Genesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Genesis - Essay Example This Biblical assertion triggers in the mind of every Christian that there is given beginning for everything that exists on earth. It makes it clear and easy to believe that God had a plan for His creation since He decided to begin with the heaven and earth. Each step made by God in the process of creation was typically methodical. Verse two of chapter one says that, â€Å"the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters† (New International Version, Gen.1.2). This case provides the way God is really powerful. Both the first and second verses have created the impression that God has no definite beginning. This is because everything started from his creation. He could even see what to do even before light was created. This further implies that whatever God did was meant to be a blessing to the product of His work of creation, especially to human beings. This is seen in the case where he comm ands that, â€Å"Let there be light: and there was light† (New International Version, Gen.1.3). The creation story in the Christian religion is unique from other religions and scientific interpretations. In essence, various aspects or happenings found in Genesis have been attracting the attention of scientific institutions. In this regard, some institutions seem to oppose some creation stories while others aim at providing some geological and biological evidence about the stories of creation and Noah’s Flood (New International Version, Gen.9.16). The various scientific explanations and mythologies of creation and Noah’s flood have been presented in the world today, but are often accompanied with their inconsistencies and fallacies in the attempt to disagree with the Christian Bible. Nevertheless, the flood happens due to Gods anger towards human beings. The book of Genesis says that, â€Å"Never again will I curse

Egypt Rome and ancient China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Egypt Rome and ancient China - Essay Example The first light of Chinese human progress uncovered itself 7,000 to 8,000 years back, as showed by the remnants of the Daxi Culture in Sichuan and Hubei regions, the the Majiapang Culture in Jiangsu and Zhejiang territories, the Hemudu Culture in eastern Zhejiang and the Yangshuo Culture along the center spans of the Yellow River and its principal tributaries. As stated by legend, the primitive tribes that possessed the center and upper spans of the Yellow River were bound together into two effective tribes under the Yellow Emperor and Fiery Emperor and started their push southward 5,000 years back. After years of warfare, they prevailed over the Sanmiao and Jiuli tribes dynamic in south China under the administration of Chi You. A piece of the crushed tribe was fused into the tribes under the Yellow and Fiery rulers to turn into apart a piece of the Han individuals, which denoted the start of the Chinese country. Roman civilization The ancient Rome was an empire built by the Romans who acquired this by conquering most countries. The empire spread from Rome to other parts of Europe as well as Africa. The Romans followed a thriving civilization that developed from the Italian Peninsula in the early 8th century. The Roman civilization grew from monarchy to an aristocratic empire; still in the present times the influence attributed to the Romans still exists. The Romans had the distinct history that got insight from their present and future which was similarly embraced (Leakey 56).

The Cathay Pacific Airways Information Technology Essay

The Cathay Pacific Airways Information Technology Essay This report comprises all the relevant information regarding the Cathay Pacific Airways, specially its security governance framework. It sums up four parts: background of the organization, potential areas of IT security failures, recommended IT security governance framework and lastly issues and challenges faced by that security governance framework. In the very first part, we have described about basic fundamentals like its headquarter, its fleet of airbuses, worldwide destinations and its achievement. In the 2nd section of the report are the specific areas where security failures may occur. These areas include managing core business system. Because the airways adopted the legacy systems, which is easily susceptible to security threats. Secondly it can not cope with current competent requirements. Furthermore, it being a wide infrastructure desktop PCs, the airways data flow over internet, which can be captured by any intruders or hackers. This may cause disruptions to routinely business. Its business to business (B2B) interchange of data again creates vulnerabilities in its IT infrastructure. The pervasiveness of network creates a more open set of information systems for the mobile and diverse need of the orgnaisation. This mobile arrangement may be easily attacked by internal and external sources. In the third part this report discourses on IT governance framework. This framework is the recommended one to be implemented in the organization. The structure of governance is fully r esponsible to provide control and effective management of the IT infrastructure security. In the structure each one is accountable at his own rank for the security, safety of IT assets and data protection. Lastly this report raises various issues and challenges confronting the security governance structure while managing and controlling the security of the IT infrastructure of Cathay Pacific. INTRODUCTION Today, every organization adopted or is thinking to adopt IT infrastructure. Once it is implemented, it needs security. IT assets, database and information trafficking on ubiquitous network need to be fully protected. That is why; a necessity relating to this IT infrastructure in an organization has cropped up. For safety and security, security governance has been thought of. It may comprise shareholder, board of directors, CIO, financial manager and so on. These persons are fully responsible for controlling and streamlining all the information system of the organization like Cathay pacific. This governance framework follows various new laws and regulations designed to improve the security governance. Threats to information systems disruptions from hackers, worms, viruses and terrorists have resulted in need for this governance. This report explains clearly security failures, governance framework for ICT and IT related issues and challenges. BACKGROUND OF ORGANISATION Cathay Pacific Airways is an international airline registered and based in Hong Kong, offering scheduled cargo and passenger services to over 90 destinations around the world. The main vision of this company is to make Cathay Pacific the most admired airline in the world. To Achieve this goal Cathay started its journey from 1946 and now it is known as best Airlines in Asia. It is one of the five airlines to carry a five star rating from Skytrax (Cathay Pacific 2007). The official website of Cathay Pacific is http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_INTL/homepage Cathay Pacific was established in 1946 in Hong Kong with a mere two DC-3 aircrafts servicing passenger routes for Bangkok, Shanghai, Manila and Singapore. From its humble beginnings, it has to date grown into a world class airline employing over 15,000 employees and reaching out to 62 global destinations. It owns over a hundred widebodied aircrafts that transports over a million passengers a month to almost each continent in the world (McFarland Young, 2003) and transports freight worldwide which constitutes to nearly 30% of its revenue. Profits stood at $511 million during 2002 and Cathay expanded into the state of the art $628 million global headquarters in Cathay City. Cathay continuously faced numerous challenges on its way to success. Nevertheless, its management acknowledges the fact that in order to remain competitive given the current market situation; it is of utmost importance to improve on its strategic and non strategic perspective of its entire ICT resource. Cathay Paci fic continues to invest in new ICT infrastructure to streamline its business processes and make information easier to access for all employees. As part of this process, Cathay Pacific implemented technology solutions designed to automate and simplify customer and financial information management. POTENTIAL AREAS OF IT SECURITY FAILURES Currently, many airlines are looking at e-business to protect their assets and to secure customers loyalty, and to be successful in todays competitive environment. Many e-commerce principles have been pioneered by the airline industry. These include the first business-to-business electronic information exchange and industry-wide electronic marketplace. There are many benefits to be gained for airlines and airline passengers, E-ticketing, e-Check in many internet base services provide to customer with quick and low cost services but there is still hesitation among many peoples even many companies about committing any major effort to electronic commerce. The main concern about security of sensitive data, such as credit card numbers, personal data and business confidential data (Jiang 2003). Managing Core Business System Cathay Pacific has been developing in house systems since the 70s. Some of its core business systems are accounting systems, engineering system, personnel and flight systems and other internal applications. Legacy systems are systems that have evolved over many years and are considered irreplaceable, either because re-implementing their function is considered to be too expensive or because they are trusted by users (Dietrich 1989). Business change constantly in order to meet the demands of the marketplace and this necessitates the need for information systems to evolve accordingly (McKeen Smith 1996). Over 20 years later, Cathay realized that the coordination and support of these systems was a cumbersome task that could potentially stunt the strategic growth of the company. Given its phenomenal growth rate, Cathay realized that the IM department will not be able to cope with the ever changing business requirements. Legacy passenger service systems may not be flexible and scalable en ough to support the new marketing strategies of airlines today (Cavaliere 2006). Cathay needed a technology that keeps costs down and is flexible whilst at the same time delivers on both todays needs and those of the future. Customizing current legacy systems to match these current competitive requirements just consumed too much time and resources. Mckeen and Smith (1996) further argues that since change is a constant in business and in technology, demand for maintenance is un-easing and since existing systems are the ones operating the business, maintenance work can easily overwhelm new development. Managing network infrastructure desktop PCs. Infrastructure plays an important role in ensuring vital support is supplied to systems development teams and that effective coordination and direction is available to IS as a whole (McKeen Smith 1996). Cathays rapid expansion to new destinations and tremendous surge in route expansion, passenger and cargo volume in the 80s caused Cathays network infrastructures to continue to expand. Without infrastructure, productivity will soon decline as individuals and groups each attempted to replicate the work of others. Cathays data center which coordinated fundamental airline operations was placed in two locations in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island. These data centers provided uninterrupted information to Cathays airline operations. The fire in 1991 on Cathays data center interrupted flight operations for 12 hours. Cathays management realized the importance of ensuring uninterrupted information flow to critical business functions is top priority for the organization. IT infrastructure and f acilities need grow in tandem with the organizations growth pace. Almost full at its operational capacity at its current data center, Cathay probably needed a few more data centers to manage the organizations information at current growth rate. Mid 90s saw an uneven PC distribution at Cathay Pacific. PC distribution to staff members depended on each staff members level of security access. This caused some of the staff to have a PC while other did not. This uneven distribution was finally rectified by Cathays outsourcing its PC management to IBM in 2001. The costs involved in outsourcing these services means that more scrupulous attention will be paid to their value on an ongoing basis. Nevertheless, the outsourcing exercise posed its own complexity involving hardware and software licensing issue. Managing dynamic changes in desktop environment and the suppliers was the main challenge in the desktop PC management for Cathay. The PC outsourcing trend was still new in this region thus raised skepticism among managers in the initial stage. Managing B2B system integration In a broad sense, Business to business (B2B) integration refers to all business activities of an enterprise that have to do with electronic messages exchange between it and one or more of its trading partners (Bussler 2003). Bussler further narrows down this definition in a software technologys scope that B2B integration refers to software technology that is the infrastructure to connect any back end applications system within enterprises to all trading partners over formal message exchange protocols like the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). Cathay is naturally in a highly competitive and challenging airline business. Fundamental flight operational information can be very dynamic and customers must be kept updated with the latest information. Information, fares and schedules have to be accurate; sales promotions and marketing activities are constantly changing. Flight operations are vulnerable to any changes in weather which may cause last minute schedule changes or cancellations. With the wide array of multiple destinations, languages, time zones and alerting travelers, an airline business is constantly a logistical operations challenge to any Cathay. These information need to be translated into online web content in order to fulfill its B2B requirement. Information has to be accurate, the selling channel has to be reliable and secure, changes have to be updated quickly and last minute flight disruptions have to be communicated to passengers immediately and consistently through a number of different channels. Such an e-business vision has required a sophisticated architecture of specialist platforms designed to integrate and deliver a number of different information and application components in a seamless manner. Content management is one of the core components in Cathay Pacifics e-business architecture. It was vital for the airline to ensure that it invested in the right product that could deliver its promise within budget and on time. Managing Standards As the pervasiveness of network create a more open set of information systems for the mobile and diverse need of the organization, increased attention must be paid to the corresponding increase in exposure to attacks from internal and external sources (Dhillon, 2001). Cathay uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol as an industry standard for encryption over the Internet, to protect the Data. Cathays main challenge to date is not being able to convince its partners and customers with confidence that despite with the most recent security standards, any internet transaction could be leaked out by individuals through internet hacking. This is acknowledged in its website claim which says that complete confidentiality and security is not yet possible over the Internet, and privacy cannot be assured over all its internet communication between the business and its customers (Cathay Pacific 2007). Cathay pacific in ensuring reliable B2B applications has to ensure that the latest standards su ch as XML and open source technology are used extensively in all its software applications critical to business. Digital certification for all online transactions especially the ones that involve monetary exchange is imperative in ensuring customer confidence and to avert security breach. RECOMMENDED IT SECURITY GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK There are many definitions that describe the ICT Corporate Governance. Here I choose a few interesting definitions to be discussed in this report. Corporate Governance of ICT is Specifying the decision rights and accountability framework to encourage desirable behavior in the use of IT. (Weil Ross, 2004) In contrast, the IT Governance Institute, 2003 expands the definition to include underpinning mechanisms: the leadership and organizational structures and processes that ensure that the organisations IT sustains and extends the organisations strategies and objectives. While AS8015, the Australian Standard for Corporate Governance of IT, defines Corporate Governance of IT as The system by which the current and future use of IT is directed and controlled. It involves evaluating and directing the plans for the use of IT to support the organization and monitoring this use to achieve plans. It includes the strategy and policies for using IT within an organization. Figure 1 AS 8015 2005 model of Corporate Governance of ICT (Source: Skinner, 2006) Every definition has its own way of describing the term Corporate Governance of IT but I think the definition of the AS8015, the Australian Standard for Corporate Governance of IT is the most understandable and clearly defined (see figure 1). AS8015 clarified whats really important the organisations goal (Toomey, 2006). However we can notice that every definition focuses on the same issues which is directing and controlling the implementation of IT according to the organisations strategy and policies. This involves the contribution in decision making of every stakeholder of the organization. As we can see that the IT Governance Institute has also stated the word Leadership, which stands for the principal of the organization, the board of directors and the management team, who must manage the efficient use of IT to achieve the strategies and objectives. Unlike old time which the IT system is managed alone by the IT department. Talking about the IT Management people may usually mix it up with the IT Governance. They are not the same thing. Governance is the process by which management is monitored and measured. It is not a substitute for management it is a way of ensuring that sound management occurs (Philipson, 2005). There are many key drivers for Corporate Governance of IT. Here in this report I will focus on the legal and regulatory compliances which will be discussed in the next part of the report. IT Governance Framework of Cathay Pacific Information security governance is the responsibility of the board of directors and senior executives. It must be an integral and transparent part of enterprise governance and be aligned with the IT governance framework. Whilst senior executives have the responsibility to consider and respond to the concerns and sensitivities raised by information security, boards of directors will increasingly be expected to make information security an intrinsic part of governance, integrated with processes they already have in place to govern other critical organisational resources. To exercise effective enterprise and information security governance, boards and senior executives must have a clear understanding of what to expect from their enterprises information security program. They need to know how to direct the implementation of information security program, how to evaluate their own status with regard to an existing security program and how to decide the strategy and objectives of an effecti ve security program. Whilst there are many aspects to information security governance, there are several matters that can assist in focusing on the question, What is information security governance? These are the: Desired outcomes of information security governance Knowledge and protection of information assets Benefits of information security governance Process integration (IT Governance Institute 2006) Figure 2: IT Security Governance Framework of Cathay Pacific (Source: Poore 2005) Information security governance consists of the leadership, organisational structures and processes that safeguard information. Critical to the success of these structures and processes is effective communication amongst all parties based on constructive relationships, a common language and shared commitment to addressing the issues. The five basic outcomes of information security governance should include: 1. Strategic alignment of information security with business strategy to support organisational objectives 2. Risk management by executing appropriate measures to manage and mitigate risks and reduce potential impacts on information resources to an acceptable level 3. Resource management by utilising information security knowledge and infrastructure efficiently and effectively 4. Performance measurement by measuring, monitoring and reporting information security governance metrics to ensure that organisational objectives are achieved 5. Value delivery by optimising information security investments in support of organisational objectives The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the leading membership organisation for boards and directors in the US, recognises the importance of information security. It recommends four essential practices for boards of directors, as well as several specific practices for each point. The four practices, which are based on the practicalities of how boards operate, are: Place information security on the boards agenda. Identify information security leaders, hold them accountable and ensure support for them. Ensure the effectiveness of the corporations information security policy through review and approval. Assign information security to a key committee and ensure adequate support for that committee (IT Governance Institute 2006). Benefits of Information Security Governance Information security governance generates significant benefits, including: An increase in share value for organisations that practice good governance Increased predictability and reduced uncertainty of business operations by lowering information security-related risks to definable and acceptable levels Protection from the increasing potential for civil or legal liability as a result of information inaccuracy or the absence of due care The structure and framework to optimise allocation of limited security resources Assurance of effective information security policy and policy compliance A firm foundation for efficient and effective risk management, process improvement, and rapid incident response related to securing information A level of assurance that critical decisions are not based on faulty information Accountability for safeguarding information during critical business activities, such as mergers and acquisitions, business process recovery, and regulatory response The benefits add significant value to the organisation by: Improving trust in customer relationships Protecting the organisations reputation Decreasing likelihood of violations of privacy Providing greater confidence when interacting with trading partners Enabling new and better ways to process electronic transactions Reducing operational costs by providing predictable outcomes-mitigating risk factors that may interrupt the process (IT Governance Institute 2006). ISSUES AND CHALLENGES In the ICT world today, not every organisation will be able to achieve success or reap its benefits. Too many ICT initiatives have failed to deliver the bottom-line results companies had hoped for. One very common reason of failure is that the organizations fail to have a good management and controlled of their IT system. The Data Governance Council, with a focus on the review and approval aspects of board responsibilities, recently recommended that boards provide strategic oversight regarding information security, including: 1. Understanding the criticality of information and information security to the organisation 2. Reviewing investment in information security for alignment with the organisation strategy and risk profile 3. Endorsing the development and implementation of a comprehensive information security program. Lets discuss about major issues and challenges that faced by Cathay pacific, implementing an IT Security Governance framework. Boards and management have several fundamental responsibilities to ensure that information security governance is in force. Amongst the issues they should focus on are: Understand Why Information Security Needs to Be Governed Risks and threats are real and could have significant impact on the enterprise. Reputation damage can be considerable. Effective information security requires co-ordinate and integrated action from the top down. IT investments can be substantial and easily misdirected. Cultural and organisational factors are equally important. Rules and priorities need to be established and enforced. Trust needs to be demonstrated toward trading partners whilst exchanging electronic transactions. Trust in reliability of system security needs to be demonstrated to all stakeholders. Security incidents are likely to be exposed to the public. Take Board-level Action Become informed about information security. Set direction, i.e., drive policy and strategy and define a global risk profile. Provide resources to information security efforts. Assign responsibilities to management. Set priorities. Support change. Define cultural values related to risk awareness. Obtain assurance from internal or external auditors. Insist that management makes security investments and security improvements measurable, and monitors and reports on program effectiveness (IT Governance Institute 2006). Take Senior Management-level Action Provide oversight for the development of a security and control framework that consists of standards, measures, practices and procedures, after a policy has been approved by the governing body of the organisation and related roles and responsibilities assigned. (Design) Set direction for the creation of a security policy, with business input. (Policy Development) Ensure that individual roles, responsibilities and authority are clearly communicated and understood by all. (Roles and Responsibilities) Require that threats and vulnerabilities be identified, analysed and monitored, and industry practices used for due care. Require the set-up of a security infrastructure. Set direction to ensure that resources are available to allow for prioritization of possible controls and countermeasures implement accordingly on a timely basis, and maintained effectively. (Implementation) Establish monitoring measures to detect and ensure correction of security breaches, so all actual and suspected breaches are promptly identified, investigated and acted upon, and to ensure ongoing compliance with policy, standards and minimum acceptable security practices. (Monitoring) Require that periodic reviews and tests be conducted. Institute processes that will help implement intrusion detection and incident response. Require monitoring and metrics to ensure that information is protected, correct skills are on hand to operate information systems securely and security incidents are responded to on a timely basis. Education in security measures and practices is of critical importance for the success of an organisations security program. (Awareness, Training and Education) Ensure that security is considered an integral part of the systems development life cycle process and is explicitly addressed during each phase of the process. (IT Governance Institute 2006) Questions to Uncover Information Security Issues Does the head of security/CISO routinely meet or brief business management? When was the last time top management got involved in security-related decisions? How often does top management get involved in progressing security solutions? Does management know who is responsible for security? Does the responsible individual know? Does everyone else know? Would people recognise a security incident when they saw one? Would they ignore it? Would they know what to do about it? Does anyone know how many computers the company owns? Would management know if some went missing? Are damage assessment and disaster recovery plans in place? Has management identified all information (customer data, strategic plans, financial data, research results, etc.) that would violate policy, legal or regulatory requirements or cause embarrassment or competitive disadvantage if it were leaked? Did the company suffer from the latest virus or malware attack? How many attacks were successful during the past 12-month period? Have there been intrusions? How often and with what impact? Does anyone know how many people are using the organisations systems? Does anyone care whether or not they are allowed access, or what they are doing? Is security considered an afterthought or a prerequisite? (IT Governance Institute 2006) CONCLUSIONS Information security is not only a technical issue, but a business and governance challenge that involves adequate risk management, reporting and accountability. Effective security requires the active involvement of executives to assess emerging threats and the organisations response to them. As organisations like Cathay pacific, strive to remain competitive in the global economy, they respond to constant pressures to cut costs through automation, which often requires deploying more information systems. The combination is forcing management to face difficult decisions about how to effectively address information security. This is in addition to scores of new and existing laws and regulations that demand compliance and higher levels of accountability.

Impact of the Film, Dr. Strangelove, on American Attitudes Towards the

Impact of the Film, Dr. Strangelove, on American Attitudes Towards the Atomic Bomb and Cold War "The truth is bad enough--but nowhere near as bad as you probably think. The truth will do away with a lot of silly ideas, a lot of completely wrong notions, which millions of people now believe about the atomic bomb. These ideas could easily cause great panic. And right now the possibility of panic is one of the best weapons any enemy could use against us." (Gerstell, How to Survive an Atomic Bomb 1) "Why should the bomb be approached with reverence? Reverence can be a paralyzing state of mind. For me the comic sense is the most eminently human reaction to the mysteries and the paradoxes of life. I just hope some of them are illuminated by the exaggerations and the style of the film. And I don't see why an artist has to do any more than produce an artistic experience that reflects his thinking." (Stanley Kubrick qtd in Wainright 15) In the third decade of the Cold War, less than two years after the United States population had been scared half-way to death by the Cuban Missile Crisis, Dr. Strangelove invaded the nation's movie theatres and showed the country the end of the world. Touted by critics then and now as the film of the decade, Dr. Strangelove savagely mocked the President, the entire military defense establishment, and the rhetoric of the Cold War. To a nation that was living through the stress of the nuclear arms race and had faced the real prospect of nuclear war, the satiric treatment of the nation's leaders was an orgasmic release from deep fears and tensions. Its detractors argued that the film was juvenile, offensive, and inaccurate. Viewed, however, in its context of the Cold War and nuclear proliferation, Dr.... ...7-38. Mordden, Ethan. Medium Cool. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990. Mumford, Lewis. "Letter." New York Times 1 March 1964: 25. Prideaux, T. "Take Aim, Fire at the Agonies of War." Life 20 Dec. 1963: 115-118. Rabe, David. "Admiring the Unpredictable Mr. Kubrick." New York Times 21 June 1987: H34+ Starr, Michael. Peter Sellers: A Film History. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company, Inc. Publishers, 1991. Suid, Lawrence. "The Pentagon and Hollywood: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)." American History/ American Film: Interpreting the Hollywood Image. Eds. John E. O'Connor and Martin A. Jackson. Boston: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1979. Taylor, Stephen . Review of Dr. Strangelove. Film Comment, 2. 1 (1964): 40-43. Wainright, Loudon. "The Strange Case of Strangelove." Life 13 March 1964: 15. Impact of the Film, Dr. Strangelove, on American Attitudes Towards the Impact of the Film, Dr. Strangelove, on American Attitudes Towards the Atomic Bomb and Cold War "The truth is bad enough--but nowhere near as bad as you probably think. The truth will do away with a lot of silly ideas, a lot of completely wrong notions, which millions of people now believe about the atomic bomb. These ideas could easily cause great panic. And right now the possibility of panic is one of the best weapons any enemy could use against us." (Gerstell, How to Survive an Atomic Bomb 1) "Why should the bomb be approached with reverence? Reverence can be a paralyzing state of mind. For me the comic sense is the most eminently human reaction to the mysteries and the paradoxes of life. I just hope some of them are illuminated by the exaggerations and the style of the film. And I don't see why an artist has to do any more than produce an artistic experience that reflects his thinking." (Stanley Kubrick qtd in Wainright 15) In the third decade of the Cold War, less than two years after the United States population had been scared half-way to death by the Cuban Missile Crisis, Dr. Strangelove invaded the nation's movie theatres and showed the country the end of the world. Touted by critics then and now as the film of the decade, Dr. Strangelove savagely mocked the President, the entire military defense establishment, and the rhetoric of the Cold War. To a nation that was living through the stress of the nuclear arms race and had faced the real prospect of nuclear war, the satiric treatment of the nation's leaders was an orgasmic release from deep fears and tensions. Its detractors argued that the film was juvenile, offensive, and inaccurate. Viewed, however, in its context of the Cold War and nuclear proliferation, Dr.... ...7-38. Mordden, Ethan. Medium Cool. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990. Mumford, Lewis. "Letter." New York Times 1 March 1964: 25. Prideaux, T. "Take Aim, Fire at the Agonies of War." Life 20 Dec. 1963: 115-118. Rabe, David. "Admiring the Unpredictable Mr. Kubrick." New York Times 21 June 1987: H34+ Starr, Michael. Peter Sellers: A Film History. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company, Inc. Publishers, 1991. Suid, Lawrence. "The Pentagon and Hollywood: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)." American History/ American Film: Interpreting the Hollywood Image. Eds. John E. O'Connor and Martin A. Jackson. Boston: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1979. Taylor, Stephen . Review of Dr. Strangelove. Film Comment, 2. 1 (1964): 40-43. Wainright, Loudon. "The Strange Case of Strangelove." Life 13 March 1964: 15.

Reflective Paper “Faith Like Potatoes”

Faith Like Potatoes Angus Buchan was a person who did not believe in God, did not trust others and did not accept help from others because he wanted to do everything by himself. He had emptiness in his heart; he was always stressed, angry, mad and rude to others. The life of Angus was a big mess. But one day the miracle has happened when he went to the church and heard one man sharing his life story. From that point, his life has turned upside down. Angus built relationship with God, invited God into his life, gave God his life and let Him do changes.Angus personality has changed drastically for the better, and most importantly he had a strong faith in everything what he did and he believed that God would help him. God helped him to over come all the struggles and problems that pressed his shoulders, as well as made him many miracles. Praying was one of the religious expressions in the workplace showed in the movie. Angus was praying God for help while he was working. He was encourag ing others to pray and they prayed all together to God: for the rain they needed, deliverance from the violence and murders, peace in the land and hearts and blessing.People, as one big family, were praying before seeding the potatoes, during four months while they were growing and before harvest. Moreover, at the end of the movie another religious expression was introduced. Angus was teaching kids about the faith and trust in God: â€Å"Your faith in God must be like that (big potatoes) – it must be real†. After watching this movie, it gets hard to name one importance of work. From my point of view, there is no only one importance of work – there are many of them. Work gives us money and food, which are vital for human’s well-being and life.Work gives us friends and team to work with, in such way work becomes easier and more pleasant. For example, in the beginning of the movie it was shown how Angus was struggling with the stump and that he was cursing t he stump because he was not able to root it out by himself. But after he invited God into his life he looked at work from different perspective; as a result, he accomplished the same task easier with the help of his friends and in a great working environment. Also, work provides us with inner joy, creativity and happiness.Work brings the meaning into the life because it motivates us to work hard and it greatly increases the chances of fulfillment and success in reaching the dreams. Work does not allow us to become lazy or bored individuals. Finally work brings us a great sense of achievement and encourages us to move forward. It is very inspirational:† The condition for the miracle is difficulty; for a great miracle – impossibility†. Great movie based on true-life story teaches us that with strong faith and trust in God the impossible becomes possible.

Global Smart Classroom Market Essay

Classrooms that are technology-enabled are known as smart classrooms. These classrooms are equipped with hardware and software that enhance learning and improve the dissemination of knowledge. Smart classrooms have transformed teaching from a traditional process to an advanced learning process by using an array of audio-visual tools that allow teachers to demonstrate and communicate easily. These technologies consist of software such as educational ERP and disruptive technologies such as LMSs, LCMSs, interactive whiteboards, and simulation-based learning hardware. Smart classrooms use interactive modules, videos, and presentations to improve the teaching process and to engage students in multi-media technologies. Covered in this Report The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the Global Smart Classroom market for the period 2015-2019. To calculate the market size, it considers the revenue generated by vendors through the following product segments: Kindergarten K-12 Higher Education View our full TOC here Key Regions EMEA APAC Americas Key Vendors Apple Inc. IBM Corp. Microsoft Corp. SMART Technologies Inc. Other Prominent Vendors Adobe AT&T Technologies Blackboard Cisco Systems Dell Desire2Learn Discovery Communication Dreambox Learning Echo360 Ellucian Fujitsu HP Jenzabar Knewton Lenovo Group N2N Services Panasonic Promethean World Saba Software Samsung Toshiba Udemy Key Market Driver Dynamic Interactive Learning Systems For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Market Challenge Lack of Proper IT Infrastructure For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Market Trend. Increased Usage of Smart Software For a full, detailed list, view our report. Key Questions Answered in this Report What will the market size be in 2018 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? For more insights, view our Global Smart Classroom Market 2014-2018 report.

Free Essays on Wallpaper Maunfactor

The case study that I read about was dealing with a wallpaper printing equipment manufacturer. The name of this company was called Canwall and its located in Canada. Two guys from this company were sent over to a town north of Shanghai in the province of Jiangsu, China. The two guys that went over there were, Charlie Burton, who was the president of Canwall and Phil Raines, who was the marketing director. They were going to China to negotiate a sale to a new wallpaper production company. The Canadian company has never sold its equipment outside of its country and this was going to be it's first time. The two companies have been talking before they met for the first time. The manager of the Chinese company, Mr. Li, has been to the company in Canada and also one of Canwall's trade representatives has been over to China. When Burton and Raines got to China they had a warm welcome and were met by MR. Li and a chauffer. They were taken to their hotel and had a banquet later on th at night. After getting the red-carpet treatment they had a good feeling about the sale. The second day they were taken to see the sights nearby and when they came back in the afternoon one of the managers came up to them to tell them that they were going to a dance performance. Finally on the third day they started to talk about the sale. Then at the end of the day they went back to their room thinking they have the equipment sold. The next day they were asked again to explain what they said the day before in front of some new faces. Then after their farewell banquet they went home with a lot of issues unresolved and they ended up losing the sale to a company in Japan. I think the reason why they lost this sale was because there was a communication problem. Communication is the most important thing when you're dealing with sales. The person buying the product needs to know everything about their product they're buying. In this case study, the pers... Free Essays on Wallpaper Maunfactor Free Essays on Wallpaper Maunfactor The case study that I read about was dealing with a wallpaper printing equipment manufacturer. The name of this company was called Canwall and its located in Canada. Two guys from this company were sent over to a town north of Shanghai in the province of Jiangsu, China. The two guys that went over there were, Charlie Burton, who was the president of Canwall and Phil Raines, who was the marketing director. They were going to China to negotiate a sale to a new wallpaper production company. The Canadian company has never sold its equipment outside of its country and this was going to be it's first time. The two companies have been talking before they met for the first time. The manager of the Chinese company, Mr. Li, has been to the company in Canada and also one of Canwall's trade representatives has been over to China. When Burton and Raines got to China they had a warm welcome and were met by MR. Li and a chauffer. They were taken to their hotel and had a banquet later on th at night. After getting the red-carpet treatment they had a good feeling about the sale. The second day they were taken to see the sights nearby and when they came back in the afternoon one of the managers came up to them to tell them that they were going to a dance performance. Finally on the third day they started to talk about the sale. Then at the end of the day they went back to their room thinking they have the equipment sold. The next day they were asked again to explain what they said the day before in front of some new faces. Then after their farewell banquet they went home with a lot of issues unresolved and they ended up losing the sale to a company in Japan. I think the reason why they lost this sale was because there was a communication problem. Communication is the most important thing when you're dealing with sales. The person buying the product needs to know everything about their product they're buying. In this case study, the pers...

How to Write a Homeschooling Philosophy Statement

How to Write a Homeschooling Philosophy Statement A homeschooling philosophy statement is a useful tool both for your own planning and for explaining what your student has learned to schools and colleges. It is easy to be swayed by the latest and greatest curriculum on the market or to stress when your student struggles academically. A homeschooling philosophy statement can help you evaluate curriculum choices in light of your homeschools purpose and keep your overall goals at the forefront when the steps to reach them are proving difficult. When your student begins applying to colleges, it is helpful to include an explanation of your goals and methods with his applications. It is particularly helpful for parents who use a narrative transcript that doesnt include grades to explain their familys goals in designing their homeschooling courses. Sample Homeschooling Philosophy Statement A homeschooling philosophy statement may include specific goals in some subjects, such as in the area of language arts, math, science, and social studies. Read this sample statement below, and use it as a model to create your own. Our Homeschooling Goals As teacher and parent, my goal in homeschooling is to give my children the skills and information they need to become successful adults. When presenting a subject, I focus on those aspects I believe will continue to be useful once the course is done. Instead of covering large amounts of material superficially, we try to delve more deeply into fewer topics. Whenever possible, I also try to let my children incorporate their own interests into whatever we are studying. For the most part we do not use textbooks, but rely on books written by experts for a general audience. The one exception is math, for which we use traditional textbooks. In addition, we use documentaries, videos, websites, magazines, and newspapers; related art, literature, drama and movies; news stories; family discussions; and hands-on projects and experiments. We also take advantage of classes, lectures, and performances for high school students or the general public at local colleges and other learning institutions. And we made field trips to museums, studios, workshops, farms, factories, parks and nature preserves, landmarks, and historic sites. Time is also allowed for pursuing individual interests and projects that are not part of any structured homeschool program. In my childrens case this included computer game design, robotics, writing, film making, and animation. I do not issue grades, except as required for early enrollment in community college classes. Testing is limited to standardized tests as required by the state, and tests in the math textbooks. Their level of understanding is demonstrated through discussion, writing, and other projects. Where workbooks and textbooks are used, we only move ahead when material is mastered, and go back and review when necessary. Language Arts The overall goal in language arts is to foster a love of reading and an appreciation for different types of literature and informational writing, to use their own writing as a creative outlet, and to develop the skills to entertain, convey information, and express opinions to other readers. Reading is done on an individual basis, as part of homeschool book discussion groups, and as a family. Selections include a mix of short stories, novels, non-fiction works and news and analysis. Plays and films are also given a critical analysis. Writing includes essays, research papers, poetry, creative writing, blogs, journals, and personal projects. Math In math, the goal is to help my children develop number sense by showing what is going on behind the algorithms and encouraging them to employ a variety of ways to solve a problem, if appropriate. We do this with carefully chosen textbooks, hands-on manipulatives, and by using math in other school projects and everyday life. Science For science, the goal is to understand the concepts underlying the different disciplines and how they apply to the world around us. We mainly focus on new discoveries and areas of research and their effect. A large part of our studies include designing and carrying out observations and hands-on lab activities. We also learn about scientists and science hobbyists through reading, videos, lectures, and visits to museums, research centers and colleges. Social Studies In social studies, the goal is to explore interesting people, places, and times throughout history around the world, and to gain the background needed to give context to present-day events. After covering the history of the world and the United States chronologically over several years (beginning in the elementary grades), we are focusing on special topics and on current events. Every year includes an in-depth history research project on a chosen topic. These can incorporate biographies, geography, literature, film, and visual arts. How to Write a Homeschooling Philosophy Statement To craft your own homeschooling philosophy or mission statement, ask yourself questions such as: What are my basic goals for homeschooling? When my children graduate, they should be able to...What are my overall goals for each subject?Why did we decide to homeschool?Why do we continue to homeschool?What do we hope to accomplish by homeschooling that could not be accomplished in a traditional school setting?What life skills do I want my children to have?What are our familys priorities (i.e. academic success, community involvement, specific character traits)?What does the ideal homeschool day look like to me? To my children?What are our goals, short-term and long-term?How is learning accomplished in our home?What materials do we use to accomplish our educational goals? Use your answers to those questions and the sample above to craft a unique philosophy statement that captures and outlines your familys homeschooling purpose. Updated by Kris Bales

Appositives and Possessives

Appositives and Possessives Appositives and Possessives Appositives and Possessives By Jacquelyn Landis Are you planning to go to a writers conference? Or is it a writers’ conference? Is the Saturday market in the town square a farmers market or a farmers’ market? This is a construction that often perplexes writers. The first instance in each example is an appositive: a noun phrase consisting of a plural noun that modifies another noun that follows it. The form with the apostrophe is a possessive, a noun that â€Å"owns† the noun that follows it. So if the conference is one that is organized for writers, it’s an appositive. But if it’s a conference organized by writers- one that belongs to them- it’s a possessive. Likewise, if it’s a market for farmers, the proper construction would be the appositive farmers; a market owned by the farmers would be the possessive farmers’. The trouble with such noun phrases is that they frequently are ambiguous. Lacking insider knowledge, you’re often left to guess whether it’s an appositive or a possessive. Furthermore, there are plenty of commonly accepted constructions that defy appropriate construction. Children’s Hospital is a case in point. Clearly, the children don’t own the hospital; it’s a hospital for children. But you’ll see the possessive apostrophe on just about every such hospital in the country. One in San Diego seems to be aware of the problem and has hedged its bet. Instead of an apostrophe in its logo, a blue kite with a tail occupies the apostrophe slot. You can choose to read it as an apostrophe or simply view it as a decoration. An example of an entity that got it right is Publishers Weekly. This is a publication for the publishing industry, not owned by it. The key is to do your best to determine possession (or not) and punctuate accordingly. So if it’s the boys football team, it’s an appositive. But if it’s the boys’ football uniforms, it’s a possessive. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:English Grammar 101: All You Need to Know7 Patterns of Sentence StructureWhat the heck are "learnings"?

ENG 101 Final paper for college Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ENG 101 Final paper for college - Essay Example However, it accomplishes this in certain situations. The immigration and citizenship legislation involves relatives’ reunification prerequisites, for instance, which permit U.S nationals to petition for relatives from other nations to join them. The immigration and citizenship legislation involves relatives’ reunification prerequisites, for instance, which permit U.S nationals to petition for relatives from other nations to join them. Moreover, there is a provision for illegal aliens to remain in the U.S if their removal would cause extreme suffering to their siblings. Many immigrants travel to the U.S to fund their kid’s education in their home nations. This has devastating consequences on the children. Mother’s division from their kids is the worst of the devastating consequences. The main quandary is that most immigrants are not able to return to their nations to visit their kids and relatives. Many children tolerate long divisions from parents during m igration procedures. These kids confront issues such as anguish, loss and lack of connection. Their parents endure an analogous experience guilt and apprehension (King, p.3). Immigration to the U.S is an extremely contentious topic. When individuals leave their nations, there are implications on their relatives. Most immigrants relocate to other nations to obtain an excellent life for their relatives, especially for their kids. This discourse is an exploration of the significance of mothers immigrating to the U.S while leaving their families. It delves into justifying why this is crucial to many individuals from impoverished nations. Moreover, it illustrates why these individuals should be permitted to immigrate. There are numerous explications regarding people’s immigration into the U.S. The main explication regards searching for employment. Mainly, this immigration concerns impoverished nations and families. Mothers, for instance, relocate so that their kids can obtain a perfect

Integration and Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Integration and Reflection - Essay Example I feel that couple of more complicated real life situations as usually encountered in the industries could help me sharpening my abilities. I am curious to know how increase and decrease in money supply dictates interest rates. For example, the US witnessed very high interest rates in 1980s due to low money supply but post 2008 financial crisis, the country experienced very low interest rates. The question important to me is that how far this is related to money supply? I know that it has more to do with economics rather than finances yet it appears to me that forecasting future interest rates is a way to settle discounting rates more appropriately as it largely dictates the present value of the future streams of revenue. It is absolutely clear to me that the learning in this course such as IRR, capital budgeting, importance and calculation of present value by considering most appropriate discounting rate, necessity of selecting appropriate capital structure for enhancing shareholders value and many other financial measures are critical for understanding and spearheading the growth of company under consideration. In short, the entire course has improved my worth a lot and I am pretty sure that the knowledge that I have gained in this course will help me in my professional and personal life, especially where finance-related decision making process is

Aircraft Maintenance Cost Management Research Paper

Aircraft Maintenance Cost Management - Research Paper Example Yet, unlike other issues in business, the issue of airline fleet maintenance has several different determinants that ensure it is an extraordinarily costly/expensive process. Within this way, airlines are perennially faced with the issue of how to maximize airline safety, promote existing standards while at the same time, gaining a price advantage over their competitors. Naturally, even as primary air carriers are locked in continual competition with other air carriers, they are looking for each and every opportunity to cut costs and become even slightly more competitive. However, most airlines are extraordinarily hesitant to consider trimming budget from airline maintenance funds; fearing that any incident will draw further analysis and criticism to this tactic and potentially make the air carrier somewhat culpable for whatever issue might have occurred. Accordingly, as with so many issues, there is a middle ground; something between an air carrier seeking to spend an extraordinary sum on air fleet maintenance as compared to an air carrier seeking to cut any and all expenses as a means of promoting its own bottom line. Likewise, the following analysis will focus specifically on some of the determinants of why air fleet maintenance is so exorbitantly expensive as well as put toward some approaches that could potentially reduce the overall time and resources that would be required to address air fleet maintenance needs; while at the same time promoting ethical standards of safety and meeting basic requirements for how air fleet maintenance should be conducted. One of the first determinants for why air fleet maintenance is such a costly endeavor has to do with the variety of different aircrafts that carriers are responsible for flying. Even a cursory review of major air carriers reveals that they fly many different models of aircraft; requiring a litany of different parts that require special procurement and long hours of training

Deming's 14 points Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Deming's 14 points - Assignment Example Deming makes clear that ‘defect detection’ and ‘defect prevention’ are preludes to the continuous improvement process. An optimal defect detection system would not operate on the misplaced assumption that increasing the quantity of tests (mass inspection) would automatically â€Å"decrease the variability of the quality characteristics of products and services.† Likewise, a robust defect prevention system would not consider ‘zero defects’ as the ultimate hallmark of quality. Instead it would take into account the concept of ‘entropy’ in the life-cycle of a product and device methods for mitigating it. Continuous Improvement is basically looked at as the â€Å"ongoing reduction of process (unit-to-unit) variation, even within specification limits†. It is impinged on the fact that by reducing unit-to-unit variation around the nominal value the incurred production costs are also reduced. The SDSA Cycle stands for Standardize-Do-Study-Act, which is a technique for standardization of a process. The first key step toward standardization is identification of â€Å"best practice methods with key indicators of process performance†. Consensus among employees involved in the process is important. Hence a commonly agreed flowchart of the process is followed by all to ensure consistency. In the second stage (Do) trials and experiments are run on the standardized best practice methods. Following this, in the Study stage of the SDSA Cycle, the efficacy of the best practice methods are evaluated through an analysis of key parameters. Finally, in the Act stage of the cycle, managers attempt to ‘formalize’ the best practice methods that have stood the scrutiny of trials. But in order to materialize and enhance the best practice methods thus formalized the management will have to follow through the PDSA cycle. The PDSA cycle stands for Plan-Do-Study-Act. Its purpose is to aid the management in â€Å"improving and innovating

Learning About Power And Leadership In Organizations Essay

Learning About Power And Leadership In Organizations - Essay Example Power is a strong word. It connotes to something extraordinary just like having another person do something which you would not have done yourself. Power may have different meanings depending on how it is used in context. It could have good or bad connotations. For example, some people are caught saying â€Å"If you’ve got information, then you are sure to get to the top or lead because you got the power of leveraging yourself over the situation or over your competitors. This is better termed as the â€Å"Informational power† (French and Raven). On the other hand, S. Mallaby wrote about Power on a different perspective as he pointed out that â€Å"Power that is built on debt is often Power that will crumble† (Mallaby). How does â€Å"Power† apply to my position and work? Presently, I belong to the middle managerial level, given the designation of a Section Chief for Internal Affairs Group under the Planning and Programming Unit. I report directly to the A ssistant Director for Internal Affairs Group who reports to the Bureau Director. I work in a typical government office which is adapts the bureaucratic hierarchical structure. Our Bureau is in charge of the purchase and distribution of health supplies needed in our town as well as the deployment of health workers. The Bureau’s upper and middle hierarchical structure include a Bureau Director, acting as the overall Head of the Bureau with two Assistant Directors, one for Internal Affairs Group.... This is better termed as the â€Å"Informational power† (French and Raven). On the other hand, S. Mallaby wrote about Power on a different perspective as he pointed out that â€Å"Power that is built on debt is often Power that will crumble† (Mallaby). How does â€Å"Power† apply to my position and work? Presently, I belong to the middle managerial level, given the designation of a Section Chief for Internal Affairs Group under the Planning and Programming Unit. I report directly to the Assistant Director for Internal Affairs Group who reports to the Bureau Director. I work in a typical government office which is adapts the bureaucratic hierarchical structure. Our Bureau is in charge of the purchase and distribution of health supplies needed in our town as well as the deployment of health workers. The Bureau’s upper and middle hierarchical structure include a Bureau Director, acting as the overall Head of the Bureau with two Assistant Directors, one for In ternal Affairs Group who is tasked to handle planning and programming, finance and administrative concerns. (Refer to Attachment 1 -Organizational Structure.) The other Assistant Director handles the Bureau’s External Affairs to include Operations, Public Information and Other External Affairs Programs and Activities. These two top Assistant Directors directly report to the Bureau Director bringing to him issues specific to their group. Each Assistant Director has designated Section Chief and Assistant Section Chief. â€Å"Power in this bureaucratic office is the typical set up described by Max Weber’s in his paradigm stating that the level of power given to a bureaucrat is directly proportional to the level where you are positioned in the hierarchy†

Business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business environment - Essay Example The UK is experiencing an increasingly ageing population which means that there will be a corresponding rise in demand for products targeted to this demography such as medicines, fashion and accommodation (Gillespie, 2007). On the converse, companies will experience increased costs in the form of pension payments to staff that are living longer. One strategy that firms are using to tackle the rising pension costs is to tap into this labour pool of older employees, by keeping them on the job longer. Of note also it that the ageing labour is being replaced by UK high net immigration trend that is the largest in Europe (Walayat, 2010). Economy Watch (2010). The Economy of the UK, GB, British Isles (or Whatever You Want to Call It!). [Online]. 30 June 2010. Economy Watch. Available from: http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/united-kingdom/. [Accessed: 2 January 2012]. Elliot, L. (2011). George Osborne given stark warning on cuts’ impact. [Online]. 12 September 2011. The Guardian. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/sep/12/george-osborne-warning-cuts-impact. [Accessed: 2 January 2012]. Walayat, N. (2010). UK Population Growth and Immigration Trend Forecast 2010 to 2030. [Online]. 2 August 2010. The Market Oracle. Available from: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article21565.html. [Accessed: 2 January 2012]. Weldon, D. (2011). The really big question in UK economic policy: What are low gilt yields telling us? [Online]. 20 December 2011. ToUChstone blog: A public policy blog from the TUC. Available from: http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2011/12/the-really-big-question-in-uk-economic-policy-what-are-low-gilt-yields-telling-us/. [Accessed: 2 January

Learning About Power And Leadership In Organizations Essay

Learning About Power And Leadership In Organizations - Essay Example Power is a strong word. It connotes to something extraordinary just like having another person do something which you would not have done yourself. Power may have different meanings depending on how it is used in context. It could have good or bad connotations. For example, some people are caught saying â€Å"If you’ve got information, then you are sure to get to the top or lead because you got the power of leveraging yourself over the situation or over your competitors. This is better termed as the â€Å"Informational power† (French and Raven). On the other hand, S. Mallaby wrote about Power on a different perspective as he pointed out that â€Å"Power that is built on debt is often Power that will crumble† (Mallaby). How does â€Å"Power† apply to my position and work? Presently, I belong to the middle managerial level, given the designation of a Section Chief for Internal Affairs Group under the Planning and Programming Unit. I report directly to the A ssistant Director for Internal Affairs Group who reports to the Bureau Director. I work in a typical government office which is adapts the bureaucratic hierarchical structure. Our Bureau is in charge of the purchase and distribution of health supplies needed in our town as well as the deployment of health workers. The Bureau’s upper and middle hierarchical structure include a Bureau Director, acting as the overall Head of the Bureau with two Assistant Directors, one for Internal Affairs Group.... This is better termed as the â€Å"Informational power† (French and Raven). On the other hand, S. Mallaby wrote about Power on a different perspective as he pointed out that â€Å"Power that is built on debt is often Power that will crumble† (Mallaby). How does â€Å"Power† apply to my position and work? Presently, I belong to the middle managerial level, given the designation of a Section Chief for Internal Affairs Group under the Planning and Programming Unit. I report directly to the Assistant Director for Internal Affairs Group who reports to the Bureau Director. I work in a typical government office which is adapts the bureaucratic hierarchical structure. Our Bureau is in charge of the purchase and distribution of health supplies needed in our town as well as the deployment of health workers. The Bureau’s upper and middle hierarchical structure include a Bureau Director, acting as the overall Head of the Bureau with two Assistant Directors, one for In ternal Affairs Group who is tasked to handle planning and programming, finance and administrative concerns. (Refer to Attachment 1 -Organizational Structure.) The other Assistant Director handles the Bureau’s External Affairs to include Operations, Public Information and Other External Affairs Programs and Activities. These two top Assistant Directors directly report to the Bureau Director bringing to him issues specific to their group. Each Assistant Director has designated Section Chief and Assistant Section Chief. â€Å"Power in this bureaucratic office is the typical set up described by Max Weber’s in his paradigm stating that the level of power given to a bureaucrat is directly proportional to the level where you are positioned in the hierarchy†

The Game Essay Example for Free

The Game Essay Every person has a different way of viewing success. In the movie â€Å"The Game†, each of the characters views success in their own specific and distinct ways. Nicholas has a more materialistic view of success contrasted by Conrad who lives a more easygoing life and Christine who is mostly a balance between the two. The various characters such as Nicholas, Conrad and Christine will achieve their success at the end of the movie, however each of them attain it in different ways. Nicholas Van Orton is the main character of the movie. At the beginning of the film, Nicholas appeared to be a very successful business man but lived in solitude. Divorced and alone, Nicholas now lived in a Mansion with his housekeeper, Elsa, as his only company. At this point of the movie, Nicholas seemed to perceive success as money. For his birthday, Nicholas is given by his brother a present to go to the CRS office and play a game. Once the game starts, he perceives his life as falling apart. His money is robbed form his bank account, his house is taken over by the CRS, and everywhere he went something mysterious happened to him. Nicholas saw success at this point as the survival of this horrible nightmare. With no money and anywhere to go, he decides to approach his ex wife for help. This might have been out of desperation, since he has not done such a thing in a long time. Parallel to this, he starts developing a relationship with Christine, a waitress in a restaurant which throughout the whole game will be there to help him. By the end of the movie, we see how Nicholas starts to realize how everyone surrounding him is a part of this â€Å"game† that wants to kill him. At this point he decides that the best thing is to kill himself since he has nothing to live for. Everything he had in life is gone. He throws himself from a building and surprisingly he lands on a giant air bag. This game was done by his brother Conrad as a birthday present. This whole nightmare instantly turned into happiness. Everything he just went through was a whole set up of a surprise party. He had not lost his house nor his money; everything was in-touch. After enduring through all the various games, Nicholas realizes that success does not only mean being a successful business person, but to be happy and have people that surround you. Throughout the movie, Christine appears to be an innocent person that coincidentally meets Nicholas. She helped Nicholas during the game to try to escape from the CRS agents, from people who wanted to kill him and also to try and get out of a solitary building. At the beginning, she helped Nicholas however, towards the end she played a role in robbing his bank account. At the end of the movie, we see how everything that has happened on the past couple of days, was a game. All of Nicholas possessions where intact and this was just all part of a game. By this time of the movie, we start realizing who the real Christine is. She is a woman whose goals of success are to make people happy. She achieves this goal by taking a job â€Å"the game† and go around the world in a mission to make other people happy. Christine’s view on success was through other people’s happiness. Conrad, Nicholas’ brother, has a unique personality. He was free-spirited, had a spontaneous character and wanted to live life to the fullest. He starts off the movie by saying how he fell asleep on the beach and when he woke up, he realized it was his brothers birthday. This scene of the movie gives us a sense of what character Conrad is. Even though he is not a successful businessman and does not have the same type of luxuries as his brother, he views his life to be a successful one. Conrad’s view on success was to live a happy carefree like free of any worries of having a set job or having any obligations. He has no interest in living the way his brother lived and even felt bad for him. This is why Conrad wanted Nicholas to participate in the game. He wanted Nicholas to open up his eyes of his unhappy life and appreciate other things apart from the materialistic ones. When the game is over Nicholas sees the value in trying to live a little bit more like Conrad, in not such a strict and orderly life without and personal relationships with other people. Nicholas, Christine and Conrad had very distinct views on success. On one hand Nicholas was all about the materialistic life, full of luxuries and a very successful business, yet with no personal relation. He ignores his ex-wife phone calls, does not have a good relationship with his brother and lives in a mansion with only his housekeeper Elsa. On the other hand, we have Christine and Conrad. Both of this characters view success in terms of happiness. Conrad is a free cared man that does not care about his money or any materialistic thing, he cared about the relationship with himself and how he felt about it. This is what made his happy. Christine, wanted to make people happy. She was part of the CRS agency who their job was to go around the world and make people happy. For me Christine is the most successful character. By doing the game and making people happy she achieves an internal happiness and a happiness for others. She not only succeeded in his work but also as a person. Although this three characters might seem they have nothing in common, we can see how all of them in one way or the other achieved their view of success. They where all successful in their own eyes. This movie demonstrates the perspectives of each individual when it comes to be successful.

The Defining Of Corruption In Governments Politics Essay

The Defining Of Corruption In Governments Politics Essay Corruption as a word is derived from the Latin word corruptus meaning to break up. The use of the word emphasizes the destructive effect of corruption on the fabric of society and the situations where agents and public officers break the confidence entrusted in them Nicholls, Daniel, Polaine, Hatchard, (2006). Johnston, (2005) quoting the works of Nye, (1967); Heidenheinmer, (1970); Scott, (1972); Thompson, (1993); Thompson, (1995); Johnston, (1996); Philip, (1997); and Philip, (2002), stated that definitional issues of corruption is a matter of long-running debate and therefore it is always difficult to settle for any specific definition. He states that the decisive role of the state is reflected in most definitions of corruption, and therefore agrees that corruption is conventionally understood, and referred to, as the private wealth seeking behaviour of someone who represents the state and the public authority. It is the misuse of public resources by public officials, for private gains. The working definition used by the World Bank, Transparency International and others is that corruption is the abuse of public power for private benefit (or profit). Another widely used description is that corruption is a transaction between private and public sector actors through which collective goods are illegitimately converted into private-regarding payoffs (Heidenheimer et al. 1989:6). This point is also emphasized by Rose-Ackerman, who says corruption exists at the interface of the public and private sectors (Rose-Ackerman 1978). In Colin Nyes classical definition, corruption is behaviour that deviates from the formal duties of a public role (elective or appointive) because of private-regarding (personal, close family, private clique) wealth or status gains(Nye 1967:416). Samuel Huntington noted that where political opportunities are scarce, corruption occurs as people use wealth to buy power, and where economic opportunities are few, corruption occurs when political power is used to pursue wealth (Huntington 1968). Huntington (1968), Myrdal (1968) and Scott (1969), believes that corruption is most prevalent during the most intense phase of modernization of a country and tends to decline with institutionalization of advanced democracy (see also Pavarala, 1996). It is however argued that this view cannot explain the prevalence of corruption in advanced industrial democracies because there is now increasing evidence of political corruption and systematic influence peddling in the US and UK (Amick, 1976; Drewry, 1977; Pinto-Duschinsky, 1977; Benson, 1978; Ashworth, 1981; Johnston, 1982; Doig, 1984; Etzioni, 1984). For the purpose of this dissertation, corruption will be defined as the use of public office for private gain provided by Rose-Ackerman (1975, 1978), Becker and Stigler (1974), Klitgaard (1988, 1991), Shleifer and Vishny (1993), Myint, U, 2000; Johnson D.T Zimring F.E, 2005) and Transparency International. This in other words, involves the use of official position, rank or status by an office bearer for his personal benefit. 2.3. Forms of Corruption: There are different forms of corruption, Pedersen and Johannsen (2008); classification by typology, Roebuck and Barker (1974); Heidenheimer, (1989); Alemann (1995); Punch (200); Tserndoodov (2001); and Miller (2003). According to Shah, (2008) corruption is not manifested in one single form. Some scholars group corruption as grand corruption, petty corruption, sporadic corruption, systemic corruption or active and passive corruption base on the stages and magnitude of the malaise, while some like Robinson (2004 p.3) categorized corruption into three main forms: incidental (individual), institutional (for example, the police service) and systemic (societal). However, irrespective of the classification or level of the phenomenon, Vargas-Hernandez (2009), like many other scholars, believe that corruption can be in form of any of the following: bribery, collusion, embezzlement of public funds and theft, fraud, extortion, abuse of discretion, favouritism, clientelism, nepotism, and others. This can be presented in a pictorial form as shown in figure (1) below. Bribery Cronyism Embezzlement Extortion Forms of Corruption Nepotism Conflict of Interest Favouritism Fraud Figure 1. Forms of Corruption In various forms listed in figure (1) above, corrupt activities such as fraud and embezzlement can be undertaken by an official alone and without involvement of a second party. While others such as bribery, extortion and influence peddling involve two parties. There must be a giver and taker in a corrupt deal. The two party type of corruption can arise under a variety of circumstances either in public or private official function. 2.3.1 Bribery: Bribery is defined as the payment for a corrupt act (Zimring Johnson, 2005). A bribery corrupt act is always perpetuated by two or more individuals. Bribery requires collusion between a private citizen and a public employee (Morris, 1991). Albrecht, Albrecht, Albrecht Zimbelman (2009) says bribery involves the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of anything of value to influence and official act. According to Myint, (2000), bribes as one of several two party corrupt act offence, involves amongst others, government contracts to determine who gets what contract and the terms of the contract; government benefits like subsidies for importation, permits for explorations and purchase of privatized government corporations; reduction in taxable fees like import duties, custom duties, utility fees, electricity fees and income taxes for both business and private individuals, thus reducing government revenue (See also Rose-Ackerman 2005). It is also argued that bribery c an speed up the wheels of bureaucracy more smoothly and speedily (Myint, 2000); as well as influence the outcome of a legal and regulatory process. A legal definition can be found in (Nicholls, Daniel, Polaine Hatchard, 2006 p. 18). While some theorists like Leff (1964), Leys (1965), Huntington (1968) and Mendez Sepulveda (2006), see bribery under the greasing the wheels hypothesis as payment that is beneficial in alleviating the distortions caused by ill-functioning institutions and thus reducing cost associated with queues (Lui, 1985) (see also Rose-Ackerman 2005, pp. 15-16), it has been established that bribery constitute not only a threat to some countries, but a threat to the future of global security. Osborne (1997) argues that bribery undermines governments by reducing income from taxes, duties, and fees, while increasing the cost of service delivery. He posited that bribery destroys competition and thus companies that bribe their way to a contract or waiver for exploration, loads their prices to cover for the bribes. This creates a spiralling effect that distorts government policies as a result of the personal gain to be derived, subvert company cultures, destabilizes society due to resource diversion, low productivity and making controls ineffective and invariably constituting a threat to global security as a result of drug trafficking, organised crime and terrorism. The most widely quoted bribery statistic is the World Banks worldwide estimate of $1 trillion per year with the total cost of corruption estimated at more than 5% of global GDP (US $2.6 trillion), Cleveland, Favo, Frecka Owens (2010) and the economic effects and ethicality of bribery have been discussed by literally hundreds of sources including Dalton (2006), Gray and Kaufmann (1988), Nichols (1999), and Shaw (2000). 2.3.2. Fraud: Another common corrupt practice is fraud. Fraud is an act of misrepresentation or deception by way of charging for goods or services that was never delivered, changing the specifications or timing on goods and services and their expiration dates, and concealment of funds paid as fees or custom duties. Customs fraud for instance can be the under or over valuation of the value of goods or misclassification and underpayment of taxes. Fraud is the use of misleading information to induce someone to turn over the property voluntarily. According to Albrecht et al (2009 p 7), fraud is a generic term, and embraces all multifarious means which human ingenuity can devise, which are resorted to by one individual, to get an advantage over another by false representationincludes surprise, trickery, cunning and unfair ways by which another is cheated. Fraud is mostly expressed in the form of the Fraud Triangle depicting the three elements of pressure, opportunity and rationalization ( Albrecht, Wernz Williams, 1995). In the public sector therefore, bureaucrats and their private collaborators tend to defraud the public by way of contract inflation, white elephant projects, and poor quality service delivery. In the private sector, fraud is classified variously as employee fraud, vendor fraud, customer fraud, management fraud, investment scams and others (Albrecht et al, 2009). However, the focus of this research is on public sector fraud. 2.3.3. Embezzlement and Theft: These are the form of corruption that is characterized by the taking or conversion of funds, assets or other valuables for private gain. These forms of corruption involve the abuse of public trust on the asset entrusted to the individual. According to Green (2002 p. 99), embezzlement is a crime of specific intent in which a person fraudulently misappropriates or misapplies something that has been legally entrusted to that person but which he or she does not own, thereby usurping the legal owners control For instance, an official can collide with a contractor who is engaged to perform some service and embezzle some of the fund meant for the contract and encourage the contractor to provide a substandard service to be able to recoup the original cost of the contract. Embezzlement therefore is the misappropriation of funds legally entrusted to an official in their formal position as an agent, guardian or trustee. According to Albrecht et al, (2009) embezzle ment is a common type of occupational fraud in both private and public sectors. They posit that employees (or officials) can steal cash, supplies and other assets or establish dummy companies or vendors to pay for goods and services that are not actually delivered. It is however argued (Green, 2002) that determining exactly what constitute embezzlement is sometimes difficult due to legal interpretations of the difference between embezzlement and offense of criminal conversion. 2.3.4. Conflict of Interest: Conflict of interest occurs when an employee (public official) has an undisclosed economic or personal interest in a transaction that will be undertaken by his/her organization. According to Albrecht et al, (2009), conflict of interest involves the exertion of influence by the employee at the detriment of the organization for personal gain or to benefit a friend or relative even though he/she may not received a financial benefit from the act. The conundrum to the conflict of interest is a situation where a public official may have to decline engaging competent and qualified person/organization for the supply of goods or services simple because he/she has a vested economic interest in the supplying organization. However, Albrecht et al, posits that to be classified as a conflict of interest, scheme, the officials interest in the transaction must be undisclosed, and thus the organization is not aware of his/her divided loyalty. 2.3.5. Cronyism: It refers to favorable treatment of friends and associates in the distribution of resources and positions without regard to their objective qualifications and professionalism. 2.3.6. Favoritism: Generally, favouritism, nepotism and clientelism involve abuses of discretion. Such abuses, however, are governed not by the self-interest of an official but the interests of someone linked to him or her through membership of a family, political party, tribe, religious or other group. If an individual bribes an official to hire him or her, the official acts in self-interest. If a corrupt official hires a relative, he or she acts in exchange for the less tangible benefit of advancing the interests of family or the specific relative involved (nepotism). The favouring of, or discriminating against, individuals can be based on a wide range of group characteristics: race, religion, geographical factors, political or other affiliation, as well as personal or organizational relationships, such as friendship or membership of clubs or associations. Favoritism takes place when one favors or prefers acquaintances, friends and family over strangers. It becomes corruption when public (and private sector) officials unfairly distribute positions and resources to colleagues. 2.3.7. Nepotism: Nepotism is used to indicate a form of favoritism that involves family relationships. It describes situations in which a person exploits his or her power and authority to procure jobs or other favors for relatives 2.3.8. Extortion: It is the illegal demand or receipt of property or money through the use of force or threat. According to Morris (1991), extortion in contrast to bribery, is a is a situation where the public official influences the behavior of a citizen through the use of negative sanctions as a threat further to abuse authority to induce cooperation. This is also widely referred to as graft. 2.4. Historical Context of corruption in Nigeria and Britain 2.4.1. Nigeria A comparative perspective on corruption provides insight about the role of this peculiar form of crime in various cultures and stages of development (Johnson D.T. Zimring F.E, 2007). The global perception of Nigeria on corruption should therefore be seen in its proper historical context by undertaking a comparative review of the historical evolution of the country and the colonial legacy (Olaleye-Oruene, 2007). Olaleye-Oruene argues that an examination of the Nigerian traditional business ethos prior to contact with Europeans, especially the British, indicates that corruption is not a cultural norm of the Nigerian people pre-colonial. In the Nigerian culture, an inducement by one party for the purpose of gaining an advantage over a competitor would be paramount to an insult and indeed an effrontery to the party awarding the contract. However, there is little documentation on African and Nigerian commercial and administrative transactions before the advent of colonialism to support t his believe. It is therefore on this note that the considered base for any empirical write-up on corruption in Nigeria can only be done from the colonial era. In the 1700 1800s, corruption especially political corruption (Willis 2002, p.151) was seen as a major problem in Britain only partly addressed by electoral reforms in the 19th century and thus during the Balkanization of the African continent that took place in Berlin in 1884-1885, the British which took control of the Northern and Southern Nigeria, imported its legal system, education and economic culture (Olaleye-Oruene, 2007). According to Olaleye-Oruene, European values endorses corruption in view of the commonality and political and corporate corruption found in many countries both eastern and western, with Germany, Britain, Italy, France, Belgium and the Netherlands in the West and therefore the sub-culture of corruption is seen as the acceptable face of capitalism and any form of commercial transactions with the West, notably with multinationals at the time. Foreign-sponsored bribery tends to be held by many observers in developing countries as the most significant contribut ing factor to corruption (Andvig Fjeldstad, 2000). To many commentators like Bloom, (2010) Western companies constitute the main culprits of the corruption syndrome in most developing countries. Quoting Transparency International, he said that the most corrupt industries are arms, construction and oil, and many western companies are helping to line peoples pockets illegally by selling wrong equipment, and dams and roads are built in the wrong place for no better reason other than the politicians can get their kick backs. See also Tanzi, Davoodi, (1997); Hunt and Laszlo, (2005); and Svensson, (2003). This is the situation Nigeria found itself when the country was amalgamated between the south and the north in 1914. In attempting to tackle the menace of the scourge as been treated in Britain in the earlier 18th century, the then British Colonial Administration promulgated the Nigerian Criminal Code in 1916, Ch. XII, with sections 98 and 116 dealing with corruption. The Code made it an offence corruptly to give or receive any gift or other advantage as an inducement to influence the conduct of any . . . officer or servant of any public body as defined in the code. It is punishable with a maximum of 14 years imprisonment and/or fine (Olaleye-Oruene, T. 2007, p.232). However, fitting as the buck shifting may be, the Nigerian perpetrators of corruption or pen-robbers (as they are euphemistically known) have superseded the Europeans in the art of corruption by making it the lifestyle of the body politic. Corruption is no longer confined to government contracts where the perpetrators share the loot of the graft, but percolates to every nook and cranny of the civil service and local government, political hierarchy, both civil and military, and even the church. It is widely noted that the judiciary is tainted by trials settled with bribes . . . universities are tarnished by the trade in diplomas (also bribery as means of gaining entry into universities) . . . the nobility has been mocked by the sale of chieftaincy titles . . . In other words, the majority of public officials are expected to be bribed for performing the duty which constitutes the terms of contract of their employment. For instance, messengers are regarded as powerful because they contr ol the movement of files and could bury the files if anyone fails to bribe them (Olaleye-Oruene, 2007 p.234). According to BBCs Caroline Duffield in Lagos, extortion of civilians and bribery of police is a fact of life in Nigeria often taking place in public and in broad daylight (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11001624) and the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu while speaking with the US Congress Financial Services Committee in May 2009, state that Nigeria have lost about $440 billion to corruption since independence in 1960. The question therefore is where did Nigeria get it wrong? Can the country continue to blame the British Colonialist considering that Britain has shed off its corruption tag of the 19th century? Several reasons have been adduced for this state of affairs such as prolonged military dictatorship; lack of political will to tackle corruption; lack of national plan; and the cultural tolerance of corruption and corrupt leadership and the absence of enforcement of the law against corruption. Corruption in public life in Nigeria manifested itself in the 1950s to 1960s with the first penal inquiry on the African Continental Bank (ACB) and Nnamdi Azikiwe affairs with a Justice Strafford Forster-Sutton commission in 1957; the Justice G.B. Coker Commission in 1962 to look into the activities of the then Western region government led by Chief Awolowo and the National Investment and Property company. However, it is widely believed that the malaise started to become a public way of life during the military regimes of General Gown, (Ministry of Defence cement importation scandal), General Obasanjo, (Missing N2.8 Billion from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) and the subsequent pr omulgation of Decree No.11 of 1976 (Public officers Protection Against False Accusation) seen as the arming of corrupt government officials with immunity and a carte blanche to be above the law (Nwaobi, G.C. 2004). From the Military administration of Gen. Obasanjo in 1976 to President Obasanjo in 1999, there have been many looting of the Nigerian Commonwealth by its leaders and their cronies and such funds deposited in foreign bank accounts that may or may not ever be recovered again. The corruption activities of the Shagari civilian regime and the dictatorial military regimes of Buhari, Babangida, Abacha and even Abdulsalam are well documented in Nigeria (Nwaobi, 2004). The subject of this dissertation will not permit a detail review of the corruption cases in these regimes; however, a table highlighting some of the looted funds is attached as appendix 1. 2.4.2. Great Britain. Concern about corruption is as old as the history of government. In 350 BCE, Aristotle suggested in The Politics, To protect the treasury from being defrauded, let all money be issued openly in front of the whole city, and let copies of the accounts be deposited in various wards. The UK has widely been seen as the model of the non-corrupt industrial democracy (Adonis, 1997). However, a look into the UK history in the last few centuries will portray a society once rife with all forms of corruption. Willis (2002, p.151) quoting Lever 1971 and Denning 1981, stated that the court of King James I of England was once described in the following terms: this is a tale of extravagance, waste, corruption and vice unprecedented sums of money were squandered Titles and government offices were bought and sold. Through Monopolies, tax-farming and appropriation of public land for private purposes the entire national economy was fleeced by parasitic rulers and their cronies Also quoting Williams (1960), Willis said that corruption was the major avenue of securing election to parliament, forming government and staying in government. Therefore buying a seat in parliament out of your own resources was almost the only mode by which parliament was accessible with honour to those who had no family connection or local patron. The Anti-Bribery Act (Last Determination Act 1729, 2 Geo II c 24) called an Act for the more effectual preventing bribery and corruption in election of members to serve in Parliament; The Place Act 1742 (15 Geo II c 22); and Burkes Place Act 1782 (22 Geo III c 45) were some of the early measures taken between the century 1729 to 1832 to curb bribery and corruption in the British political and administrative system. In Britain, the practice of corruption was so rampant in the late 19th century as to necessitate the enactment of a private members bill, the Public Bodies Corrupt Practices Act 1889, in order to implement the recommendation made in 1888 in an interim report by the Royal Commission which investigated various malpractices by the Metropolitan Board of Works. In the decade either side of the First World War a succession of corruption scandals seriously clouded the government of Prime Minister David Lloyd George (Adonis, 1997) In the last half century however, Britain invariably scores highly in indices on integrity in public life despite evidence of underlying and persistent corruption (Doig, 1984, 1995, 1996) as quoted in Doig, (2004). Evidence of bribery and the misuse of public office for partisan or personal benefit has invariably been treated as episodic and personalized. When identified, such as the Poulson scandal of the 1970s; the cash -for- question scandals in the House of Commons in the 1990s; the corruption at the local government council levels like the Lambeth borough council in 1993 and the recent Expenses scandals involving MPs in 2009, cases have been subject to investigations that have dealt with the offenders while confirming the general integrity of institutions and the robustness of the procedures involved in dealing with the offences. At the same time, British political and administrative life has pragmatically so ordered its affairs that the need for corruption has been widely minim ized. Thus members of the executive and senior civil servants are unlikely even to be offered, let alone accept, bribes from government contractors while in office and from the latter half of the nineteenth, into the early twentieth century, political and administrative leaderships were able to introduce measures that precluded membership of Parliament as a means of personal profit in return for government support; required verbal disclosure of financial interests; curbed payments for honours; disengaged MPs and ministers from the spoils and patronage systems that dominated traditional politics; introduced constraints on civil servants moving to the private sector; outlawed voter bribery, and introduced anticorruption legislation for both public and private sectors (Doig, 2003). While it should be remembered that corruption and misconduct did not necessarily disappear during this period, allegations invariably provoked some form of official inquiry that was often used as a vehicle f or some general statement of the principles of conduct. It is therefore not surprising that Britain is rated highly above Nigeria in the Transparency Internationals corruption perception index. 2.5. Theoretical Empirical Works on Corruption: Corruption generally has attracted a great deal of attention in both academic and non-academic circles as reflected through an increased number of studies devoted to the topics. There is a growing body of theoretical and empirical studies within the economics literature examining the factors contributing to corruption and corruptibility within the public service. This will be looked into as below: 2.5.1. Theories on Corruption: Existing theories fail to differentiate various forms of corruption. Morris, (1991 p. 10), states that most theoretical arguments posit a major causal agent as producing corruption; non really specifies what type of corruption may result or what specific factors may relate to different corrupt acts This could be as a result of the difficult nature of defining what really constitute corruption. According to deGraaf (2007), most definitions of corruption are focused on social constructivism and thus it is based on what is considered as corruption at a certain place and at a particular time. In his studies of corruption in the Western countries, he theorized six causes of corruption which will also be considered below: Principal Agent Theory: One of the standard frameworks used in the theoretical analysis of corruption is the principal-agent model. A principal can be a person or an organization, in the case of this research, a government. The model holds that on behalf of the principal, the agent interacts with a client and thus may commit corruption if in his analysis, the benefits outweighs the costs. Using this model researchers like (Bardhan, 1997; Klitgaard, 1988; Rose-Ackerman, 1978) have investigated the trade-offs between the expected costs and benefits of corrupt acts. The reasons for the considered economic benefit may include such as lower wages (Becker and Stigler, 1974; Chand and Moene, 1999; Mookherjee and Png, 1995), social welfare (Becker and Stigler, 1974; Khalil and Lawarree, 1995; Mookherjee and Png, 1995) and greed (de Graaf, 2007). The Principal-Agent theory considers corruption at the micro-model and the agent makes his/her decisions based on a benefit versus costs and thus i f the agent chooses not to be corrupt, they receive a payoff that is the sum of their regular pay plus the moral satisfaction of not being a corrupt. According to Klitgaard as quoted by Chan (2000), the cost depends on his/her own ethical, cultural and religious standards; influence of peers and colleagues; the size and magnitude of the bribe and responsibilities to the principal. Economic Rent and corruption equation: All economic agents are maximizing their individual utility that is personal welfare (wealth). Therefore, selfish interests of economic agents are the basic motive for economic transactions between them. A common thread in these models is that the government is led by a benevolent dictator (the principal), who aims to motivate government officials (agents) to act with integrity in the use of public resources (see Banfield 1975; Becker 1968, 1983; Becker and Stigler 1974; Klitgaard 1988, 1997; Rose-Ackerman 1975, 1978). Resources are allocated to the activities that provide the greatest returns on investment (an allocation decision). Rent by economic definition is a factor of income above the competitive returns (opportunity costs) of the factor and thus because rent appropriations will maximize individual utility (welfare), economic agents are engaged in the rent-seeking process, the process of creation and distribution (appropriation) of rent. Theoretically speaking, rent can be created in a few distinctive ways, but in reality the most significant rent generator is government intervention through the violation of free market operations by way of regulations. In his classical Corruption Equation, Kiltgaard, (1998) postulates that: Corruption Equation C=R+D A Where C= Corruption, R= Economic Rent D= Discretionary powers A= Accountability. In the equation, Kiltgaard posits that Corruption (C) will exist if more opportunities for Economic Rent ( R) exist in a country and that the greater the discretionary powers (D) granted to administrators (bureaucrats, leaders, politicians etc) the more the chances of corruption. However, the equation states that the more administrators are held Accountable (A) for their actions, the less will be corruption. This is designated by the minus sign in front of A. Stated differently, the equation tells us that a fertile ground for growth of a thoroughly corrupt system will emerge in a country if it satisfies the following three conditions: It has a large number of laws, rules, regulations, and administrative orders to restrict business and economic activities and thereby creates huge opportunities for generating economic rent, and especially if these restrictive measures are complex and opaque and applied in a selective, secretive, inconsistent and non-transparent way; Administrators are granted large discretionary powers with respect to interpreting rules, are given a lot of freedom to decide on how rules are to be applied, to whom and in what manner they are to be applied, are vested with powers to amend, alter, and rescind the rules, and even to supplement the rules by invoking new restrictive administrative measures and procedures; and There are no effective mechanisms and institutional arrangements in the country to hold administrators accountable for their actions. The Public/Rational Choice Theory: Like most white-collar crimes, corruption has been seen as a crime of rational choice where the causal chain is that of an individual making a rational decision that leads to a predetermined outcome (de Graaf, 2007). According to de Graaf, the individual corrupt official tries to maximize his utility by rationally calculating when to become corrupt if its expected advantages outweigh its expected disadvantages (a combination of possible penalty and the chance of being caught). Rose-Ackeman (1978), posits that public officials are corrupt simply because they perceive that the potential benefits of corruption exceeds that potential costs. See also Klitgaard, (1988), Gambetta, 1993). This theory is supported by works of Hirschi and Gottfredson (1987) Shover and Hochstetler (2006), and Simpson (2009) in their rational choice theories on white-collar crimes. The rational choice theory, unlike others concentrates on a specific situation of an agent who ca lculates the pros and cons ignoring the larger social context that breeds corruption. Its focus on the officials calculation of the ensuing trade-off as a motivation leaves a gapping question of why some officials especially in the Western countries are not corrupt. The Bad Apple (Anomie) Theory: This theory also looks at the level of an individual for the causal effect of corruption. Most studies on