Japanese tend to be slower and more deliberate in making concessions (Nishiyama 102). This takes a long time in making business decisions for the parties involved. Other challenges arise because of the Japanese’s retreat into vague statements or silence when there are complications, making of frequent referrals to the head office or superiors, and their nonverbal behav iors that are complex and confusing (Nishiyama 102). The memo has been written in this chosen arrangement technique because of its purpose. Being an informative memo, provision of information and details about Japan’s corporate culture and negotiation styles and how they pose challenges to doing business in Japan is the core function of this memo. ... Part B: A Report on the Challenges Associated with doing Business in Japan The major challenges that are associated with doing business in Japan are embedded in the country’s corporate culture and language. First, when one goes to do business in Japan, he or she faces challenges of acceptance. The Japanese does not accept foreigners readily and take them as their own as is the case in other countries. This creates a challenge in developing, and maintaining effective business relations within the Japanese system. Another challenge stems from how male Japanese relates with females. For instance, male Japanese executives have no experience in dealing with female managers, and have little or no protocol of doing so (Mente 79). Therefore, females doing business in Japan faces difficulties because some Japanese tends to believe that women are not meant to be business managers in the first place. The Japanese market is a difficult market. There are significant challenges associated w ith entry to the Japanese market, which is extremely expensive and time consuming. In some cases, it may be absolutely impossible to break into the distribution channels for certain products. This is because these channels are tightly knit that no foreigner can penetrate them (Mente 42). Inability to break into these channels has nothing to do with prices or product salability, but it is linked to the strong relationships between Japanese manufacturers, retailers and manufacturers. Unique culture and difficulty Japanese language creates significant challenges in doing business. Language barrier and misunderstanding of culture lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding (Haghirian 55). The

Governance and Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Governance and Business Strategy - Essay Example It leads to the expansion of the hidden economy not only not only because of tax rates or social security rates, but for the arbitrary and inefficient implementation of regulatory and tax regimes in the economy with the existence of corruption. Having implications on the various aspects of the economy, the present project seeks to bring forth these implications of corruption in the economy. Critical reviews are provided with regards to the implications of corruption on the economic development of a nation (CSD, 2005, p.73). Corruption and Economic Development-Critical Analysis The empirical and theoretical debate on the effects of corruption on the economic development of nations remains unclear and unresolved. Available nationwide evidences show that the economic implications of corruption on economic development of nations can be either positive or negative. Previous empirical literature has tried to explore the relationship between corruption and development in great detail and ha s come up with surprising results. It is seen that corruption affects developing and developed countries differently. This is on account of the fact they differ significantly in terms of their economic and cultural characteristics but are plagued by similar levels of corruption in their economies (Kutan, Douglas & Judge, n.d., p.2). Some researchers have argued over the fact that corruption has negative effects on the economic development of nations as it redirects the nation’s resources into unproductive directions and consequently distorts the normal functioning of the economy. Tanzi and Davoodi (1997) has out firth four different channels through which corruption can have damaging implications over the economic growth of nations. These are high public investments; low revenue by the government; low expenses on business maintenance and operations and; poor quality of public infrastructure. On the other hand, some researchers have declared that corruption can be economically favourable in certain nations under certain circumstances as it triggers efficient government services in the form of bypassing such aspects like inefficient regulations and red tapes (Kutan, Douglas & Judge, n.d., p.3). Bureaucratic corruption can also be influenced by economic development. This is considered to be two-way causality and can be demonstrated through threshold effects as well as multiple equilibrium which form grounds for varying incidence of corruption across different countries (Blackburn, Bose & Haque, 2005, p.21). Implications of corruption on the economic activities are studied from many different perspectives. Mauro (1995), has tried to identify the effects of corruption and various other institutional factors includes red tapes, efficiency of the judicial system, political stability on the economic development of 67 nations across the world between the period 1980 and 1983. This analysis revealed that corruption reduced private investments considerably. Influe ncing investments corruption alters the composition of the government expenditures particularly reducing its share on its spending on education in the economy. Research conducted by Tanzi and Davoodi (1997) revealed that high corruption causes higher public investments, low revenues for the government, low expenditures on maintenance and o

Discuss, using examples, how the Internet may change Michael Porter's Essay

Discuss, using examples, how the Internet may change Michael Porter's five competitive forces - Essay Example The introduction of computers and internet has significant effects on Porter’s five forces model. According to Poon (1997), global computer network has far-reaching abilities and is capable of reducing the normal business expenditure. This paper analyses how Internet may change Michael Porter’s five competitive forces. How the Internet may change Michael Porter’s five competitive forces? Internet and Threat of substitute products Threat of substitute products is increasing day by day in global market after the arrival of internet and the subsequent development of ecommerce. As per the statistics released by US Department of Commerce in May 2005, e-commerce sales in the first quarter of the year had been $19.8 billion (Eschen, 2005). In other words, business in the virtual world is increasing rapidly at present because of the arrival of internet. It should be noted that Chinese companies are manufacturing plenty of duplicate products in their country. It is easy f or them to make a duplicate for iPhone 5 or Galaxy S4 and sell it at a cheaper rate. People in America or Europe can easily purchase these duplicate products with the help of internet. In short, threat of substitute products is increasing day by day because of the arrival of internet and subsequent development of ecommerce. ... As a result of that retailers forced to start business in the virtual world also. Wal-Mart and Tesco like prominent retailers have already started ecommerce because of the challenges facing by them from new entrants in the virtual world. Vitez (2013) pointed out that companies should implement current technologies in business. Otherwise competitors may use new Internet-based technology for creating a competitive advantage in the economic marketplace. For example, outsourcing is one of the latest business concepts developed in the corporate world with the arrival of internet. According to Thompson (2009), outsourcing is a business process in which a company contracts with another company to provide services that might normally performed by in-house employees. Because of manpower shortage, labor costs in America and Europe are extremely higher than that in Asian countries. Therefore, goods and services produced in these countries may struggle to compete effectively with Indian or Chine se products and services in the market. In order to avoid this problem, American and European companies are outsourcing their business to cheap labor oriented countries to compete effectively in the market. It should be noted that Indian or Chinese companies can sell cheaper products in American or European market through internet. As a result of that, American and European companies may struggle to sell their products even in the local market. â€Å"For existing businesses, these new online sellers represent a challenge to retain customers† (Hartman, 2013). To avoid this problem from new entrants, these companies are currently outsourcing and offshoring their business activities to cheap labor oriented overseas

What are GMOs What is the controversy that sounds them Essay

What are GMOs What is the controversy that sounds them - Essay Example Today the term GMO is mainly being used to refer to the production of genetically modified food products. This is because with the assistance of genetic modification process, scientists have been able to produce agricultural products and these products have started replacing naturally grown agricultural products. Production of food products through the process of genetic modification is escalating day by day and it has already been recorded that crops that have been genetically modified are being planted over an area of more than 100 million hectares in various underdeveloped and developed regions (Pinstrup-Andersen 76). The reason for the increase in production of genetically modified crops is that these crops can be produced in a much effective and efficient manner and these crops are being considered as one of the solutions to the issue of world hunger and depleting resources. Even though there is an increase in the production and demand for genetically modified crops and food pro ducts, several controversies have surrounded the important segment of the society. These controversies include the public’s perception regarding GM foods, the impact of GM foods on human health and wellbeing and the labeling of these food products. The perception of the consumers is one of the major issues that are surrounding GMOs. The problem is that people are confused whether GMOs are healthy or they pose a threat to the lives of human beings. It has not yet been established that GMOs do not harm the health and wellbeing of human beings. Researchers have even ended up with contradictory research. Certain researchers have established that GMOs are healthy for human beings while certain have even proved that GMOs can negatively impact the health and wellbeing of human beings. The distributed and varying perception of the public is a major concern for the future and acceptability of GMOs. Magnusson conducted a research on the perception of the general public

Narrative agrument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Narrative agrument - Essay Example Not only was he affected, our entire family unit was disturbed due to the strong mark that was left on him by the bullying activities. Bullying is an act which still persists in the educational institutions across the United States and this problem should be dealt with because of the negative effects associated with it. My brother was a very bright student in his class and he was an active participant in the activities of his class. He was slightly overweight as well as short which made him different from the other students in the class. He was a young child and his physical appearance did not make a difference to him and he concentrated greatly on his studies and thus he did extremely well in his academics. But things took a different turn when he came into the notice of a group of senior students who always looked for an opportunity to bully other students. It all started when we had to move to a different locality and thus we had to change my brother’s school van. The group of bullies travelled in the same van. Things were normal in the beginning but after a few days the bullies had found their new target who was my younger brother. The bullies gave my brother a very difficult time and by the time we found this out, my brother had already suffered a lot. Initially, they just called him with names and would pass derogatory remarks when they saw him. As they were all older than him, he was scared and did not retaliate. The verbal abuse was not limited to the van but they started doing the same during the school breaks. They would follow him around and pass comments on his physical appearance. Seeing that he could not answer back, they started annoying him even more. Following this, they would keep things on his seat so that he could not sit. They also snatched his lunch during the lunch break. One day, when my brother was angry and yelled back at them, the boys gathered and pushed him. This became a regular activity after this. They hit him with differe nt things and they called him with different names. Despite of this torture that my brother was going through, he never informed us regarding these things. The issue came to our notice when things became really worse and my brother had suffered a lot of physical and mental stress. He avoided going to school and did not eat. He told my mother that he did not want to eat as he was fat. Apart from this, his grades also started declining. He stayed quiet and did not talk much. It was then that my parents took him to a doctor and he was diagnosed with anorexia at such an early age. As I was very close to him, I started discussing his issues and he finally told me about what he was going through. We approached the school authorities and kept the matter in front of them. They took a strong notice against the bullies. My brother had to go through a lot and it took him years to recover from the mental torture. He lost weight and he was not interested in studying anymore. Our entire family wa s greatly disturbed because of him. It was with great efforts and care that we were able to bring him back after a period of two years. His sufferings could have been prevented if he had informed us before or if the school authorities had kept a strong check on such activities. Bullying is a widespread problem in the educational institutions in the United States and it has been seen that out of every four students in the schools in the United St

King Hussein bin Talal Essay Example for Free

King Hussein bin Talal Essay Many individuals desire power to create change and leave a mark in history. Though some were successful in achieving this, many were left to do their part and contribute to the betterment of many. One man was able to do this and create his own legacy; an unending desire to develop and create his lasting marks both in the Muslim and Western world. This man, a born leader and dreamer, is King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan. Born in November 14, 1935 from Prince Talal bin Abdullah and Princess Zein al-Sharaf bint Jamil, the young King Hussein possessed the leadership and skill that can surpass his father (King Hussein. gov, 2006). Along with his two siblings, King Hussein lived a happy life full of luxuries and on one day creating a legacy of his own in Jordan. Since the Muslim believed in the traditional transfer of power to the direct descendants of Mohammed, he was being groomed to assume the throne as the forty second generation descendant, when the time comes (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2009). At such a young age, then Prince Hussein saw the violence of the world when an assassination attempt took his grandfather’s life (King Abdullah). There was a story wherein Prince Hussein was saved from the assassination because of the medal his grandfather gave him wherein in the future he forever cherished the most (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2009). Due to this sudden turn of events, Prince Hussein’s father, King Talal assumed the throne. However his reign was not going to last for long because of an illness. During his father’s reign, Prince Hussein dedicated his life in the study of politics, law and proved to be a scholar in different areas. He devoted his lifetime towards the pursuit of information and new ideas. His mind was very open to changes and dreamed to improve the welfare of his country (King Hussein. gov, 2006). Not long shall he realize that he will assume the throne of his father and become one of the most prominent figures in the Muslim world. King Hussein’s formal accession to the throne came in two years after his father was proven to mentally incapacitated and unable to lead. Seeing this, formal procedures were made to appoint the next successor and deal with the current issues surrounding Jordan during that time. â€Å"A Regency Council was appointed until King Hussein’s formal accession to the throne on May 2, 1953, when he assumed his constitutional powers after reaching the age of eighteen, according to the Islamic calendar† (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2009, p. 1). At a young age of 18, the new King Hussein was a vibrant and energetic fellow. However, his reign was immediately put to the test with the recent challenges and hurdles impeding Jordan’s growth. There were issues of poverty and unemployment in the country. He needed to enact changes immediately to help and sustain the growth of the state and improve the welfare of his countrymen. With this, he primarily focused his ideas and interests in creating and developing the economy and its key industries. He looked into what can make the country benefit more and sought to improve and intensify them with the incorporation of technology during that time. He believed that by devoting his time on this, he can have a competitive advantage over other states. Among these vital sectors include (1) phosphate, (2) potash and (3) cement (King Hussein. org, 2006). Also, King Hussein understood that for trade to increase and develop there must be an available path to vital locations and commercial areas. That is why another of his first projects included linking the many cities of Jordan using an effective highway system. This was a good strategy for the Kingdom because it enabled mobilization and easier access for communication, goods and trade. At this rate, he knew that after a while, changes will start to manifest and help develop the country towards its desired objectives. With his interest in implementing change, many developments have been seen even in the first five years of his reign. Overall, he proved to be a mover towards growth and a powerhouse in giving out what needs to be done. It is reported that during 1950, only 10% of Jordanians have access to clean water, however this has gone up to 99% during his reign as king (King Hussein. org, 2006). Though his interests were focused on the development of the economy, King Hussein never neglected the needs of his people. He believed that the Jordanians are a huge asset towards growth and improvement (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2009). That is why he also pursued to develop Jordan’s healthcare system and administered cheap but effective treatment to those who need it most. â€Å"UNICEF statistics show that between 1981 and 1991, Jordan achieved the world’s fastest annual rate of decline in infant mortality -from 70 deaths per 1000 births in 1981 to 37 per 1000 in 1991, a fall of over 47%† (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2009, p. 1). In foreign policy and international relations, King Hussein has always been considered a pacifist. He never wanted to engage in conflict with other states and sought ways to deepen and enhance relationships especially among Muslim countries. In his 45 years of reign as king, he was one of the promoters of implementing peace in the Middle East. He operated and cooperated with the rules and tenets of international organizations such as the United Nations and used it as a model to denounce conflict and war (King Hussein. org, 2006). This was particularly evident as he was a mediator in many conflicts such as the Madrid Peace Conference, the 1994 Peace Treaty, and the 1990-1991 Gulf Crisis (King Hussein. org, 2006). This is important to point out because he wanted peace and tolerance among states either in political and religious affairs. It is through this belief that he modeled his country to be and advocate liberty, human rights and equality among all citizens. With this move, he next sought to democratize the country by offering his power towards citizens via parliamentary elections. It is in here that he amended the Jordanian constitution and sought to include tenets of liberal democratization and political pluralism during the 90’s (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2009). As far as his personal life is concerned, he had a happy family. He is married to Queen Noor on June 15, 1978 and had 12 children from three different wives. During his past time, away from politics and international relations, he focused his attention on sports such as racing, motorcycles and aviation (King Hussein. org, 2006). At the same time, this did not stop him from writing and he was able to publish three books which are â€Å"Uneasy Lies the Head (1962), about his childhood and early years as king, My War With Israel (1969), and Mon Metier de Roi† (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2009). However, later in his life, King Hussein has been suffering from different ailments. â€Å"He had surgery for a cancerous kidney in 1992, and had six months of chemotherapy for non-Hodgkins lymphoma at the Mayo Clinic in 1998† (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2009). The world was shocked when they found out that he died of cancer. Though he did leave Jordan grieving, he left yet another contribution that forever shall be remembered and cherished. â€Å"King Husseins directive to provide Internet access for every Jordanian school highlights yet another aspect of his enduring legacy† (King Hussein. org, 2006). In the end, King Hussein exemplified what really is to be a leader. His grasp of power was used to move not only his country but the world forward. His contributions enveloped change and made his nation prosper. It is wise therefore that his name Al-Malik Al-Insan (â€Å"The Humane King†) be bequeathed accordingly and be recognized as one of the captivating leaders of modern times. Reference American-Isreali Cooperative Enterprise (2009) King Hussein bin Talal in Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved March 5, 2009 from, http://www. jewishvirtuallibrary. org/jsource/biography/Hussein. html King Hussein. org (2006) Biography. Retrieved March 5, 2009 from, http://www. kinghussein. gov. jo/biography. html

Importance Of Teacher Student Interaction

Importance Of Teacher Student Interaction Teachers who have positive interaction with their students create classroom environments more helpful to learning and meet students developmental, emotional and educational needs. Teaching is a people profession that demands a large amount of time being dedicated to personal interaction. Positive teacher-student interaction has a very crucial role for effective teaching and learning to take place (Arthur, Gordon, Butterfield, 2003). There are many important factors including productive Teaching and learning. Positive teacher-student interaction can be defined by shared acceptance, understanding, affection, intimacy, trust, respect, care and cooperation (Krause, Bochner, Duchesne, 2006). The Teacher Student relationship depends on very large extent upon effort from both parties although the teacher plays a key role and in fact, the responsibility, to initiate positive interaction. The teacher who is practical in representation, recognition, understanding, intimacy, expectation, respect, care and cooperation towards his or her students not only works at initiating positive teacher-student relationships, but also increases the likelihood of building strong rela tionships that will endure over time (Barry King, 1993). Teacher-student interaction is important for many reasons. Teacher student interaction is highly influence a students skill to change to University, to do well at University, and to relate to peers (Pianta, 1999). Teachers who had positive and secure relationships with students reported that their students were less likely to stay away from school, appeared more independent, more supportive, and busy in learning (Birch Ladd, 1997; Klem Connell, 2004). Teacher-student Interaction has an impact on classroom management and affects learning and growth. According to developmental perspective, the establishment of a positive teacher-student relationship aids a students cognitive, social and emotional growth and enhances their mental well-being (Brazelton Greenspan, 2000). The teacher-student relationships impact productively on a students self-esteem and enhance their skills. Student-Teacher interactions are very important for the development of the students academic self-concept and enhancing their enthusiasm and success. Colleges and universities that actively promote close and frequent contact between their students and faculty members are more likely to reap a host of benefits from such initiatives. Faculty members taking an interest in their students academic progress could potentially make significant contributions in increasing their intellectual and professional development (Anaya Cole, 2001; Chickering, 1969; Chickering Reisser, 1993; Cokley, 2000; Terenzini Pascarella, 1980). There is evidence that students successful in knowing even one faculty member closely are likely to feel more satisfied with their college life and aspire to go further in their careers (Rosenthal et al., 2000). Although most interactions with faculty tend to occur w ithin the formal classroom setting, students who experience informal interactions tend to be more motivated, engaged, and actively involved in the learning process (Thompson, 2001; Woodside, Wong, Weist, 1999). Informal interaction between students and faculty has been identified as a primary agent of college culture, and has an important influence on the attitudes, interests, and values of college students (Chickering Reisser, 1993; Lambert, Terinzini, Lattuca, 2007; Pascarella, 1980b; Pascarella Terenzini, 1991, 2005; Thompson, 2001). However, although previous research has established that student-faculty interactions are important, we still need to identify which aspects of student-faculty interactions are helpful and how these could significantly influence students to stay in college, increase their desire to work hard, stimulate them to enjoy learning, and encourage them to strive toward high achievement standards (Bean,1985). The current study addresses this gap in the li terature by examining eight specific types of student-faculty interactions as predictors of academic self-concept and three types of academic motivation, as well as academic achievement in a sample of college students from a medium-sized, public university located in the Midwestern United States. Interactions between students and faculty members are inevitable and personal connections that emerge through advisement and mentoring are highly valued (Light, 2001). In responding to several implicit, unspoken, and nonverbal cues, students are more likely to interact with faculty members perceived to be sociable, intelligent, showing leadership, supportive, and objective (Babad, Avni-Babad, Rosenthal, 2003; Furnham Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005). Faculty members allowing students to use their first names are perceived as higher in warmth, approachability, and respect in comparison to faculty members who are addressed by formal titles (McDowell Westman, 2005). Student-faculty interactions can be formal or informal, occurring either inside or outside instructional settings, with both playing an important role in determining students academic success (Jacobi, 1991). The most frequent type of contact that students have with faculty members typically include situations in which they are asking for information about a course or visiting after class (Kuh Hu, 2001). Faculty-student interactions could take on a more intense flavor in a tutorialstyle classroom, where a faculty member may meet with two students at a time for an hour, eventually interacting closely with about five such pairs of students per week (Smallwood, 2002). Such close, intense, interaction seems to enhance student learning and intellectual stimulation, with both students and faculty valuing the opportunity to know each other at an informal and personal level. Cox and Orehovec (2007) identified four major types of student-faculty interactions with the most important, functional interaction, referring to academic-related interactions outside the classroom. The other three types include personal interactions about some personal issues unrelated to academics, incidental contact maintained by occasional greetings, and finally disengagement, where there is minimal interaction with the faculty member inside the classroom and little or no interpersonal exchange. Even though faculty members may not always be aware of i t, their interactions can have a far-reaching influence on their students. Faculty member-student relations are a strong motivator and indicator of learning (Christensen Menzel, 1998). In particular, Decker, Dona, and Christenson (2007) note that the student-faculty member relationship is more important in predicting students social-emotional functioning than their academic performance. This implies that there is a support-seeking dimension in student-faculty member relationships that can be carefully nurtured to shape positive outcomes for students. Informal interactions with faculty members outside the classroom have been found to have an incremental effect on students motivation over and above the typical predictors of academic performance such as secondary school performance or academic aptitude (Pascarella Terinzini, 2005; Pascarella, Terenzini, Hibel, 1978). Informal discussions with faculty members about intellectual issues are associated with increases in students aspirations to achieve at a hi gher level than would be predicted by pre-enrollment characteristics. Initial interactions with faculty members are also very influential in increasing the value placed on high academic achievement and in compensating for the general student culture that does not typically value such achievement. Mentoring provided by faculty members as a sponsor, confidant, and protector seem to be relatively more important than even peer support, for students who are transitioning into college (Mann, 1992; Shore; 2003). Thus, faculty members seem to play an important role in the overall college experience for new and continuing students. Adolescents who model themselves after their teachers rather than their friends report higher levels of school adjustment (Ryan et al., 1994). Informal faculty-student contacts play a particularly crucial role during the first year in college because they allow students to integrate their academic and extracurricular experiences (Goodman Pascarella, 2006; Pascarell Terenzini, 1977; Pascarella Terenzini, 2005). Further, students reporting high and moderate levels of interactions with faculty members (relative to low interactions) rate their academic program as being more interesting, exciting, and enjoyable, as well as more relevant and necessary for their career. Finally, substantive student-faculty interactions have been found to have a positive impact on students vocational preparation and intellectual development (Kuh Hu, 2001).These findings suggest that student-facultyinteractions have a multidimensional influence on the cognitive and emotional needs of students, thus valida ting the importance of faculty members as role models. Some researchers have found that students who spoke more frequently with faculty outside class and received advice about their educational program reported significantly higher academic self-confidence (Plecha, 2002). This finding is congruent with Endo and Harpel (1982) and Astin (1999)s work showing that interacting frequently with faculty members is part of being academically engaged and students who are more involved do better in college. Similarly, Bjorkland, Parente, and Sathiyanathan (2002) note that students who are in more frequent contact with faculty members and receive more feedback on their performance show remarkable improvement in communicating in a group, competence in their specific field, awareness about their future occupation, and general problem-solving skills. Other reported benefits of such student-faculty relationships include greater satisfaction with academic life, lesser likelihood of dropping out, and feeling more intellectually driven (Hazler Carney, 1993). In support of Chickerings (1969) model, recent data suggest that students engaging in meaningful interactions with faculty members are more likely to have a sense of purpose and competence for succeeding in college (Martin, 2000). Further, students who perceive their faculty members to be caring and have positive informal interactions with them often report greater learning (Teven McCroskey, 1997) as well as satisfaction with college and enhanced intellectual and personal development (Lamport, 1993). When Pakistan was founded in 1947 as a result of the partition with India, the country had only one institution of higher education, the University of the Punjab. Over the next 20 years, many private and public schools and higher education institutions were established to help fuel the countrys socio-economic development. In the early 1970s, all of Pakistans educational institutions were nationalized under the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was committed to the idea of Islamic Socialism. For the next decade, Pakistans entire system of education was state-run. However, the growing demand for higher education fast outpaced the establishment of new public universities. During that period, the system could accommodate only 25 percent of the high school graduates who applied to higher education institutions. The overcrowding prompted many wealthy Pakistanis to seek university degrees abroad in the United States, Great Britain and Australia, while others sought out private tutors at home or entered the job market without a degree. In 1979 a government commission reviewed the consequences of nationalization and concluded that in view of the poor participation rates at all levels of education, the public sector could no longer be the countrys sole provider of education. By the mid-1980s, private educational institutions were allowed to operate on the condition that they comply with government-recognized standards. Until 1991, there were only two recognized private universities in Pakistan: Aga Khan University established in 1983; and Lahore University of Management Sciences established in 1985. By 1997, however, there were 10 private universities and in 2001-2002, this number had doubled to 20. In 2003-2004 Pakistan had a total of 53 private degree granting institutions. The rapid expansion of private higher education is even more remarkable if we look at the number of institutions established on a year-by-year basis. In 1997, for instance, three private institutions were established; in 2001 eleven new private institutions were opened; and in 2002 a total of 29 private sector institutions sprung up. According to HEC, there are total 128 recognized Universites in Pakistan, 70 are public and 58 are private. PRIVATE VS. PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION While the quality of Pakistans private universities varies widely, they all share some common traits. Most of them have adopted the American model of higher education, which features a four-year bachelors degree and system of credits. Supporters of private higher education believe that non-government institutions can deliver higher quality education and do it far more efficiently than the public sector. They point to the fact that private schools rarely suffer the closures and class suspensions their public counterparts do, and that students enrolled at these schools are more apt to complete their degree programs on time. They also believe that private universities will introduce international standards of competence and accountability.

Company Law and the Corporate Veil

Company Law and the Corporate Veil Introduction As the day company is formed, it can be said that the company is â€Å"incorporated†. As the company uniqueness is that it provides for effective separation of resources and managements of its resources and it is further compounded on the fact that the owner of the capital can limit his or her liability to the third parties. Therefore the company is recognized as a separate entity and it is treated in its own capacity. In nowadays business companies, it can be seen that companies have both advantages and disadvantages in measuring the limited liability of the shareholders on the basis that the company is liable for its debts and obligations. Therefore, double-edged sword is created which means it has both good and bad elements. In this assignment, details about the doctrine of separate legal entity will be analyzed. Also statements of features of company as separate legal entity and circumstances the veil of incorporation will be lifted will be analyzed with reference to some cases. Doctrine of separate legal entity In company law of Malaysia, a company is treated as a separate legal entity from its members constituted in it which is its shareholders and directors. This is the doctrine of separate legal principle. The company is a different separate body from its member. Thus, the members of the company are not liable for the company debts. For instance, when a company turn into a contract, the company itself will personally liable for the contract rather than the shareholders and the directors. Therefore, a company is a corporate body. A corporation is an artificial legal person that exists independently of the individuals who at any given time are the members of the corporate body. This principle was established by the House of Lords in Salomon v Salomon Co Ltd[1]. The rule of Agency An agency is a relationship where one person consents or is deemed to have consented that the other person should act on its behalf so as to affect its relations with third parties. Features of Separate Legal Entity At the time the company is incorporated, it is a separate legal person, it brings forth some effect which can be the features of it. Under section 16(5) of the Companies Act 1965 states that, once a company had been incorporated, the company had all the ability as an incorporated company. For instances, it is means that the company can enjoys its right and function as a legal person. Company that incorporated is a legal personality that is created and recognized by the law as stated by Salleh Abbas F.J in Tan Lai v Mohamed bin Mahmud. When a company register under Companies Act, it becomes vested with corporate personality which is an independent legal person and separate from its members. For instance, the company is a legal person. In Salomon v. Salomon Co. Ltd. (1987)[2], unsecured creditors claimed that the company never had an existence of independent although it was incorporated. They claimed that it was Salomon himself trading under another name, but the House of Lords held Salomon Co. Ltd. must be regarded as an independent person from Salomon. This is because of the fact that the company was not role as an agent for the member. Thus, Salomon and the others are mere subscribers of the company although he owned all the issued shares. Hence, Salomon could enforce its rights against the company as a secured creditor. Furthermore, the company also has the ability to sue and be sued in its own name. Therefore, a company can make legal action to enforce its right. It was established in the case Foss v Harbottle[3] where action brought by the members of the company made an injury complain towards the company and it was fail. Therefore the member could not take action on behalf of the company. Besides, a company has perpetual succession which means members may join and leave, but the company will continue go on. When a company become incorporation, it will continue operate until it is dissolved according to the Companies Act 1965. Under the case of Re Noel Tedman Holdings Pty Ltd[4], the court allowed the representative personal of the deceased to appoint the directors of the company so that the directors could allow the transfer of the shares to child. This proves that although the shareholders had leave but the company is still exiting and continue go on. Other than that, a company also has ability to own property on its own name. According to section 16(5) a company has power given to own personal land and other types of property. While company is separate legal person from its member, the member has no legal right and interest with the property and it is belongs to company. In case Macaura v Northern Assurance Co. Ltd[5], Macaura owned a tree plantation which was covered by an insurance policy. Later he sold the plantation to a company which he was the only shareholder. After the sale, Macaura continued to insure the plantation in his own name. A fire broke out and the plantation was destroyed. Macaura then attempted to claim on the insurance policy but the insurance company refused to pay. The issue was whether Macaura had an insurable interest at the time of the loss. It was help that the insurance company was right in not paying. The plantation company was a legal entity in its own right, separate from its shareholders. Other than that, in a corporate body, the shareholders of the company can enjoy limited liability. While a company is a separate legal entity, the shareholders are not liable for the debts and the liability is limited by shares. Therefore, creditors have no rights to take any legal action against the shareholders. In case Ye Yut Een 1978[6], the director of the company is not liable for the company’s debt. It is the company who had not complied with the procedures related to the retrenchment benefits. Lifting The Veil of Incorporation Although the company has privilege as separate legal entity, it must not be used for any unlawful or illegal business purposes, in case a fraudulent or dishonest use is made of the legal entity, the concerned individuals will not be allowed to take the shelter of the corporate personality. The court will disregard the corporate veil to see the real persons behind it. Generally, the law will not go behind this veil of incorporation to look at the membership of the company. But the courts will ‘lift the corporate veil’ in some exceptional cases. Salomon v Salomon Co Ltd case have decided that the members of the company are not liable for any contract that contracted by the company. This will cause they may have a chance hiding behind the veil to defraud the creditors and other parties that contracted with the company. The court will pierce the corporate veil by applying the principle known as ‘piercing the corporate veil’. When there is no entity separate from members, the court will pierce the corporate veil and take action. After that the court will make the company and its members liable for any breach of contract. The veil of incorporation can be lifted in according to situation provided under statutory provision and by judicial interpretation under the common law. For instance, section 36, Companies Act 1965 states that if the number of members of a company is reduced to below two and its carries on business more than six months, the person who is a member of the company during the time that is so carries on business after those six months, and is aware of it, the person is personally liable for all the debts that the company contracted after those six month and he may be sued therefor. According to the section 304(2), Companies Act 1965, together with the section 303(3), provide that an officers who knowingly contract a debts on behalf of the company. It means borrow money and knowing that that the company is most likely unable to pay the debt is guilty of an offence and on conviction be made personally liable to pay that debt. Under section 304(1), Companies Act 1965 provides that when a company’s intention is to purposely defraud its creditors, the veil of incorporation is lifted. In the course of the winding up of a company or in any proceedings against a company it appears to the court when hearing the application of the liquidator or any creditor or contributory of the company that any business of the company has been carried on with intent to defraud creditors of the company or creditors of any other person or for any fraudulent purpose, the court may hold any persons who were knowingly parties to the fraud personally responsible for all or any of the debts or other liabilities of the company as the court directs. Under section 365(2), Companies Act 1965 provides that any payment of dividend not from profit is prohibited. Any payment made of dividends to shareholders is personally liable by the director towards the creditors of the company when there are no profits available. There are also situations where the court thinks it is appropriate and it will lift the veil of incorporation at common law. The situation whereby the veil of incorporation is lifted where the company is acting as agent or partner of the controlling or parent company. Group of the companies the problems can be complex. Subsidiary own and fund money of a business has been held to do so as agent for the holding and parent company. So, holding and parent company actually operating business. This is applied in case Smith, Stone and Knight Ltd v Birmingham Corporation (1939)[7]. Besides, the veil of incorporation will be lifted when there is a group of companies, including holding and subsidiary company, the court can lift the veil and treat a company and its subsidiary as one economic unit. In case DHN food Distributors Ltd v Tower Hamlets London Borough Concil[8], subsidiary company owns a piece of land while the DHN which is parent company operated the business on the land. The local authority purchases the said land. The DHN claimed compensation for disruption. The local authority refused to pay the compensation on the grounds that the land did not belong to DHN. The court lifted the veil of establish that DHN is connected with the subsidiary company as treated as one economic unit, they did suffer a loss as a result of acquisition from the local authority and allowed to claim the compensation. At last, lifting the corporate veil can also assist in the prevention of fraud. In case Aspatra Sdn Bhd Ors v Bumiputra Bank Malaysia Berhad (BBMB)[9], Lorrain Osman, one of the director of Aspatra Sdn Bhd, was once a director of Bumiputra Bank Malaysia Berhad, must account for the secret profit he made in breach the fiduciary duty. To avoid detection Lorrain Osman had channeled the monies which is the secret profit he make into several companies that he controlled, one is the Aspatra Sdn Bhd. BBMB feared that the money Lorrain Osman took would leave Malaysia and applied for an injunction. The veil lifted to reveal that the assets of Aspatra Sdn Bhd belong to the Lorrain Osman and the injunction was accepted. Conclusion In conclusion, it clearly stated that the doctrine of separate legal entity have created double-edged swords to the shareholders of the company. Although it brings many features to the shareholders but it also have drawback towards the company itself and creditors in some situation. Hence, there will be some defects of incorporation. However, lifting the veil of incorporation by the court will reduce the defects of incorporation. [1] SALOMON v SALOMON CO LTD [1897] A.C. 22, House of Lords [2] SALOMON v SALOMON CO LTD [1897] A.C. 22, House of Lords [3] Foss v Harbottle(1843) 67 ER 189 [4] Re Noel Tedman Holdings Pty Ltd. (1967) QdR 561 [5] Macaura v Northern Assurance Co Ltd[1925] AC 619 [6] Yee Yut Ee(978)2 MLJ 142 [7] Smith, Stone Knight Ltd v Birmingham Corp[1939] 4 All ER 116 [8] DHN Food Distributors Ltd v Tower Hamlets London Borough Council[1976] 1 WLR 852 [9] Aspatra Sdn Bhd v Bank Bumiputra Malaysia Bhd (1988) 1 MLJ 97

Slavery :: Slavery Essays

Slavery During the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and part of the Nineteenth Century the White people of North America used the Black people of Africa as slaves to benefit their interests. White people created a climate of superiority of their race over the Black African race that in some places, still lingers on today. The American Civil War however, was a key turning point for the Black African race. Through their actions and the political actions of President Lincoln and his administration, Black Africans set a presedent for their freedom, equality and liberation. A very important aspect of Blacks proving themselves was that of the Black Man acting as a soldier in the Civil War. During the Civil War the official decision to use Blacks as soldiers in the Union Army was a slow gradual process and a series of strategic political decisions. The actual use of Blacks as soldiers in the Union Army was completed by a series of actions the Black Man performed that won him the respect of becoming a soldier. The two differ in that it was to President Lincoln's benefit to enlist Blacks as soldiers when he did. Whereas the later was the Black Man's will to fight for his freedom and prove himself as an equal human being. However, because the Black population was barred from entering the army under a 1792 law(4) the Black Man becoming a soldier was not officially recognized until late 1862. "There was strong anti-Black prejudice among most people in the free states, and in the loyal slave states the idea of arming the Black man was anthema"(1). This statement directly reflects the generally held fear White people had about putting Blacks on the fighting line of the armies in the Civil War. Whites felt that the Civil War was a war started upon the White Man's issues and what possible reason would the Black Man have for wanting to fight in this war. On the contrary The Black Man saw The Civil War as an opportunity to win freedom and gain respect(2). Blacks in the North who were free from slavery willingly pledged their service to fight in the Union Army however, their allegiance was denied by President Lincoln on political grounds. Lincoln realized that the issue of Black soldiers would be intolerable by the public and would not be accepted. Initially, the Union Army utilized Northern Blacks from the free states to relieve Whites from daily tasks that were essential to maintain the armies, thus freeing up White soldiers for battle.

thier eyes were watching god :: essays research papers

â€Å"Baby Janie† Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel about a woman named Janie who grows up and finds out what life and God have in store for her. The story is very similar to Black Women by Georgia Johnson. This novel and poem share similar themes, characters, and symbols. This similarity is seen through out these two works within their writing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These two stories both tell a basic theme of being born into a harsh world and the choices which must be made by the characters. The themes main focus is on the development of the baby and Janie and the paths they chose to follow. In â€Å"Black Woman† the child is ready to be born, but the mother isn’t willing to have the baby just yet. Her reasoning for not wanting to have the baby is the fact that the world is full of â€Å"cruelty and sin† and the â€Å"monster men† (Johnson, 4) who inhabit the earth are bad. The mother in this poem can see the world is harsh and that raising a baby in such a world would be difficult and a struggle. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie’s grandma wants her to get married to an older man right away. Her reasoning is because she too also has seen how harsh the world is and doesn’t want her baby Janie to be stuck alone and have to live in hardship. Janie, like the unborn child, is determ ined to go her own path and set her own life. They both seem to feel that they are ready for what life has in store for them. Janie wants to live her own life by her own decisions, and the baby wants to go on the same path and be born into the world to start its’ â€Å"path†. These similarities in theme are very apparent through the novel and relates to Black Woman’s story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Their Eyes Were Watching God and â€Å"Black Woman† have very similar characters due to their decisive and protective qualities. Janie is very happy with life as she sees it and wants to make her own decisions. Her grandma wants to protect her from a wrong choice, so she decides Janie must marry Logan. †I wants to see you married right away† (Hurston 12). Like Janie, the unborn child is ready to come into the world and live a beautiful life of happiness.

Automated Monitoring Attendance System Essay

1.1 The problem and its scope In this paper we propose a system that automates the whole process of taking attendance and maintaining its records in an academic institute. Managing people is a difficult task for most of the organizations, and maintaining the attendance record is an important factor in people management. When considering academic institutes, taking the attendance of students on daily basis and maintain the records is a major task. Manually taking the attendance and maintaining it for a long time adds to the difficulty of this task as well as waste a lot of time. For this reason an efficient system is designed. This system takes attendance electronically with the help of a fingerprint sensor and all the records are saved on a computer server. Fingerprint sensors and LCD screens are placed at the entrance of each room. In order to mark the attendance, student has to place his/her thumb on the fingerprint sensor. On identification student’s attendance record is updated in the database and he/she is notified through LCD screen. No need of all the stationary material and special personal for keeping the records. Furthermore an automated system replaces the manual system. 1.2 Introduction Nowadays, industry is experiencing many technological advancement and changes in methods of learning. With the rise of globalization, it is becoming essential to find an easier and more effective system to help an organization or company. In spite of this matter, there are still business establishments and schools that use the old-fashioned way. In a certain way, one thing that is still in manual process is the recording of attendance. After having these issues in mind we develop an Automated Monitoring Attendance System, which automates the whole process of taking attendance and maintaining it, plus it holds an accurate records. Biometric systems have been widely used for the purpose of recognition. These recognition methods refer to automatic recognition of people based on the some specific physiological or behavioral features [1]. There are many biometrics that can be utilized for some specific systems but the key structure of a biometric system is always same [2]. Biometric systems are basically used for one of the two objectives identification [3] or verification [4]. Identification means to find a match between the query biometric sample and the one that is already been stored in database [5]. For example to pass through a restricted area you may have to scan your finger through a biometric device. A new template will be generated that will be then compared with the previously stored templates in database. If match found, then the person will be allowed to pass through that area. On the other hand verification means the process of checking whether a query biometric sample belongs to the claimed identity or not [6]. Some of the most commonly used biometric systems are (i) Iris recognition, (ii) Facial recognition,(iii)Fingerprint identification, (iv) Voice identification, (v) DNA identification, (vi) Hand geometry recognition and (viii)Signature Verification [5].Previously the biometrics techniques were used in many areas such as building security, ATM, credit cards, criminal investigations and passport control [4]. The proposed system uses fingerprint recognition technique [1] for obtaining student’s attendance. Human beings have been using fingerprints for recognition purposes for a very long time [7], because of the simplicity and accuracy of fingerprints. Finger print identification is based on two factors: (i) Persistence: the basic characteristics and features do not change with the time. (ii) Individuality: fingerprint of every person in this world is unique [8]. Modern fingerprint matching techniques were initiated in the late 16th century [9] and have added most in 20th century. Fingerprints are considered one of the most mature biometric technologies and have been widely used in forensic laboratories and identification units [10]. Our proposed system uses fingerprint verification technique to automate the attendance system. It has been proved over the years that fingerprints of each every person are unique [8]. So it helps to uniquely identify the students. 1.3 Theoretical Background For over 100 years, fingerprint has been used to identify people. As one of the biometric identification, fingerprint is the quite the most popular one. Besides getting the print for fingerprint is easy, it doesn’t need a special sophisticated hardware and software to do the identification. In the old times and even until now, fingerprints are usually taken using merely inks and papers (could be one print, ten prints, or latent print). Finger print is unique. There is no case where two fingerprints are found to be exactly identical. During the fingerprint matching process, the ridges of the two fingerprints will be compared. Besides using ridges, some of the identification techniques also use minutiae. In brief, minutiae can be described as point of interest in fingerprints. Many types of minutiae have been defined, such as pore, delta, island, ridge ending, bifurcation, spurs, bridges, crossover, etc, but commonly only two minutiae are used for their stability and robustness (4), which are ridge ending and bifurcation. To help in fingerprint identification, fingerprint classification method is implemented. There are some classification theories applicable in the real world such as The NCIC System (National Crime Information Center) Still used even until now, the NCIC system classifies fingers according to the combination of patterns, ridge counts, whorl tracing. NCIC determines .Fingerprint Classification (FPC) field codes to represent the fingerprint characteristics. The following are the field codes tables: Using NCIC system FPC Field Codes eliminates the need of the fingerprint image and, thus, is very helpful for the need of fingerprint identification for those who do not have access to an AFIS. Instead of relying to the image, NCIC relies more on the finger image information. The Henry and American Classification Systems Henry and American classification systems, although has a lot in common, are actually two different systems developed by two different people. The Henry Classification System (5) was developed by Sir Edward Henry in 1800s; used to record criminals’ fingerprints during Civil War. Henry System used all ten fingerprints with the right thumb denoted number 1, right little left finger denoted number 5, left thumb denoted number 6, and lastly the left little finger denoted number 10. According to Henry System, there were two classifications; the primary and the secondary. In the primary classification, it was a whorl that gives the finger a value. While even numbered fingers were treated as the nominator, odd numbered fingers were treated as denominator. Each finger’s value was equal to the value of the whorl plus one. In the secondary classification, each hand’s index finger would be assigned a special capital letter taken from the pattern types (radial loop (R), tented loop (T), ulnar loop (U), and arch (A)). For other fingers except those two index fingers, they were all assigned with small letter which was also known as small letter group. Furthermore, a sub secondary classification existed; it was the grouping of loops and whorls, which coded the ridge of the loops and ridge tracings of whorls in the index, middle, and ring fingers. The following is the table of Henry System. The American Classification System was developed by Captain James Parke. The difference lies in assigning the primary values, the paper used to file the fingerprint, and the primary values calculation. Filing Systems In this system, all of the fingerprints are stored in cabinets. Each cabinet contains one different classification and, thus, the fingerprint cards are stored accordingly. The existence of AFIS system greatly helps the classification process. There is no need to even store the physical fingerprint cards. AFIS does not need to count the primary values of all those fingers and does not have to be as complicated as NCIC System. With the power of image recognition and classification algorithm, fingerprint identification can be done automatically by comparing the source digital image to the target database containing all saved digital images. Another important issue to know is the fingerprint classification patterns. These patterns are growing with each generation of AFIS and differ from one too to another, searching time and reduced computational complexity. The first known study of fingerprint classification was proposed by in 1823 by Purkinje, which resulted in fingerprint classification down into 9 categories: transverse curve, central longitudinal strain, oblique stripe, oblique loop, almond whorl, spiral whorl, ellipse, circle, and double whorl. Later on, more in depth study was conducted by Francis Galton in 1892, resulted in fingerprint classification down into 3 major classes: arch, loop, and whorl. Ten years later, Edward Henry refined Galton’s experiment, which was later used by many law enforcement agencies worldwide. Many variations of Henry Galton’s classification schemes exists, however there are 5 most common patterns: arch, tented arch, left loop, right loop, and whorl. The following are types of fingerprint classification patterns: Since IDAFIS is another extended form of AFIS, we do not need to implement all other classification systems. What we need to do is to see what kind of classification pattern the algorithm can distinguish. Fingerprint Matching In general, fingerprint matching can be categorized down into three categories: ï‚ · Correlation-based matching: the matching process begins by superimposing (lying over) two fingerprints, and calculating the correlation between both by taking displacement (e.g. translation, rotation) into account. ï‚ · Minutiae – based matching: Minutiae are first extracted from each fingerprint, aligned, and then calculated for their match. ï‚ · Ridge feature – based matching: Ridge patterns are extracted from each fingerprint and compared one with another. The difference with minutiae – based is that instead of extracting minutiae (which is very difficult to do to low – quality fingerprint image); ridge pattern such as local orientation and frequency, ridge shape, and texture information is used. Chapter Two Most of the attendance systems use paper based methods for taking and calculating attendance and this manual method requires paper sheets and a lot of stationery material. Previously a very few work has been done relating to the academic attendance monitoring problem. Some software’s have been designed previously to keep track of attendance [11].But they require manual entry of data by the staff workers. So the problem remains unsolved. Furthermore idea of attendance tracking systems using facial recognition techniques have also been proposed but it requires expensive apparatus still not getting the required accuracy [12]. Automated Monitoring Attendance System is divided into three parts: Hardware/Software Design, Rules for marking attendance and Online Attendance Report. Each of these is explained below. 2 System Description 2 .1 Hardware Required hardware used should be easy to maintain, implement and easily available. Proposed hardware consists following parts: (1) Fingerprint Scanner (2) LCD Screen (3) Computer Fingerprint scanner will be used to input fingerprint of teachers/students into the computer software. LCD display will be displaying rolls of those whose attendance is marked. Computer Software will be interfacing fingerprint scanner and LCD and will be connected to the network. It will input fingerprint, will process it and extract features for matching. After matching, it will update the database attendance records of the students. A fingerprint sensor device along with an LCD screen is placed at the entrance of each classroom. The fingerprint sensor is used to capture the fingerprints of students while LCD screen notifies the student that his/her attendance has been marked. 2 .2 Rules for marking attendance This part explains how students and teacher will use this attendance management system. Following points will make sure that attendance is marked correctly, without any problem: (1) All the hardware will be outside of the classroom. (2) When teacher enters the classroom, the attendance marking will start. Computer software will start the process after inputting fingerprint of the teacher. It will find the Subject ID and current semester using the ID of the teacher or could be set manually on the software. If the teacher doesn’t enter the classroom, attendance marking will not start. (3) After some time, say 15 minutes of this process. The student who login after this time span will be marked as late on the attendance. This time period can be increased or decreased per requirements. 2 .3 Online Attendance Report Database for attendance would be a table having following fields as a combination for primary field: (1) Day, (2) Roll, (3) Subject and following non-primary fields: (1) Attendance, (2) Semester. Using this table, all the attendance can be managed for a student. For online report, a simple website will be made for it. Which will access this table for showing attendance of students .The sq queries will be used for report generation? Following query will give total numbers of classes held in a certain subject. Now the attendance percent can easily be calculated: 2.4 Using wireless network instead of LAN We are using LAN for communication among servers and hard wares in the classroom. We can instead use wireless LAN with portable devices. Portable device will have an embedded fingerprint scanner, wireless connection, a microprocessor loaded with software, memory and a display terminal. Source/References: [1] D. Maltoni, D. Maio, A. K. Jain, S. Prabhaker, â€Å"Handbook of Fingerprint Recognition†, Springer, New York, 2003. [2] A.C. Weaver, â€Å"Biometric authentication†, Computer, 39(2), pp 96 – 97 (2006). [3] J. Ortega – Garcia, J. Bigun, D. Reynolds and J.Gonzalez – Rodriguez, â€Å"Authentication gets personal with biometrics†, Signal Processing Magazine, IEEE, 21(2), pp 50 – 62 (2004). [4] Anil K. Jain, Arun Ross and Salil Prabhakar,† An introduction to biometric recognition† , Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, IEEE Transactions on Volume 14, Issue 1, Jan. 2004 Page(s):4 – 20. [5] Fakhreddine Karray, Jamil Abou Saleh, Mo Nours Arab and Milad Alemzadeh, Multi Modal Biometric Systems: A State of the Art Survey † , Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence Laboratory, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada. [6] Abdulmotaleb El Saddik, Mauricio Orozco, Yednek Asfaw, Shervin Shirmohammadi and Andy Adler â€Å"A Novel Biometric System for Identification and Verification of Haptic Users † , Multimedia Communications Research Laboratory (MCRLab) School of Information Technology and Engineering University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada . [7] H. C. Lee and R. E. Gaensslen, â€Å" Advances in Fingerprint Technology † , Elsevier, New York . [8] Sharath Pankanti, Salil Prabhakar, Anil K. Jain, â€Å" On the Individuality of Fingerprints † , IEEE transaction on pattern analysis and machine intelligence, vol.24, no.8, August 2002. [9] Federal Bureau of Investigation, â€Å" The Science of Fingerprints: Classification and Uses † , U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., 1984. [10] H. C. Lee and R. E. Gaensslen (eds.), â€Å" Advances in Fingerprint Technology † , Second Edition, CRC Press, New York, 2001. [11] K.G.M.S.K. Jayawardana, T.N. Kadurugamuwa, R .G. Rage and S. Radhakrishnan † , Timesheet: An Attendance Tracking System †, Proceedings of the Peradeniya University Research Sessions, Sri Lanka, Vol.13, Part II, 18th December 2008 . [12] Yohei KAWAGUCHI, Tetsuo SHOJI , Weijane LIN ,Koh KAKUSHO , Michihiko MINOH ,â€Å" Face Recognition – based Lecture Attendance System† , Department of Intelligence Science and Technology, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University. Academic Center for Computing and Media Studies, Kyoto University. [13] Digital Persona, Inc. t720 Bay road Redwood City, CA 94063 USA 5, http://www.digitalpersona.com Table of Contents Chapter One 1.1 The problem and its scope 1.2 Introduction 1.3 Theoretical Background Chapter Two 2.1 Hardware and Software 2.2 Rule for marking attendance 2.3 Online Attendance Report 2.4 Using Wireless network instead of LAN Chapter Three †¦. †¦ Chapter Four 4.1 Summary 4.2 Conclusion and Recommendation 4.3 Bibliography Source/References: