Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Accounting Analysis of Google Incorporated Essay Example for Free
Accounting Analysis of Google Incorporated Essay Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its various marketing programs embedded in its search engine. The largest portion of Googleââ¬â¢s revenue comes from advertising and marketing. To be more specific, Google provides third party entities with the means to display ads targeted to specific users depending on factors such as search criteria, online viewing content, and residency. The company uses a system called the cost-per-click basis, requiring the creator of the ad to pay Google when a consumer clicks on an advertisement. Google not only provides services for the common user, but also designs specific products for corporate settings, such as non-profit organizations, government, businesses and schools. Most of its online products are free to use and are supported by text ads that are displayed within the interface. This begs the question of whether Google has a sustainable business model if in the future people begin to ignore internet-based advertisements. For my report, I used two different reports to financially analyze Google Incorporated, which were the 2012 10K form filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Annual report which is posted on itââ¬â¢s website and sent to itââ¬â¢s investors. The 10K report is a document that contains a more detailed explanation of business activity. The 10K is generated annually and has the same financial statements as the annual report, but it is much more detailed and business oriented. Therefore, most of my analysis came from the 10K report. The main purpose of the 10K is to provide detailed data regarding of the nature and success of the business for potential investors. This report offers more technical detail than the average business professional would understand. Without finance or accounting experience, potential stakeholders would have a difficult time deciphering the true benefit or costs of investing in Google. Through graphs of cumulative return, in depth financial statements, and current trends and developments, Googleââ¬â¢s 10K filing demonstrates to financial and accounting professionals whether or not if it is a company that should be invested in. While both the 10K and the annual report are detailed summaries of Googleââ¬â¢s business activity, they each have their separate purposes and uses. Both do a great job appealing to the reportââ¬â¢s target audience. The annual report offers an overall view for anyone potential investors regardless of background or knowledge of the stock market. The 10K provides a detailed report for the finance and accounting professionals who feel the annual report is not sufficient. My first analysis of Google begins with the Balance Sheet. The balance sheet is sometimes referred to as a financial snapshot, because it represents the business only at specific time periods. Firstly, I think that it is essential to evaluate what the business is worth. This brings up what is known as the value problem, which involves the conflicting issue between the book value and the market value. The book value of the company is simply the shareholderââ¬â¢s equity, which is found on the balance sheet. This is because the accounting equation, A=L+OE refers to the assets minus the claims against the assets to equal the book value of the company. However, this does not represent Googleââ¬â¢s actual value. The market value of the company more accurately reflects the true worth of the corporation. There are two reasons for the discrepancy. Firstly, financial statements are transaction based. The transaction figures are recorded when they occurred and entered into the balance sheet. The figures are never adjusted for the time value of money so there is very little relevance. Also, depreciation does not accurately reflect the true worth of assets. Secondly, investors buy the stock for expectations of future earnings, not for the underlying value of investors. This is an important distinction, especially in a technology company like Googleââ¬â¢s where investors rely so heavily on intangible assets, which are very difficult to assign an intrinsic value to. The market value of Google was found to be $284. 4 Billion at the end of 2012 fiscal year. The market value is calculated by multiplying shares outstanding by the price per share. This is also referred to as market capitalization. To continue, I think it is also important to see how liquid the business is. Having short-term liquidity will aid the company to meet its short-term obligations when the business is in financial distress. We can use the current ratio, or the quick ratio to measure this. The current ratio includes all current assets divided by all current liabilities. The quick ratio, or acid test, is the more conservative approach because it excludes inventory due to its low resale value. However in this case, it turns out that the two ratios are the same because Google does not carry any inventory. By avoiding the use of inventory, Google is able to save substantial carrying costs, such as storage in warehouse and shipping. The quick ratio turns out to be 10. 0, which is extremely liquid. Generally a ratio above 2. 0 is considered positive. However, generally the ratio only has meaning when compared to others in its industry. In this case, Google would have to be compared with Microsoft and itââ¬â¢s most direct competitor, Yahoo Incorporated. Next, I analyzed how much working capital Google has. Working capital is used to measure both a companyââ¬â¢s efficiency and its financial health. Potential suppliers and creditors may choose to examine Googleââ¬â¢s ability to meet its current obligations in order to determine the risk associated with having business relations with the company. Working capital is calculated by subtracting current liabilities from current assets. Googleââ¬â¢s working capital is found to be $49. 56 Billion. Although, by itself this figure is insignificant. We can conclude that the large working capital signifies that Google is not in danger of having trouble paying off current liabilities. For further meaning to the working capital figure, I compared it to previous years. This is because working capital provides insight into how efficient the operations are. If money is tied up in inventory or accounts receivable, the company lacks liquidity to pay off its obligations. However, I think that it also can indicate that a company is not operating efficiently. This suggests further analysis into the collection of the companyââ¬â¢s current assets or accounts receivable. In fact, its accounts receivable donââ¬â¢t show a great picture with 35. 96 days worth of outstanding sales. This verifies my previous hypothesis that revenues are not being collected in an efficient manner. However, I think it should be noted that Google is a large firm and the processes and controls tat are in place for account receivables may take longer.
Monday, August 5, 2019
The Bureaucracy Of The United States Government Politics Essay
The Bureaucracy Of The United States Government Politics Essay The Executive Branch of the federal government of the United States of America is charged with the task of exercising the powers of the government over its citizens as well as enforcing the laws created by the Legislative Branch, the Congress. Although overseen by one person, the President of the United States, many more people are involved in the process. The United States Congress consists of a fair number of people from the 535 elected members and their personal staff members to the support staff who work in the Capitol Building itself. The Judicial Branch as well has many members from the Supreme Court Justices to other Federal Judges in lower courts. However the Executive Branch contains the most members in its complicated and massive bureaucratic system. All organizations, administrations, and agencies, often part of what is referred to as the Federal alphabet soup due to the many abbreviations, that fall under this branch originate from some power granted by the somewhat vague Article II of the United States Constitution, or as means of exercising the powers granted to Congress in Article I. While the federal bureaucracy demonstrated in the executive branch may appear to be massive and complicated, the goal is to bring about an understanding of its purpose in the United States government and how it plays a role in an ordinary citizens life. In almost every aspect of ones life, a person must interact in some way, direct or not, with a federal agency from the Internal Revenue Service for tax payment to the Department of Labor ensuring fair payment for a persons work, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration which ensures a persons safety in the workplace. By having increased understanding in the purpose and operation of such departments in the federal government, a citizen is more able to have true understanding of issues pertaining to them that have potential to influence their voting for not only the President, but also members of Congress. The reason I have selected this topic to focus on in my research is primarily due to the fact that, outside of Presidential actions, the importance of the rest of the people in the Executive Branch is often not taught in Social Studies classes or high school political science-based classes. Students are taught that the role of the Executive branch is to enforce the laws passed by Congress, but the actual process of how such action occurs seems to be missing. In some cases in my research I was surprised when I began making connections between ideas, especially when I began to realize the sheer size of some departments. Therefore, for my own sake, I would like to look into this dark and mysterious area so as to enlighten myself and become better informed how agencies that already affect me operate and who is truly in charge. Literature Review The Federal Bureaucracy Within the Executive Branch of the United States government is an administrative center where the laws created by Congress are put into action. According to Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle, and Ansolabehere (2011), from an organizational standpoint, the bureaucracy is a system created by the elected politicians seeking to accomplish objectives as well as solve issues created by the nature of collective action (p. 272). A law cannot be put into action without supporting systems in place to ensure compliance, regulate actions of those affected, and so forth. Because of this connection, the system of executive agencies exists in a unique balance between two branches of government, Executive and Legislative. Carpenter (2005) notes that, while these agencies operate under the President of the United States, departments including, but not limited to, defense, education and agriculture are truly operated by Congressional action and mandate. Because of this the true nature of this bureaucracy is sha ped, perhaps, not by the Chief Executive, but rather by the Legislature. The clear path for analyzing such as system as is found in the federal government is to begin with its creation. For the United States this is to look at the men who created its Constitution and through their work shaped the future of the nation. Looking at the document itself reveals little information to assist in an understanding of the idea. Article II of the US Constitution states that the executive power is given to the President, and further reading only elaborates a minor amount to state that he is also the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, but only two minor clauses give any indication to the actual powers granted to this position. The first indicates that the President may require the heads of executive departments to give their opinion to him, such as advice, related to their duties for their department (U.S. Const. art. II, Ã §2, cl. 1). The second establishes the presidents power to appoint people to positions such as ambassadors, Judges and others with the consen t of Congress (Ibid., cl. 2). These two clauses alone shed little light on the powers given to the President and how the bureaucracy was created. As previously noted, the other aspect of the federal bureaucratic system lies in its role of executing the laws created by Congress. Article I of the Constitution enumerates many specific powers given to Congress which, while they are able to create legislation to regulate such areas, the actual execution or regulation occurs through agencies and departments of the executive branch. Therefore it can be taken that the task of such groups, as well as the President as Chief Executive, does not need to be as clearly stated due to the already clarified powers of Congress. However, this seems not to be the truth behind the significant lack of information presented in the Constitution about a piece of the government that now, in hindsight at least, is the most relevant to the everyday citizen. Perhaps at the time of writing the document they were unaware of the significance of such a branch, or, as Irons (2006) argues they simply wished to not focus on such an issue. Instead they preferred to focus even more on the Legislature they were creating and would focus on the presidency at a later date (pp. 37-40). Departments of the Executive Branch In the early years of the United States, the departments falling under control of the executive branch were few in number, yet significantly large for the time. In fact, these departments began under the idea of committees of areas including correspondence, claims, and war to avoid creating departments too similar to colonial bureaucracy experienced under British rule. These committees are the equivalent to the modern-day State Department, Department of the Treasury, and Department of Defense, respectively (Carpenter, 2005, p. 45). However, this was quickly dropped in favor of the disliked, yet highly effective executive agencies seen in Britain and France at the time. These few departments, however, were significant in their size as Carpenter explains. He notes that in the early 1800s, the US Post Office Department employed over 8,000 employees, larger than many private companies at the time. This does not even consider the size of the military departments especially in a time where the United States continued to face many conflicts, including the War of 1812 (Ibid., p. 42). Andrew Jacksons presidency is significant in the expansion of executive departments and is viewed by some to be the creator of the American bureaucracy. Crenson (1975) argues this point citing Jacksons significant reorganizations of several departments during his administration in the 1830s. Major changes occurred in the Post Office and General Land Office, as well as multiple, lesser changes in both the War and State Departments. Additionally he targeted the Treasury Department and Navy Department but was denied these changes by Congress (p. 3). The idea of reorganizing a department is important in the creation of a bureaucracy because it takes vague ideas of operational standards, stripping them from the people performing them, and redefines them as abstract functions (Crenson, 4). These functions are no longer related to a specific person, but rather a role within the institution that must be filled and put into action. The department loses personal ideas in favor of uniform and e fficient operation, an effect that may be positive or negative given an individual departments situation. The influence of presidents on the bureaucracy they control has been mostly maintained throughout its history through the spoils system. This system is the collective idea that once a person is elected to a position of power, they will give those they like or those from whom they want support positions of importance within the government, namely as a departmental head within the bureaucratic system. Andrew Jackson is one of the presidents known best historically for major change in the positions of the bureaucracy. Crenson notes that in a significant number of departments Jackson took people important from his campaign and past endeavors giving them grand supervisorial positions within the executive branch. Research Statement The bureaucracy of the executive branch of the United States government is an incredibly important structure to the operation of the federal government and the nation collectively. Every person, on a regular basis, must interact in some form with one or more of the departments, agencies, or corporations within the executive branch. Because the structure is so massive and complex with structured employee and supervisor roles it can be complicated to fully understand how it operates and its impact on the lives of citizens. As such, further study must be completed for a person not otherwise familiar with the organizational structure and politics of such a system for complete understanding to be attained. Based in the information already presented, it is clear that there is a unique history to the system of bureaucracy that exists within the United States government. This is especially true in the influence both the President and Congress have on the operation and scope of the departments. How, therefore, do the department and cabinet members of the executive branch function in regard to decisions by the President of the United States? Additionally, as demonstrated by Andrew Jackson, the president has an important role in the selection of important members of bureaucratic agencies. How, in this case, do presidents, namely Presidents Jackson and George W. Bush, shape the operations of these departments on an institutional level as well as personally with department heads and cabinet members? The questions above are significant to a discussion of the American bureaucracy because the role of the president as chief executive of the branch is of significant importance to the operation of the agencies falling under his power. Additionally, because each president is given the authority to appoint persons of his choosing to significant positions within the agencies, it is clear that this would give him power to control the agencies in manners in line with his political partys ideology. Full comprehension of this matter is important to understanding the overall operation of the agencies within. Research Findings Departments and the President The function of bureaucrats within the executive branch is determined largely by Congress through bills passed by them; however, the President holds an important role in shaping the manner in which agencies operate within the scope of such Congressional statutes. Shane notes that since the 1960s the President of the United States has changes roles from being an overseer of the executive branch to one who makes decisions for the agencies. Congress, in passing bills which shape the role of the executive branch, tends to be somewhat non-specific in its language, often to please both parties and allow such a bill to pass. As a result, the directives to the executive agency may leave room for Presidential policy to be implemented (2009, p. 147). That is to say that the method by which a Congressional statute is carried out can be dependent on the political views of the President. The President can make such decisions in multiple ways, from creating administrative rules and suggesting poli cies to the departments within the executive branch to his selection of administrators for these departments, to be analyzed more fully in the following section. The Presidents control of the bureaucracy is described as a principal-agent problem. (Lowi, et al., 2011) The idea in this situation is that the bureaucratic agencies must satisfy the desires of both Congress and the President, lest Congress pass more specific legislation or perhaps decrease their budget and scope of authority or the President seek to change the organizations structure to suit their desires. Therefore the agency will wish to respect the Presidents desire for bureaucratic drift for the sake of the continuation of their position. Bureaucratic drift, as used by Lowi, et al., is the difference between the original legislations intentions and the final outcome as implemented in the executive branch. President Franklin Roosevelt is a good example of the direction the White House as a collective, that is to say more than the President and to include his advisors and other staff members, provides to its agencies. He created in 1937 the Committee on Administrative Management which was an official way in which a group of experts, along with the President, could monitor bureaucratic action and enforce Presidential decisions in the agencies (Lowi, et al., 2011). President George W. Bush also made clear his views of the power of the President to have the authority to specify how executive agencies were to operate within the confines of Congressional statutes. Shane states that during the first six years of the G. W. Bush administration, that is 2001-2007, he objected 363 times when signing bills noting that Congress may be stepping on his executive power to direct agencies with their bill (2009, p. 155). Such a direct statement makes clear that many people believe the President to have significant power in the operational procedures for the agencies within the Executive Branch. Shane notes, however, that while the President does have significant policy setting power within the executive branch, agencies are not required to follow such requests as they are not hard and written law, but rather have the power of suggestion. The recourse a president could take against agencies not following such Presidential policy is to modify the organizations leadership structure as will be seen in the next section. However, just as an agency not following the Presidents desires can find themselves in a tough situation, the reverse is also true. A president who publicly declares displeasure with an agency and an attempt to change the way it operates often finds himself in a less than ideal situation in which he appears to be in the wrong. Shane (2009) notes that the desire for appearing to be a strong and powerful president often stops such drastic backlash against the department f rom happening for the sake of public image. Even so, the President still maintains a significant role in determining the execution of Congressional statutes in the operational policies of executive bureaucracy. Administrators and the President The President has significant power to determine policy within the executive branchs bureaucracy in two ways. The first, dictating policy to the agencies, has been analyzed previously and now the focus can be shifted to the second power of the President, nomination of departmental administrators. Although Congress must approve all appointments the President makes, unless a significant problem exists with a nomination it will generally be supported by Congress. Lowi, et al. (2011) speaks about the many controls a President has on the operation of the bureaucracy, and the importance of before-the-fact controls. They suggest that the most powerful control of this sort a President can have is that of the appointment process. There are many reasons that this power is so significant to a president. First, the appointment process allows a president to select administrators for the departments that, ideally, share his political view and are on good terms with him so that when he makes an exe cutive decision over the agencies he can expect the decision to be carried out as he wished. Secondly, this process, by selecting trustworthy individuals, allows a president to be comfortable knowing that they do not need to constantly be a watchdog for the agencies because they can trust the administrators who are running such agencies. Andrew Jackson was, according to Crenson (1975), the first president to truly utilize the power of the appointment to its fullest. In addition to the previously mentioned bureaucratic reorganizations he implemented with the help of Congress, he also appointed many administrative positions, carefully selecting people to create a more personal bureaucracy for him to work with. Amos Kendall was a prime example of Jacksons ability to handle administrative appointments well. He was appointed a chief clerk and in his work created strict bureaucratic policies for those he oversaw, exactly as Jackson wanted to happen. A quality appointment leads not only to a bureaucracy that operates as a President wishes, but also to one that recognizes his power as Chief Executive (Crenson, 1975, p. 75). To see the opposite scenario in which a poor appointment of someone not in line with presidential opinion, as well as poor handling of bureaucratic operation, one can analyze the appointment and work of Christine Todd Whitman by President George W. Bush. Whitman was selected to be the head of the Environmental Protection Agency shortly after Bush won the 2000 election. Flanders argues that her appointment was motivated by a desire to balance Bushs planned appointments, as Whitman was often described as a quite left Republican, or a liberal conservative. Again we see here the impact of public view, and Congressional opinion, of bureaucratic operation and how the President must step carefully through such decisions. Whitman served less than two and one-half years as the head of the EPA for several reasons. The media often wrote about her clashes with President Bush over policy for the EPA, as well as Bushs White House staff members and his own suggestions as to the dissemination of inf ormation to the public about pollution and environmental safety. Of particular note was the EPAs role after the attacks of September 11, 2001 in their analysis of the safety in New York City. Although denied by Whitman afterward, there is distinct evidence, according to Flanders that the White House put pressure on her to release false information, as well as the White House also altering press releases on the topic of air quality. Almost immediately after the attacks Whitman declared the air safe to breathe and said there was no concern for people to return to work. President Bush wanted Americans to continue on in their lives and keep the nation, especially its economic center, moving forward. Many scientists within the EPA warned that the asbestos levels alone were of significant concern, but their opinions were drowned out. The example of Christine Todd Whitman is important because it demonstrates what can happen when a president and those he appoints do not get along in terms of policy views. A good choice for department head can turn bad when such policy is central to an administration, and when an administrator resigns as a result, public image is not positive for the President. Stepping back from specific examples, it is clear that the President of the United States has a significant impact on the operation of the federal bureaucracy. From appointments to setting policy guidelines, even within Congressional statutes, the executive power is quite massive. Congress provides the bureaucratic agencies with the mandate of what they are to do, but the President sets the tone for how such action is to be accomplished. The relationship between President and the departments of the executive branch is historically very significant to the operation of the nation as a whole.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Essay --
Critical analysis ââ¬Å"A man would never set out to write a book on the peculiar situation of the human male. But if I wish to define myself I must first of all say: ââ¬ËI am a womanââ¬â¢; on this truth must be based all further discussion. A man never being by presenting himself as an individual of a certain sex; it goes without saying that he is a man. The terms masculine and feminine are used symmetrically only as a matter of form, as on legal papers. In actuality the relation of the two sexes is not quite like that of two electrical poles, for man represents both the positive and the neutral, as is indicated by the common use of man to designate human beings in general; whereas woman represents only the negative, defined by limiting criteria, without reciprocityâ⬠¦.Thus humanity is male and man defines woman not in herself but as relative to him; she is not regarded as an autonomous being â⬠¦He is the Subject, he is the Absolute- she is the Otherâ⬠. This pie ce of writing is taken from the book ââ¬ËY: The Descent of Menââ¬â¢ by Steve Jones published in 2002, Little, Brown. This was written originally by de Beauvoir in The Second Sex, that is later elaborated both in the context and the meaning by Jones. The historical context of the writing follows the academic feminism as an interdisciplinary proposition that is deep rooted in a sort of ââ¬Å"political reality that challenges confinement to one particular disciplineâ⬠. Consequently, philosophies and principles ââ¬Å"which developed from the 1960s onwards were shared as feminist philosophers, historians, literary therorists, anthropologists, sociologists, cultural theorists and others, engaged in a project that had a common political background ââ¬â to take action against women's subordination. The genesis of fe... ...of the 1970s and early 1980s. In anthropology this concept has never lost its value, as many societies do not allow unfamiliar men to interact with their womenâ⬠. Endnotes Y: The Descent of Men by Steve Jones2002, Little, Brown. Reviewed by D. M. Procida Human Nature Review 3 (2003) 67-71, Available at http://human-nature.com/nibbs/03/sjones.html, Accessed 10/05/03 Peggy Reeves Sanday / Ruth G. Goodenough (eds.) (1990): Beyond the Second Sex. New Directions in the Anthropology of Gender. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Heidi Armbruster (2000) Feminist Theories and Anthropology, Available at http://www.polylog.org/lit/1.2/re2-en.htm, Accessed 10/05/03 Rayna Reiter (ed.) (1975): Toward an Anthropology of Women. New York: Monthly Review Press. Michelle Z. Rosaldo / L. Lamphere (1974): Woman, Culture, and Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Idealism in Audenââ¬â¢s O who can ever gaze his fill, Out on the lawn I li
Idealism in Audenââ¬â¢s O who can ever gaze his fill, Out on the lawn I lie in bed (A Summer Night 1933), and The Shield of Achilles W.H. Audenââ¬â¢s poems are celebrated for their intelligence, detachedness, and musicality. Often, idealism is associated with romanticism and the excessively personal, because it is an attempt at envisioning the world as it ought to be and not as it is. However, Auden successfully blends idealism into his objective poems, and this idealism manifests itself in his ââ¬Å"O who can ever gaze his fill,â⬠ââ¬Å"Out on the lawn I lie in bedâ⬠(ââ¬Å"A Summer Night 1933â⬠), and ââ¬Å"The Shield of Achilles.â⬠In ââ¬Å"O who can ever gaze his fill,â⬠mortals from various walks of life comment on their ideals while Death watches over them. Composed of four stanzas, Deathââ¬â¢s refrain succeeds the mortalsââ¬â¢ thoughts and gets the last say in each instance. In the first stanza, the farmer and the fisherman look upon the water and the land fondly, believing that the traditional life of hard work coexists with their closeness to nature. This ideal life is how their forefathers have lived, and it is how ââ¬Å"the pilgrims from [their] loinsâ⬠should live in the years to come (6). However, Death remarks as it oversees the ââ¬Å"empty catchâ⬠and ââ¬Å"harvest lossâ⬠(9) that, ââ¬Å"the earth is an oyster with nothing inside itâ⬠(12). Therefore, it advises, forget this ideal and ââ¬Å"throw down the mattock and dance while you canâ⬠(15). This advice can be seen as giving up on the traditional way of life, so that the fisherman and the f armer no longer have to be bound to their toils. Death also says, ââ¬Å"Not to be born is the best for manâ⬠(13), and this phrase is repeated in the subsequent stanzas. In the ideal world, perhaps mankind is not born i... ...ion, love, art, and nature. This idealism, far from being romantic, is imbued with rationality. Often, it is also countered by a strong cynicism. Using haunting imageries and melodic poetic devices, Auden successfully demonstrates a balanced sense of idealism in his ââ¬Å"O who can ever gaze his fill,â⬠ââ¬Å"Out on the lawn I lie in bedâ⬠(ââ¬Å"A Summer Night 1933â⬠), and ââ¬Å"The Shield of Achilles.â⬠* some versions of the poem, like the one in Selected Poems, ed. Edward Mendelson (Vintage) appear to have 15 stanzas. Works Cited Auden, W.H. ââ¬Å"A Summer Night 1933.â⬠In The Colleced Poetry of Auden, pp. 96-98. New York: Random House, 1945. Auden, W.H. ââ¬Å"O who can ever gaze his fill.â⬠In The Colleced Poetry of Auden, pp. 224-226. New York: Random House, 1945. Auden, W.H. ââ¬Å"The Shield of Achilles.â⬠In The Shield of Achilles, pp. 35-37. New York: Random House, 1955.
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Burrhus Frederic Skinner Essays -- B.F. Skinner Psychologists Psycholo
Burrhus Frederic Skinner People do on a day to day basis, many actions without realizing it, and most of the time, they donââ¬â¢t know why they do them. Certain reinforcements, some positive, and some negative have conditioned their actions and thoughts. All organisms, including humans, are greatly influenced by the consequences produced by their own behavior. The environment holds the key to most of the changes that occur in the way a person behaves and a humanââ¬â¢s own behavior brings consequences that change his or her actions (B. F. Skinner). Dr. B.F. Skinner forged the theory of Behaviorism, ââ¬Å"a school of psychology that rejects the unobservable and focuses on patterns of responses to external rewards and stimuliâ⬠(Skinner, B. F.). Burrhus Frederic Skinner was born March 20, 1904, and raised in Susquehana, Pennsylvania, where his father worked as a lawyer and his mother was a strong and intelligent housewife (Boeree). Skinnerââ¬â¢s parents encouraged him in his schoolwork, and he was well read as a child (B. F. Skinner). B. F. was ââ¬Å"an active, out-going boy who loved the outdoors and building things, and actually enjoyed schoolâ⬠(Boeree). He enjoyed literature and biology especially (B. F. Skinner). Skinner attended Hamilton College in New York State (R. W. Kentridge). ââ¬Å"He didnââ¬â¢t fit in very well, not enjoying the fraternity parties or the football games. He wrote for school paper, including articles critical of the school, the faculty, and even Phi Beta Kappa! To top it off, he was an atheist ââ¬â in a school that required daily chapel attendanceâ⬠(Boeree). He continued to read widely and to pursue interests in literature and biology. He began to write a lot of fiction and poetry, and became known as an aspiring poet. After his junior year, he attended the Summer School of English at Breadloaf, where he met Robert Frost (B. F. Skinner). When he graduated, ââ¬Å"he planned to spend a year writing a novel, but found that he had nothing to write about and suffered through what he would later refer to his ââ¬Ëdark yearââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ . Skinner considered pursuing graduate study in English, but eventually settled on psychology instead. ââ¬Å"The choice of psychology followed Skinnerââ¬â¢s realization that what intrigued him about literature was actually human behavior, a topic he felt could be approached more suitably through scienceâ⬠(B. F. Skinner). The writi ngs of Frances Bacon had interested... ...ood and bad. He tested his theory by inventing the Skinner Box and operant behavior. With his theories and testing, people now know how the many actions they perform throughout the day, and why they perform them. Works Cited A Science Odyssey: People and Discoveries: B. F. Skinner. PBS. 15 May 2000. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh.aso/databank/entries/bhskin.html>. B.F. Skinner. Boise State University. 9 May 2000. <http://education.boisestate.edu/FACHTML/cohort3/skinner.htm>. B.F. Skinner Foundation - Documents - A Brief Survey of Operant Behavior. The B.F Skinner Foundation. 14 May 2000. <http://www.bfskinner.org>. Boeree, Dr. C. George. B.F. Skinner. 9 May 2000. <http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/skinner.html>. Leahey, Thomas H. "Skinner, B.F." Academic American Encyclopedia. 1995 ed. R. W. Kentridge. Skinner Box. 17 May 2000. <http://www.biozentrum.uni- wuerzburg.de/genetics/behavior/learning/Skinnerbox.html>. Skinner, B. F. 17 May 2000. <http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/11954.html>. Skinner, B. F. About Behaviorism. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1974. Skinner, B. F. Science and Human Behavior. New York: Macmillian, 1953.
Friday, August 2, 2019
Learning Skill Essay
Q1. Write an essay on why you decided to continue your tertiary education. In your answer also include why WOU was your choice of university. Everyone hope to live in better or luxury life, so do I. But holding only diploma in accounting would not grant me any further opportunity in the fact that nowadays the employers are so arduous and looking forward for more competent and capable candidate. Therefore I make up my mind to pursue higher education for a better career advancement and keep the skills and knowledge up to date. Continuing tertiary education can enhance my marketable skills. Advance to degree means that I learning new skills. A set of skills imparted from this course will help me in the current society. These skills also help me to perform better in my current career, make me more competitive and have the opportunity for promotions (Girl 2014). Tertiary education also increases my earning potential (Girl 2014). In the current career market, the higher your education, the higher your position and the higher your pay (Harrison 2013). From Jobstreet salary report, a finance manager earnings average from RM5,800 to RM8,600 per month (JobStreet. com 2014). In current economy, higher earning is important for a better living life. Continuing my education will gives me advanced knowledge about my area of study. From researching assignments and advanced courses, I will gain additional knowledge relates to my career. Learning from established experts, I will also earn a reputation as an expert in my field too (Harrison 2013). Choosing WOU as my choice as it suits for my part-time study and more flexible. It provides me to study online and have distance learning (University 2014). WOU cuts down my travelling time and cost and only attend classes once a month. I am able to choose the course and plan to study that suits my time that provided by WOU. Other than education, WOU is a place where I can enhance my professional skills and gaining knowledge from the lecturers and students which will makes me become a more valuable and marketable in my career. It is never too late to go back to study. I appreciates that WOU is one of the online study provider that let me study with ease and continuing my education which can fit my studies, working and social life. I can have a degree without having to commit to campus life and receive the degree from my home (Girl 2014).
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Disadvantages Early Marriage
Many people are marrying early these days. They would like to get into matrimony as soon as their courtship is over. Tying the knot is important to strengthen their relationship. They feel settling down in life early would help them set up their independent home. Whatever may be the advantages of settling down early in life, the fact remains there are problems to be faced if one gets into matrimony too quickly. Examples are:1. Responsibility has to be shouldered at a very young age. One has to take on household responsibilities, child rearing responsibility etc. There is no adult to guide or help out. 2. Missing out on the fun of teenage life and being young. The drudgeries of married life can get to you. They deprive you of your youth. 3. Health also can get affected as early pregnancy can have a negative impact on overall health. 4. Breakdown of marriage is possible. Often the young couple is immature to shoulder major responsibility and end up fighting with each other. Adjustment problems may arise. 5. Education also gets affected. The young couple may not be able to pursue higher education as they have to take on the responsibilities of family budget. 6. Work opportunities are limited for the youngsters. Since their education levels are low, they cannot get highly paid jobs. 7. Bringing up children may be difficult. Their knowledge of child care may be limited and parental guidance is also not there. They may not be able to provide the appropriate care for their child.Marrying early may seem very romantic and convenient, but it has its problems. Couples need to get to know each other better and this takes time. Rushing into a marriage, which may not last long does not appear the right thing to do. In some countries, where child marriage is prevalent, efforts are on by respective Governments to dissuade such a practice.
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