Kenaf

Kenaf composites experience a number of damage modes under dynamic compression loading. Therefore, in order to understand the overall behavior of the Kenaf composite, it is necessary to identify the different types of impact damage that occurred. Damage of composites such as cracking constituents usually occur and are not totally visible. To understand it, examination and analysis of specimens are needed. Microscope observation was used to observe the morphology of fractures of tested samples. This technique has been largely considered in various investigations of composites. The observed images of the fractured specimens under dynamic compressive test are shown in figure 9. On the top surface, it can be seen that the impact damage spreads throughout the specimen. These damage modes include degradation of the fiber/matrix bond strength and eventual debonding, matrix cracks, and fiber splitting, resulting in overall stiffness and strength degradation of the composite. This failure of the matrix material can originate from various loading conditions. In all cases, cracks initiate or propagate within the matrix or at the interface between fiber and matrix, if the respective loading condition of normal stresses or shear stresses exceeds the local strength of the matrix or interface, respectively. While bulk of the failure involves cracking of matrix, or interface debonding, fiber splitting may occur especially if fiber itself is weak in transverse direction, and the unidirectional composite is highly aligned in transverse direction. Referring to Fig. 7, longitudinal ply splitting or matrix fractures parallel to the fibre direction occurs and extends from the top and to the bottom surfaces. So, at the moment of impact, stress concentration is generated at the contact point where the matrix cracks and fiber bundles split. On the one hand, the stress wave propagates along the fiber direction, the fiber bundles act as the main load-bearing object, and fewer cracks can be seen along the longitudinal direction. Moreover, Figs. 9 shows a higher extent of fiber splitting and bending, which confirmed lower fiber-matrix adhesion, also indicates fibers were carrying higher load share than matrix (Ku et al. 2011).Based on the results of the experimental investigation, bonding at the fiber-matrix interface is identified as the dominant compressive failure mechanism in Kenaf composites which controlling the mechanical performance. Previous study have also shown that debonding of the fiber/matrix interface has caused substantial degradation in the transverse response of a composite, resulting in an early degradation in the stress-strain curve [33]. Besides, multiaxial tests conducted by Lissenden, et al. [34] on SiCTi tubular specimens revealed that fiber/matrix interfacial debonding plays an important role in the axial shear response. The mechanical properties of natural fibre reinforced composites highly depend on the interface adhesion property between the fibres and the polymer matrix as have been reported by many researchers [5–8]

Effectiveness of Monetory Policy

Various studies have reflected the existence of a positive relationship between the increase of money supply and the level of inflation. Generally, this is reflected by the continued rise of prices of the various products. A situation ensues where excess amounts of money tend to be chasing too few goods. In this perspective, this study tested on whether monetary policy is an effective tool in the combating of inflation and ensuring price stability. The first and foremost objective of the central bank is to formulation and implementation of the monetary policy for maintaining the values of local currency.Otherwise the living standard of the general people may go down. This study finds out the money supply has a direct impact on the level of inflation. Statistically, money supply has a statistical significance on the level of inflation in the country. Thus, monetary policies aimed at controlling the amount of money supply in the economy, have a tremendous impact on controlling the leve l of inflation 2. Objectives of the Study The objectives of the study revolved around exploring the significance and the suitability of the monetary policy in realizing macroeconomic goals.Some of these macroeconomic objectives included price stability, economic growth, full employment, and a favorable balance of payment. 3. Specific Objective Find out the effectiveness of monetary policy in ensuring price Stability & preserving the value of local currency by combating of inflation. 4. Introduction Since time immemorial, inflation has always been an issue of extreme sensitivity. This accrues to the fact that a case of inflation has overall effect on the prices of commodities. An instance of spiraling, uncontrollable inflation is usually a sign of impending catastrophic doom.Thus, the control of monetary policy has turned out to be an essential function of all governments in the world. Inflation does not necessarily have to be reflected a continued increase in the prices of commoditi es (hyperinflation), the vice versa can also be a reflection of inflation (deflation). However, both situations are more than unhealthy for the economy. In most economic situations, the major reasons for the inception of inflation are a culmination of excessive demand for products. The necessary economic policy would thus be entrenched on looking at the causes of an unnecessary rise.This way, they can thus be able to come up with the right measures that can aid in controlling the existing verbal demand in an economy. To this end, various researchers have established the ability of monetary policy as a tool for controlling inflation. All over the world, in diverse economies, monetary policy has been seen as an approach to effectively control inflation. This is reflected by the ability of monetary policy in controlling the rise in demand by an increase in the available rates of interest.In addition, monetary policy reduces the existing real money in the economy. A rise in the interest manages to bring an overall reduction in collective demand in an economy. To this end, this Essay aims at looking at how effective monetary policy as a tool for ensuring price stability. 5. Background Analysis Monetary policy is defined as a public interventionist action that aims at manipulating the level and array of economic activity so as to accomplish specific, desired goals.Specifically, monetary policies are aimed to work fewer than two economic variables that affect the level of inflation in an economy. The two aggregate variables are supply of money in circulation and the respective interest rate in an economy. Monetary policy is among the few tools that a national government can utilize to control the economy using the given monetary authority in the control of the supply and availability of money. Controlling the availability, leading to a control of access, ultimately influences the demand of products.The law of demand ultimately reflects that an increase in demand for products of products leads to an increase in prices. Demand is in turn influenced by the availability of money in the economy. Thus, direct or indirect control of money leads to an ultimate control of inflation. In most instances, governments try to influence an overall level of economic activities to be in line with individual objectives. Some of these objectives include socio cultural, political, economic, and technological objectives.Generally, the main aim of governments is the existence of a macroeconomic stability. Usually, macroeconomic stability encompasses stable prices, economic growth, full employment, balance of external payment, and development in a country. Generally, it is the Job of the central bank of any nation to come up with, and implement, monetary policies that aim at achieving stability in the expected price level of products in a country. However, the major aim is to attain stability in prices so as to be able to sustain the existing value of the currency in a particular country.All economies of the world endeavored to create a central bank as a means of safeguarding the value of individual currency. In the case of integrated economies, there exist geographical banks and one major bank for the respective organization. For example, various American states have federal banks to check on their currency. In addition, an overall control is exhibited by the Central Bank of America. In addition, monetary policy is a major tool exploited in a battle of preserving a runners in an economy. 6.Literature Review Theory has proposed several ways in which inflation can be combated; this essay is concerned with the literature that led to the use of such instruments and policies. To enable us understand the prepositions made the study analyzed several theories: 7. The Classical Quantity Theory of Money This theory was developed by Irving Fisher. Fisher took the view that money was only used as a medium of exchange to settle transaction involving the dem and and supply for goods and services. The quantity theory of money can be developed to a theory of price levels.Since NV=APT Where V – Velocity of circulation M -Money supply p _ price T -Quantity of transactions Assuming that V and T are roughly constant, P will vary directly with increase or decrease in the amount of M and it changes in money supply (M) that causes the prices (P) to change, not changes in price that cause the changes in supply is assumed to be constant as the economy in question is assumed to be operating at full employment. If the velocity of circulation is more or less constant than any growth in money supply (M) over and above the potential of the economy to increase, T will cause inflation.This is then consistent with the monetary policy to curb inflation by controlling the money supply in the economy as it leads to inflation. A further notable feature in this theory is that the government monetary policy should allow some growth in money supply if the economy is growing but not let the growth in money supply to get out of hand as if output in the economy (T) is growing and the velocity of circulation (V) is constant then a matching growth in the money supply of money is needed to avoid deflation. . The Monetarist Policy Theory Monetarists argue that since money is a direct substitute for all other assets, an increase in the supply of money supply, given a fairly stable velocity of circulation, will have a direct effect on the demand for other assets since there will be more money to spend on those assets. If the total output of the economy is fixed, then an increase in the money supply will lead directly to higher prices.Monetarists therefore reach the same conclusion as the old quantity theory of money that a rise in money supply will lead directly to a rise in prices and probably also too rise in money incomes, an increase in real output and so an increase in employment. In the long run however, they argue that all increases i n the money supply will be reflected in higher prices unless there is a long term growth in the economy. Monetarist school of economic thought contended that money supply is a key determinant of the level of production the short run and the rate of inflation in the long run.In order to minimize uncertainty monetarist advocated for the maintenance of a constant rate of growth of money supply. Developing countries have depended on monetary policy in order to achieve price stability, economic growth and development, positive balance of payments and full employment. To contain any reduction in GAP the Central Bank adopted a selective credit control and special attention was given to the interests of marginal traders and productive agents in Agriculture. 9. Tools of Monetary Policy : There are three tools of monetary policy for which the value of money changes.For ensuring price stability monetary policy has to focus on these three tools. Monetary Policy of Bangladesh Bank The aim is to achieve the twin goals of containing inflation and promoting sustained and stable economic growth; provide policy advice to the Government on deficit managing and public debt management; manage the balance of payments and foreign exchange reserves; provide payment services and ensure the stability of the financial system; conduct treasury and government securities related operations; and efficiently perform other international financial activities.Financial Sector Developments Critical activities cover the development of the financial systems; provide effective prudential supervision; ensure information access, market intelligence, and contingency planning to avoid systematic risks; assist banking and financial entities o become efficient and competitive; discover new modalities for delivering agricultural and industrial term credit; enhance the access of small and medium enterprises to investment funds; further develop the market in public and private debt and risk capital; and pro mote measures for inclusion of people hitherto bypassed in formal financial systems.In addition, the Bangladesh Bank will continuously adopt necessary measures for taking a proactive stance in decision making; compiling relevant statistics and conducting high quality and timely economic research to review the country financial and economic conditions to purport decision making; ensuring efficient and professional management of Bib's human and financial resources; and establishing Bib's distinct identity based on its values and strategic roles.In order to uphold the mission, Bangladesh Banks aim would be to provide the required leadership by discharging its duties in a manner that shows a clear vision, is watchful, far-sighted, intelligent and responsive based on an effective and efficient communication strategy. At all times, Bib's aim would be to remain committed, efficient, capable, logistically supported, speedy, focused, and aggressive where necessary in order to ensure that the Bangladesh Bank always remains a credible and prestigious institution with an efficient organizational structure committed to achieving its goals. 9. Interest rate policy This arises where the central bank increases the rate of interest rates for borrowing funds. This instrument is most applicable in cases where banks turn to the central banks as an avenue of securing funds. The rates that can be increased include the overnight borrowing rate. This tends to discourage borrowing which then end up reducing the rate of inflation in an economy. So interest rate is a crucial important to sustain the price stability. Comparison of Interest Rate in Bangladesh Source: 1 . Statistics Department, Bangladesh Bank for Scheduled Banks Weighted Average Interest Rate. . Debt Management Department, Bangladesh Bank for Weighted Average Call Money Market Rates. 9. 2 Inflation Targeting This is an economic monetary inflation policy aimed at achieving a specific level of inflation in the country. This involves the setting of a certain level of inflation by the central bank, and then working towards achieving the given level of inflation. This is usually done through the utilization of interest rate changes and other monetary tools. Despite the embracing of the above monetary policies, many countries still find themselves being faced by extreme inflation rates.The rates end up eroding the value of the specific currency. A devaluation of currency ends up creating an unfavorable balance of payment and hence accumulation of debts and deficit budgets. In this perspective, third world countries continue to remain poor despite their rigorous endeavors aimed at escaping the unfavorable economic situation. In mimes of political tumult, monetary policy also tends to be ineffective in cases of political turmoil. The matter is further aggravated when political instability combines with economic shocks.This leads to a culmination of extreme inflation being witnessed in a country. An epitome of this was witnessed in Bangladesh during the period of Care taker Government of 2007-2008. The prices of basic commodities soared to the extent that they were virtually impossible to the average man. In addition, the monetary policies set out to correct out the situation ended up being ineffective in the control of the ensuing inflation. Economic shocks such as depressions, recessions, and booms also render monetary policies ineffective. This was witnessed during the 2008/09 economic recession all over the world.During the recession, major world economies faced harsh circumstances despite having well formulated monetary policies in place. The available strategies failed to stir the economy back to stability. 9. 3 Foreign Exchange Valuation Figure of Inflation Rate in Bangladesh A method for providing an interface for Foreign Exchange trading centered on a Foreign Exchange rate and this rate is an important factor of value changing of money. So the foreign exchange rate is an impor tant factor for monetary policy. Comparative Figure of exchange Rate in Bangladesh 10.Monetary Policy Instruments: There exist a variety of monetary policy instruments through which the central bank controls/ maintains general price level. Some of these tools include the following: 10. 1 Open Market Operations: Open market operations refer to the sale or purchase of securities. The transactions usually take place in the open market of the central bank. This instrument usually targets the available cash balances of commercial banks and other non bank institutions. The available balances are checked in relation to excess reserves available at the central bank.The major aim of this tool is the attainment of a predetermined level of reserve money. A situation of influenced commercial bank lending ensues hence an overall control of money supply in the economy. 10. Ii. Setting the bank rate: Central bank sets a bank rate for its borrowers. To maintain the general price level, central bank changes the rate time to time. If it wants to take the additional money from the market, it rises the interest rate on the other hand if there is shortage of money in the market it reduces the rate to make balance and control the price level. 0. Iii. Adjusting Reserve Ratio Reserve Ratio is also known as liquidity asset ratio is defined as the proportion of total assets being held by a bank. Every commercial bank has to maintain a reserve of liquid money to the central bank which is called SSL (Statutory Liquidity Ratio). This is usually in the form of liquid assets and cash. This instrument is effective since it manages to indiscriminately affect all banks. Also, the method tends to be directly established and the effects of its implementation are felt soon after its inception.The intended purpose of the tool is usually to create a situation where a banks free cash base is reduced. This reduces a banks ability to give out loans and advances and creates an overall reduction of avai lability of money. The reduction of excess money supply ends up curbing prices and inflation. 10. Lb. Moral Suasion It is one of the qualitative instruments of controlling general price level through persuasion at a moral sight not to disburse more loans to the particular bank. Persuasion not to give out loan to the any particular sector to control money supply . 10. V. Certain Margin RequirementsEvery importer has to keep a certain margin at the time of opening any LLC to the commercial banks to import goods from foreign countries. This marginal money becomes locked up to the bank until the goods are imported and the transaction is settled. This margin level is determined by the central bank and trough setting up new margin requirements central bank can maintain the general price level. 10. V'. Selective Credit Control These instruments prevail on the quantitative measure of credit control that strives at encouraging selective essential sectors of the economy while at the same time discouraging others.In one such instance, the Central Bank of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Bank can ensue to restrict government borrowing up to a given extent. Normally, the given legal limit is 5 percent of the most recent audited government ordinary revenues. Usually, this aims at reducing a case of excess government expenditure. A case of excess government spending leads to a situation of inflationary crisis. 1 1 . Failure of Monetary Policy in Developing Countries Despite the widespread success of monetary policies, there exists a tendency of failure of the policy in developing economies.The failure can be attributed to a yard of reasons. Some of the reasons include the following: I) In developing economies, markets and financial institutions tend to be highly disorganized. The lack of well developed capital and money markets and a limited quantity and range of financial assets creates and atmosphere that leads to the failure of monetary policy. It) In some instances, monetary polic ies end up being misused by the authorities. This leads to a situation where the monetary policies fail to address the situation at hand. Ii) In third world countries, commercial banks tend to have excess funds due to lack of viable projects and borrowers. This reduces the sensitivity of their cash base. In this case, the effectiveness of open market operations ends up being severely limited. Iv) The existence of high levels of corruption ends up rendering some instruments like selective credit control to be ineffective. V) Illiteracy in the developing countries ensures that individuals have little or no knowledge on the working of monetary policy. This reduces the effectiveness of monetary policy. Ii) Most individuals in developing countries prefer personal storage of money as opposed to bank deposits. This ends up reducing the effectiveness of Central Bank's endeavors 12. Conclusion To establish the effectiveness of monetary policy as a tool for combating inflation, The variables investigated were the level of inflation, commercial banks interest rates, money supply and the foreign exchange rate (measurable in dollars) and money supply was found out to be most significant factor affecting the rate of inflation.When money supply increases by one hundred billion the rate of inflation increases by 5. 478 . This being so, then it means that any increase in money supply should be managed to a level that allows the economy to grow and also high enough to avoid fellatio (a situation where the prices are falling) This is due to the fact that, if money supply is zero and the other factors are also zero, there will be a deflation of 18. 042. This means that the economy is not growing hence adversely affects the other objectives of macroeconomics.Also, it is evident that there exist a positive relationship between increase in foreign exchange rate and the rate of inflation; when the currency depreciates at a rate of one, inflation increases at a rate of 0. 233. Therefo re efforts should be made to avoid any rise in foreign exchange or any appreciation in the domestic currency. Also, this research showed that there exist a negative relationship between the rate of inflation and the commercial banks interest rates.When the commercial banks interest rates increase by one percent, the rate of inflation reduces by 0. 84. Thus, increase in interest rates is one way of controlling the rate of inflation. However, the rates of interest should be managed at a level that does not hurt investments as high interest rates hinders investments and this leads to poor economic growth hence it adversely affects the other macroeconomic objectives. Apart from the macroeconomic variables discussed above it is also evident other factors influence the rate of inflation.Some of these factors include political instability, tribal clashes, international financial crisis (recession and depression ) amongst others. Inflation targeting (where the monetary authorities set a cer tain target and manages the macroeconomic variables towards achieving that inflation rate) as policy should also be used as this has shown positive results in some parts of the world such as South Africa. Thus, monetary policy, as a tool for controlling inflation, is effective

Intelligence and the Concept of G Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intelligence and the Concept of G - Essay Example On his road to achieve this Spearman developed Factor Analysis a statistical analysis method to determine if there were correlations between independent factors. In 1904, Spearman published "General Intelligence, Objectively Measured and Observed" in which the first scientific definition of intelligence was put forth. According to Spearman, intelligent behaviour is generated by a single, unitary quality within the human mind or brain. Spearman derived this theoretical entity, called the general factor, or simply g, through a new statistical technique that analyzed the correlations among a set of variables. This technique, called factor analysis, demonstrated that scores on all mental tests are positively correlated; this offered compelling evidence that all intelligent behaviour is derived from one metaphorical pool of mental energy" ("Charles" 2007, 1). In short, Spearman's Theory of General Intelligence states "all variation in intelligence test scores can be explained by two factors. The first is the factor specific to an individual mental task: the individual abilities that would make a person more skilled at one cognitive task than another. The second is g, a general factor that governs performance on all cognitive tasks" (History 2007, 1). Researchers have long agreed that there is a wide range of ability in basic cognitive skills such as logical reasoning, spatial analogies, completion of matrices, vocabulary and other mental tests among different people. The same people tend to do better on these tests across the entire range of tests than do other people. Further, by use of statistical analysis of this raw data, researcher have isolated the cause for the differences in people's mental reasoning abilities to one factor credited for this consistent accelerated performance - that one factor is 'g'. G acts like a correlation coefficient with a value of .65 (Flynn 2003). Jensen (2002) reported that individuals with higher levels of g, in effect, have better brains. People with these higher levels of g tend to prefer more complex cognitive tasks resulting in high g loading. To explain this Jensen (2002, 153) states: "some property of the brain has cognitive manifestations that result in the emergence of g." In effect, Jensen (2002) asserts that g is a measure of the influence on brain quality. The higher the g; the 'better' the brain; this result equates to an advantage in any cognitive skill utilized. Johnson et al. (2004) conducted a study to determine whether g, in actuality, predicts a wide range of cognitive performances. The researchers predicted that Spearman's g would have a strong correlation on a diverse set of abilities. The empirical evidence proving the existence of g is well documented. However, there remains some controversy in that "the social implications of the existence of measurable individual differences in a personal characteristic that is highly predictive of a broad range of life outcomes" (Johnson et al. 2004, 96). The researchers assert that regardless of the battery of tests utilized to measure g, the results should be uniform across various test batteries. If, in fact, g varies across these different kinds of test

A baseball Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Bill and Bentham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Entrepreneurial question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Managing business finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

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How Far do they Critically Place the Issue of Marginalization and the Essay

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Stem Cell Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Stem Cell - Research Paper Example The paper tells that cells with the ability to divide constantly as well as distinguish and extend into numerous cells and tissues of various kinds are known as stem cells. They are ‘blank’ cells as they do not display any precise physiological predisposition. With the onset of appropriate conditions, in vitro or in vivo, stem cells develop into focused tissues and organs as they are self-sufficient and replicate by the process of cell division, indicating that stem cells are biological entities prevalent in multicellular organisms. As stem cells possess distinctive eminence and research embraces an immense assurance for the management and cure of critical and unbearable ailments like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cancer, diabetes and neurological as well as metabolic disorders, diseases related to hear, stroke, bone condition, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, as well as conditions like multiple sclerosis. Stem cells could also be grown to become new tis sue for use in transplant medicine. Research is being carried out across the world to decipher the underlying genetic and biochemical facts triggering stem cell delineation to new cells capable of repairing distorted tissues and organs. Stem cells pave the way towards understanding of various diseases and syndromes. Stem cells are promising resources to test the drugs and agents. Stem cells are pluripotent, i.e. capable of replicating into similar kind of cells or they are capable of specializing into any other specific tissue. There are various categories of stem cells: Embryonic stem cells- They are procured from the interior cells of the blastocyst. Fetal stem cells- They are procured from the germ line tissues of aborted fetus. Umbilical cord stem cells- Blood of the umbilical cord encompasses stem cells similar to the cells present in the bone marrow. Placenta derivative stem cells- Source of enormous stem cells. Adult stem cells- Numerous adult tissues also possess stem cells. These stem cells are harvested to rectify ailments or cloning tissues, organs, animals or humans or they may be harvested for gene-line engineering. The gene-line engineering aims to function towards disease resistance and functional improvement. Induced pluripotent cells- Through nuclear programming scientists have transformed adult cells into stem cells. Nuclear programming alters the genes to behave like embryonic stem cells and thereby avert immune rejection, although adverse effects could not be documented so far. Amniotic fluid stem cells- Researchers have documented the presence of stem cells in amniotic fluid (Where do stem cells come from?; Stem cells: What they are and what they do?). Scientists are using stem cell lines derived from the single stem cell. They are devoid of genetic defects and could be stored as well as used for various research purposes to get regenerative medicines for damaged or degenerated tissues through gene manipulation technique which aids in gene rating

Critically evaluate the underlying dynamics which were operating in Essay

Critically evaluate the underlying dynamics which were operating in the videoed mediation and negotiation sessions, which formed - Essay Example Movies are considered as that mode, which can be easily understood by almost everyone, no matter how old or young. In this way, this tool of entertainment can help participants to learn from movies and remember the moral of that movie. There are number of movies, within which, the particular lesson can be found. However, a large number of negotiators and mentors create their own movies. The only purpose of creating movies is better customization as compared to commercial movies and other video clips. Arguments, frictions, differences, skirmishes and fights, etc. are some the reasons causing disputes among people. There are various ways of resolving such disputes among which mediation and negotiations pose greater importance. These two techniques are considered as the premier techniques of dispute resolution, however, nowadays these techniques are taught in different style i.e. through videos. This article specifically aims at highlighting the dynamics, which are operating in the medi ation and negotiation session using videos. The structure of this article is formed in such a manner that the brief definitions and explanations of the mediation and negotiation is provided at the initial stage. ... The third party is an impartial and independent party having no interests on either side except the dispute resolution. Independent party listens and understands the viewpoint of both the parties, clarifies the issue, discusses further points, and reaches at an agreement, which is in the best interest of both the parties. This dispute resolution technique is a voluntary technique. However, some organizations may legalize this technique as a compulsory technique for the resolution of internal disputes among the organizational participants. Negotiation Negotiation is also a problem solving techniques for the disputes arising among the parties over a particular matter. Under this technique, both the parties initiate the discussions to resolve the issue in a good faith. Both parties put their points of concerns to each other, understands each other’s viewpoint, discusses and seek their flexibility to bargain over the issue and reaches at an agreement accordingly. The technique is a voluntary technique, however, unlike mediation; no external party to the dispute is involved in this technique. Organizations may use these techniques as a compulsory way of dispute resolutions. Critique and practice are essential for acquiring any new skills, which also includes the ability of mediating and bargaining. However, before trying something, many people prefer watching a skilled person doing that task. This paper aims to reveal how commercial films and videos can be used to enhance the skills of mediation and negotiation. Role Playing vs. Video Role-playing is considered less formal because usually students or viewers burst into humor. Instead of learning the purpose of role-playing, viewers begin to take that as a comedy. Another problem

Satyam Computer Services Essay Example for Free

Satyam Computer Services Essay In early 2009 the chairman of Satyam Computer Services admitted publicly to a fraud taking place in the company. Satyam reported in the financial statements billions of dollars in profits and cash assets that never existed. The public auditor’s responsible for auditing the financial statements of Satyam Computer Services at the time was PW India, an affiliate of Pricewaterhouse Coopers. The Securities and Exchange Commission determined that Satyam was able to commit the financial statement fraud due to the negligence of the audit team. The audit team tasked with auditing the records of Satyam failed to confirm cash balances in bank accounts which were grossly over represented. Later it was determined that the more than one billion dollars Satyam claimed to have was actually no more than sixty-six million. During the audits of Satyam Computer Services, the audit team at PW India never sought confirmations for the cash balances that management asserted which is a clear violation of auditing standards. The SEC, during the investigation, determined that many audit teams in PW India accepted cash confirmations directly from the management of their clients and almost never questioned the reliability of the confirmations received. It was also revealed that sometimes the banks would send statements directly to the auditors even though they weren’t directed to do so. Even though the bank statements showed different balances then those given to the auditors by management, the audit team never questioned the differences in amount. Procedures, for reviewing audits, were put into place to assure that all audits are completed with the highest degree of professional care. The Satyam audit team was warned by a partner from a different Pricewaterhouse Coopers firm that their cash confirmation procedures were deficient, but nothing was done to correct the deficiency. Due to this deficiency the Satyam fraud was not uncovered. As a result Satyam Computer Services was fined 10 million dollars by the SEC for fraud and PW India was fined 7. million dollars by the SEC and PCAOB. The critical issue in this case is that PWC India did not act in accordance with PCAOB or AICPA standards and codes of professional conduct. The critical factors are as follows: * The auditors did not act with due professional care. * The auditors did not appropriately assess the risks of material misstatements. * The audit team did not exercise professional skepticism. * The auditors did not act with integrity or in the best interest of the users of the financial statements. Due professional care, as required by the PCAOB, require the auditors to maintain professional knowledge and skill at the level required to ensure that clients receive competent professional service and to act in accordance with professional standards. This is the most vital part of the audit process to make certain that the audit will be handled with, ultimately, the users of the financial statements best interest in mind. PWC India, in their audit of Satyam, had completely disregarded this fundamental requirement of auditors. By relying on the confirmations given to them by management, the auditors did not provide the users of the financial statements with the skill and professionalism they are trusted with. As a result, they completely missed an obvious fraud taking place at Satyam and if the executive of Satyam hadn’t admitted to the fraud PWC India’s controls would have never caught the overstatement. Another relevant issue here is that the audit team did not appropriately assess the risks of material misstatements which resulted in the fraud. Before an audit, in the planning stage, the audit team should have identified accounts, transactions, and disclosures that could affect the financial statements significantly if they were materially misstated. The auditors at PWC India did not properly identify that the risk that the assertions of management about the cash accounts would result in a high risk of material misstatement. Cash accounts regardless of industry should require a special attention during an audit. The professional judgment of the auditors was lacking in the audit of Satyam’s cash balances. When evaluating the risks of certain accounts the auditors should have asked themselves whether there is a risk of fraud, whether there is subjectivity in measuring the financial information, and whether there is any unusual balances in the accounts. The answer to these questions should have all been yes in this case and there is no reason why they shouldn’t have properly confirmed the cash balances. One of the many requirements of an auditor is to exercise professional skepticism. The auditor must take what’s given to him with a ‘grain of salt’ and also question and confirm the existence, occurrence, and accuracy of account balances. In the audit of Satyam, the auditors acted with no professional skepticism whatsoever. If the auditors are not doing their due diligence, the audit risk will rise due to the increase in detection risk. Management took advantage of the fact that the auditors procedures of detecting material misstatements were lacking. This article’s relevance to the auditing profession is enormous. From here, auditors should learn to not take anything for granted and to always question what is put in front of you, unless it is from a completely objective source. The auditors at PWC India did not follow the basic requirements of an audit engagement which resulted in a major fraud. Even when the banks sent account confirmations directly to the auditors, despite not being requested to do so, the auditors still did not question the discrepancies. The gross negligence in this case should be an example to all auditors; do not take anything for granted. The quality control review also failed in this case. Auditors need to heed the advice of the review team. Here, the audit team ignored the recommendations of the review team to confirm cash balances with the banks. Quality control reviews are very significant to an engagement and auditors should not take recommendations without due consideration.

Performance Management Activities

Performance Management Activities PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Performance management includes activities to ensure that goals are consistently being met in an effective and efficient manner. Performance management can focus on performance of the organization, a department, processes to build a product or service, employees, etc. Information in this topic will give you some sense of the overall activities involved in performance management. Then you might enhance your understanding by reviewing closely related library topics referenced from the sidebar. IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMANCE MANGEMENT SYSTEM Setting up a good performance management system doesnt happen overnight or by accident. You need to consider its design and carefully plan how it will work before managers begin using it to evaluate employees. Benefits Managing employee or system performance facilitates the effective delivery of strategic and operational goals. There is a clear and immediate correlation between using performance management programs or software and improved business and organizational results. A performance management system should provide employees with these four basic benefits: A clear understanding of job expectations Regular feedback about performance Advice and steps for improving performance Rewards for good performance 4 Key Benefits of Performance Management system 1. PM focuses on results, rather than behaviors and activities A common misconception among supervisors is that behaviors and activities are the same as results. Thus, an employee may appear extremely busy, but not be contributing at all toward the goals of the organization. An example is the employee who manually reviews completion of every form and procedure, rather than supporting automation of the review. The supervisor may conclude the employee is very committed to the organization and works very hard, thus, deserving a very high performance rating. 2. Aligns organizational activities and processes to the goals of the organization PM identifies organizational goals, results needed to achieve those goals, measures of effectiveness or efficiency (outcomes) toward the goals, and means (drivers) to achieve the goals. This chain of measurements is examined to ensure alignment with overall results of the organization. 3. Cultivates a system-wide, long-term view of the organization. Richard A. Swanson, inPerformance Improvement Theory and Practice(Advances in Developing Human Resources, 1, 1999), explains an effective performance improvement process must follow a systems-based approach while looking at outcomes and drivers. Otherwise, the effort produces a flawed picture. For example, laying off people will likely produce short-term profits. However, the organization may eventually experience reduced productivity, resulting in long-term profit loss. 4. Produces meaningful measurements These measurements have a wide variety of useful applications. They are useful in benchmarking, or setting standards for comparison with best practices in other organizations. They provide consistent basis for comparison during internal change efforts. They indicate results during improvement efforts, such as employee training, management development, quality programs, etc. They help ensure equitable and fair treatment to employees based on performance PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM A Performance Management System enables a business to sustain profitability and performance by linking the employees pay to competency and contribution. It provides opportunities for concerted personal development and career growth. It brings all the employees under a single strategic umbrella. Most importantly, it gives supervisors and subordinates an equal opportunity to express themselves under structured conditions. Managing this process effectively isnt easy. It calls for a high level of co-ordination, channeled information flow, and timely review. Whether employees are at a single place, or spread across multiple locations, the use of technology can help simplify the complete process for more effective information management. Customize Performance Management to Fit Global Cultures Experts say companies often impose an American style of performance management on employees based in other countries, even when such a system conflicts with local cultural norms. A better approach, they say, is to adapt the system to fit the culture. U.S. firms pick up their existing performance management program philosophy, intent, forms, everything and try to force-fit them into non-U.S. cultures, forgetting that the nature of the employer/employee relationship varies widely from place to place, But this is a mistake. What works in Dallas might not work so well in Dalian or Dubrovnik. In some cultures you simply cannot transpose culturally offensive management styles. The 360-degree approach is a good example of this. It requires a fundamentally egalitarian mindset and value system in order to be effective. Its a rather Western concept to evaluate performance management scientifically and with a process that is valid and reliable and rational company. The management and assessment of performance has always been done [around the world], but its been done more intuitively and organically, and not in a rational, organized process. In the West that people will say things clearly, that are problems, and thats not the case in many other cultures around the world. However, because the American business model is accepted and admired, many companies outside the United States will simply accept the American way of doing business rather than expecting to have practices adapted to fit their culture, said A good performance appraisal process is an integral part of the performance management system and it works seamlessly with the other components. This article takes a holistic approach to performance management and gives an overview of the components. A performance management system has the following components and interfaces: goal-setting, regular reviews, annual appraisal, development process and linkages to other systems. Goal-setting This process is the foundation for a good performance management system. It brings in the clarity required to deliver the required results. The organizations expectations are set in the form of â€Å"key result areas† (KRAs), along with strong indicators of the required standards (also termed â€Å"measures of performance†). The benefits of giving clear directions are many. It helps increase productivity by enabling people to focus on the requirement; it minimizes frustration and enables employee satisfaction. Regular reviews Reviews are a critical component of the system. Reviews give timely feedback to the individual. It is important to schedule formal reviews during the course of the year. These can be half-yearly or quarterly depending on the need. Structured mid-term reviews enable the organisation to take stock of the performance during the given period. It gives the individual an opportunity to discuss his/her achievements during the given period and to look at areas of improvement. In a dynamic environment, it is important to keep abreast of market situations. Reviews can be utilised to make midcourse correction in the KRAs. It is possible that the macro environment has changed and that some of the objectives have to be reviewed. For example, certain sectors in the economy may be doing extremely well and the organisation may see a need to review sales numbers based on these indicators. Reviews need to be structured on a regular basis to ensure that there are no surprises in the annual appraisal. Regular and structured reviews are a critical component of the performance management system and this is essential to ensure that the performance management system is not the same as the annual performance appraisal. As a part of this sub-system, we have processes such as coaching, mentoring, performance improvement plans, etc. Annual appraisal A typical appraisal system could be designed on one of the following Confidential report: The report is written by the supervisor and is, typically, not shown to the individual. Decisions, such as promotions and changes in compensation are made, based on this report. Report by supervisor that is shown/given to the individual and discussed. Self-appraisal by the individual, value-added comments by the supervisor and a discussion: In this system, the individual writes a self-appraisal vis-à  -vis KRAs set at the start of the year. The manager adds his or her comments. Organisations follow one of the following methods of ratings-(a) rating given by the manager or (b) the individual and the manager give ratings and the organisation has a mechanism to deal with differences between the two. There is an opportunity for the individual and the manager to discuss the contents of the appraisal. People working in the software industry or in a project environment may raise a question about the relevance of the annual appraisal. Then there are also professionals who work with different project teams during the course of the year. In this case we could have reviews signed-off at the end of each project. These could be collated at the end of the year to look at overall performance and linkages to other systems. Development plan This pertains to the training and development sub-system. A part of the development plan stems out of the annual appraisal. This is the result of the areas of improvement that emerge from the appraisal and competencies required for new roles, if relevant. A good training and development process will also take the necessary inputs from the organisations business plan. This is required if the organisation is investing into new business or entering new markets. Linkage to rewards system Linkages to processes such as compensation, rewards, progression and successionplanning-the performance appraisal system, in many organisations, has a link to the rewards system. Individuals judge the performance management system and the culture of the organisation based on the message sent by the rewards system. If the rewards system recognises individual contribution and ignores contributions made to team objectives, the people in the organisation start focusing on individual tasks. Therefore, linkage to many of these systems need to be contemplated upon, articulated to the people and implemented with consistency. MEANING OF PERFORMANCE APPARISAL Performance appraisal system has been defined in many ways. The simplest way to Understand the meaning of performance appraisal is as follows: â€Å"A regular and continuous evaluation of the quality, quantity and style of the Performance along with the assessment of the factors influencing the Performance and behavior of an individual is called as performance Appraisal.† Performance appraisal also means an appraisal of the growth potential of an Employee, with a view to providing information to the organization leading to positive Action and enabling feed-back to the individual aimed at his performance Improvement, personal growth and job-satisfaction. In short, we can say that Performance appraisal is expected to result in an assessment of: Growth potential of the employees; Corresponding training needs for the employees; Capabilities for their placement in higher posts, Conduct and discipline of the employees; and The need of the organization to evolve a control mechanism OBJECTIVES OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL The main objective of the system of performance appraisal is to reward those who are Working efficiently and honestly in the organization. At the same time, it also aims at eliminating those who are inefficient and unfit to carry out their responsibilities. It has to be done almost continuously, so that no injustice is done to a deserving individual. It is, therefore, necessary to clearly define the organizational objectives, targets and priorities. It is further necessary to define clearly the rote and responsibilities of the persons involved in the functioning of the organisation. Performance appraisal also aims at helping the management in carrying out their tasks more effectively. A sound system of performance appraisal results in framing: A sound selection ?policy. An effective promotion and placement policy; An improved system of career and manpower planning; A realistic training programme; A good reward and punishment system; and An effective system of control and discipline in the organization. These elements are essential for any modern management system. No country can neglect them for long. We can thus say that the main objectives of performance appraisal are as follows: To carry out a fair and impartial assessment of the quality, quantity and stvle 01 the work performance of the individuals working in the organisation. To assess the extent of the various factors which influence the performance of the individuals. To reward the capable and efficient employees. To provide opportunity for improvement of their potentialities to those who are less capable and efficient. To make optimum utilisation of the available human resources for the fulfilment of the organisational goals. To help management in evolving and framing sound policies and programmes relating to selection, placement, promotion, training, discipline, control and man Global Trends in Performance Appraisal Program The performance appraisal process has become the heart of the human resource management systemin the organizations. Performance appraisal defines and measures the performance of the employees and the organization as a whole. It is a tool for accessing the performance of the organization. The important issues and points concerning performance appraisal in the present world are: The focus of theperformance appraisalsis turning towards career development relying on the dialogues and discussions with the superiors. Performance measuring, rating and review systems have become more detailed, structured and person specific than before. Performance related pay is being incorporated in the strategies used by the organizations. Trend towards a360-degree feedbacksystem The problems in the implementation of the performance appraisal processes are being anticipated and efforts are being made to overcome them. In India, the performance appraisal processes are faced with a lot of obstacles, the most prominent being the lack of quantifiable indicators of the performance. GLOBAL TRENDS The emergence of following concepts and the following trends related toappraisal can be seen in the global scenario: 360 Degree Appraisal 360 degree feedback, also known as ‘multi-rater feedback, is the most comprehensive appraisal where the feedback about the employees performance comes from all the sources that come in contact with the employee on his job. Organisations are increasingly using feedback from various sources such as peer input, customer feedback, and input from superiors. Different forms with different formats are being used to obtain the information regarding the employee performance. Team Performance Appraisal According to a wall street journal headline, â€Å"Teams have become commonplace in U.S. Companies†. Most of theperformance appraisal techniquesare formulated with individuals in mind i.e. to measure and rate the performance of the individual employee. Therefore, with the number of teams increasing in the organizations, it becomes difficult to measure and appraise the performance of the team. The question is how to separate the performance of the team from theperformance of the employees. A solution to this problem that is being adopted by the companies is to measure both the individual and the team performance. Sometimes, team based objectives are also included in the individual performance plans. Rank and Yank Strategy Also known as theâ€Å"Up or out policy†, the rank and yank strategy refers to the performance appraisal model in which best-to-worst ranking methods are used to identify and separate the poor performers from the good performers. Then the action plans and the improvement opportunities of the poor performers are discussed and they are given to improve their performance in a given time period, after which the appropriate HR decisions are taken. Some of the organisations following this strategy are Ford, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems. Global Variations In the United States it is common for each employees performance over the previous six months or year to be documented and followed by a one-on-one meeting between the employee and their supervisor, at which time the employee will receive their rating and discuss expectations for the next rating cycle. In some cases employees are expected to complete a self-appraisal, which might be factored into their review, while in other cases feedback from peers and customers might be included as part of a 360-degree assessment of an individuals performance. Though far from perfect, and often dreaded, the American performance appraisal process suits the American culture, which is regarded as highly individualistic and egalitarian. For example, in the Unites States the performance rating is often used to determine pay. The basic belief in the acceptability, the rightness, the virtue of pay for performance. â€Å"Those who contribute the most should get the greatest rewards.† In the U.S. employees tend to rate themselves and others very highly, such as a 4 or a 5 on a 5-point scale-using an â€Å"everyone gets a prize†. In many European cultures the highest rating might be a 3, and in Asian cultures they wouldnt rate themselves. A pay-for-performance system is inappropriate in cultures that focus on interpersonal relations and collectivism. In Japan compensation is not based on performance. In fact, its hard to identify the individual performance, because the focus is the team. â€Å"If an individual were identified as performing so well that they got compensation in return for it, it would be anathema to the groups collaborative ethos.† In some countries, such as Korea and Germany, use performance management processes that closely parallel those used in the United States. The same is true for France, though he noted that there is less of a connection between performance and pay in that nation. However, the Japanese and American processes have â€Å"diverged significantly† over the years. The Japanese system is frequently, and even intentionally and openly, used as a means of discriminating against ‘undesirable employees, a practice that is prohibited under U.S. civil rights laws. And although the performance appraisal process involves filling out the appraisal form and discussing it with the employee, In Japan the appraisal process often involves only the completion of the form without the discussion between boss and subordinate of the results of assessment. Those who work in the U.S. often put a great deal of value on the information that comes from 360- degree feedback, according to. But in a country like India-which tends to be more collective than individualistic and which embraces a high-power distance, or inequality of power, there is less value placed on the opinions of others and it would be seen as inappropriate culturally to ask employees to fill out a questionnaire on their boss. Similarly it would be difficult to implement a system that includes self-appraisal in cultures that are defined as collaborative, consultative and consensus oriented. People simply dont speak in the capital I and are very uncomfortable doing so. â€Å"In a culture like China or Japan, asking a person to speak about themselves in a way that is honest and direct and that will be appraised by their superiors is a waste of time.† And in some cultures, a face-to-face performance meeting never takes place. In severely hierarchical cultures where the boss is expected to just tell you what they think, there may not be a direct conversation. â€Å"They may communicate through a mediator to help save face.† Filipino managers engage in a practice called â€Å"smooth interpersonal relations.† If a boss has a problem with one of his subordinates, he wont talk directly to the subordinate about it, hell instead tell his wife because he knows his wifes cousins hairdresser is related to the problem employee. In other cultures, managers and employees go out for a drink periodically and chat informally about problems at work. The end result is that the manager knows and has a good sense of the performance of the individual, but if you ask them to assess the employee on a scale of one to 10 they cant do so. â€Å"There is a dependent relationship in Asian cultures. Employees depend on leaders to help them solve work-related problems. â€Å"Thats at odds with Western cultures where staff members solve things on their own.† In some cultures the relationship between the manager and subordinate is so close and ongoing that its sort of like a parent/child relationship. Managers know how employees are performing and give them feedback on a regular basis. A Look at India The business culture in India varies depending on whether it is a family-held business, an Indian company or a Western or American multinational organization, and that affects the nature of the performance management process, according to Nirmala Menon of Interweave Consulting Pvt. Ltd., a diversity consulting firm in Bangalore, India. â€Å"As most Indians are socialized to be hierarchy oriented, this often tends to spill over into the workplace,† Menon told SHRM Online. â€Å"In family-owned or the more traditionally-run organizations, the boss or manager often takes the position of the father in the family.† Organizations rely heavily on informal feedback from the senior person, which might be given indirectly and which is absorbed by the one for whom it is meant and others, Menon added. Menon says this means that the employees career growth is the bosss responsibility. â€Å"The expectation then is that â€Å"Father knows best† and what is conveyed is accepted even if they are in disagreement,† she said. â€Å"Evaluations are therefore often influenced in such situations by the deference shown to the boss and the level of loyalty exhibited; compliance more important than performance.† But Menon said that modern Indian organizations and multinational corporations, particularly IT and telecommunications firms, generally adapt to the global value systems of their companies. As a result, evaluations tend to be more structured and include face-to-face meetings, she said, followed by a written document signed by employee and manager and which typically incorporates input from peers and customers to substantiate the rating. â€Å"While indirect feedback also exists in these organizations, given the heightened awareness of a fair and professional environment, there is more acceptance and expectation of a documented communication, keeping in mind the objectives for the period under review,† Menon added. Annual Performance Appraisal and Evaluation in Indonesia Early in the 20th century, the biggest job as a managers is to teach a newly hired employee to fail intelligently to experiment over and over again and to keep on trying and failing until learns what will work. As we begin 2004, many companies are struggling with the issue of employee appraisal and evaluation. While generally adopted in most western-based business cultures, such employee review and appraisal in Indonesia can be fraught with misunderstandings as to purpose and methodology, be filled with accusations of impartiality, and be slowed by hesitation to formally criticize a subordinate. This issue comes up in easily 95 percent of my cross-cultural training programs. American companies normally wish to establish some sort of review procedure but once they begin addressing how to actually institute the process and decide what direct benefits they wish to see, they often become bogged down. The threshold question then is whether a foreign company should even try to implement such a system. There are several cultural barriers to such a system here. Among them is the difficulty with direct communication with employees and also the ‘saving up of problem areas until a later time. Direct communication is difficult for most Indonesians. Indonesians generally adopt an indirect approach to problem solving to avoid the possibility of confrontation and the disruption of office harmony. The preservation of such office harmony being a prime Indonesian business value, of course, and one often having priority over work performance. Also in Indonesia an erring employee or other problem situation is addressed as soon as possible, albeit in an indirect and non-blame pointing way, and then forgotten. To bring the subject up again at some review several months later is going to be considered inappropriate. For these two reasons, individual performance appraisals tend to have the following pattern: An employee comes in to the meeting with some misunderstandings or perhaps anxiety about what will be discussed and how it will affect their career. The supervisor can go over the ‘good qualities of the employee without difficulty. However, when the supervisor begins discussing areas that ‘may need improvement there is normally an attitude change on the part of the employee with him or her becoming either defensive or submissive. In other words, the employee may either disagree with the supervisors assessment or else may ask something like â€Å"Why are you doing this to me? I thought that we had a good working relationship. I did not realize that I was letting you down so badly. Do you want me to resign?† The supervisor then is in the position once again of explaining the purpose and objective of the assessment process. In general, annual performance evaluations and reviews tend to be disruptive to the Indonesian office. In my opinion, companies should focus on immediate feedback and reprimand, if needed, and not use the annual approach. Another difficulty is the cultural reluctance for some Indonesian managers to formally and in writing criticize their own subordinates. I often hear the example of the expatriate manager who has had one of his direct reports complain often about the performance of his own subordinates. However, when it comes time for the annual review, the direct report submits an outstanding report on that same subordinate. The decision to have annual performance evaluations and reviews may not be up to the Indonesian subsidiary of a multi-national company. Home office may dictate such a policy and the local companys only choice is how to implement. There seem to be three basic approaches to this situation. First is to just go through the motions, telling your employees that ‘this is a Western thing. It will not affect your salary or career, which basically voids the process. Second, you can use the information to provide training and education of the employees turning the evaluation process into a kind of reward system. Third and most difficult, is the attempt to fully implement and effectively use this Western evaluation tool. It can and has been successfully implemented by a number of American companies operating in Indonesia, but it does need the directed will of the top management along with allocated resources and training to be successful. At the very least, there must be a significant training period to help your employees understand what the process is and, more importantly, how it will affect them. Year one should involve a formal introduction to the process with written, quantifiable criteria for the evaluation. Year two should include mock appraisals that do not have any effect on the career of the employee. Year three could see the first recorded appraisals. Once the process is institutionalized, new employees will be told by their colleagues about this strange and foreign system and what to expect. It then becomes part of your ‘third corporate culture. Any attempts to speed up the process are often seen as arbitrary and unfair. Further, you should definitely expect such accusations of being arbitrary and unfair if you take the next step after the evaluation process and tie the appraisal into bonuses or salary increases. Such performance-based bonuses or salary increases are pretty much in direct opposition to the Indonesian business values of the group working together and maintaining office harmony. Traditionally, the ideal Indonesian employee is one who is loyal to the boss for a long time. In other words, loyalty and seniority are the prime attributes, and by loyalty, I mean personal allegiance to the boss, not to the corporate entity. Pointing out a specific employee and emphasizing the fact that he is superior to and a better employee than those he or she works with on a daily basis is going to be disruptive to the office and embarrassing to the individual. For instance, if you have an annual office party or awards dinner for your staff and you say something like: â€Å"Now here is Budi who outperformed everyone else in our office and we are giving him a new TV.† The polite clapping of his co-workers is going to be overshadowed by thoughts of ‘traitor and plots for revenge against the award winner. If you bring up another employee and say ‘Now here is Bambang who has worked for our company for 10 years and we are giving him a new TV, Bambang will bask in the limelight and his co-workers will no doubt truly admire his accomplishment. The difference being that Bambang was rewarded for seniority, while Budi was rewarded for violating basic Indonesian business values. One should not expect the same confidentiality of salary information in Indonesia that one might expect in the home country. We joke that on the day performance bonuses are given, the employees exchange pay stubs in the canteen. Even if the situation is not that extreme, you can be sure that most people in your office know what each other has received, and those employees with more seniority may soon be in your office asking for a bigger bonus or larger salary increase. You may then once again be explaining the companys policy on performance appraisals and evaluation but this time be met with defensive and even hostile disagreement as to whom was the better worker. Allegations that the companys criteria for awarding bonuses or salary increases is unfair and arbitrary and lacks understanding of the situation in Indonesia may be made. Employees have certainly used the conflict resolution strategy of ‘appeal to authority to resolve these disagreements going to the country manager complaining that their supervisor is acting improperly. There have also been cases of employees going to Indonesian government departments like Manpower or Immigration complaining about their expatriate supervisor. With the current priorities in these departments, such complains have resulted in the early repatriation of expatriate supervisors. The process of annual performance appraisal and evaluation of Indonesian employees is not one that foreign companies should enter into lightly. The implementation of this very Western-based management tool should be well thought out and supported by top management. Alternatives exist that may be better suited to your companys long-term success in Indonesia. Encouraging employee performance and addressing areas of weakness remain a good m

A history of hand gestures

A history of hand gestures In this paper I will talk about the part of nonverbal communication called gestures. A gesture is a movement of the body or a part of it that is expressive of thought or feeling. However there is a degree of voluntarism. If someone pinches you and you flinch that is not a gesture. (Kendon, 1997) Gestures are a common part of communication that we all use to communicate everyday and most of us do not even think twice about using them. As gestures can include a wide range of things a narrower focus is required. For this paper I will be focusing on gestures specifically involving the use of hands and/or fingers. First I will talk about research done on gestures. Second I will talk about the interaction between gestures and verbal language. Lastly I will apply the use of gestures to personal friendships using , examples from an episode from the television show Smallville. Research Let us first consider primates such as apes and chimpanzees. Primates are mostly visual animals. Just as in humans, for primates vision is more highly developed than any of the other four senses including the sense of sound. Consider for a moment what this might mean. Primates, with the exception of humans, have much better cortical control over hand movements than over voice, which is mostly restricted to emotionally based sounds controlled by sub cortical structures. This means that early hominids would have been better at expressive, voluntary communication using hands. Perhaps this explains why it is much easier to teach higher level primates sign language than it is to teach them to speak. One early study showed that a chimpanzee raised by humans could learn to speak only three or four words but gorillas and chimpanzees have learned several hundred manual signs. (Corballis, 1999) However primates other than humans are restricted in using hands for communications because the arms and hands are also involved in postural support and locomotion. Most primates are adapted for living above ground in the tress. Apes live on the ground but move in a four legged fashion. Our closest genetic relatives, chimpanzees and gorillas, use what is known as knuckle walking in which the upper body is supported by the knuckles. Hominids are bipedal, walking upright which leaves their hands and arms free. (Corballis, 1999) There is speculation that the split that resulted in some great apes becoming hominids may have been caused by the formation of the Great Rift Valley in Africa. Those apes which were to become hominids were largely confined to the east of the valley. The discovery of a 3.5 million year old fossil in Chad which is west of the valley has caused some argument. However all other hominid fossils from between four million and two million years ago have been found to the east of the Great Rift Valley. Here the forests gave way to open grasslands called savannas. This new environment would have provided unique challenges for early hominids. They would have been vulnerable to specialized hunters and killers, the ancestors of tigers, lions, and hyenas. In this environment communication using gestures would have been much more effective than vocal communication. It is silent so predators are not alerted. It is also fundamentally spatial, and most of the information would be spatial, such as loc ations of predators, easy prey, or food. The earliest language being gestural would help explain how words came to be abstract rather than iconic. (Corballis, 1999) A leading figure in gesture research is psychologist Susan GoldinMeadow who has done several studies about the role of gestures in learning. It is a well established fact that students learn better if both words and hand gestures are used. Consider for example a teacher trying to illustrate water being poured into two containers of equal volume but different heights. The teacher will place one hand on top of the other and move them to illustrate differences in height. (Watts, 2006) Context We do not always gesture when we speak. Also the type of gesture, the role in relation to what is being said, and the role in relation to the situation vary. If you wanted a person to stay away you would not use a gesture telling them to come closer. Someone of the other gender gesturing for you to come closer has different meaning then if it is done by a friend or parent. If you are talking about a fish you caught you will hold your hands apart horizontally versus if you are describing how big a baby has gotten your hand would be vertical. (Kendon, 1997) Just like language gestures are not uniform to a culture or country. In the United States you wave your hand to say hello and goodbye. If you were in northern Europe you would wag your hand at the wrist. In Greece and Italy your palm would face inward and your fingers would be curled in. In Japan you bow slightly. How long and how deep you bow depends on the person. Lets go back to my earlier example of a gesture that means to come here. Here we curl one finger, usually the index, or all four fingers towards us. In the Philippines do not use the index finger. It is only used for dogs. In Latin America the index finger is a come on. In Indonesia and Australia its used for prostitutes. In southern Europe using all your fingers would be saying goodbye. In Korea you would hold your arm out and move your fingers up and down. If someone puts their hand out in front with the fingers outspread here it means stop. In Lebanon it means no. If you were in Greece its a curse. In Spain, Nigeria, a nd Chile it also has rude meanings. In the United States you typically point with your index finger to someone or something. In Europe pointing is not considered polite. In Africa you only point the index finger at inanimate objects. In China and Japan pointing is very rude. In Indonesia pointing with your index finger is very rude but you can use your thumb. In Zambia it is all right to point to objects. And In France if you do point it is best to do it discretely. (Kachka, 2008) Some gestures are country specific. In the Netherlands grabbing a nonexistent fly in front of your face is saying someone is nuts. In Poland flicking a finger against someones neck means you want them to join you for a drink. You only do this with close friends. In Russia giving someone a thumbs up and making a sprinkling motion over it means job well done. In India you say sorry by tapping someone on the shoulder and touching your forehead. In Turkey pretending to throw salt over your shoulder with an open palm means dont worry about it. (Kachka, 2008) Just like words gestures have their own origins. But since gestures predate verbal communication and thus written record the origins are difficult to trace. This does not keep people from speculating. Here is a myth behind a common gesture; the Roman emperors thumbs down gesture telling the gladiator to finish off the other gladiator. Todays popular culture has it that a thumbs down meant death while a thumbs up would grant the loser his life. There is no evidence of this. In fact most scholars now believe that the finish him gesture was a thumbs up while a thumb hidden inside a fist spared the loser. This is not absolutely verified. However since the thumbs up was an insult in Roman times this makes more sense than the accepted folklore. (Kachka, 2008)Application Now we will exam hand gestures in friendship. To do this we will be examining an episode of the CW show Smallville. As you might guess this show centers around the character Clark Kent played by actor Tom Welling. The series follows Clark as he deals not only with his developing powers and fighting meteor freaks (people exposed to Kryptonite who gain special abilities) but also school, friends, and crushes. Clark has two best friends, Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan. The episode we will be focusing on is the episode Duplicity in which Pete finds out Clarks secret. The other notable characters in the episode include Clarks parents, Lex Luthor, and Dr. Hamilton. After Lex refuses to give Dr. Hamilton, who is dying from exposure to meteor rocks, any more funding for his research Dr. Hamilton runs someone off the road. Pete comes along and while helping the man comes across Clarks spaceship which was lost in a tornado in the season one finale. Pete gets Clark to help him hide it in his shed although Clark tries to get him to leave it but cant come up with a logical reason. Dr. Hamilton talks to the hurt driver in the hospital who admits he saw a spaceship and that the boy who saved him saw it too. When Clark tells his parents about Pete finding the spaceship his father makes him go with him to get the ship. But when they get there it is already gone. They drive away and Pete sees them leaving. When Pete confronts Clark he shows Pete his powers. Furious that Clark has been lying to him for so long Pete leaves. Clarks attempts to talk to him are rebuffed. But when Pete goes home Dr. Hamilton is searching the shed and Pete is kidnapped. Hamilton tortures him to see what he knows about the ship. Just as he is about to kill Pete by injecting him with meteor rocks Clark bursts in. Unfortunately he collapses due to the Kryptonite. Pete saves him by pushing Dr. Hamilton into a shelf full of meteor rocks. After they return the ship to the Kents cellar Pete says he understands why Clark and that he wont tell anyone. We will examine three scenes from the episode: the scene where Pete gets Clark to come with him to the cornfield, the scene in the cornfield where they are talking about what to do with the ship, and the scene where Pete confronts Clark about the missing ship and Clark reveals his powers. When Clark is shooting baskets from a hundred feet Pete drives up. â€Å"Clark, Clark, Clark. Youre dreaming if you think youre gonna make a basket from there.† Pete makes an exaggerated pointing motion towards the basketball hoop. â€Å"No, no, no. The ball rolled out here.† Clark makes a waving motion to indicate the spot. â€Å"Want to play a game of horse?† â€Å"Forget basketball. We gotta borrow your dads truck.† Pete makes a waving motion with one hand. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"Ill explain on the way. Come on, we dont have much time.† â€Å"Whats going on?† Clark holds his hands out at this side with palms turned out. â€Å"If I told you, youd never believe me.† Pete places his palms on his chest when he says. â€Å"You gotta see it with your own eyes.† Pete puts his hand on Clarks shoulder urging him to move. Pete leads Clark to the spaceship clapping his hands together and making trumpeting sounds. â€Å"Pretty mind-blowing, huh?† He gestures to the ship with his hand. â€Å"What do you think it is?† â€Å"Oh, Clark, its a spaceship!† Pete motions to the ship again. â€Å"What the hell else would it be?† Pete waves his arms in a questioning gesture. Kneeling down beside the ship Clark says, â€Å"Well, I mean, I dont know if it was some, like, downed specialty aircraft or a Russian satellite or something.† After he says this Clark also motions to the ship. As Pete kneels down beside the ship and runs his hands over it, he says â€Å" No, no, no. This things got extraterrestrial written all over it.† â€Å"Yeah, I bet theres little green guys running around the cornfield too, Pete.† â€Å"Im serious, Clark. Have you ever seen anything like it?† Pete spreads one hand palm out and motions to the surrounding area with the other one. â⠂¬Å"If the aliens came to Earth, dont you think theyd find a place a little more exciting than Smallville?† â€Å"No, no, no, think about it. Crop circles, cattle mutilation. Theyd be like kids in a candy store here! Come on, man, lets load it into the truck!† Pete waves his arms wildly at the surrounding area. Then he grabs the ship. Clark moves to stop him. â€Å"Wait, youre not just gonna take it.† â€Å"Clark, when the sheriff questioned me about the accident, I told him in all the confusion I couldnt remember where the truck went off the road. But its only a matter of time before he shows up. Come on. Come on!† When talking about the sheriff Pete spreads his arms with palms out and then motions to the ship. â€Å"All right fine. Well take it to my house.† â€Å"No, no, no, Clark! I know your dad. Hell make us turn it over to the authorities.† Pete puts his hand on Clarks chest with the palm out. â€Å"I wont even tell him. He wont know its there.† Clark spreads his arms out with his palms out. â€Å"Clark, were taking it to my house. Well hide it in the tool shed in my backyard. No one ever goes back there.† â€Å"Pete, my house would be perfect. Itll be safe there.† â€Å"Clark, last time I checked, I found this thing. Youre acting like you got license and registration on it, man. Lighten up. Were taking it to my place.† When Pete says† I† he places his hands on his chest. When he talks about Clark owning the ship he flips his hand out towards him. When he says †lighten up† he holds his hand up with his palm facing out and his fingers spread. When he says† my place† his hands are yet again on his chest. â€Å"Pete. Hey, I was just gonna come talk to you.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yeah, about the ship† â€Å"Oh, someone broke in to my shed last night and stole it.† Pete holds his hands out palms up. â€Å" â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Well, did you tell anyone it was there?† No, did you?† â€Å"No, my lips have been sealed.† â€Å"Youre such a liar.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"I saw you and your dad driving away from my shed last night.† Pete motions to Clark. â€Å" All night long I kept telling myself theres gotta be some sort of logical explanation. Clark Kent would never do anything like this.† Pete holds his hands out slightly with the palms facing out. â€Å"Pete, I swear we didnt take the ship.† Clark spreads his arms holding his hands out with the palms spread. â€Å"And all these years I used to think you were my best friend.† Pete motions to Clark again and starts t o get into his car. â€Å"Pete, wait. You dont understand.† Pete turns around and says holding his arms out slightly at his sides with palms facing out, â€Å"What dont I understand? Go ahead, explain it to me, Clark.† Clark doesnt know what to say. â€Å" Thats good, really illuminating. Wait till Chloe hears about this. I can already see the headlines. The Real Clark Kent Exposed!† Clark puts his hand on the car door. Pete starts to drive away. Clark watches him drive away and waves his arms then he appears in front of the car holding it to stop it from moving forward. â€Å"Pete, we need to talk.† The screen fades to black and then they are in the cellar talking. â€Å"So youre some sort of what? Youre not a human?† Pete holds both hands out at Clark with his palms facing each other. â€Å"I dont know what I am.† Clark spreads his arms with his palms facing out. â€Å" I dont know where that ship brought me from. I just know that I grew up in Smallville, and everything that I care about and everyone that I care about is here.† Clark motions to the surroundings and to Pete. â€Å"If you care about me so much, how come you never told me sooner?† â€Å"Pete, believe me, there wasnt a day that went by where I didnt want to tell you, but my parents thought it was too dangerous. Not just for me, but for anyone else who knew the truth.† When Clark says â€Å"you† he gestures to Pete. â€Å"You didnt think I could handle it?† Pete holds his arms out to Clark. â€Å"Can you?† Pete starts walking around Clark looking at him like hes an exhibit in a museum. â€Å"Pete, another reason why I didnt say anything is because I knew people would look at me the exact same way that youre looking at me right now.† â€Å"And hows that?† † Like a freak.† Pete motions at Clark with his palm facing up. â€Å"Pete, Ive tried my whole life just to blend in, to try and be mor e normal than anyone else. Would you just say something? Call me call me an alien, call me a monster. I dont care, just say something.† â€Å"Its like I dont even know you.† Yet again Pete motions to Clark. â€Å"Yes, you do know me. Im the same kid that used to camp in your backyard.† Clark motions to Pete. â€Å" We used to ride our bikes in the woods, we used to play basketball with your brothers. Nothing has changed.† â€Å"Yeah, right.† Clark holds his hand out and steps towards Pete, â€Å"Pete.† Pete backs away and waves him arms. â€Å"Back off, man!† â€Å"Pete, I would never hurt you.† â€Å"Too late.† Pete walks out. Conclusion Gestures are a part of nonverbal communication that movement of the body or a part of it that is expressive of thought or feeling. Gestures were used by primates as communication before verbal communication was developed and primates are much more able to learn sign language than verbal language. Early hominids would have found gestures much more useful than verbal communication for avoiding predators. There is evidence to support that both gestures and verbal language are required for effective learning. Gestures vary depending on the role in relation to what is being said, the role in relation to the situation, and the cultures in which they are used. There are many example of gestures in the media and one of those is the television show Smallville. Ponder this information the next time you have a conversation. It might be useful. References Corballis, M. C. (1999, March/â€Å'April). The gestural origins of language. American Scientist, 87(2), 138-45. Retrieved from http://library1.kvcc.edu:2086/â€Å'WebZ/â€Å'FSFETCH?fetchtype=fullrecord:sessionid=fsapp5-59149-g7mfsff0-h2lwg1:entitypagenum=3:0:recno=4:resultset=1:format=FI:next=html/â€Å'record.html:bad=error/â€Å'badfetch.html:entitytoprecno=4:entitycurrecno=4:numrecs=1 Kachka, B. (2008, April). Hand Gestures. Condà © Nasts Traveler, 43(4), 112. Retrieved from http://library1.kvcc.edu:2048/â€Å'login?url=http://library1.kvcc.edu:2081/â€Å'pqdweb?did=1616098011sid=2Fmt=3clientId=17874RQT=309VName=PQD Kendon, A. (1997). Gesture. Annual Review of Anthropology, 26, p. 109-28. Retrieved from http://library1.kvcc.edu:2086/â€Å'WebZ/â€Å'FSQUERY?format=BI:next=html/â€Å'records.html:bad=html/â€Å'records.html:numrecs=10:sessionid=fsapp5-59149-g7mfsff0-h2lwg1:entitypagenum=2:0:searchtype=advanced Watts, G. (2006, April 29). You need hands. The Lancet, 367(9520), 1383. Retrieved from http://library1.kvcc.edu:2048/â€Å'login?url=http://library1.kvcc.edu:2081/â€Å'pqdweb?did=1033983921sid=2Fmt=4clientId=17874RQT=309VName=PQD