The Most Traumatic Night of My Life :: essays papers

The Most Traumatic Night of My Life It happened about a month ago on a warm Tuesday night in august. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but I was soon to find out differently. I was about to experience the most traumatic event of my life. I was at my boyfriend Will’s band practice in downtown with him and his three friends. We decided to go check out some abandoned rooms in the old, run down three-story apartment building in the search of cool stuff for their practice spot. We walked into one room that turned out to be an old after hours club that was no longer in use. There were some useful things, someone grabbed a couple chairs, someone else took a couple speakers that looked like they would still work, and I carried a full-length mirror. As we proceeded into the hallway, I led followed by the rest of the crew and we headed back to their room. When we were about ten feet from where I was going to put the mirror down, for some reason the mirror just broke in half in my hand. I tried saving the other half from smashing on the ground and a jagged piece sliced deep into my wrist. Everyone saw the mirror smash but didn’t realize what had happened to me. I could barely speak. I was so shocked I just pointed down to my wrist. It all happened so quick probably in a matter of about 5 seconds. Every time my heart beat, blood would gush out of the wound. Everyone was talking to me but their words were sort of blurred together. My boyfriend took his shirt off and wrapped it tightly around my wrist. He said to hold my arm above my heart to slow the bleeding. Luckily we were only about five minutes away from Mercy Hospital. So we got in the car I was feeling really light headed and was afraid I would pass out. My mother used to work in the emergency room so I got in pretty quickly. I was still in horrible pain though. Then a nurse came in and put an antiseptic liquid on my wrist I asked her what it was for and she said â€Å"the doctors going to be in soon to stitch you up.

Families NOT the Source of All Evil :: Are Families Dangerous

Families NOT the Source of All Evil   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Barbara Ehrenreich in â€Å"Are Families Dangerous?,† families are the most dangerous place to be, because of several reasons. First, for women the most unsafe place to be is inside her own home. This is because the people who love you the most are the ones who abuse and murder their loved ones. According to Charles Fourier, â€Å"the family is the barrier to human progress,† which leads me to believe that Ehrenreich is trying to portray the family as a downside to our society instead of a positive aspect of our lives. Subsequently, there is no such thing as the â€Å"functional† family, each and every family needs counseling and policies to provide guidance. Families cause damage to children because of a constant attack on one’s self esteem. Most importantly, according to Ehrenreich families are the source of violence within our world, she believes if we would disband our families our world would be a much improved living environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article I discussed was, â€Å"Are families dangerous?,† by Barbara Ehrenreich. This article gave copious reasons for what the family does to destroy ones self esteem or even ones physical well being. Ehrenreich stated numerous facts that supported her view upon the American family. She used two human sources, one being Charles Fourier (French Philosopher) and a British anthropologist by the name of Edmund Leach. Both of these men agreed that the family was the source of all evil within our society. She also used specific court cases that indicated domestic violence within the home. Each of these cases are widely known to Americans, due to the media coverage on each case. Allowing her to illustrate the numerous occasions domestic violence has occurred within in society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When my group discussed the facts that she brought forward within the article we each came to the conclusion that families are NOT the source of all evil in this world. Although, she cited an abundance of sources, we all believe families are what makes a child a proper and well-caring human being.

Geology Midterm Review

Introduction to Geology GEOL-101 Midterm 1 Review Based on the textbook: Understanding Earth, 6th Edition, by Grotzinger and Press CH 1: earth system Summary The human creative process, field and lab observations, and experiments help geoscientists formulate testable hypotheses (models) for how the Earth works and its history. A hypothesis is a tentative explanation focusing attention on plausible features and relationships of a working model. If a testable hypothesis is confirmed by a large body of data, it may be elevated to a theory. Theories are abandoned when subsequent investigations show them to be false.Confidence grows in those theories that withstand repeated tests and successfully predict the results of new experiments. A set of hypothesis and theories may become the basis of a scientific model that represents an entire system too complicated to replicate in the laboratory. Often models are tested and revised in a series of computer simulations. Confidence in such a model grows as it successfully predicts the behavior of the system. The elevations of Earth topography averages 1–2 kilometers above sea level for land features and 4–5 kilometers below sea level for features of the deep ocean.The principle of uniformitarianism states that geological processes have worked in the same way throughout time. Earth’s interior is divided into concentric layers (crust, mantle, core) of sharply different chemical composition and density. The layered composition of the Earth is driven by gravity. Only eight of the 100 or so elements account for 99 percent of Earth’s mass. The lightest element (oxygen) is most abundant in the surface crust and mantle, while the densest (iron) makes up most of what is found deep in the core. Earth’s major interacting systems are the climate system, the plate tectonic system, and the geodynamic system.The climate system involves interactions among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. The plat e tectonic system involves interactions among the lithosphere, asthenosphere, and deep mantle. The geodynamic system involves interactions within the central core that produce occasional reversals of Earth’s magnetic field. As the Earth cooled, an outer relatively rigid shell, called the lithosphere, formed. Dynamic processes driven by heat transfer, density differences, and gravity broke the outer shell into plates that move around the Earth at rates of centimeters per year.Major components (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere) of Earth’s surface systems are driven mostly by solar energy. Earth’s internal heat energizes the lithosphere, asthenosphere, deep mantle, and outer and inner core. Terms and Concepts Asthenosphere Convection Core Continental lithosphere Continental crust Earth systems Geology Inner core Lithosphere Mantle Oceanic lithosphere Oceanic crust Plate tectonic system Principle of uniformitarianism Scientific method Topography CH 2: plate tecton ics Summary For over the last century some geologists have argued for the concept of continental drift based on: he jigsaw-puzzle fit of the coasts on both sides of the Atlantic the geological similarities in rock ages and trends in geologic structures on opposite sides of the Atlantic fossil evidence suggesting that continents were joined at one time the distribution of glacial deposits as well as other paleoclimatic evidence In the last half of the twentieth century the major elements of the plate tectonic theory were formulated. Starting in the 1940s (WWII), ocean floor mapping began to reveal major geologic features on the ocean floor.Then, the match between magnetic anomaly patterns on the seafloor with the paleomagnetic time scale revealed that the ocean floor had a young geologic age and was systematically older away from the oceanic ridge systems. The concepts for seafloor spreading, subduction, and transform faulting evolved out of these and other observations. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the Earth’s lithosphere is broken into a dozen moving plates. The plates slide over a partially molten, weak asthenosphere, and the continents, embedded in some of the moving plates, are carried along.There are three major types of boundaries between lithospheric plates: divergent boundaries, where plates move apart convergent boundaries, where plates move together and one plate often subducts beneath the other transform boundaries, where plates slide past each other Volcanoes, earthquakes, and crustal deformation are concentrated along the active plate boundaries. Mountains typically form along convergent- and transform-plate boundaries. Where divergent-plate boundaries are exposed on land, subsiding basins and mafic volcanism are typical.Various methods have been used to estimate and measure the rate and direction of plate movements. Today seafloor-spreading rates vary between a few to 24 cm per year. Seafloor isochrons provide the basis for reconstructing plate motions for about the last 200 million years. Distinct assemblages of rocks characterize eachtype of plate boundary. Using diagnostic rock assemblages embedded in continents and paleo-environmental data recorded by fossils and sedimentary rocks, geologists have been able to reconstruct ancient plate tectonic events and plate configurations.Driven by Earth’s internal heat, convection of hot and cold matter within the mantle, the force of gravity and the existence of an asthenosphere are important factors in any model for the driving mechanism of plate tectonics. Currently studies of the plate-driving forces focus on discovering the exact nature of the mantle convection. Questions being addressed include: Where do the plate driving forces originate? At what depth does recycling occur? What is the nature of rising Convection Currents? The assembly and subsequent break up of Pangaea represent a striking example of the effects of plate tectonics acting over ge ologic time.The story begins with the breakup of the ancient supercontinent of Rodinia 750 million years ago. Plate tectonic processes dispersed the fragments of Rodinia forming a system of ancient continents that existed from the late Proterozoic through much of the Paleozoic. Continued tectonic movement eventually resulted in a set of continental collisions and reformation of the ancient continents into Pangaea. Assembly was completed during the early Triasic, about 240 million years ago. Then, about 200 million years ago the rift that would evolve into the Atlantic Ridge began to open and the separation of Pangaea was underway.By the beginning of the Cenezoic, India was well on its way to Asia, and the Tethys sea that had separated Africa from Eurasia began to close into the modern inland sea that we know as the Mediterranean. Continued changes during the Cenozoic produced our modern world and its geography. Terms and Concepts Continental drift Continent-continent convergent boun dary Convergent boundary Divergent boundary Island arc Isochron Lithospheric plates Magnetic anomaly Magnetic time scale Mid-ocean ridge Mountain range Ocean-ocean convergent boundary Ocean-continent convergent boundary Pangaea Plate tectonicsSeafloor spreading Spreading center Subduction Transform boundary Wegener’s hypothesis CH 3: earth materials Summary Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic solids with a specific crystal structure and chemical composition. Minerals form when atoms or ions chemically bond and come together in an orderly, three-dimensional geometric array—a crystal structure. Chemical bonding may occur either as a result of simple electrostatic attraction (ionic bond) or electron sharing (covalent bond). The strength of the chemical bonds and the crystalline structure determine many of the physical properties, e. . , hardness, cleavage of minerals. Silicate minerals are the most abundant class of minerals in the Earth’s crust and mantle. Common silicate minerals are polymorphs of silicon ions arranged in either isolated tetrahedral (olivine), single chains (pyroxene), double chains (amphibole), sheets (mica), or three-dimensional frameworks (feldspar). There are three important groups of silicates: ferromagnesium silicates, e. g. , olivine and pyroxene—common in the mantle feldspar and quartz—common in the crust clay mineral—commonly produced by chemical weatheringOther common mineral classes include carbonates, oxides, sulfates, sulfides, halides, and native metals. A rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals. A few rocks consist of only one mineral and a few others consist of non-mineral matter. The properties of rocks and rock names are determined by mineral content (the kinds and proportions of minerals that make up the rock) and texture (the size, shapes, and spatial arrangement of crystals or grains. There are three major rock types: Igneous rocks solidify from molten liqui d (magma); crystal size within igneous rocks is largely determined by the cooling rate of the magma body.Sedimentary rocks are made of sediments formed from the weathering and erosion of any pre-existing rock; deposition, burial and lithification (compaction and cementation) transform loose sediments into sedimentary rocks. Metamorphic rocks are formed by an alteration in the solid state of any preexisting rock by high temperatures and pressure. Terms and Concepts Anion Atomic mass Atomic number Carbonate Cation Cleavage Covalent bond Crystal Crystallization Electron sharing Electron transfer Isotope Magma Mineral Polymorph Precipitate Rock CH 4: igneous rocks SummaryIgneous rocks can be divided into two broad textual classes: coarsely crystalline rocks, which are intrusive (plutonic) and therefore cooled slowly finely crystalline rocks, which are extrusive (volcanic) and cooled rapidly. Within each of these broad textual classes, the rocks are subdivided according to their composit ion. General compositional classes of igneous rocks are felsic, intermediate, mafic and ultramafic, in decreasing silica and increasing iron and magnesium content. Figures 4. 1, 4. 2, 4. 3 and Table 4. 1 summarize common minerals and composition of igneous rocks.The lower crust and upper mantle are typical places where physical conditions induce rock to melt. Temperature, pressure, rock composition, and the presenceof water all affect the melting temperature of the rock: Increase temperature: not all minerals melt at the same temperature; refer to Figures 4. 6 and 4. 7, which explain how fractional crystallization results from Bowen’s reaction series. The mineral composition of the rock affects the melting temperature. Felsic rocks with higher silica content melt at lower temperatures than mafic rocks which contain less silica and more iron/magnesium.Lower the confining pressure: a reduction in pressure can induce a hot rock to melt. A reduction in confining pressure on the h ot upper mantle is thought to generate the basaltic magmas which intrude into the oceanic ridge system to form ocean crust; refer to Figure 4. 15. Add water: the presence of water in a rock can lower its melting temperatures up to a few hundred degrees. Water released from rocks subducting into the mantle along convergent plate boundaries is thought to be an important factor in magma generation at convergent plate boundaries.As subduction begins water trapped in the rock is subjected to increasing temperature and pressure. Eventually the water is released into sedimentary layers above where it melts parts of the overlying plate; refer to Figure 4. 16. Terms and Concepts Andesite Basalt Batholith Bomb Concordant intrusion Country rock Decompression melting Dike Discordant intrusion Diorite Extrusive igneous rock Felsic rock Fractional crystallization Gabbro Granite Granodiorite Intermediate rock Intrusive igneous rock Lava Mafic rock Magma chamber Magmatic differentiation Partial mel ting Pegmatite Peridotite Pluton Rhyolite PorphyryPumice Pyroclast Rhyolite Sill Ultramafic rock Volcanic ash xenolith CH5: sedimentary rocks Summary Plate tectonic processes play an important role in producing depressions (basins) in which sediments accumulate. Sedimentary basins result from rifting, thermal sag, and flexure of the lithosphere. The sedimentary stages of the rock cycle involve the overlapping processes of weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition, burial, and diagenesis. Weathering and erosion produce the clastic particles and dissolved ions that compose sediment. Water, wind, and ice transport the sediment downhill to where it is deposited.Burial and diagenesis harden sediments into sedimentary rocks via pressure, heat, and chemical reactions. The two major types of sediments are clastic and chemical/biochemical. Clastic sediments are formed from rock particles and mineral fragments. Chemical and biochemical sediments originate from the ions dissolved in wate r. Chemical and biochemical reactions precipitate these dissolved ions from solution. Understanding the characteristics of sediments and modern sedimentary environments provides a basis for reconstructing past environmental conditions using the rock record.Sedimentary structures like bedding, ripple marks, and mud cracks, provide important clues about the sedimentary environment. Diagenesis transforms sediment into sedimentary rock. Burial promotes this transformation by subjecting sediments to increasing heat and pressure. Cementation is especially important in the lithification of clastic sediments. The classification of clastic sediments and sedimentary rocks is based primarily on the size of the grains within the rock. The name of chemical and biochemical sediments and sedimentary rock is based primarily on their composition. Terms and Concepts Carbonate rockCarbonate sediment Cementation Chemical weathering Compaction Conglomerate Cross-bedding Crude oil Diagenesis Evaporite ro ck Flexural basin Foraminifera Graded bedding Gravel Limestone Lithification Physical weathering Porosity Ripple Salinity Sandstone Sedimentary basin Sedimentary structure Shale Siliciclastic sediments Sorting Subsidence Thermal subsidence basin CH 6: Metamorphic rocks Summary Metamorphism is the alteration in the solid state of preexisting rocks, including older metamorphic rocks. Increases in temperature and pressure and reactions with chemicalbearing fluids cause metamorphism.Metamorphism typically involves a rearrangement (recrystallization) of the chemical components within the parent rock. Rearrangement of components within minerals is facilitated by: higher temperatures, which increase ion mobility within the solid state; higher confining pressure compacts the rock; directed pressure associated with tectonic activity can cause the rock to shear (smear), which orients mineral grains and generates a foliation; and chemical reactions with migrating fluids may remove or add mater ials and induce the growth of new minerals.The two major types of metamorphism are regional metamorphism, associated with orogenic processes that build mountains, contact metamorphism, caused by the heat from an intruding body of magma, and seafloor metamorphism, also known as metasomatism. Other less common kinds of metamorphism are: burial metamorphism, associated with subsiding regions on continents, high-pressure metamorphism, occurring deep within subduction zones and upper mantle, and shock metamorphism due to meteor impact; refer to Figure 6. 4.Metamorphic rocks fall into two major textural classes: the foliated (displaying a preferred orientation of minerals, analogous to the grain within wood) and granoblastic (granular). The composition of the parent rock and the grade of metamorphism are the most important factors controlling the mineralogy of the metamorphic rock. etamorphism usually causes little to no change in the bulk composition of the rock. The kinds of minerals an d their orientation do change. Mineral assemblages within metamorphic rocks are used by geoscientists as a guide to the original composition of the parent rock and the conditions during metamorphism.Metamorphic rocks are characteristically formed in subduction zones, continental collisions, oceanic spreading centers, and deeply subsiding regions on the continents. Terms and Concepts Amphibolite Burial metamorphism Contact metamorphism Eclogite Foliation Gneiss Granoblastic rock marble Metasomatism Migmatite Phyllite Porphroblast Quartzite Regional metamorphism Schist Seafloor metamorphism Shock metamorphism Slate Adapted for the GEOL101 course by Alfonso Benavides (2012)

Analyzing Supply of Demand Simulation

Analyzing Supply of Demand Simulation ECO/365 January 31, 2010 Analyzing Supply of Demand Simulation Supply and demand is a significant element of business procedures thus this paper will evaluate how supply and demand affects a business via a simulation provided by the University of Phoenix. In this paper, I will talk about the reasons for changes that occur in supply and demand. I will talk about how shifts in supply and demand influence the organization’s decision making process as well. I will also cover the four key points established within the reading assignments and how they relay to the simulation and how every theory can be related to situations in a workplace environment. This paper will establish how price elasticity of demand influences the decisions of the consumer and the organization. Changes in Supply and Demand There are quite a few factors that influence supply and demand in the simulation. These factors demand for the apartments, the availability of the apartments, the price of the apartments, the quantity of people or renters who are interested. According to the simulation, a demand curve is downward sloping. During the simulation, as the price of the apartments decreased, demand for them increased. The supply curve, however, is sloping upwards. The number of two-bedroom apartments increased as the price increased. An excess in the industry for the apartments make use of downward demands on the price for the apartments. So therefore in order for GoodLife to attract renters, they would need to lower their prices. Shifts that Affect Decision Making The different shifts in supply and demand affects decision making in several ways in regard to the simulation. In the simulation the changes that GoodLife were trying to make as well as the changes in the population of Atlantis had an effect on the supply and demand of the simulation. Since the renters changed their preferences, the demand for the apartments that GoodLife offered decreased. GoodLife then decided to renovate the apartments and make them into condominiums that they could for sell. By doing this, GoodLife caused a decrease in the supply as well as a decrease in the demand. Given that, the supply and demand curve equally moved to the left. Four Key Points Four key points in the simulation were supply and demand, equilibrium, shifts in the supply and demand, and price ceilings. The simulation is based on supply and demand and is very helpful in understanding the different factors that can affect it. According to the simulation, a demand curve is downward sloping. According to our text, a demand curve illustrates how a â€Å"change in the price level will change aggregate expenditures on all goods and services in an economy† (Colander, 2010). In reference to the simulation, as the price for the apartments decreased, demand increased. The supply curve, on the other hand, is upward sloping. The number of two-bedroom apartments increased as the price increased. Equilibrium is a concept in which opposing dynamic forces cancel each other out. In other words, equilibrium can be described as the position at which quantity demanded meet up with the supply that is presented. The quantity demanded will surpass the quantity supplied which can possibly lead to shortages, if prices are below the equilibrium point. At this point, the prices have a tendency to rise in order to increase the supply until the equilibrium is met. A shift in the demand curve can occur because of a change in the income, a change in the price or a change in tastes. A shift in the supply curve can because of change in the costs of production, a change in technology, or a change in price of goods. A price ceiling takes place when the government places a legal limit on how high the price of a product can be. In order for a price ceiling to be successful, it must be put below the market equilibrium. Applying Simulation to Workplace The impact of supply and demand changes can have a big influence over the software industry. The technology involved in the software industry never really stays at the same level because technologies constantly change. However, if you were to take a closer look at things, computers and software evolve about every six months to a year and half; hence the reason technology is the constant factor that prompts change in the software industry. Elasticity of Demand Price elasticity of demand refers to the way prices change in correlation to the demand. People with lower incomes are inclined to have lower price elasticity because they have less money to spend. People with a higher income are inclined to have higher price elasticity since he can afford to spend more money. In both cases, â€Å"ability to pay is negotiated by the intrinsic value of what is being sold. If the thing being sold is in high demand, even a consumer with low price elasticity is usually willing to pay higher prices† (WiseGeek,  2010). Basically, goods or services presented at a lower price lead to a demand for greater quantity. Price elasticity of demand also explains that price becomes more elastic, because consumers can always choose to buy a good or service that is cheaper, in this case, prices will change with demand. In addition to this, completion for a certain good or service can also affect price elasticity of demand because it keeps prices lower. In summary, according to the simulation process, the demand curve is sloping downward, which causes the quantity demand to increase as the price decreases. The suggestion was for the management company to decrease its rental rates, which would therefore increase the demands for apartments. The supply curve is sloping upward, so therefore the quantity supplied increases as the price decreases. As stated, the quantity demanded balances out the quantity supplied at the equilibrium point. Nevertheless, when prices are below equilibrium, the quantity demanded surpasses the quantity supplied. In retrospect, when prices are above equilibrium, quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded, which cause an excess. References 1) WiseGeek. (2010). What is Price Elasticity of Demand?. Retrieved from http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-price-elasticity-of-demand. htm

A Culture Of Compliance

A Culture Of Compliance What makes a good compliance culture can be deconstructed into multiple components yet it is instantly recognizable. It is strong and functional yet in no way hinders the development of profitable new business and can adapt to market, technological or regulatory change. A good compliance culture is represented across all levels of the organization ensuring a coherent and integrated approach to compliance throughout the company. The essence of how staff, managers and executives interact and work is towards a common goal and value system based on mutual respect, integrity and ethical behaviour focused on the long term health of the business, not just short term gains. In the wake of the financial crisis, good compliance culture and ethics are commonly touted by regulators and governments alike as key to promoting both trust and confidence within the financial system and regulatory bodies charged with their oversight. Equally without the credible threat of regulatory enforcement, it is questionable whether a good compliance culture would be possible. So what are the key ingredients? The framework for organizations that are serious in embedding a good compliance culture within their business is based on the following: Tone at the top: Corporate strategy partnered with legal, risk and compliance Tolerance statements aligned to policy measures and triggers, including swift remediation and proactive compliance risk management Governance and accountability with supervision, discipline and swift investigatory processes tied to performance management Risk assessment, ongoing monitoring, testing and reporting (internal and external) Ongoing Training, guidance and development aimed at all levels of the organization Robust regulatory and active supervisory regime Tone at the Top The tone at the top sets an organization’s guiding values and ethical behaviour. Executive commitment to invest and empower those in compliance, risk and legal resources creates the appropriate oversight and encourages staff to do the right thing. Legal, risk and compliance staff must be viewed as important and critical partners in the business and not simply as support functions. Their views are sought and followed through with respect to new business, operations, business models and planning, pricing and product development. Legal, compliance and risk staff have visible reporting lines into the Board, where breaches for non-compliance are taken seriously and are met with swift investigatory and disciplinary action and accountability. It then follows that the Executive which should include the Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Risk Officer and Executive Legal Counsel are duly qualified, credible leaders and can take action. A corporate strategy committed to compliance, risk and legal requirements must therefore be more than a statement of mere good intentions and must be continuously reinforced. Judy O’HanrahanIt is where the executive takes decisive leadership and ownership of a corporate strategy strongly aligned to regulatory, legal requirements consumer protection providing a safe and fair environment for staff implementing active deterrents of unethical or unlawful activities and protecting institutional assets from data theft, financial crime, fraud or business disruption promoting ethical behaviours that foster respect, integrity, consistency and concern for the organization’s core values. This should be the experience of every employee, from new starter to those that seek to exit. It should be clear to both new and veteran employees that those who represent the core endorsed compliance values and principles are promoted or hired to leadership roles and/or appropriately rewarded. Creating and maintaining the right tone at the top aligned with a corporate strategy partnered in legal, risk and compliance offers can and will increase client and employee retention, ultimately leading to the establishment of a good reputation. Tolerance statements aligned to policy measures A good compliance framework is not only designed to address events as they arise but also to pre-empt them by taking steps to address potential issues. In organizations that have zero tolerance for actions or lack of action that could lead to breaches in compliance, swift, specific, measureable, realistic and time-bound actions are taken by management to address exposures. Limits and warning levels should be built into processes and procedures with clear escalation policies that are adhered to. Notification of breaches and reporting should be well defined and transparent within an agreed structure characterized by a hierarchy up to the Board. Policies are widely understood and followed by staff who can attest to each by aligning their procedures with them and taking an active role in their review through a governance structure. Governance and Accountability In order to foster a good compliance culture, good governance is established through a robust and credible three lines of defense model. The First line All managers and staff take ownership of a consistent compliance approach supported by far sighted incentive structures, where recognition of staff doing the right thing for consumers and for the business and each other is recognized and rewarded and actively promoted. Each business unit has embedded risk and compliance partners who are knowledgeable about their business processes and are senior and independent enough to influence or change behaviours and reward positive outcomes. Primarily accountable for development of controls in tandem with procedures and policies to prevent, detect and respond to compliance failures, they can also test their effectiveness. Middle management are empowered to turn compliance values into practice and encourage employees to come forward with legal, compliance and ethical questions without fear of retaliation, building trust and increased levels of employee engagement. Judy O’Hanrahan Senior leaders hold themselves and others accountable for complying with the ideals of the agreed norms of what makes a good compliance culture. Bad behaviour such as circumventing policy or procedure must have negative consequences. It is clear to all that positive behaviour is rewarded and new recruits are screened against agreed principles and values. Finally, internal issues or matters must be adjudicated with fairness, transparency and integrity, and whistle-blowers are protected when they make a disclosure. The Second line Legal, risk and compliance departments are asking questions about conduct, ethics and culture and not just providing assurance on regulatory and legal technical questions. Their oversight of the effectiveness and integrity of the compliance value system must be established in every aspect of the business. Embedding compliance within the processes and procedures in business units must extend not only to laws, regulations and business principles but to best practice and proactive risk management. Their message must be consistent with that of the business and must be endorsed by the executive. They are seen as critical partners in protecting the reputation of the organization, involved in operational and strategic decisions, testing and compliance monitoring. Chief Compliance Officers play a strategic role in the organization, cultivate the right stakeholder relationships, are trusted advisors to the business, have access to the board, drive and influence the culture and are viewed as authentic leaders and role models. The Third line Audits are measuring the corporate compliance strategy and success of implementation of a good compliance culture based on agreed tolerance statements. An annual compliance charter, plan, policies, monitoring and reporting should be tested for effectiveness and accuracy and process related testing. Employee surveys on culture conducted internally or externally by third parties are helpful in measuring the cultural pulse of the organization. In essence, a good compliance culture is underpinned by good behaviour which must be linked to goals and an incentivized scheme that rewards respect, dignity at work, integrity and trust. Risk assessment, ongoing monitoring, testing and reporting A compliance risk assessment helps an organization understand its risk exposure, prioritize risks, assign ownership and adequately resource and mitigate risks, starting with those that have the highest potential for violations of laws and regulations. The application of a risk methodology based on impact and likelihood identifies the inherent risk combined with controls, highlights the residual risk. This must be authorized and agreed with business partners together with an appropriate response that is monitored and reported up the hierarchy, presented in a dashboard against defined tolerances. Audit and Compliance plans should be complementary and monitoring reviews carried out by risk, compliance and audit serve as an early warning system to potential compliance issues by taking samples of business unit activities, products or output. Ongoing Training, Guidance and Development Individuals will need additional reinforcement on ethics and compliance programs through innovative training or workshops so that staff can connect to the values through Judy O’Hanrahan information sharing and story-telling. New starters, higher risk staff, management and operational staff should have specific training geared towards their needs. Encouraging staff to enrol on professional compliance courses run by external parties and to become industry leaders by participating in external committees or federations contributes to further reinforcing a positive compliance culture supported by external validation. Robust regulatory and active supervisory regime A sharp supervisory approach by an active regulator supports organisations looking to create a positive compliance culture and provides the assurance to consumers that they will be protected. Bernie Madoff’s victims, for example, would wonder how did regulatory agencies such as the SEC, FINRA, which are charged with monitoring financial institutions, fail in their supervisory duty to uncover the largest Ponzi scheme in history. After all, there were warning signs and tip-offs that were ignored, missed or misunderstood. Examiners had sat in Madoff’s offices for two months in 2005 without a complete understanding of the firm’s activities. Regulators who understand how these organisations operate and are able to unravel what appear to be complex activities promote ethical behaviour and protect consumers. By focusing on matters associated with good corporate governance and operational risk with a credible threat of enforcement wake organisations up to the realities that created the perfect storm that was the financial crisis of 2008. In conclusion, organisations with a good compliance culture create lasting relationships with clients, customers, employees and suppliers. This ultimately leads to a good reputation in the market and a positive brand that in turn will attract long term investors. It is evident from scandals involving high profile companies such as Madoff, Enron or Anglo-Irish Bank that implementing and maintaining a positive compliance and ethical culture ensures organisational survival and contributes to the stability of the financial system, something that regulators recognize and are therefore scrutinizing as part of their supervisory regime. It is a reciprocal relationship between organisations and their regulators. Without the credible threat of regulatory enforcement extending to personal liability of senior management, compliance and ethics may be mere check the box exercises or seen as obstacles to new business. Nonetheless, organisations that encourage mutual respect, dignity at work, integr ity and honesty among staff and management lay the foundation for not just a good and positive compliance culture but a truly sustainable work environment that is recognisable by its outperformance and endurance.

Does Oil prevent Libya's democracy Research Paper

Does Oil prevent Libya's democracy - Research Paper Example They argued that oil is an impediment to democracy in countries that derive revenue from it. The presence of oil has reinforced autocratic administration. The revenue from the oil regimes prevents the formation of social groups that claim participation and representation in the government. The oil revenues will provide the government with sufficient money and will prevent the mobilization of these groups independent of the state at the end. Oil rent refers to the revenue derived from the sale of oil products (Arwa 19). This income directly accumulates to the administration coffers. The revenue derived implies that the government will not have to tax its citizens. This excise effect minimizes the citizens’ demands for accountability and their aching desire to participate politically in the government adequately. This effect thus eliminates the ruler and the ruled linkages. The net effect is that democracy will less likely thrive in the state. The no taxation or representation i n a state will make the leaders postpone democracy indefinitely. Oil rent enables the government to obtain political opposition to achieve legitimacy. The government has exceptional authority on how to account for revenue and spend because the oil rents directly accrue to the government. In order for the government to win legitimacy and consent from the total population, it uses rewards and even social welfare to dwindle off the social groups. The government is able to redistribute the proceeds to the public by offering education, employment, and a well-developed infrastructure through the welfare system (Arwa 20). In a rentier state, the biggest employer is the government. Only a few people from the total population will benefit from the oil rent through welfare, in addition to other benefits such as land gifts. In the end, the population also becomes a rentier class that regularly engages in a â€Å"rent-seeking behavior". This will influence the individuals to view this behavior as the best option compared to political unrest as a means to encourage redistribution. Loyalty and legitimacy in a rentier state creates patronage networks. Examples of patronage networks involve personal favors in the form of jobs belonging to the public sector and distribution of public resources in terms of licenses, contracts and even projects. This action leads to increased corruption and bribery. The individuals involved in these activities have a tendency of resisting democracy since democracy encompasses high levels of accountability and transparency (Arwa 22). At times, the state uses the oil rent to provide funds for repressive measures aimed at controlling opposition and the population at large. As oil revenues decline, the repression effect takes place thus leaving minimal amounts of money for activities such as patronage and welfare. This repression is achievable by banning of political parties and the independent media thus hindering democracy. Libya’s crisis resulted from the Arabs uprising and unrest in the Middle East. The presence of deleterious governance has been the core influence of the unrest. Then there is the issue of the western interest in the Libyans oil (Martinez, 28). The leadership of Muammar Qaddafi has attracted international interest. A peaceful protest in February 2011 culminated into a global crisis with a violent attack. The situation continued until the royal citizens took arms and engaged in a battlefield that have left so much

Pros and Cons of Big Data Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Pros and Cons of Big Data - Assignment Example In this case, what these corporations may do with the data is anyone's guess. Another concern is the fact that big data analytics are never completely accurate. Most corporations, enthusiastic about the possibilities of large data analytics, consider all analysis obtained to be valid, even when this may not always be the case. a) As a consumer, I am inclined to be cautious when I use the internet. I have to examine all corporations that want my data and only give it to those that can be trusted, while denying access to those with past negative public privacy concerns. This may involve limited interaction with social networks, using search engines which value anonymity like DuckDuckGo and opting out of data collection programs when possible and appropriate. b) As a business user, I support the idea that no data should be collected without prior approval of the consumer. In as much as marketing should be tailored to the preferences of each potential buyer, it should not infringe on their privacy. As such, websites which use cookies to tailor adverts should have a limit on what data should be collected for this purpose. 3. Considering the issues with data accuracy, secondary use of the collected data and need to protect the rights of users of web services such as Facebook, email, etc. What changes would you suggest to address the abuse of data on the internet? First, this data collection should only be done with the consent of the user. They should be given an option to opt in or out of the program. The corporations should give a precise indication of the type of data that will be collected, the purpose that it will serve, what anonymity measures will be taken to protect the privacy of the user, how long the data will be stored and finally, a review of the secondary parties that this data will be made available to.