Killer Instinct Essays - Ghostface, Billy The Puppet,

Killer Instinct by Jim Adams Over 800 people attended the funeral, according to the local newspaper's estimate..... The cloudless day, lit by an early morning sun that cast soft shadows among the mourners, was disturbed only by the gentle murmur of the preacher's voice and the distant hum of traffic racing past on Hwy 401. Off-duty Durham Regional Police officers received an unexpected bonus that morning, when they were called in to handle parking problems around the cemetery and direct the seemingly endless flow of floral tributes. "Black Billy" he'd called himself. He'd appeared in Pickering one unremarkable day, just as suddenly as he'd departed this life. No fanfare of trumpets, no grandiose announcements, no pre-fight publicity. He simply showed up at Mulligan's Bar one Sunday afternoon when the regulars were discussing the merits of the Tyson/Doakes fight, and settled in the far corner next to the miniscule stage, nursing a half-pint of beer. Mulligan's being the type of place it is, he wasn't alone too long. "Useta call me Black Billy," he growled, lumbering to his feet. His head ducked and dodged, body swayed, as he danced on his toes, shooting lefts and rights at an imaginary opponent. His scarred face looked troubled for a moment. "Coulda been the Champ. Didn' get a chance. Said I don' got the killer instinct. I know I got it. Jus' need a chance." His audience nodded appreciatively and exchanged understanding glances. Billy shuffled to a stop and shook his big head as a huge grin split his battered face. "No use cryin' over spilt milk. That was a long time ago. Yeah man, a long time ago. He extended a large paw and shook each person's hand solemnly. "Jus' call me Black Billy," he said, the infectious, innocent grinencompassing the entire group, like a warming beam of sunlight after a rain-storm. It was hard not to like him. Before too long, someone who knew someone who had a friend, had arranged a job for Billy, in the Marina at the foot of Liverpool Rd. A small housetrailer - "It was just rusting away, sitting up at the cottage," according to the owner - was procured and installed in a corner, near the parking lot. Billy spent a few days cleaning it up and airing it out, then he moved his meagre belongings from his temporary home in the small motel on Hwy #2. Pillows, blankets, drapes, cutlery and all of the things needed to make a house a home were donated with quiet mutters of, "Here, Billy. Maybe you can use this. Wife was gonna throw it out anyway, so you're welcome to it." He became a fixture in Pickering. If he'd lived in some quaint country village, he'd have been known as "a character." When he wasn't scraping hulls, or painting the underside of yachts in the marina, he could be seen, trotting around in a jogging suit, surprisingly light on his feet, as most big men are, his sneakers gently slap-slap-slapping the sidewalk in a steady, unbroken rythym. Occasionally, he'd drop into Mulligan's to nurse a half- pint of beer, and despite repeated offers, was never seen to drink more than one. "No, man. Gotta stay in shape," he'd grin. "Too much o' this stuff slows the reflexes. Thanks anyway." He was a quiet man, keeping himself very much to himself, unless invited to join a group, which he invariably was. All attempts to extract information about his past life were met by the same big grin, and the same stock answer. "Long time ago, man. Useta be a fighter, long time ago....." In a moment of weakness, he confided to someone that he hailed from Nova Scotia, and that he had no living relatives. Initially, the more cautious parents in the neighbourhood instructed their offspring not to talk to Billy, but as time progressed he became a familiar figure. And he'd happily interrupt one of his endless jogging trips to help a flustered young mother trying to cope with two kids and armfuls of groceries, or lend a hand with a pile of lumber destined to become a garden shed. He became accepted by everyone. He had a special affinity with little kids, though. They hung around the marina, peering through the chainlink fence, watching Billy scrape hulls, his huge, muscled body stripped to the waist in the summer sunshine, the sweat beading, glistening and forming rivulets to soak his trackpants. "You a boxer, Billy?", some third-grader would squeak, initiating the ritual that had been performed

What Makes Silicon Prairie The Best Place For Startups - CoSchedule

What Makes Silicon Prairie The Best Place For Startups You’ve probably heard startups have to be in Silicon Valley. That’s an understandable assumption. After all, it’s where many of the world’s biggest software successes call home. But, is it really where startups have to be located to be successful? Is it possible, or even probable, that there are other places where you can build world-class software without heading for the coast? For our team at , the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, as a proud North Dakota-based company (you read that right), we’re proof positive you don’t have to leave home to build great software. From local investment opportunities to a skilled and ambitious talent pool, we wouldn’t trade the benefits of our home state to be anywhere else in the world. With more than 8,000 customers located in 100-plus countries around the globe, we think the numbers speak for themselves. So, what makes the Silicon Prairie the best place for ? That’s the question we’ll answer on this episode of #OverheardFrom.What Makes Silicon Prairie The Best Place For Startups? | #OverheardAt Recommended Viewing: Where In The World Is Located? How to Focus on 10X Growth Projects How to Make Your Meetings Effective (And Not Suck) Transcript: Eric: Everyone knows the best place for a startup is Silicon Valley, right? Wrong. Welcome to the Silicon Prairie. Howdy everyone, this is Eric with and welcome to Overheard at , the show where we talk about the things we talk about a . Were flipping the script. Im out in the middle of the beautiful prairie here in North Dakota. Our customers jaws always drop when they find out that s based in Bismarck and I love it. We are merely miles from the geographical center of North America so you know what? How about we find out how the middle of nowhere suddenly becomes the middle of everywhere. All right, were here with Garrett Moon, CEO, Co-founder of . I find this absolutely incredible, Garrett. Were sitting behind the world map. Weve got 8,000 customers in 100-plus countries and were doing straight out of North Dakota, which I love. Youve got to fill in the rs out there, what is this North Dakota advantage? Garrett: Oh, theres tons, besides the weather we also have things like were a technology company in a state thats actively trying to grow in the technology sector, so theres a ton of economic advantages, incentives and things that come our way that way. I think theres also just this dynamic of were able to be a big fish in a little pond rather than being a little fish in a big pond. That helps us stand out, it helps us really differentiate ourselves from other employers and stuff in the state and it gives us a ton of value going forward. Eric: Hi Emma. Emma: Hey Eric. Eric: What do you love about North Dakota? Emma: Obviously the people. Definitely the hot dish. Eric: So good, right? Emma: So good. Third, the jobs. I actually moved here from Florida because of the job opportunities for millennials. Eric: You dont say? Youre so smart, Emma. Emma: Thanks Eric. Eric: Later. Emma: Later. Eric: Hey Jordan. Jordan: Hey man. Eric: Hows it going? Jordan: So good. Eric: Good. Youve been here a whopping month now, is that correct? Jordan: Thats right, yeah. Eric: Okay, this is the perfect question. Im asking folks why North Dakota and why ? Jordan: First of all, killer team, insanely cool product and its nice to be back in our hometown. Eric: Your hometown, youve got to tell me more here. Jordan: Thats right. Wife and I did Minneapolis thing, did the Denver thing, but theres something about being back in your hometown, family around, AKA built-in babysitters thats just too sweet to pass up. Eric: I got it. So built-in babysitter, check. Helping marketers be more productive, check. Helping them get [sound effect] down, triple check. Jordan: Amen. Eric: I feel you. Take care, man. Youve got to love that a state as notoriously known for its cold winters has suddenly become the hotbed for marketing technology. Im Eric with . Thanks for tuning in to Overheard at and our quest to organize the world one marketing calendar at a time. Yee-ha!

Summary U.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary U.2 - Essay Example The most difficult to tackle is the increased dependence on automobiles. Streets are no longer for pedestrian use (Trancik, 1986). Residents do not care to admire communal areas such as parks anymore. Another cause is the attitude brought by the Modern Movement. Elevators and technology caused high-rise buildings to discourage people to engage in a communal existence centered on the street. Also, due to zoning, buildings were constructed considering only function and ignoring human behavior. The privatization of public places does not help. Buildings are designed to attract attention without taking into account spaces around it. Due to this general disregard for the appearance of the city as a whole, minimal investments are reserved for public places (Trancik, 1986). Changes in land use endlessly produce wasted spaces such as vacated buildings, abandoned properties, and obsolete facilities. Probably the biggest dilemma causing lost spaces is the reluctance and lack of ability to control the physical structure of the city. Lost space disrupts the overall continuity of city form. These spaces are inexpensive and are centrally located giving it enormous potential for redevelopment. Redesigning of lost space will generate social benefits which impact more than just economic gain. Rules must be set taking in consideration historic patterns and the evolution of modern space. Understanding and skills have to be developed so that future constructions would better support societal

Aristotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aristotle - Essay Example In a comparative assessment of political systems, Aristotle’s remarks on the perversions of democracy have proved to be a prominent tenet of political discussion and questioning. As a staunch realist, the Greek philosopher propagated the assumption that the idea of a government, which in essence is perfect, complete or best is one which is unattainable and utopian. Sidgwick (1892) argues that Aristotle’s categorization of the kinds of governments is not his own, but it is in fact the result of a pursuit to represent the ideas of his predecessor and teacher, Plato by stating the former’s concepts with an augmented degree of even greater disagreements for the various types of political systems to possibly avoid allegations of unoriginality or literary theft (Sidgwick 141-144). Aristotle’s primary premise is based upon his definition of the constitution which he describes as an association of positions that are reliant upon the degree of authority or power po ssessed by various social classes in their division amongst the citizens. In the philosopher’s categorization of the ultimate political system in comparison with one which is perverted, the underlying variable is the quantity of rulers in each scenario or governmental setup. Aristotle establishes that in the case of ‘rule by many’ as opposed to ‘rule by one’, democracy is a term linked with a perverted depiction of an otherwise positive concept of polity, which leads to the incidence of corruption, unequal distribution of wealth, anarchy and a consequent obliteration of the state. It should however be noted at no point does Aristotle completely discredit democracy as a hollow shell by presenting alternating scenarios where the degree of its perversion is decreased. The main criticism that Aristotle places on the system of democracy is how demagogues are able to manipulate and eventually direct the perceptions, opinions and emotions of the public such that laws begin to lose meaning and government decrees begin to hold more significance. When such situations prevail, a democratically elected leader is transformed into a monarch or a an implicit dictator who imposes a repressive rule over the people, without the people even being aware of it, as everything happens under the veil of democracy. It is also believed that when power is vested in the hands of poor people, who are illiterate and uninformed, they will not be able to execute effectively the responsibilities that come with holding esteemed positions. In stating so, however, Aristotle does agree that a complete exclusion of the lower class from the affairs of the state is not an appropriate option because taking such an action would increase animosities and discrepancies between the rich and the poor rather than bridging the differences. Capitalist democracies of today have failed to recognize that a mere label of democracy that is apparently working on the basis of equalit y and justice is not enough to claim that the workings of a political system are successful when a vast global population that lives below the poverty line is suffering so greatly. For Aristotle, democracy still stands as a form of government which has a lesser degree of perversion in comparison wit

Oedipus Rex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oedipus Rex - Essay Example But as it is revealed in the concluding part of the play some duties are fundamental, and even the interest of the state and its laws are subservient to it. The duty to bury the dead concerns humanity and it has nothing to do with the existing law or ruling by any authority. It is the moral duty that derives authority from the unrecorded law. The Parameters of Free Will is another theme that is part of the play. Tiresias predicts the arrest of one who is both father and brother to his own children. Oedipus reveals to Jocasta of a prophecy he came to know as a youth, that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother, and Jocasta tells Oedipus of an identical prophecy given to Laius, that her son would grow up to kill his father. Oedipus and Jocasta enter into discussion about the extent to which prophecies should be relied upon at all, and when all of the prophecies come true, it appears that one of Sophocles’ aims is to defend the powers of the gods and prophets. In the play Oedipus has no other option but to fulfill the prophecy. Fate continuously overpowers him. Oedipus’s Swollen Foot is an example of symbolism in the play. Oedipus was left in the mountains with his ankles trapped together and Laius had abandoned him in that state on a desolate mountain shortly after he was born. Oedipus bears with this injury for the rest of his life and the scar is the indicator for the plight undergone by him. His injury symbolised the manner in which fate dealt with him and his movements were restricted since birth. That was Apollo’s prophecy to Laius. The Junction of Three-Roads: Jocasta mentions about the place where Laius is assassinated, where three roads intersect. This crossroad is mentioned often during the course of the play and it symbolises crucial moments of the play. Symbolically, a crossroad is the place where a decision has to be made about the path to

Water Scarcity in Singapore: An Overview

Water Scarcity in Singapore: An Overview Abstract Singapore is a no more farmland country so that mean cant save more water. First I will write about Singapore fresh water information, second I will write about the government solution for the water scarcity issue, after that I will discuss the which solution is good for reduce fresh water scarcity and write some of my opinion for solve this issue. In the last I will conclusion the answer and give some suggest. When you want to know the detail information, in the last page I will give some source web site. Introduction Singapore is a famous poor water country and it most water come from another country provid. This report I will talk about Singapore how to reduce fresh water scarcity. Well we know the fresh water is very important to biome because the body have high per cent work from the water and it can help you eating, poop and transport energy. From the research the body have seventy per cent make for the water and when miss fifteen per cent it will meet died danger, so for the research the water is very important for our life. In global have fresh water scarcity problem, some scientist research some solution to reduce this trouble for example in seawater join some special energy can make it become fresh water. We know technology improve our life, most country have water recycle system. I think in the future each house have own small water recycle system. Methodology Before the researchà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’I find the Singapore water come from the nearly country and rain. Although precipition is high than another country but it no more land so it is poor water country. From the internet I find the Singapore how to collect the rain and the water used for. I think the chemistry system is very important for reduce fresh water scarcity because in Singapore is very careful for water. In my opinion this information is very important because it provide me more detail and it is good background befor the article. Findings Singapore is an island and urban city state and not hence so it have high per cent water on Malaysia supply. For the terrain reason, the Singapore cant save more water although it rain high than another country. In early because technology grow up quick and government not very care about industry, so most industry have most pollution and local person use groundwater so in after this country meet drink problem. In beginning the government to put forward buy the water for Malaysia and recycle pollution water. Then it carry out most plan desalt seawater to drink water, develop Newater plan, this plan objective is bring waste water that better than public water. I think they best plan is build impoundments and reservoirs, it can college most rain water and reduce water loss so in Singapore have most this building and most fresh water is come from here. The government dont want fresh water go to sea so they build barrage separate the sea and reservoir, when reservoir cant save more rain w ater it can help it ejectment the more water and it can save the low lying area. In my opinion the government can calculated each family use how much water, when it used more can suggest when they not hear can require pay more money and they also can reward use water less family, it can make everybody save the water and government donate little money to reward save water very well company. Discussion From the finding, we can see the Singapore have big water problem and they also take more measure to reduce fresh water scarcit. So I think my hypothesis is true, my hypothesi is in the future, each house have small water recycle sickle. from the technology grow up quick and the global fresh water scarcity issue to become more serious, we must have save water mentality and now most family have water purifier, it erasure people want to drink health and clean fresh water. In the future, the water recycle sickle have good change, it become not expensive and big, the government will subsidy it. All in all the Singapore do most action is want to solve fresh water scarcity issue. I think solve this issue is not only government work because we cant leave the water, and the water useful for our, so we must have save water mentalit. Well actually the government most action is want to reminds people have save water mind. We know in global have most country have fresh water scarcity issue and t he population become more and more, human most careful about fresh water issue, so I think most country should study Singapore method. Conclusion All in all the government proposed is want to reduce fresh water scarcity and they also want to reminds people to save water. Reference https://www.ukessays.com/essays/environmental-sciences/the-issues-of-fresh-water-in-singapore-environmental-sciences-essay.php

Charles Dickens Reflection on Society in Hard Times, Oliver Twist, Nic

Charles Dickens' Reflection on Society in Hard Times, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, and David Copperfield In this essay I will be examining how and why Dickens chose to comment on the society in which he lived through his novels. I will be examining ‘Hard Times’, ‘Oliver Twist’, ‘Nicholas Nickelby’ and ‘David Copperfield‘. Charles Dickens was considered to be one of the greatest English novelists during the Victorian period, and during this period, novelists had a tradition of commenting on issues affecting society through their work. They chose to express their views like this so people would realise exactly what is taking place in the town or village they are living in. Charles Dickens had a very disturbing childhood, members of his family were sent to prison and he was sent to work at the age of twelve in a Blacking Factory; he became miserable. He escaped from this by writing fictional texts in school; he then developed his existing skills and made rapid progress. From the entire trauma he went through, he decided to express his pain through his words. The education system was extremely poor. Only children with working parents would be educated, whereas poorer children would have to work. In the novel ‘Hard Times’, the education system was firm, harsh and stern; ‘Quadruped. Graminivorous†¦Age known by marks in mouth.’ This straight-to-the-point definition of a horse suggests that the teacher spoon-feeds the young, tender, innocent children with useless facts. The word ‘Graminivorous’ highlights that these children are being turned into adults mentally because he ‘fed‘ the innocent children with facts that adults will normally know. Everything is so simplified for him, the teacher does... ... was irony that Dickens used here: the word ‘parlour’ suggests that it is a pleasant home but what’s going on inside is totally the opposite. In conclusion, Dickens has used his works successfully to comment on society because all of the issues that were affecting all classes of people, he included them so we could really understand what went on during the Victorian times. I have learnt a lot from this, about how people lived and how they were treated. I have learnt that these two periods of time were totally different to each other. The novel that had the most impact on me was Nicholas Nickelby; this is because Dickens made us feel sympathetic for the characters, he made me feel as if I was there as one of the characters because this novel was so convincing. I really felt a lot of sympathy for the children who had to suffer from this inhumane cruelty.

Learning to Lead Change

Learning to Lead Change†¦ â€Å"The simplest definition of leadership† says Peter Senge, of learning organisation fame, â€Å"is the ability to produce change. † Does your organisation need to build change leadership capability? There’s a big emphasis now on leadership, not just conventional management skills. One reason is a growing recognition that in times of change, when systems are unstable and futures are uncertain, it’s leaders we need – not managers.When you boil it down, leadership itself is largely about leading people through change. Leaders are the key drivers of change. They play a critical role in preparing people for it, and then leading them through it. No matter what your specific job, managers everywhere now need to be more change-adept. Organisations nowadays expect people to step out of their functional role and handle a formidable array of changes as part of their daily work – often with little preparation for it.In a word, we all need to become change leaders. Whether you introduce the change – a better procedure, a service-delivery improvement, redesigning work, merging work units, designing a new product line or introducing a new piece of technology – or whether it’s imposed on you, the ability to manage change and make it happen rapidly and smoothly is one of the keys to organisational vitality, renewal and success. And learning how to lead change is one of the critical skills that underscores successful implementation.To have the ability to: Identify when change is needed and constantly build their own and other’s capacity to learn, adapt and transform Translate change initiatives into working visions and strategies staff find comprehensible and want to sign onto Design down-to-earth workplace change and improvement strategies people can work with Communicate clearly about change in ways people can understand Reduce uncertainty and convert anxiety, denial and re sistance into constructive change energy Build momentum, create commitment, get people into action mode then facilitate them through change Many managers overlook the need to develop change capabilities in themselves or in others. Their assumption often sounds like this: ‘I’ve been managing this organisation for years – so I certainly know how to change it! ‘ What organisations frequently fail to see is that the skills to build change leadership capability are very different to those needed to manage a business in normal operational mode. Everyday management skills, sound as they may be, just don’t convert that easily into effective change leadership capabilities. New skills are needed but not many see this. Back to topKey practice areas for enabling change†¦ Here’s a list of key practice areas for enabling change†¦ They inter-connect. Changes in one flow through to all the others†¦ Learning to Lead Change: Put simply leadership is frequently about leading people through change. Leaders are key drivers of change and leadership learning should focus firmly on the critical role leaders play in preparing, and leading people through change in order to create change leaders – those with the capability to communicate clearly about change in ways people can understand, shape a vision they can sign onto, build momentum, create commitment, get people into action and then facilitate them through it.Facilitating Change: is a role for both change leaders and teams. It involves being capable of leading team activities, adopting a facilitation role to lead change teams and shifting from mental models of ‘managing’, ‘organising’ or ‘controlling’ to being facilitators & direction-setters. Leveraging Culture: Very little changes unless the culture it’s happening in gets addressed – the habits, assumptions and shared mental models carried by yourself and others. Th is involves sensing the current culture, assessing how supportive or not this is for change outcomes you envisage and learning to leverage and work with the culture to get these change results.Promoting Change Participation: Promote involvement in and responsibility for managing change processes. Our bias for participation is based on observation and experience that if you involve others in jointly determining what and how to change, it is more likely to be successful than imposed change. This involves working out ways to involve people – both participation inside your change team or target group and with stakeholders outside it. Building Change Capacity: What capacities do we need to build in order to change successfully? This includes individual skills, tools and disciplines you and your change team needs to develop change enabling capacity and the resources needed to support change – tangible and ‘in’.It also involves building longer term change capabil ity by embedding good practices in the work/learning habits of people impacted by changes. Systems Redesign: When things change, old work systems, processes and procedures need to change too. One reason change fails is a lack of know-how or refusal to change old work patterns, systems, structures and mental models that get in the way. At whatever level, change leaders constantly look for more innovative, efficient and flexible ways of re-organising work processes and procedures to meet ever-changing improvement challenges. All change leaders need to learn how to be systems redesigners. Change Leaders need Tools: Without tools, guiding ideas remain un-actioned.Leaders need new tools and processes to make a positive contribution to these more flexible and fluid forms of learning if they are to use learning to change and respond more quickly to successive change challenges. Our leadership-learning emphasises being transparent about the tools we use and injecting specific learning tools into the change coaching/action learning process for people to try out and experiment with. Monitoring Change: This involves developing ways to tell whether real change and improvement has taken place; identifying indicators and processes to evaluate whether our change actions and processes have made a real difference and get back on-track if changes aren’t working.

Biography of Steven hill essays

Biography of Steven hill essays After Geoff left us, I never thought Kirksville soccer would ever be the same. Fortunately I was wrong. Steven Hill was his name, our teams savior, and this is his story. I had first met Steven late in his Junior year. We were both on the track team together. Though we were not well aquanted, Steves spirit was then made obvious to me. Steve was a hard worker, of this I had no doubt because not once had I ever heard him complain. Steve had a tendancy to stay quiet until our teams moment of need. He would slowly and suddenly arise from the dust as if he were a mesenger of a distant king, delivering a few short, emotional, and to the point words to stir our team to victory. Steve kept me fighting when I was down. This hidden talent of his would only make itslef more brilliant in the year to come. 2002, Stevens senior year began at Kirksville highschool. Track not being enough for the obviously gifted athlete, Steve decided to persue soccer, the sport of the Gods. Recognizing Steven from the previous year, I engaged him in conversation. Our dialect eventually turned to the fact that this was Steves first year of soccer, which surprised me. Where a weaker man would have been intimidated, Steve took the challenge as nothing but another simple game for him to defeat, Soccers just like basketball right, only the nets bigger, and you cant use your hands. As the season progressed, Steves skill was made as bright as the Star of Jeruselem, calling the wise men to worship the Christ. This incredible power was of coarse young and unpolished but it reminded me of another that had left the team long ago. I confronted Steven about how a first year soccer player could possibly be so skilled, and in his simple yet magnificent way, he told me, I heard somewhere once, that if you have a little cordination, and a lot of will power, you can do anything you se ...

Life of St Martin of Tours essays

Life of St Martin of Tours essays Following in the lines of Jerome and Athanasius, Sulpicius Severus composed a biography of St. Martin of Tours. Concerned more with miracles and encounters with the devil rather than a complete description of the monastic life, Life of Martin of Tours is a glimpse into the nature of Christianity of the 4th Century. Life of Martin of Tours gives a very brief view of Martin's life before he entered into the service of God. Upon entering a church at the age of 10, he became so enamored that he told his military father of his intent to become a churchman. Being the son of a tribune, his wish would be granted only after a tour of duty in the army of the empire. It is in the service of Julian that Martin truly learns of his destiny. Late winter in the town of Amiens, Martin was approached by an almost nude beggar. Taking his sword and cutting his cloak in half, Martin gave part of his clothing to the beggar. The beggar appeared that night in a dream to Martin with the voice of God. According to the dream, since he had helped the lowest element in society, he had really helped Jesus. It is interesting to note in this section the variety of the terms used synonymous, in the present day, with God. The time in which Martin was in the army is the same time that the Arian controversy is dividing the Christian populace. Severus meant to show the many faces of the Lord in composing this work, thereby showing both his own and Martin's adherence to orthodoxy. When Martin is called to into an impending battle with the barbarians in Gaul, he asks for his discharge from none other Julian himself, at the time still Caesar. Because of his devotion to God, Martin believes that is wrong to be involved in a battle. Julian, called a tyrant by Severus, attributes this to cowardice and orders that he be forced to fight. Martin, strong in his faith in God, decrees that ...

The development of institutional investors, and their growing Essay

The development of institutional investors, and their growing dominance as owners of modern corporations, has had a deep impact - Essay Example The concern is that deficiencies in the monitoring of institutional shareholders have led to a quality of oversight far below that which is required, being reactionary and passive in the exercise of their voting rights. They are perceived to be ineffective in challenging boards, relegating their decisions to proxy advisers or alternatively constraining management to decide in favour of short-term financial profits at the expense of more prudent long-term benefits. This study conducts an inquiry into the academic literature on the role currently played by institutional investors in corporate governance. The study may provide insight into the control and accountability procedures in the large domestic and foreign corporations, since these are the entities which cause the greatest damage in every global financial crisis. Defining corporate governance Corporate governance is ‘the system of laws, rules, and factors that control operations at a company.’2 It has developed into a major area of concern because potential conflicts of interest (otherwise known as agency problems) tend to arise among stakeholders in the corporate structure. It generally assumes the inevitability that ownership and control are separate in public corporations, where management which exercises control over operations acts as agents of the owners or shareholders. Agency problems tend to arise from two sources: (1) the differences in the goals and preferences among the stakeholders; and (2) the lack of perfect information among stakeholders about each other’s knowledge, actions, and preferences. Corporate governance consists of the set of structures that define the boundaries for firms’ operations. Among the factors influencing corporate governance are the board of directors, laws and regulations, labour contracts, the competitive environment, and the market for corporate.3 The board of directors is the significant driver of internal control in the governance of the corporation because it has the right to hire, fire, and compensate managers. The party which drives the external control mechanism of corporations, however, would be the institutional investors who own equity in the corporation. In light of the recent financial crisis, institutional investors are gaining increasing importance due to what is perceived to be the failure of the board of directors to maintain sufficient internal control over the corporation. The effectiveness of their control, however, is still a matter of debate due in part to the difficulty of isolating and identifying those changes in corporate conduct that are attributable directly to the workings of the institutional shareholders. The formulation of corporate governance guidelines is the means by which a firm may seek to reduce agency costs (the consequences of the separation of ownership and control). Agency costs come in the form in the cost of hiring management personnel, and from costs incurred due to divergenc e in the acts of management from the wishes and interests of the owners of the business. Institutional share

Foreign Direct Investment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Foreign Direct Investment - Research Paper Example Acquiring equity interest in foreign countries is considered to be the most effective and easiest form DFI. From a pure financial perspective, acquiring equity interest in companies which does not give controls over the financial decisions of the local entity is not considered to be an effective FDI. By acquiring the controlling interest in a local company, a foreign country has an opportunity of obtaining strategic advantage. Another form of DFI, which has been gaining a lot of attention lately, is licensing and technology transfer between organizations. With the advancement in science and technology, the MNCs are now investing heavily in Research and Development (R&D) in order to devise cheaper, more effective and efficient ways of production. Through licensing and technology, organizations are entering into alliances with foreign entities, even academic institutions, which have brought significant advancement in the fields of medical, food and agriculture, digital media production , robotics and information technology communication. Licensing agreements are lucrative and beneficial for the companies as it allows them to take full advantage of the latest technologies and advancement, without having to expose themselves to the risk of failed R&D investments. Readymade ideas and innovations are on the shelves, and all the organization has to do, is to pay royalty. Organizations, particularly MNCs, indulge themselves in FDI bearing a defined set of motives into consideration. Enhancing profitability and shareholders wealth, reducing cost of production and improve the method of production are few. Broadly, the reasons for doing DFI can be divided into two categories; Revenue related motives and Cost related... Organizations, particularly MNCs, indulge themselves in FDI bearing a defined set of motives into consideration. Enhancing profitability and shareholders wealth, reducing the cost of production and improve the method of production are few. Broadly, the reasons for doing DFI can be divided into two categories; Revenue related motives and Cost related motives. Considering its revenue related motives, a company has to constantly evaluate the potential of its current market in order to identify whether it has been saturated to an extent where the derivation of additional revenue is impossible. These situations often arise when there is intense competition in the home country and the growth of the company has reached its threshold. In order to survive and operate profitably, the organizations then seek other horizons. Countries such as China, India, South Korea and Malaysia are few which have been attracting foreign investors lately. With the passage of time and international trade becomi ng more and more regulated, the trade barriers have been abolished and consumers of developing countries are being benefited. A Foreign market can be proved to be profitable in cases where the factor of production in the organization’s home country is expensive. Race for new and advance technology is becoming more vicarious among the giant MNCs. It is quite apparent that the organizations which are heavily technology driven are performing at a better pace when put in comparison with their competitors.