The Greatest Leaders of Today and Yesterday are Both Born Made free essay sample

A leader is someone who guides and inspires others in a way which brings out the potential lying dormant inside of them. To inspire, one must stir emotions, drive and intellect in others to motivate them to act on your vision (Pace, 2006) Great leaders are born with certain characteristics, which give them an advantage over others; however, they are not born a great leader. Such an individual utilize and mature their born traits, over time as they experience life’s challenges. These experiences yield knowledge and this knowledge is used to guide and improve the lives of others. Great leaders not only reflect on what they have learned for themselves, but also they are eager to learn and impart new ideas and information into others. Therefore, great leaders are not born; they develop knowledge and wisdom through experience. Leaders are both born and made. People are born with certain qualities and characteristics which help them to be more geared toward leadership. We will write a custom essay sample on The Greatest Leaders of Today and Yesterday are Both Born Made or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Such features as confidence, drove, empathy, ambition, determination all improves person’s ability to lead. Many strong leaders are very sociable individuals, and they are very curious also. Nevertheless, there is much to improve in order to become a great leader in the business arena or any other arena (Financial Management, 2001). Some individuals can easily understand and retain information, which can be a trait in which they are born with; however, without the reality of life’s experiences, born traits have no conduit to flourish (PR, N, 2012) even though they give the person an advantage over others. Now, there is an understanding, in addition to born features, experience plays an enormous role in the development of a strong leader. According to study, leaders who have born features which enhance their abilities are better thinkers due to their determination to seek experiences which will help them develop in particular areas (PR, N, 2012). These life experiences must be both subjective and measurable and repetitive over time in order to develop superior qualities within a person (PR, N, 2012). This study also stated â€Å"to be the most effective, leaders must be exposed to experiences that allow them to progress through increasing levels of involvement (PR, N, 2012). † Developing a strong leader is a long term process in which the individual’s information is perfected day by day with life’s interactions; therefore, leadership abilities are developed and retained (Gilmore, 2006). Life events are not always beneficial, but they all should be educational. Great leaders take their mistakes, learn from them and continue on their journey. By reflecting on these circumstances and gathering feedback from others, information and wisdom arises giving the person the ability to become a more effective leader (Gilmore, 2012). The most effective part of becoming a strong leader is the process of development. Leaders must abandon all self-imposed restrictions and redefine themselves as new experiences unfold (Gilmore, 2012). When a leader has a clear view of his/her identity, they will have the capability of inspiring others on their journey. This talent comes from minute changes in one’s self-image daily instead of trying to change all things at once. The ability to influence others shows a leader with the ability to make a positive impact within a company (Gilmore, 2012). Therefore, effective leaders continuously adjust their behaviors to the experiences and new information they encounter. Leaders motivate, manage and make decision which make their teams meet all goals effectively and efficiently (Pace, 2006). Therefore, strong, effective, exceptional leaders are born and made. These leaders are born with specific qualifications giving them an advantage over others; however, those born features must be developed through life experiences, which make them the great leader of yesterday, today and the future.

Capital Structure Paper Essays (1437 words) - Financial Ratios

Capital Structure Paper Essays (1437 words) - Financial Ratios Capital Structure Paper Capital Structure Paper FIN/419 May 25, 2015 Maria Johnson Capital Structure Paper A companys capital structure is one of the most important aspects of a successful and functioning business. When analyzing a capital structure, the short term and long term debts should be evaluated thoroughly. The level of debts-to-equity ratio should be balanced; not too high and not too low, as being in any one of these ranges could be viewed negatively. Evaluate how a change in the long term debt of a company will affect their companys operating result. This paper will discuss the different effects of an increase in the long term debt of a capital structure and how those effects will impact the corporations leverage. Recommendations on the optimal capital structure to maximize shareholder wealth. Ten Percent Long Term Debt Increase As of September 27th, 2015, Apple Inc.s long term debt was resting at exactly $28,987,000. A ten percent increase in the long term debt of Apple Inc. would have a relatively small impact across the board for the company. At 28.99 million, a ten percent increase in the long term debt raises things up to 31.89 million. These numbers are very close together, and it is safe to say that a lot of things within the company would not be altered by very much due to this change in long term debt. The multi-billion dollar corporation does not need to put much thought towards numbers as small as a million or two. Much unlike some other companies and business struggling to reach a point of success that could even be considered half as good as Apples current place. It is important for everyone to remember that the status Apple has managed to attain did not come to them without a large and difficult amount of hard work, innovative ideas, quality goods being manufactured by the corporation for sale to the masses, and possibly most important a sound long term financial plan. Apple Inc. is a company that is making enough money on a regular basis that such an increase could potentially be looked over in favor of more pressing concerns that will have a larger impact on its financial status. But then again, such could be expected from the electronic titan with a look back at its history in terms of finances and debt. According to Pressman (1993) Apple Computer Inc.'s first long-term debt offering, expected later this summer, received a preliminary A rating from Standard & Poor's and a prospective A2 rating from Moody's Investors Service last week. The Cupertino, Calif.-based computer maker, which has issued commercial paper in the past, filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month to sell as much as $500 million of long-term debt securities". The two credit agencies said they based their ratings on the company's conservative capital structure and its ranking as the second largest seller of computers. The company's profit margins have been shrinking for several years, but sales have steadily increased since Apple implemented a low- cost, high-volume strategy, the credit analysts said (p. 3). With these numbers so far behind the company; over twenty years ago, it is fairly easy to see how they could be doing as well as they are in the market today. Change in Capital Structure A ten percent increase in long term debt at the same current cost of debt increases the operating leverage as long as the company is making regular fixed interest payments on that debt. Operating leverage only includes fixed expenses in the production of a product. According to marketwatch.com (5/2015), Apple increased its total sales revenue from $170.87 billion to $182.35 billion or 6.72 percent from 2013 to 2014. Apple submitted Form 10-K to the SEC in 2014, and it listed the Total operating expense as $18.03 billion. Apple (9/2014) also provided its 2014 effective tax rate as 26.1% and its interest expense as $384 million. With this information, we can calculate Apples EBIT for 2014 which is sales revenue minus operating expense. This figure comes to 164.32b which is important because if the long term debt increases by 10 percent then it effectively decreases the total amount of revenue. The Form 10-K submitted (9/2015) also states Long-term debt

Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Critical Thinking - Essay Example It is a normal attitude that human beings have towards different kinds of people and hence the ways in which beggars or a young girl would be observed are different. While psychologically the author’s comments may seem to be right, logically they do not fit the idea since if an individual’s psychological mind-set allows him to pre-judge a person wrongly, it is nonetheless wrong. This fact has not been discussed in the passage. The author tries to focus on the point that a drunk beggar would be generally more dangerous than a sober teenager girl, in terms of any harm that they might do to others. Negative pre-judgment would actually help people to be careful in this regard. The author has remained consistent in his views but his arguments do not reveal his confidence on the issue, which is complicated in the sense that judging people without knowing much about them can be either right or wrong, and this factor cannot be analysed from before. The author has also mentioned that he cannot answer this point perfectly. Hence as the author says negative pre-judgments are not always wrong, is a statement that has no valid logic to support it. Brandon Bean has considered in his note a very important issue which is experienced by almost all individuals at some point or another. People have a general tendency to pre-judge others, before knowing much in details about the individual. But it is generally believed that al such pre-judgments are bad or negative. Bean has focused his thinking on the fact that this is not true in all cases, stating two main factors. Firstly, that all pre-judgments are not negative, and secondly that, it is not always wrong to have negative pre-judgments. While the author has tried to deliver an argument to focus that negative pre-judgment is not always wrong, rationally this cannot be supported considering that such negative pre-judgment can affect the

FEBIP#2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

FEBIP#2 - Essay Example There is always a set of some specific assumptions and suppositions on which the discipline of instructional design is based. Jonassen, Tessmer and Hannum (1999) found that there exist some specific scientific principles which are there for the foundation of the discipline of instructional design and these principles are verified by the empirical data. I do believe that instructional design is aligned with science in a sense that instructional design is the science of developing such specifications in detail for the purpose of creating, implementing, analyzing, and evaluating such sort of situations whose main task is to facilitate learning of not only large but also small units of subject matters regardless of the level of complexities related to the subject matters. After evaluation, it also helps in the maintenance of the situations. Also we can say that instructional design is a science based technology which is based on the specific assumptions related to the real world. Instructions which are based on scientific principles could be more effective. This science based technology not only involves the identification of the variables but also it identifies the potential relationships that exist between those variables. So, we can say that instructional design has got alignment with the field of science. To describe instructional design as a technology, we can say that it is not only methodical but also systemic application of such techniques and strategies which are derived from the theories including behavioral, cognitive and constructive theories. And the purpose of the derivation is to apply the strategies and techniques to the solutions of various instructional problems. Rogers (2002) found that instruction design as a technology is the combination of instructional design and instructional development. We can also say that as a technology,

Implementation of a leadership development program Essay

Implementation of a leadership development program - Essay Example In this case, Baltimore Insurance is vast; hence, it constitutes a robust combination of workforce. This vast population will have an impact on the technique chosen, its success, and costs of implementation. Therefore, it may also be considerable to incorporate a combination of techniques to adapt to the changes in the chain of supervision. The vast composition of the Baltimore Insurance organization is an elemental aspect, which, constitute the issue in the course of establishing the technique to employ and implementation of the program. Further, it is notable that the Baltimore Insurance constitutes a workforce with mixed experience and skills. The changes in the organization are also elemental as incorporation of technical considerations and elements available to support the working of the supervisors influence the overall performance of the employees (Noe, 2013). Thus, the technique chosen ought to employ the consideration to the goals of the training such as the achieving of new skills and furthering of the old techniques to solve this arising issue. Workplace behavior and fair treatment devoid of discrimination and harassment are other considerations in the course of establishing the training technique to employ for Baltimore Insurance workforce (Wilson, 2006). Therefore, it may also prove useful to incorporate a combination of traditional training techniques to further the course of the organization and aid address the issue. Even with the present advances in technology, traditional training approaches remain key and remarkably effective in approaching implementation of new programs. Among the options to employ in presenting the program is the use of lectures. The lecture method entails an instructor-led session in which the trainees will congregate in a class setting and take lectures on the proposed program (Noe, 2013). Notably, the option entails using projector or whiteboard, PowerPoint presentations, and video options. The procedural

International Trade And Comparative Advantage Economics Essay

International Trade And Comparative Advantage Economics Essay International Trade is the exchanging process of goods, and services across the international border. In 2010, the value of international tread achieved 19 trillion (US) dollars that is about 30% of the world GDP (Abedini, n.d.). That is nearly one third of production of goods and services are exchanged internationally around the world. International trade is the exchange between two people or entities in two different countries. International trade theories are different type of theories that explain international trade (New Charter University, 2012). People want to exchange goods and services because they believe that they get benefit from the exchange. Many economists believe that the participation in international trade increase productivity. Trade theoretical work suggests that the level of productivity and growth may increase through its effects on technology. There are many portion of international trade, which lead to technological change and this increased the rate of economic growth. There are mainly three mechanisms by that technology change: increased competitive pressure, embodiment in imports and knowledge transfer by commercial contacts (Sjà ¶holm 1997) Economists have developed theories to explain the mechanisms of global trade. The main historical theories are called classical theory. This is based on country. After some time theories began to move to explain trade from a firm or company based not a country perspective. This is known as modern theory(New Charter University, 2012). Classification of different theories: http://images.flatworldknowledge.com/carpenteribus/carpenteribus-fig05_004.jpg COUNTRY BASED THEORIES Mercantilism This theory is the earliest theory which developed in the sixteenth century. According to this theory a countrys wealth is determined by the amount of its gold and silver holding(New Charter University 2012). Mercantilist believed that a country should increase its gold and silver by the increase of export and discouraging the import (7). The main purpose of each country was to have trade surplus, and avoid a trade deficit. Through a form of neo-mercantilism countries such as Japan, China, Singapore, Taiwan, and even Germany still favor exports and discourage imports(New Charter University, 2012). Absolute advantage Adam smith offered a new theory called absolute advantage. This theory stated that a country focus on the ability to produce a good more efficiently than another nation (New Charter University, 2012). He said that trade should follow naturally according to market forces. For example if one country produce a good cheaper and faster as compare to other so it is better to focus on specialization on producing that good. Smiths theory said that increase the specialization in both countries would benefit for both countries and trade should be also encouraged (7). This theory state that a country wealth cannot be measure by how much gold and silver it had but by the living standards of its people can be measure. Comparative advantage David Ricardo, introduce the theory of comparative advantage in the 1817(New Charter University 2012). This theory stated that if only one country had the absolute advantage in the production of more than one product, specialization and trade could still occur between two countries. When a country cannot produce a product more efficiently than the other country than comparative advantage occurs. It can produce that product better and more efficiently than it does other goods (Voss Voss, 2008). This theory explains that how countries through imports can increase their welfare by simultaneously selling goods and services in international market (7). Two countries can get benefit even if one country could produce all goods with fewer resources. The other, provide the relative efficiency with which goods can be produce differs between the two countries. (John Sloman) Heckscher-Ohlin Theory (Factor Proportions Theory) Eli Hechscher and Bertil Ohlin, focused their attention on how a country could gain comparative advantage by producing products(New Charter University, 2012). This theory mostly focuses on countrys production factors like land, labor, and capital, which provide funds for investment in plant and equipment. This theory said that the cost of any resource depend on supply and demand. This theory is also known as factor proportions theory. Countries would import goods that were in short supply, but higher demand. For example, in China and India labor cost is cheap hence these countries have become the optimal location for labor intensive industries (Lee, Qian, Julie, and Ying, 2004). Modern or Firm-Based Trade Theories These theories came out after Second World War. Large part of these theories is developed by business school professors, not economist. The firm-based theories incorporate other product and service factors that include brand and customer loyalty, technology and quality, into the understanding of trade flows. Country similarity theory This theory devolved in 1961 by the Steffan Linder (New Charter University, 2012). Linders theory said that consumers in countries that are in the same or similar stage of development would have similar preferences. This theory stated that companies first produce for domestic consumption. It is very difficult to find out similar market as like domestic one, on the basis of customer preference. This theory is useful in decision-making and purchasing processes in understanding trade in goods where brand name and product reputations are most important factors in the buyers. Product life cycle theory This theory stated that every product life cycle has three distinct stages: new product, maturing product, and product decline. This theory developed by Harvard Business School professor Raymond Vernon(New Charter University, 2012). Global strategic rivalry theory Economist Paul Krugman and Kelvin Lancaster introduce this theory in 1980(New Charter University, 2012). This theory based on MNCs and their efforts to gain a competitive advantage against other global firms in there industry. Porters national competitive advantage theory In 1990 Michael Porter of Harvard Business School developed a new model of explain national competitive advantage(New Charter University, 2012). This said that a nations competitiveness in an industry depends on the capacity of the industry to innovate and upgrade. Porter identified four determinants that he linked together (Smit, 2010). The four determinants are local market resource and capabilities, local market demand conditions, local supplier and complementary industries and local firm characteristics. http://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0308596104000795-gr2.jpg(15) Assumptions of comparative advantage: Comparative advantage theory is helpful to make a number of assumptions. This theory said that there are no transportation costs or can say transportation cast are ignored. Mostly all costs are invariable and there are no economies of scale. There are only two economies creating two goods. This theory assumes that all traded goods are homogeneous. This theory assumes that factors of production are assumed to be perfectly mobile. This theory assumes that no tariffs or other trade barriers. This theory provides perfect knowledge, so that every buyers and sellers know where they can get cheapest goods internationally. This theory assumes labor is perfectly mobile within the country but perfectly immobile between countries. Doubling the inputs in each country leads to a doubling of total output of company. LITERATURE REVIEW New Zealand is heavily dependent on international trade. Currently import protection of New Zealand is low. Vernon was the first to who alert to rising importance of codified knowledge and key skill as a platform for the product cycle, outsourcing, off shoring and franchising. New Zealand has wage ratios that are less or more typical of the North. So there is one question came out, how can New Zealand firms and government plan future trade capability in this global market environment? The large countries not depend on the external sector as much as the small countries. Small countries depend on the external sector to achieve higher economic growth and maintain a higher living standard. New Zealands is also not potential to generate good economic it is also dependent on its international competitiveness. New Zealand is dependent on export achieve sustainable growth. The major portion of New Zealands external trade of export income comes from bulk commodities such as meat and dairy products, wood and pulp(9). Primary commodities still dominate New Zealands export- in the 60s the share of primary commodities was over 85%. Now days, New Zealands land-based export is 67%.(9) In other developed countries the primary export share is decreasing as manufacturing but service exports are rising. New Zealand produces a large quantity of primary commodities because of good natural resource endowment. The primary sector of New Zealand to export is agricultural, horticultural, and forestry industries(9). The homogenous nature of the New Zealand agribusiness and forestry sectors and New Zealand focus in research, development and innovation in these sectors that can improve the export competitiveness. This focus has positive implication for economies of scale. Between 1999 and 2007 the New Zealand gained and lost comparative advantage in more than 200 products(10). This information suggests that New Zealand exporters want to change market demands and opportunities. Beyond the primary product sector New Zealand has not diversified. New Zealands economic developments start since the late 1890s by the opportunity to sell primary product products like wool, dairy products and meat to the United Kingdom and other industrialized countries(9). But after the Second World War the demand for food and industrial raw materials was increased. This demand increased export activities of many countries including New Zealand. Analysis of export and import of New Zealand Export and import can be a great way to inter into new market and expand business. New Zealand context, policy-induced distortions are perhaps less prominent on the imports side than the exports side. New Zealand exports statistics measure sales by resident firms and individuals to non-residents. The incomes of New Zealand include in investment income rather than exports in balance of payment statement. New Zealand is heavily dependent on agricultural products. More than one-third of the worlds international dairy trade leads by New Zealand. More than 100 million people feed dairy product. New Zealand dairy industry contributes 25% of export earnings(12). In 2009 New Zealands total exports amounted to $26.25 billion, its total imports came in at $24.29 billion (11). In December 2011 New Zealand total export grew by 9.6% to reach $47.7 billion. Australia is the largest exports market for New Zealand, taking 22.7% of New Zealands exports. New Zealands second largest market for export is China. New Zealand nearly export 12.3% to china and New Zealands export to the china grew by over $1 billion in 2011(13). New Zealand export to the USA 8.4% of its total export. In the year of December 2011 the total imports of New Zealand, valued at $44.5 billion. China has good market and New Zealand imports from china were valued at $7.049 billion. New Zealand sourced 15.8%of its total imports from china. The import from Australia fell by $ 300 million to $7.039 billion. The main factor contributed to this decline was the drop in NZs mineral fuel import. New Zealand import valued from the USA at $4.8 billion. New Zealand import 10.7% of its total import from the USA. New Zealand has strongest revealed comparative advantage in product based on the agriculture, horticulture, fishing or forestry industries. These include number of product like dairy product, in particular milk, milk powder butter and cheese. These include meat, frozen sheep, beef offal and many more seafood like mussels, crayfish, and frozen fish. These also include many kind of wool like combed, yarn and greasy wool (10). Some horticultural based products including fresh fruit, clover, frozen vegetable, onions, and honey and ryegrass seeds included in comparative advantage. A number of wood products these primary-based products rely on relatively sophisticated innovation inputs such as research and development. Dairy products are a good example in New Zealands innovation in production, processing, packaging, distribution, logistics (10). New Zealand also has expertise in these areas to develop a high comparative advantage in certain elaborately transformed manufactures. These contain machines for cleaning, sorting, grading, and dairy machinery, agricultural and bee-keeping plant, and milking machines. New Zealand has very good comparative advantage in a verity of manufacturing product and these manufactures are intermediate or capital good used by businesses rather than households (10) (9) CONCLUSION The aim of this text is to provide more insight on the concept of international trade and its impact in global economy. Several theories have been forwarded to explain the dawn of this global phenomenon influencing the New Zealand trade and businesses around the world. Although the theories have started from the classical view point stemming from the fact that trade has it is based on countries, it should evolved to encompass the idea that organizational perspective seems more feasible. The continuum explaining the advent of international trade started mercantilism advocating the need to encourage export and discourage import but with many criticisms from the forefather of Economics Adam Smith with his Absolute advantage theory which seemed much avant-gardes at that time. The relatively recent theory adding to the literature of International Trade is that of Porters national competitive advantage theory preaching the importance of national competitive theory of an industry to constantly innovate. Theories proposed by great researchers have been numerous each criticizing or adding to the existing literatures. However, it cannot be denied that in this era of globalization and interdependency of nations, international trade has become the buzzword of most economists. Despite criticisms and its certain drawbacks, International Trade is now a dominant factor in the global marketplace and nearly-if not all-countries have adopted it. As an ending word, it can be said that International Trade is here to stay.

African-american Troops In The Civil War: The 54th Massachusetts :: essays research papers

African-American Troops in the Civil War: The 54th Massachusetts The Fifty-fourth Massachusetts was organized in early 1863 by Robert Gould Shaw, twenty-six year old member of a prominent Boston abolitionist family. Shaw had earlier served in the Seventh New York National Guard and the Second Massachusetts Infantry, and was appointed colonel of the Fifty-fourth in February 1863 by Massachusetts governor John A. Andrew. As one of the first black units organized in the northern states, the Fifty-fourth was the object of great interest and curiosity, and its performance would be considered an important indication of the possibilities surrounding the use of blacks in combat. The regiment was composed primarily of free blacks from throughout the north, particularly Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Amongst its recruits was Lewis N. Douglass, son of the famous ex-slave and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass. After a period of recruiting and training, the unit proceeded to the Department of the South, arriving at Hilton Head, South Carolina, on June 3, 1863. The regiment earned its greatest fame on July 18, 1863, when it led the unsuccessful and controversial assault on the Confederate positions at Battery Wagner. In this desperate attack, the Fifty-fourth was placed in the vanguard and over 250 men of the regiment became casualties. Shaw, the regiment's young colonel, died on the crest of the enemy parapet, shouting, "Forward, Fifty- fourth!" That heroic charge, coupled with Shaw's death, made the regiment a household name throughout the north, and helped spur black recruiting. For the remainder of 1863 the unit participated in siege operations around Charleston, before boarding transports for Florida early in February 1864. The regiment numbered 510 officers and men at the opening of the Florida Campaign, and its new commander was Edward N. Hallowell, a twenty-seven year old merchant from Medford, Massachusetts. Anxious to avenge the Battery Wagner repulse, the Fifty- fourth was the best black regiment available to General Seymour, the Union commander. Along with the First North Carolina Colored Infantry, the Fifty-fourth entered the fighting late in the day at Olustee, and helped save the Union army from complete disaster. The Fifty-fourth marched into battle yelling, "Three cheers for Massachusetts and seven dollars a month." The latter referred to the difference in pay between white and colored Union infantry, long a sore point with colored troops. Congress had just passed a bill correcting this and giving colored troops equal pay. However, word of the bill would not reach these troops until after the battle of Olustee. The regiment lost eighty-six men in the battle, the lowest number of the three black regiments present. After Olustee, the Fifty-fourth was not sent to participate in the bloody Virginia campaigns

The Rugmaker of Mazar-E-Sharif Conflict

Conflict can reveal unexpected qualities in an Individual * Consider how conflict tests people’s characters and the way in which people’s choices in conflict situations reveal aspects of their character that might not otherwise be revealed. * Najaf does not surprise himself or his family so much as he surprises the reader with regards to his qualities. It is surprising to read of an individual whose overriding response to conflict is one of compassion and whose faith in God never falters.Conflict between Border Protection versus Asylum to Refugees * Najaf describes his and other refugee’s desperate plight and risks they took when they fled their countries. He recounts the harrowing escape the refugees had over land and sea, each step of the way, risking capture or death. * The concern for the Australian Government is to attempt to confirm the identities of Asylum Seekers and assess their character.This is one of the frustrations for Najaf, that people who have no understanding of the qualities of his character can â€Å"decide if I am a fit person to take my place in the community of Australia. † Internal Conflict * As Najaf flees across the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan, he becomes sentimental about the loss of his homeland. While he discovers freedom, he is torn between what he has left behind and his hope of what is to come. When Najaf reaches Australia, this conflict of emotion is a constant throughout his time in Woomera.There is a battle in the heart and mind of the Woomera detainees between feelings of hope and despair. * Conflict feelings are amplified by the trauma of being incarcerated and the anxiety of waiting for the news of either acceptance or rejection into Australia. While he is often sorrowful, he endures by striving to remain optimistic. He recalls the hazardous journey he took to arrive in Australia and cling to the hope that maybe these Australians will let me become a complete man again. However, the inter nal conflict driven by fear of rejection and the hope of acceptance persists. * In Australia, Najaf is lonely and feels incomplete. * Certainly, there is joy at his new beginning, but the memories and homesickness still cause anguish â€Å"I cannot forget the Afghans who have not met with the good fortune, and I never will. But I will never forget the sunshine of Maria’s smile on the day of the party either. †

What Is CBNA on My Credit Report CBNA Definition Explained

What Is CBNA on My Credit Report CBNA Definition Explained SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you recently had the name "CBNA" appear on your credit report and are unsure what it means? If so, you’re not alone. Many consumers have had hard pulls on their credit report from CBNA, which most commonly refers to Citibank North America, but can also refer to the Credit Bureau of North America, Community Bank, N.A., or Comenity Bank. In this article, I’ll talk about what seeing CBNA on your credit card means, what each of the companies associated with the acronym CBNA are, and what you should do if you find something unexpected on your credit card. What Is CBNA On My Credit Report? An unexpected inquiry on your credit card can be stressful and lead to many questions. Where did the inquiry come from? Does an unexplained inquiry mean my identity has been stolen? Will this inquiry hurt my credit score? One of the most confusing inquiries on credit reports is for CBNA. CBNA mainly refers to Citibank North America, which is a major consumer and business banking institution in the United States. If you see the letters CBNA on your credit report, that means that Citibank has pulled a credit inquiry on you. When a bank or credit card company pulls a hard credit inquiry on you, that means the potential lender is reviewing your credit because you’ve applied for credit with them. Hard credit inquiries happen when you’re applying for things like a credit card, mortgage, or car loan. Hard credit inquiries do adversely affect your credit report. For most consumers, a hard credit inquiry will take less than five points off their reports. If you only have a few credit accounts or a short credit history, however, a credit inquiry may hurt your credit score more. Having many hard credit inquiries in a short space of time will also hurt your credit score. If you’ve got an inquiry from CBNA on your credit report and you’ve applied for a CBNA credit card or loan, you shouldn’t worry. Hard credit inquiries are a part of the process that comes with applying for a new credit account. You can write to the institution to ask them to remove the credit inquiry from your report, but they won't always do so, especially if the inquiry isn't fraudulent. If you see the letters CBNA on your credit card and you haven’t applied for an account with a CBNA institution, you should take steps to protect your identity. I’ll explain the other institutions associated with CBNA in the next section, as well as what to do when you’ve got an unexplained inquiry on your account. What Else Does CBNA Stand For? While Citibank North America is the most common institution that uses the CBNA acronym on credit reports, there are several others. #1: Credit Bureau of North America: CBNA may stand for Credit Bureau of North America, which is a debt collection agency. If you’ve got an open account with the Credit Bureau of North America, that means that you have an unpaid debt that they’re attempting to collect. You should attempt to settle your debt by paying it off. The best way to do this is to negotiate a pay for delete agreement with CBNA that says that CBNA will remove their information from your credit report once you’ve paid the debt. #2: Community Bank, N.A.: CBNA may also stand for Community Bank, N.A., which is a small local bank that offers personal and business banking in New York and Pennsylvania. If you’ve got a credit inquiry from Community Bank, N.A., you may have applied for a credit line or loan there. #3: Comenity Bank: Comenity Bank is a bank that manages credit cards mainly associated with stores and brands such as Victoria’s Secret or Gamestop. If you’ve applied for a credit card recently at a store, you may see an inquiry from CBNA on your credit report. What To Do If You’ve Got Something Unexpected on Your Credit Report If you’ve got an unexpected inquiry on your credit report that doesn’t match any of your recent credit activity, you should take steps to protect your identity. Start with these five steps to make sure your identity is secure. #1: Contact the Company That Made the Inquiry The first thing to do is to contact the company that made the inquiry. Call the company associated with the inquiry and ask them to prove that it was you that triggered the inquiry. If they can’t, then you can ask the company to notify the three major credit bureaus to remove the inquiry from your account. #2: Document the Fraudulent Inquiry If you’ve determined the inquiry is indeed fraudulent, you should download and complete an identity theft complaint and affidavit form from the Federal Trade Commission’s website. These can be sent to banks, creditors, and credit bureaus in order to explain the inquiry and any other fraudulent credit activity. Depending on the situation, you may also want to fill out a police report. #3: Notify the Three Credit Bureaus After documenting the inquiry with the Federal Trade Commission, you should place a credit freeze on your credit report, which restricts access to your accounts and limits the new inquiries that can be made. You need to contact all three credit companies individually. #4: Place a Fraud Alert at the Three Credit Bureaus You can also place a free, 90 day fraud alert with each of the three credit bureaus. This alert tells creditors to verify your identity through extra steps before extending credit in your name. #5: Dispute the Inquiry at the Three Credit Bureaus The best way to dispute an unexplained inquiry is to call the credit bureau or mail a formal notification of your dispute, proving that the inquiry was fraudulent and unauthorized. Unauthorized inquiries are relatively easy to remove, but may require a number of different conversations to remove. In Summary Many consumers have asked themselves the question: â€Å"What is CBNA on my credit report?† or wonder if they've applied for a CBNA credit card when they see those letters on their credit report. An inquiry from CBNA on your credit report means that you’ve applied for a credit account with an institution associated with those letters, or that you’ve got an open debt in collection with the Credit Bureau of North America. If you haven’t applied for a CBNA credit card, you should take steps to protect your identity from fraud. What's Next? How can you find the best credit card for your needs? Narrow down what the best credit card for you is with this guide. Thinking about getting a Banana Republic store card? We cover the pros and cons of the Banana Republic credit card here. Looking to learn more about other financial acronyms and terms? Find out what return on assets (ROA) is and how to use that information here.

About the US Inspectors General

About the US Inspectors General A U.S. federal inspector general (IG) is the head of an independent, non-partisan organization established within each executive branch agency assigned to audit the agency’s operation in order to discover and investigate cases of misconduct, waste, fraud and other abuse of government procedures occurring within the agency. Within the federal agencies are politically independent individuals called Inspectors General who are responsible for ensuring that the agencies operate efficiently, effectively and legally. When it was reported in October 2006 that Department of Interior employees wasted $2,027,887.68 worth of taxpayer time annually surfing sexually explicit, gambling, and auction websites while at work, it was the Interior Departments own Office of Inspector General that conducted the investigation and issued the report. The Mission of the Office of Inspector General Established by the Inspector General Act of 1978, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) examines all actions of a government agency or military organization. Conducting audits and investigations, either independently or in response to reports of wrongdoing, the OIG ensures that the agencys operations are in compliance with the law and general established policies of the government. Audits conducted by the OIG are intended to ensure the effectiveness of security procedures or to discover the possibility of misconduct, waste, fraud, theft, or certain types of criminal activity by individuals or groups related to the agencys operation. Misuse of agency funds or equipment is often revealed by OIG audits. There are currently 73 offices of US inspectors general, far more than the initial 12 offices created by the Inspector General Act of 1978. Along with administrative staff and several financial and procedural auditors, each office employs special agents- criminal investigators who are often armed. The work of the IG offices involves detecting and preventing fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement of the government programs and operations within their parent agencies or organizations. Investigations conducted by the IG offices may target internal government employees or external government contractors, grant recipients, or recipients of loans and subsidies offered through federal assistance programs.   To help them carry out their investigative role, Inspectors General have the authority to issue subpoenas for information and documents, administer oaths for taking testimony, and can hire and control their own staff and contract personnel. The investigative authority of Inspectors General is limited only by certain national security and law enforcement considerations. How Inspectors General Are Appointed and Removed For the Cabinet-level agencies, Inspectors General are appointed, without regard to their political affiliation, by the President of the United States and must be approved by the Senate. Inspectors General of the Cabinet-level agencies can be removed only by the President. In other agencies, known as designated federal entities, like Amtrak, the U.S. Postal Service, and the Federal Reserve, the agency heads appoint and remove Inspectors General. Inspectors General are appointed based on their integrity and experience in: Accounting, auditing, financial analysisLaw, management analysis, public administrationInvestigations Who Oversees Inspectors General? While by law, Inspectors General are under the general supervision of the agency head or deputy, neither the agency head nor the deputy can prevent or prohibit an Inspector General from conducting an audit or investigation. The conduct of the Inspectors General is overseen by the Integrity Committee of the Presidents Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE). How Do Inspectors General Report Their Findings? When an agencys Office of Inspector General (OIG) identifies cases of egregious and flagrant problems or abuses within the agency, the OIG immediately notifies the agency head of the findings. The agency head is then required to forward the OIGs report, along with any comments, explanations, and corrective plans, to Congress within seven days. The Inspectors General also send semiannual reports of all their activities for the past six months to Congress. All cases involving suspected violations of federal laws are reported to the Department of Justice, via the Attorney General.

Information systems security management Research Paper

Information systems security management - Research Paper Example In 1915, there were 250 automobile manufactures in the United State that were utilizing information technology on large bases. By the 1994, this figure had increased up till 500 automobiles. In the field of telecommunication, around 2000 radio stations across the United States were found (Laudon, 2011). In 1925, these radio stations were broadcasting to local neighborhoods and run by non-professionals. By the year 1990, only 500 independent stations were functioning. Therefore, it is clear that the e-commerce will follow the same pattern along with some noticeable difference that is discussed further (Laudon, 2011). The development in the field of e-commerce has been increased significantly, but it is also not obvious that this field will tend to grow on this rate forever. Moreover, its growth will be limited in future as it is confronting its own fundamental limitations. For example, the B2C e-commerce is still a small part around 3% of the net retail market. In fact, in 2008, all t he B2C e-commerce will approximately equal to the annual revenue under recent projections. This research includes Wal-Mart, which is the world’s largest and most effective retailer. On the contrary, with the only 3% of the entire retail sales, it is now introducing online methods (Laudon, 2011). Early Years of E-Commerce E-Commerce Today Technology-driven Business-driven Revenue growth emphasis Earnings and profits emphasis Venture capital financing Traditional financing Ungoverned Stronger regulation and governance Entrepreneurial Large traditional firms Disintermediation Strengthening intermediaries Perfect markets Imperfect markets, brands, and network effects Pure online strategies Integrated, multi-channel bricks-and-clicks strategies First mover advantages Strategic follower strength; complimentary assets Figure 1.1 1.1 Emphasizing Privacy One more study shows that online companies emphasize and focus more on online privacy policy rather than any other aspect. Even onli ne security is considered as the second option. Moreover, the study also concluded that online customers are more worried about their privacy rather than online threats as they are considered to be in control. In addition, the study also demonstrated a comparison between the two decades, i.e. 1999-2001 and 2005-2007, which highlighted the factors that are mentioned previously (Parayitam, Desai, & Desai, 2008). 1.2 Focusing on Customer Demands However, study concluded one interesting factor, i.e. the rankings and ratings of policies created for the Internet continues to focus on demands of the web users. Moreover, consumer privacy continues to be on top in both the decades (Parayitam, Desai, & Desai, 2008). The amplified awareness by the contributors, i.e. legislators and advocates, shows that the interest level is comparatively high. 2 Technology Infrastructure E-commerce is also described as the development and growth of digital computing, and communications technology is at the co re of modern technology of global digital economy. In order to understand the future of the digital e-commerce, we need to understand the technological basics on which it is dependent. The e-commerce is, basically, a technological motivated phenomenon that depends on a cloud of information technologies. Moreover, the fundamental ideas from computer science have developed this over for a

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

Cyberbulling - Research Paper Example Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying offers anonymity to bullies contributing both to impunity of offenders. Alongside with anonymity, it is the significant distance between bullies and the bullied that lead to crueler actions and more serious consequences. The rise of cyberbullying is caused by technology, especially by the Internet, introduction of which was soon followed by chat rooms. The latter were supplemented by AOL Instant Messenger, a program that allowed users to communicate with each other privately or in public chat rooms for hours. With its development, AOL Instant Messenger allowed creation of group-specific chat rooms. Telecommunication advances also contributed to proliferation of cyberbullying and cell phones in particular. The first generation of these telecommunication devices did not cause the rise of cyberbullyin; the second generation, however, did. The cell phones of the second generation appeared in the 1990s, and then spread widely. In 2010, about seventy-five percent of teenagers in the United States had cell phones, and one third of them sent three thousand messages per month. Today, about seventy-eight percent of teeangers are owners of cell phones (Donegan, 2012). Further development and spread of the Internet as well as the introduction of social networking websites also have fostered cyberbullying. All the social networks allow to create profiles, which include personal information, photos etc., and communicate with other people. Such publication of personal information and distanced communication is dangerous for children because it puts them in the position of either a victim of cyberbullying or an active offender (Donegan, 2012). The relatively short history of cyberbullying is notable for a significant number of suicides committed by victims. One of the most well-known cases is the case of a girl named Maggie Meier. She committed suicide in 2006 after her sister and mother created a fake account