Essay about The Reasons Hitler Came To Power - 755 Words

The Reasons Hitler Came To Power In 1933, Hitler the leader of the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers Party) became the Chancellor of Germany which was in crisis at the time. I will try to explore some of the reasons why he progressed in gaining this position. After the Treaty of Versailles, Germanys government was a coalition of two political parties. The government was part Social Demarcates and part Peoples Parties these governments both were in favor of the Treaty of Versailles and wanted Germany to pay back their reparations. The Weimar Republic was set up mainly to help Germany out of their economic crisis at that time. Germany lost a lot of its land and the German people very†¦show more content†¦This was because they expected for Germany to recover quickly. The Young plan was also introduced in 1929 which gave a set amount to pay over limited period of time this also failed. But Germany attitude toward this negative right wing parties in Germany saw this as another handover to the war guilt that Germany was to accept. German people felt betrayed by its government. The Nationalists and Hitlers Nazi party then joined together to form a national opposition. They then proposed a law which was against Germany paying any more reparations and insisted that the Minister to be disciplined for agreeing to the treaty. The proposal for a national referendum took place. But only small turnout which was not nears the 21 million that was required by the constitution. This helped Hitlers Nazi party to be known to German people as a major contender in future. Hitler party had a very clear ideology. The Nazi ideology was based on Darwins theory of natural selection. Hitler considered Aryans as a race that were born to domimnate. He believed that the strong should not be pulled back by the weak. Hitler made old fashion German lifestyle seem important in the times where Germany was powerful in Europe. Hitlers party the Nazi saw the Weimar government as a failure because of the Treaty of Versailles. He wanted to Germany to become as powerful as Britain and France and to do thisShow MoreRelatedAdolf Hitler As A Leader Of Nazi Germany1677 Words   |  7 PagesAdolf Hitler once said â€Å"It is more difficult to fight against faith than against knowledge† (â€Å"30 Eye Catching Hitler Quotes.). In a dictatorship there is one ruler who is in charge of everything in the nation in which he/she rules. Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in Bra unau am Inn. Hitler also known as Fà ¼hrer; he was chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and served as dictator from 1934 to 1945. Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany, he was one of the initial causes which triggeredRead More‘Fear of Communism Best Explains Hitler’s Appointment as Chancellor in January 1933’. to What Extent Do You Agree with This Opinion?1262 Words   |  6 Pages1933 Hitler was appointed chancellor. The most important reason as to why Hitler was appointed chancellor was because of the attitude of the elite as they would be the one deciding who to be chancellor, without their support Hitler wouldn’t have become chancellor. However other factors such as fear of communism, the appeal of the Nazi Party, economic problems and the failure of previous chancellors are all other reasons why Hitler was appointed. The most important reason as to why Hitler was appointedRead MoreReasons Why Nazis Came to Power in 19331712 Words   |  7 PagesReasons Why Nazis Came to Power in 1933 There are several factors that enabled the Nazi party, with Hitler as its leader, was able to come to power in Germany in 1933. There are 5 main reasons involved history, economics, politics and the personality of Hitler. The main political events occurred in 1923 and 1933. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the most important causes that led to Hitlers rise in Germany. From the German point of view the treaty was incrediblyRead MoreAdolf Hitler was a Leader770 Words   |  3 PagesAdolf Hitler is the leader I am choosing to write about. I am choosing Hitler because he influenced millions of people to follow him in the attempted genocide of an entire race. Having the leadership skills that he possessed to do the things he did were unbelievable. Some of the leadership skills and traits Hitler possessed were charisma, intelligence, and confidence. These traits are the basis of power which led him to the start of World War II, and eventually his demise. After World War One, GermanyRead MoreHitler ´s Rise to Power in Post World War I Germany627 Words   |  3 Pagesfor extremist parties as people living extreme conditions are more likely to listen to extreme ideas. The Nazi’s were extremes with their leader Adolf Hitler. Hitlers rise to power can’t be pin pointed down to one event but many including; Germany’s economic state, the main factor, that Hitler was a charismatic man and The Treaty of Versailles. Hitler used all these factors to his advantage which meant finally in 1933 he become Chancellor. Germany lost World War 1 and France wanted to treat GermanyRead MoreHitler s Downfall Of The Weimar Government1262 Words   |  6 Pages In November, Hitler was trying to get more power and support, and a way he did this was by trying to take advantage of how bad the condition of the Weimar government was. He did this by instigating a major riot throughout Weimar. It seemed like a full proof plan and situation, but miscalculations made it a flop and Hitler ending up in jail. At first, the Nazis were not taken seriously and had little to no power. Then, Hitler brought a group of young mean without jobs to become soldiers for himRead MoreHow Restrictions On A Country End A War Or Setup The Start For Another War?1138 Words   |  5 Pagessetup the start for another war. After World War One the United States and the Allied powers created the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles set up new nations and borders between the Allied powers and Central powers. The treaty also contained a war guilt clause which would hold Germany solely responsible for starting World War One. Germany was one of the reasons that WWI started but the only reason. Since Germany had to take the responsibility for the war, they were faced with a crushingRead MoreEssay about Comparing Hitler and Napoleon628 Words   |  3 PagesComparing Hitler and Napoleon There were differences between Hitler and Napoleon, however I feel there were more similarities. They were both immigrants in the country they ended up ruling, both conquered most of Europe, both had radical views about fighting, and both were very quick in their fighting. However, the most significant similarities between the two leaders is how they were accepted as monarchs in a previously democratic society, and what they did for the countries after becomingRead MoreReasons Behind the Nazis Coming to Power Essay1384 Words   |  6 PagesReasons Behind the Nazis Coming to Power In January 1933, Hitler became chancellor of Germany, there are many reasons for him and the Nazis coming into power. They are long term and short-term cause, which can be classed under 3 main headings: weakness of opposition, strengths of Nazis and economic factors. The weaknesses of the opposition helped the Nazis come into power because Hitler took advantage of them. The failure of the Weimar government was a long-term reasonRead MoreHitler s Influence On The World War II1690 Words   |  7 PagesAdolf Hitler was a very impressive man in some people’s eyes, but his life took one major roller coaster before he gained the power that he had. As a young child Hitler seemed to not want to join the military, but once he, did he found a path leading to his future. Hitler worked his way through the war and seemed to start gaining power. Once Hitler was at the top, he started to terminate people by sending them to concentration camps scattered around the country, quickly killing thousands. Hitler’s

Conflicts Within A Group And How A Manager Can Bring Up...

Conflicts can happen in everyday life with people and in organizations. Conflicts need to be handled so that the situation does not escalate further. Most people look at conflicts as a bad situation, but not all conflicts are bad, some are good, especially when discussing an idea within a group. In an organization there are times when a conflict may need to happen for an issue to be resolved, but when this happens the people involved need to look at if this conflict is really necessary to resolve the issue. How to address conflicts in a group and how a manager can bring up the conflict without making them worse is what will be discussed next. At many jobs there are projects given that have to be completed in groups and they re more than likely is going to be people within the group that do not necessarily agree on how the project should be completed. This can cause a conflict to arise and to resolve this conflict requires all members of the group to have a say in the resolution. To ensure sufficient discussion of contentious issues in a work group, I would have one person be in charge of the group. This person would make sure that everyone had a turn to give their input and I would make it known to all the group members that what is said cannot be held against the person who says it. When managers need to bring up unspoken conflicts into the open without making them worse, it may be best to have a third party present that can ensure that the issue is addressedShow MoreRelatedChoosing Your1151 Words   |  5 PagesBattles Josh FOSTER 9/12/2015 Choosing Your Battles Josh FOSTER 9/12/2015 How would you ensure sufficient discussion of contentious issues in a work group? How can managers bring unspoken conflicts into the open without making them worse? Conflict is a word with no shortage of definitions but common to most of those definitions is the idea that conflict is a perception (Robbins and Judge 2015, p.400). Conflict is most generally a process that begins when one party perceives that another partyRead MoreThe Problem Of Conflict Resolution1383 Words   |  6 Pagesin groups and make decisions that affect everyone. There are very few situations where everyone in a group or team will agree totally, as a result, conflict is inevitable. It is important that we, as Human Resource administrators understand that our schools are comprised of employees representing different cultures, backgrounds, races and religious beliefs. We must ensure that we adopt and practice modes of communication that are conducive to the promotion of great teamwork. Conflict can ariseRead MoreCase Study Essay1636 Words   |  7 PagesUniversal Luxury Overview: Universal Luxury Group is an international group of companies principally engaged in the production and sale of luxury goods including Food and Beverages, Fashion and Leather Goods, Perfumes and Cosmetics, Watches and Jewelry, and other business. Among them, this case is handling Perfumes and Cosmetics business group that accounts for EUR 2,231M, 19% of sales revenue. * What is the organizational structure of Universal Luxury’s brands and Ramp;D? ULVRead More Unit 4 Lm1a Assignment4019 Words   |  17 Pagesresponsibilities included in their job description and confident in their role within the setting, if a staff member is not confident or is unsure they should be fully able to approach the team leader/manager to voice their concerns at this point managers or leaders would be able to provide necessary training or support and supervision. A team will work more effectively if they have confidence and respect for their leader/manager, someone who is able to confidently deal with situations, provide supportRead MoreBuilding An Effective Technology Support Team1517 Words   |  6 PagesSupport Team Introduction These days our society is totally interlink with the latest technology and it is almost impossible to exist without it. Along with the several benefits that technology provides, it also causes some problems and issues. Therefore, technical support is needed to solve these issues and make use of technology easier for the users. Making a technology support teams is not as easy to just simply choose people because these teams play an important role in the success and reputationRead MoreDealing with Difficult Employees1299 Words   |  5 Pagespeople have an impact on the workplace morale and productivity. Some managers are not comfortable with conflict while others have to make sure to defuse the situation before it gets out of control. Difficult people aren’t only limited in the workplace but in our daily lives, learning how to cope with them in and out of the work place is a skill that is most valued by companies. Difficult employees or Problem employees depending how one would word it, are normally used to refer to a worker who failsRead MoreThe Importance Of An Organization For A Dynamic Team2161 Words   |  9 Pagesto constantly set new internal as well as external goals that can be attainable and work in a strategical way toward them without affecting previous achieved goals. Leaders need to have a vision and a plan on how to create a dynamic team, handle conflict, improve communication and motivate employees, in order acquire and maintain new customers. First, an organization has to put an effort to building a dynamic team. â€Å"Team are groups of two or more people who interact and influence one another, areRead MoreHigh Performance Teams2714 Words   |  11 PagesIn today’s business world, more and more organizations are moving away from the use of individual work assignments to a combination of manager-led and self-directing teams. These businesses are relying on groups of unique individuals to come together and work on a common goal with a shared purpose. The ultimate goal for these teams are to produce more than what the individuals could do separately. In order for those teams to accomplish this, they must become high performance teams. High performanceRead MorePinto: Project Management and Team Members3544 Words   |  15 PagesINSTRUCTOR’S RESOURCE MANUAL CHAPTER SIX Project Team Building, Conflict, and Negotiation To Accompany PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Achieving Competitive Advantage By Jeffrey K. Pinto CHAPTER SIX Project Profile: Japanese Automakers Launch â€Å"Pre-Collision† Projects INTRODUCTION 6.1 BUILDING THE PROJECT TEAM 6.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE PROJECT TEAMS 6.3 REASONS WHY TEAMS FAIL 6.4 STAGES IN GROUP DEVELOPMENT Punctuated Equilibrium 6.5 ACHIEVING CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COOPERATION Read MoreShould the General Manager Be Fired?3136 Words   |  13 PagesShould the Manager be Fired? Cohort H Group 2 June 19, 2016 Table of Contents Executive Summary3 Case Summary3-4 Major Issues5 Analysis of Major Issues 5-9 Action Alternatives9-10 Analysis of Alternatives10-11 Recommendations11-12 Implementation of Issues12-13 Reference14 Executive Summary This report was compiled with the intent to offer an examination and interpretation of the major issues that arose in the case study â€Å"Should the General Manager Be Fired?† In this report

Jesus and the Dignity of Women Free Essays

From the beginning of Christ’s mission, women show to him and to his mystery a special sensitivity which is characteristic of their femininity. It must also be said that this is especially confirmed†¦ not only at the Cross but also at the dawn of the Resurrection. The women are the first at the tomb. We will write a custom essay sample on Jesus and the Dignity of Women or any similar topic only for you Order Now They are the first to find it empty. They are the first to hear: â€Å"He is not here. He has risen, as he said†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ They are also the first to be called to announce this truth to the Apostles. Mark reports that at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus all his male disciples had fled. But there were some women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdala, Mary who was the mother of James the younger and Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and look after him when he was in Galilee. And many other women were there who had come up to Jerusalem with him (Mark 15: 40). Here Mark uses the same expression for â€Å"following† Jesus as he does in the case of the disciples. Women were disciples in the same way as men. That was new for the world of the time. In the circle of Jesus’ disciples women were on the same footing. What moved Jesus to gather women around him in the same way as men? Evidently as a man he had no fears about coming into contact with women. All the Gospels report that it was the women who had persevered by Jesus’ cross. The woman â€Å"who had a flow of blood† (cf. Mk 5:25-34), who could not touch anyone because it was believed that her touch would make a person â€Å"impure†. Each of them was healed, and the last-mentioned – the one with a flow of blood, who touched Jesus’ garment â€Å"in the crowd† (Mk 5:27) – was praised by him for her great faith: â€Å"Your faith has made you well† (Mk 5:34). The Gospel of St. Luke pays special attention to Jesus’ relationship with women. He tells how Jesus on his wanderings was accompanied not only by the twelve but also by† certain women whom he had cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza. Susanna and many others. They provided for Jesus and his disciples out of their own resources â€Å"(Luke 8: 2). So when Jesus was wandering around the country, there were always women around him with whom he had a personal relationship. He had healed them, touched them, raised them up, and freed them from demons, i. e. from patterns of life which restricted them, from disparaging and condemning themselves. He had restored their dignity as women. And these women weren’t just recipients: they also gave something to Jesus in return. They served him not only with their resources, but also with their capabilities, with the inner and outer gifts at their disposal. The Greek word for† serve â€Å"really means serving at table. The women served at table, they served life. They aroused life in Jesus and his disciples. They created a sphere in which life could flourish. In the house of the sisters Mary and Martha, who have given hospitality to Jesus (Luke 10: 38 – 42), Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet. The phrase used to describe this posture is one typically used of discipleship. It is similarly said of Paul that he had sat at the feet of Gamaliel and had been instructed in the law of the Lord (Acts 22: 3). So this woman is just as much a disciple as the other disciples of Jesus. Whereas Martha serves Jesus and his disciples at table, Mary just sits there and listens to Jesus and tells him that he should ask Mary to help her. But Jesus takes sides with Mary. She has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her. The scene in which Luke portrays Martha shows how open Jesus was in his dealings with women. He claims their hospitality, but he also takes them seriously as disciples. He instructs Mary in what matters most to her. And he joins in the clash between the two sisters without hurting one of them and without allowing himself to be taken over by the other. He makes a clear stand, but in such a way that neither feels scorned. Yet another scene in the Gospel of Luke seems to me important in shedding light on Jesus’ relations with women. The angel by the tomb says to the women who are to be the first witnesses of the resurrection, â€Å"Remember what he said to you when he was still in Galilee† ( Luke 24: 6). For the angels, the women are witnesses not only to the resurrection but also to the words which Jesus has spoken to them. Jesus proclaimed his teachings not only to male disciples but also to female disciples. They bear witness to his teaching on an equal footing. They hand on his words. They recall these words and keep them in their memories. And as with Mary, these sayings go round and round in their minds, penetrating into them more and more deeply. So the interpretation of the message of Jesus isn’t just given by the men, but to an equal degree by women. When Luke narrates a scene with a man as the chief character, it is immediately followed by another with a woman in the main role. A parable about a woman is played off against a parable about a man. Luke believes that he can speak rightly about men and women at the same time. Unfortunately the church didn’t draw any conclusions from this. For too long, only men interpreted the message of Jesus. The deepest friendship with a woman is that which associates Jesus with Mary of Magdala. Jesus drove seven demons out of Mary Magdalene. She owed him her life. When Jesus died, her world collapsed. But her love outlasted death. Her encounter with the risen Christ is another beginning for her life story. When she saw him, she’s completely transformed, and says to him, â€Å"Rabboni† (My Master) (John 10:16). In the history of Christianity many women have lived as friends of Jesus like Teresa of Avila and Hildegard of Bingen. Jesus of Nazareth confirms this dignity, recalls it, renews it, and makes it a part of the Gospel and of the Redemption for which he is sent into the world. Every word and gesture of Christ about women must therefore be brought into the dimension of the Paschal Mystery. In this way everything is completely explained. How to cite Jesus and the Dignity of Women, Papers

Communication and Organizational Practices †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Communication and Organizational Practices. Answer: Introduction Effective communication helps in forming a positive impact on the working relationships based on trust, high level of tolerance and mutual respect, which are the primary aspects when working in an organization. The effectiveness of the process of communication helps in analyzing the ways in which the different groups and individuals interact within themselves within the organization (Austin and Pinkleton 2015, pp. 7-8). Cultural communication within the workplace is based on a set of beliefs, attitudes, behavior, customs and the social habits of the different individuals who are residing in a particular society. The origin of language gives a complex communication process that helps in understanding the capacity of the humans. Language and culture helps in using the symbols, as a communication process and helps in constructing the social identity with a particular social group, which helps in grooming the individuals and the society (Grunig 2013, pp. 3-4). Communication and culture are two separate entities but are directly linked to one another. The ability to communicate and share the ideas with each other acts as a foundation link for the contact between humans, where culture helps in transmitting the ideas through effective communication. The communicational and cultural relationship is complex and has an intimate connection with each other. The creation of culture is based on communication where the process is based on interaction of the humans based on different cultural characteristics. Without the presence of communication and the relevant media, it is nearly impossible to preserve and pass down the characteristics that are present in a culture from one place to another (Schmitt 2014, pp. 88). As a relationship manager in the Twigs and Things Company, I am responsible for the communicational process that is existing within the company and find out ways so that the communication process can be effective in nature. It is seen tha t within the company there are many employees who have various backgrounds and are working effectively within the organization. Theories on cultural communication The cultural identity theory has helped in identifying the relationship between the inter-cultural competence and the cultural identity. The theory helps in studying the process of communication of the individuals so that there can be negotiation in identifying the cultural groups and establishing a relationship between them. The organization makes it a point to evaluate the messages of the individuals, which may include the ideas related to nationalism, racism and based on gender (Asante 2013, pp. 1). The properties of cultural identity include the process of avowal, which helps in articulating the views and expressions that are present in the identity of the culture. The process of ascription helps in getting the views about how other individuals perceive the idea of different individuals and their cultures. The modes of expression help in using the core symbols that are present in the cultural beliefs, which are followed and shared between different groups. This helps in demonstrating the identities that are present in the different cultural groups. The identity of culture is based on three components such as individual who relates the cultural identities based on their own experiences. Samovar et al. (2014, pp. 5) stated that The history of intercultural interactions is as old as humankind. The migration of peoples, whether seeking new homelands, engaging in trade, or bent on physical or ideological conquests has bought people from different cultural backgrounds in to contact. The relational function refers to the method of interaction between each other and the communal identity helps in using the communication process so that it can create and negotiate the shared identity. The changing aspects that are linked to identity such as economic, social and political needs to be taken in to account so that it can help in identifying the changes that are present in cultural identity. The affective, cognitive and the behavioral aspects help in identifying the situations that are present with respect to cultural identity within a particular situation (Kinloch and Metge 2014, pp. 6-7). The content and the relationship level helps in the interaction between two or more individuals where the message that is sent has some informational content in it. The participants or the sender and the receivers of the information interpret the meaning of the information, which is based on the previous experiences. The level of the message is based on different factors such as the closeness between the individuals and the level of trust that they have within themselves (Chen 2017, pp. 3-4). The cross-cultural communication theory is the process of communication that helps in the interaction between different individuals based on the mode of working, nationality and the sexual orientation of the employees. The employees practice cultures at various levels, which help them to grow within the community and within the organization where they are working. Communication studies are not independent efforts; they are part of the total human search for knowledge and understanding (Casmir 2013, pp 9). The cross-cultural communication is also influenced by the different academic disciplines that are present in the individuals and needs to be avoided so that it can avoid conflict within the organization. It helps in creating a sense of trust and helps in building cooperation between the employees. The various sources that may lead to miscommunication in exchanges between cross culture are the assumption of similarities, which is the way in which we act and behave and the rule of behavior that is accepted universally. The differences in language create the inability to understand what the different individuals try to say within the organization, which may lead to various discrepancies within the organization. The non-verbal communication that exists in an organization may be misinterpreted with respect to the dressing of the individuals and the expression that is presented through the body language. The preconceptions and the stereotypes that are pre-defined with a set of characteristics may lead to wrong notions and expectations. The anxiety level is high among the individuals if they do not know how to react or behave to a situation that may seem inappropriate in nature (Neuliep 2017, pp. 10-12). Generational differences The generational gap between the employees in the company causes problems in communication, as they are not aware of the modern communication tactics that are practiced in the organization on the interpersonal level. From my point of view, I have seen that some of the employees who are aged and serving the company for more than ten years have problem in communicating with the younger generations when they approach them or vice versa. They face problem with the employees who are in the line of production and has to provide feedback to the immediate uppermanagement constantly who are managers and have been serving in the company for long time (Bolton et al. 2013, pp. 245-267). The elders in the company get irritated with the interpersonal communication and the body language of the younger generations, as they are not regularized with these kinds of disciplines within the company. The generational gap within the organization affects the work ethics, mutual respect, level of tolerance an d the core values between the young and the old generations. The members have to communicate and interact in an efficient manner so that it can help in increasing the productivity of the company (Schullery 2013, pp. 252-265). Person with disability The company also employs disable persons, which acts as a barrier within the company. Marcus, the employee is efficient in the work process but has difficulty in his vision. He cannot recognize the faces of the employees and often tells the wrong name of the employees when they go to meet and discuss about the tasks, which requires his help (Dell, Newton and Petroff 2016, pp. 6-7). I have observed for a long time that the employees have problems in communicating with him because of his failure to recognize the person and often explain the wrong tasks to the wrong people. The human resource department of the company has made the other employees aware of the health condition of Marcus but in reality, the person has to face difficulties when dealing with the other employees (Jacobson, Foxx and Mulick 2015, pp. 20-21). Emotions and relationships The emotional content of some employees in the workplace is high, which creates an impact on the process of communication and the buildup of relationships with the other employees in the company. I have notices that Mr. Nicholson in our company has a high level of emotion and becomes judgmental and aggressive in his behavior when his mistakes are pointed out in front of the other employees (Guerrero, Andersen and Afifi 2017, pp. 5-6). This creates a negative impression in the presence of the new employees, as they take this advantage and teases him in the workplace. This has led to a decrease in the productivity level of him, which has hampered his balance between work and life. The display of negative emotions within the company may lead to risks and may disturb the relationships that he shares with the other employees. The difference in the personalities is not only the generational differences but it differs with persons and the ways of communicating with them (Leathers and Eaves 2015, pp. 4). Conclusion and Recommendations Cultural differences The theories on cultural and cross-cultural communication within the workplace need to be followed in a proper manner. Being the manager of the company, it is my responsibility to ensure that there are no miscommunications with respect to culture within the company. I have made a proposal to themanagement of the company about giving proper training to the employees who have different cultural backgrounds and are working under the same roof within the organization. The company needs to hire authorized experts that are available in Australia so that they can communicate effectively within the organization. The employees of the organization needs to promote the use of non-verbal communication and has to have an interest in the culture that exists within the organization. Communication plays a vital role in the relationship development as it is important to develop shared values and understanding and to coordinate activities (Hung and Lin 2013, pp. 1223-1232). The use of facial expressio n and eye contact needs to be encouraged within the cross-cultural group in the organization. The use of this method of communication will help in the effective use of the cultural knowledge and the interpretation of it. The employees need to be trained to use the appropriate communication method whenever it is required so that the other employees can understand the information that the employee wants to communicate. These strategies and the tactics need to be emphasized and taught within the organization to the employees through different workshops that will help in training the staff. These workshops will help in assisting the employees with the cross-cultural communication techniques that will be effective within the organization and the productivity level of the employees will increase. It will also help in changing the mindsets and the habits of the employees in communicating effectively and adapting the different cultures that are present in the organization (Macky, Gardner an d Forsyth 1994, pp. 857-861). Generational gap The generational differences that are present in the organization by gathering the young and the older employees at a particular place and letting them interact with each other. I will note down the body language of the employees, which will help me in assessing the communication techniques that are adopted by them. The workshop that will be undertaken by the company will be done under my guidance so that I can solve the discrepancies that will arise again in the future. It will help me in understanding the differences that may arise due to the age related problems in the organization (Schullery 2013, pp. 252-265). The tolerance level of the employees will be increased with the help of proper training so that the discrepancies of the employees can be solved in an efficient manner. The new generation employees have to understand the importance of communication and respect the way in which the older generation communicates so that the level of understanding between the employees can in crease, which will create an impact on the level of productivity of the organization. The older generation needs to undergo a training workshop where they will be trained in using the non-verbal communication with the new generation employees so that the time in production can be saved and the employees are comfortable in using the sign languages to communicate with each other. This will further help in maintaining discipline within the company (Gursoy, Chi and Karadag 2013, pp. 40-48). Person with disability The disabled persons in the company need to be given proper care so that they do not feel distanced in the company. A meeting with Marcus will help me in understanding the problems that he is facing in the company and identify the ways that will help him in communicating effectively with the fellow employees. The method of communicating with empathy needs to be encouraged amongst the employees so that Marcus may not feel any problem in having a conversation with them. I have to take an initiative in building a positive relationship between the employees and Marcus by rephrasing him the information that has been communicated by the employees. Since he has a problem with the vision, I need to keep an eye on him and inform him when an employee is coming to meet him. This will help him in understanding the information that he wants to give to the particular employee (Travers, Tincani and Lang 2014, pp. 8). This will help him in gaining a strong foundation with the employees, as he will p ass on the necessary information to the right employees. I will discuss with him about his daily life, which will help him in boosting his self-confidence and will be supportive to the employees in his behavior. The good part in his behavior is that he has a calm and composed nature, which helps him in listening patiently to the employees and then providing a proper feedback on how to proceed with the work. The disability has restricted him in adapting the flexibility within the workplace, which will help him in easing out his work. A supportive environment needs to be created so that communication within the organization can be created so that the disability of Marcus can become a tool of empowerment, which will help in contributing effective communication in the organization (Christensen et al. 2014, pp. 10). Emotions and relationships The relationship that is based on emotions in an organization helps in communicating effectively with the other employees. Nicholson has the habit of being aggressive within the workplace, as his level of anxiety increases when he is confronted, which may lead to something destructive in the workplace. I need to conduct classes on stress management so that he can understand the importance of remaining calm within the workplace and increase his productivity (Rosenberg and Chopra 2015, pp. 6). He needs to respect the views of other employees and should be tolerant in behavior so that the employees may feel safe while communicating with him and help him in understanding the tasks of the company. I need to conduct several sessions with him and help him in understanding the disadvantages that are associated with the high level of anxiety levels. My end goal would be to help Nicholson become friends with the other employees so that it will help in creating a positive communication climate within the organization (Hackman and Johnson 2013, pp. 2). References Asante, M.K., 2013.The global intercultural communication reader. Routledge. Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E., 2015.Strategic public relations management: Planning and managing effective communication campaigns(Vol. 10). Routledge. Bolton, R.N., Parasuraman, A., Hoefnagels, A., Migchels, N., Kabadayi, S., Gruber, T., Komarova Loureiro, Y. and Solnet, D., 2013. Understanding Generation Y and their use of social media: a review and research agenda.Journal of Service Management,24(3), pp.245-267. Casmir, F.L. ed., 2013.Building communication theories: A socio/cultural approach. Routledge. Chen, L. ed., 2017.Intercultural communication(Vol. 9). Walter de Gruyter GmbH Co KG. Christensen, K.M., Collins, S.D., Holt, J.M. and Phillips, C.N., 2014. The relationship between the design of the built environment and the ability to egress of individuals with disabilities.Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal,2(3). Dell, A.G., Newton, D.A. and Petroff, J.G., 2016.Assistive technology in the classroom: Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Pearson. Grunig, J.E. ed., 2013.Excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge. Guerrero, L.K., Andersen, P.A. and Afifi, W.A., 2017.Close encounters: Communication in relationships. Sage Publications. Gursoy, D., Chi, C.G.Q. and Karadag, E., 2013. Generational differences in work values and attitudes among frontline and service contact employees.International Journal of Hospitality Management,32, pp.40-48. Hackman, M.Z. and Johnson, C.E., 2013.Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press. Hung, K and Lin, C 2013, 'More communication is not always better? The interplay between effective communication and interpersonal conflict in influencing satisfaction',Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 42, no. 8, pp. 1223-1232. Jacobson, J.W., Foxx, R.M. and Mulick, J.A., 2015. Facilitated communication.Controversial Therapies for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities: Fad, Fashion, and Science in Professional Practice,283. Kinloch, P. and Metge, J., 2014.Talking past each other: problems of cross cultural communication. Victoria University Press. Leathers, D.G. and Eaves, M., 2015.Successful nonverbal communication: Principles and applications. Routledge. Macky, K, Gardner, D and Forsyth, S 1994, 'Generational differences at work: introduction and overview',Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 23, no. 8, pp. 857-861 Neuliep, J.W., 2017.Intercultural communication: A contextual approach. Sage Publications. Rosenberg, M. and Chopra, D., 2015.Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships. PuddleDancer Press. Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., McDaniel, E.R. and Roy, C.S., 2014.Intercultural communication: A reader. Cengage Learning. Schmitt, N., 2014, July. How Staffing Functions Communicate To Organization Members And The Public. InMeeting the Challenge of Human Resource Management: A Communication Perspective(p. 88). Routledge. Schullery, N.M., 2013. Workplace engagement and generational differences in values.Business Communication Quarterly,76(2), pp.252-265. Travers, J.C., Tincani, M.J. and Lang, R., 2014. Facilitated communication denies people with disabilities their voice.

Losing The War On Drugs Essays - Drug Control Law, War On Drugs

Losing The War On Drugs Losing the War on Drugs America is spending millions of dollars to run ad campaigns with teenage waifs smashing up the kitchen with frying pans, brain fried egg commercials, and other inaccurate and misleading ads put fear into our nations youth and adults alike. One such ad showed a flat line brain scan purportedly hooked up to a drug user. It was later proven that it was hooked up to nothing and most of our nations kids now know it. Seeing the Land of the Free turn into a nation that imprisons more of its citizens than any other industrialized nation on earth is neither effective or a good message to send our children. We are building 9 new prisons for every one new university( ). Which do you want built for your children? In this country, we are locked in war we simply cannot win. We strive to protect over 10,000 miles of border, against enemies who are driven by the lure of an obscene really resulted from this war is the overcrowding of prisons, the expansion of law and distrust. If its not obvious already, I am referring to the war on drugs. As time goes on, it becomes more and more evident that the war on drugs is as useless as officials, who use the war as a reelection tool. To study this problem, I visited government web pages for statistics and facts dealing with the war, and was surprised what I found. To most people the fiscal reasons for ending the war are the most convincing. For example, it costs over $30,000 per year to house a prisoner - this does not include processing and legal fees, only the actual prison costs - food, water, electricity and guards ( ). There are over 1.5 million non-violent drug law offenders in prison right now, and this number is increasing daily( ). That means we are spending a minimum of $45 billion per year keeping former tax-paying citizens, most of whom had jobs and were contributing to the economy in some way, locked up with murderers and rapists. When these people get out of jail, they will have criminal records, which will make it nearly impossible to get a decent job, and a grudge against the government and society in general. In addition, we spend $37 billion per year funding the police efforts and interdiction, and recent evidence suggests the CIA has been involved in drug-trafficking to fund its own private wars ().Currently there is over $150 billion worth of drug traffic that remains untaxed ( ).If you figure a tax rate of 15%, that is a total of $22.5 billion of taxes that America doesn't see. The bottom line? The US Treasury estimates America wastes a minimum of $104.5 billion per year fighting a war that can not be won ( ), while crime rates continue to rise (because of the huge profits made possible by the risks involved in the drug trade as drugs remain illegal), and the quality of education, medical care and environmental protection falls due to lack of money in the budget. There are also moral dilemmas in declaring war on drugs and their users. Firstly, drug use or abuse is a medical and social problem not a criminal problem, yet we think we're solving the problem by throwing people in jail. The logic seems to be, maybe if we just take their life away, confiscate all of their personal property, ruin their reputation and self-respect, put them in jail with the worst elements of society - murderers, thieves and rapists, where they will most likely be beaten and/or raped repeatedly they will see the error of their ways. Not a very enlightened sentiment. Also bear in mind, nicotine, caffeine and alcohol are all drugs. Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs known to man, behind substances like heroin. Cigarettes kill over 300,000 people every year. Alcohol kills over 120,000 people every year ( ).Alcohol has been linked to men beating their wives and children. In contrast, marijuana has a recorded history that dates back over 4000 years, and has never killed anyone in the direct way alcohol does ( ). The DEA's own Administrative Law Judge, after reviewing the evidence, called marijuana ...one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man... ( ). It's been said that the first casualty in any war is truth. That sentiment is seen nowhere as clearly as in the

Conrail Case Study Essays

Conrail Case Study Essays Conrail Case Study Essay Conrail Case Study Essay The Railroad revolution in the united States began in the early 1 sass. The developed infrastructure was used for freight transportation business. In the mid-sass the industry experienced explosive growth, followed by significant consolidation in 1870. The rail road companies initiated expansion through acquisitions in attempt to reduce marginal costs and increase their market share. As a result of this competition, a number of cartels were formed; therefore the federal government intervened and established regulation on railroad mergers, infrastructure construction and divestment. On the other hand, the government initiated enormous investments in highway infrastructure, which resulted in the emerging of the trucking industry. Together with innovations in motor and tire technologies, the trucking industry began gaining significant market share of the freight transportation business from the rail road companies. As a result, the six largest railroads in the Northeast filed for bankruptcy. In response to the failures, the Congress passed the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 in order to deregulate the railroad industry, which resumed the mergers and acquisitions activity. The following analysis will investigate the economics of the offer for Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) by CSS Corporation (CSS) and Norfolk Southern Corporation (Norfolk). The stand-alone bidders, CSS and Norfolk would value the target, Conrail, based on its fundamentals, however if both bidders are present they would enter price wars and legal battles, therefore this would inflate the offered price for the target. In particular the acquirers have to take into account of the opportunity cost of losing the bidding war (I. E. Going significant proportion of their revenue going forward) as calculated in Question 3. According to our analysis, the value of opportunity cost of losing the bid war can be as high as 13% of total offer price (calculated in SQ). In this case, although the synergy impact between Norfolk and Conrail is lower compared to that with CSS, the value of opportunity cost of Norfolk losing the bid is significantly higher, which brings Norfolk potential offer pric e higher than that of CSS (1 16. 84 vs.. 114. 36) -? calculated in SQ. If they were stand- alone bidders, Coxs potential offer price is significantly lower (105. 44), and Norfolk offer price is c. 102. However, since CSS, Conrail and Norfolk are in tauter market with high concentration of market power, believe the bidding war is naturally the product of this market structure. The following analysis would provide further details of the synergies of the potential deals. In 1 973, following the Regional Reorganization Act, the government established Conrail (the target), out of the remains of the six bankrupt, Northeastern railroads. The company became the 2nd largest in the region and it was privatized in 1987, via PIP (the largest in LOS history at the time). On 15 October, 1996 the CEO of CSS announced $8. Ban merger with Conrail. Due to he friendly nature of the offer, both management boards claimed significant synergies, including operations improvement, cost efficiencies and compatible cultures. This horizontal merger would create value by consolidating overlapping operations. CSS, the largest company in the East (freight transportation market share 38. %) operated 1 8,645 track miles and 29,537 employees. Conrail possessed 29. 4% of the Eastern freight transportation market with 1 0, 701 track miles and 23,51 0 employees. The network expansion would link Midwestern, Northeastern CSS cities with Canadian cities; therefore the CSS-Conrail company would also capitalize on North American Free Trade Agreement NONFAT(1 994). The merger CSS-Conrail would result in significant operating synergies, in particular in completeness of the distribution network. Although Coxs had important presence in the railroad business, the company also provided diversified transportation services, including ocean container shipping, barging and contract logistics services. The combination of intermediate services (transportation of truck trailers and container by rail-car) and network expansion would result in higher operation efficiency to compete with the trucking industry. In addition, he maritime and the railroad presence of the merged company would result in economies of scope. The universal container would promote better branding and it would open the business to international trade. The industry consolidation and the merger of CSS and Conrail would create the 2nd largest company in US and the largest in the Eastern region; therefore the company would increase its market power in the freight transportation business, gaining revenues from its competitors Norfolk and the trucking industry companies. The financial synergies of the deal would lead to improved economies of scale in financing. The size of the merged firm would increase the debt capacity and tax debt shield, therefore dilute financing costs. Although the management of both CSS and Conrail were convinced in the success Of this merger, individually the companies were the least efficient (higher operating ratio) among the three leading railroad companies in the East. This potential weakness could result in a concern about the management synergies of the deal. Following the merger announcement of $8. Ban of CSS-Conrail in 1996, the third largest railroad company in the Eastern region, Norfolk proposed a hostile offer of $9. Bin for Conrail. The concerns of a potential merger between CSS and Conrail would have significant implications for the transportation system and for the shipping public, which would pose a serious threat to Norfolk market share. Although the operating synergies for Norfolk-Conrail would be of a similar nature, I. E. Horizontal merger resulting in higher market share, expanded rail network, increased revenues and cost reduction, the bidder could offer stronger management synergies. Norfolk was recognized by the industry specialist as the most efficient (lowest operating ratio) and best managed railroad in the united States. In addition, Norfolk would have used cash as a payment method, which suggests that the company would borrow money, therefore benefit from higher Tax Shield. The case states that the bidder was backed by a consortium of banks, ready to fund the acquisition. This suggests that Norfolk has good access to the capital markets. Given the presence of the two competitors, CSS and Norfolk, the merger with Conrail resulted in bidding wars and legal battles. To close a good deal, the created value from the merger should exceed the costs, premium paid and transfer to other parties (source Lecture Notes FEMME): AAA + AP + C The bidding war would inflate the share price of the target, therefore would increase significantly the premium paid AP. From 14 October 1996 to 16 January 1997, the blended value of the CSS offer per share increased by 15% from $89. 07 to SSL 02. 16. On the other hand, Norfolk bid also increased by to $115. 00 per share in cash. In addition, the legal battles against the CSS-Conrail mergers increased the cost associated with organizing the deal C. The length of the price wars also resulted in decreased stock prices of the bidders and an increase of the targets stock price. Question 2 Deals Not Chosen: Santa Fee pacific (Jinn pacific) and Kansas City Southern are not taken because these offers did not go through. Therefore, the accepted value of the target companies was not determined, hence very biased: Potential synergies were probably rather biased since these bids were not accepted by the target Fundamental value of the target was probably undervalued since these bids were rejected Control premium was probably not correctly captured in the bid price Deals Chosen: Santa Fee Pacific (Burlington Northern), Chicago and North Westerner, Southern Pacific are chosen because: They are completed deals Both the targets and acquirers are from same industry of Conrail, and I would assume that they have the same risk exposure to the economy and industry The deal dates are within recent past Company sizes are closer to the target company in term of total asset value However, please note that the % operating synergy of chosen deals are significantly higher than that of either CSS or Norfolk Southern s deals, the derived equity price for Contrails deal is likely to be significantly lower due to lower synergy effects. Since we do not have any deals with similar synergy effects as Conrail, would chose these three deals to value Conrail. Multiples Not Chosen: Offer price per PEPS and Book Value as a Multiple of offer price are not used because of the following reasons: Both PEPS and book value are highly affected by accounting decision and standards (GAPS vs.. FIRS) adopted by companies, which make the multiples on these very hard to be compared across companies Both PEPS and book value can sometimes be negative if negative earnings are sustained over long period of time PEPS is affected by capital structure, which IS vastly different across firms. This characteristic makes the offer price multiple on this item not very useful to identify value of there firms Both PEPS and book value can be manipulated by the company management Book Value does not reflect the intangible side of the business such as employee skills, brand name etc. Book Value reflects the assets on historical basis, making it very hard to compare across companies with different asset ages due to high inflation and many major technological advances over time PEPS is not stable since it is affected by the business cycle, and/or one-off events (asset sale, debt write-offs etc.. The offer price and book value are not consistent with each other since the price is net cost of bet, however, book value includes debt Enterprise value/Sale multiple is not used because of the following reasons: Sale is quite distant from the bottom line of the business since it does not capture cost structure of the business, compared to EBITDA or Free Cash How Sale does follow business cy cle, which make it hard to compare across business Multiples Chosen: Enterprise Value/Belted multiple is chosen because: Consistent between numerator and denominator since both of them are pre- debt measures. EBITDA is earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, whereas Enterprise value includes both debt and equity This ultimate is not affected by differences in capital structure across firms EBITDA is the least affected items in the financial statement by the accounting standards EBITDA is closest item to Free Cash Flow, which can be used to indicate quality of earnings EBITDA is usually positive as well, especially in the railway case where depreciation tends to be high due to asset intensive Since the question does not state the timing of the takeover, I would assume that the takeover time is SQ 1996 As offs 1996, the long term debt is $2094 million (Exhibit 6), and the cash amount is $33 million. Therefore net debt mount as of SQ 1996 32061 million The EBITDA (last SQ) is 1017 (Exhibit 6) The number of fully diluted shares outstanding is 90,500,000 at acquisition Below is the summary of the valuation by multiples: The multiple valuation method gives a range of Contrails value between $73 and S 124, with the average value of $104 per share Question 3 Part a) Valuation of Conrail Growth Rate: In response to the failures, Congress passed the Staffers Rail Act of 1 980, a deregulatory act that gave railroads the ability to set prices in competitive markets, abandon profitable lines and pursue merger and acquisition. This has had major impacts on the market between 1980 and 1995, where companies significantly restructured their businesses with better dispatching system, cutting cost program, and abandoning unprofitable lines. Since the Act came into force in 1980, I would assume that the impact Of the program was not as extensive in 1 sass, and the Contrails growth was a sustainable one rather than event-driven growth post 1995. In addition, since the market is already rather mature, I would assume that inflation is to be used for projecting future sustainable growth of Conrail, which is 3% Appendix 6) Risk Free Rate: since the cash flow of Conrail is ongoing concern with indefinite cash flow horizon, hence the duration of cash flow will be rather high. Using Asset Liability duration matching, I would assume that 30 year bond is the one that have the most similar duration profile as Contrails cash flow. Therefore the risk free rate I would use to value Conrail in this case is 6. 3% Timing: since the timing is not indicated in question I would assume that the timing of the valuation exercise as of SQ 1 996 and no takeover activities or announcements have happened Marginal Tax Rate: 35% is assumed (Exhibit b) Market Return: 14. 1 % is the average annual return for S index (Source: Bloomberg) Cost of equity: I would assume that the current leverage ratio will remain the same going forward The current Conrail beta will remain the same as 1. 30. Assuming the market is the efficient and satisfying all the CAMP assumptions, I use CAMP to derive the cost of equity. Re=6. 83% + 1. 30 (14. 1% 6. 83%) = 16. 28% Equity Market Capitalization: is the price pre-bid (as Of 14/10/1996) (assuming the remaining the same due to no activity) multiplied by the number of shares in the market (77,628,000) (Exhibit 2). Equity market capitalization is $5,51 1 Leverage Ratio as of SQ 201 6: assuming the leverage ratio is constant going forward and the leverage ratio is net debt / (Equity market capitalization) = 206115511. 588 = 37. 3% Debt beta: since the debt leverage ratio is rather low, I would assume that debt beta equals O UN- levering Contrails Beta: Unlearned beta levered beta / (1+ ratio) 1. 3 / (1 + 0. 65 * 0. 373) = 1. 046 Identifying interest rate of the debt: assume that the debt rating can be identified using the interest coverage ratio. Below is the table from ONLY Stern (http://pages. Stern. You. Due/-?dammar/New_Home_page/ dateable/ratings. HTML) Assuming that rating of the debt is determined using the last year (1996) for rating going forward. The credit rating of Conrail Bond is A, hence its interest rate is 7. 71 % Assumption about the credit rating of Contrails Debt: the future merger between Conrail and either of CSS and Norfolk Southern likely to improve the Coverage Ratio, hence likely to improve the credit rating of the debt. However, since the success of the merger really depends on Surface Transportation Board decision of competitive access to certain key markets. Hence, from the perspective of the bank, it is highly risky and the bank is not likely to upgrade the debt rating. Also, since after the merger, both acquirer and acquirer become one company, the bank is likely to kick at both to decide the debt rating. Since this involves lots of assumptions, would assume that no financial synergy is achieved by the merger with either acquirer. Standalone Equity Value of Conrail: assuming that the market is efficient, and the market price of Conrail fully reflects the fundamental of business. Equity Value of Conrail in this case is then $71 , which is on 14th October 1 996 the day prior to CSS-Conrail announcement. A CSS Merger Growth Rate: assuming the synergy cash flow grows at the inflation rate of 3% beyond year 2000 (as explained above) Discount Rate for the merger CSS: I would assume that there is no debt attached to the synergy. Also, since I do not have the information CSS share volume, the unlearned beta of CSS cannot be calculated. Therefore, I would assume the unlearned beta is the same for both CSS and Conrail. Hence, I would use the Contrails cost of unlearned equity to value the merger as below: = 6. 83% + 1. 046 * (14. 10% 6. 83%) = 14. 43% Valuation Without opportunity cost of losing the bid Terminal Value as of 1 996 = [488. 80 * 1. 03 / (0. 1443 factor of year 5 = $2,245 million Opportunity cost of losing the bid Terminal value as of 1 996 [127. 4 * 1. 03 / (0. 1458 factor of year 5 = -585. 14 million Value of equity value/share of Conrail from the point of view of CSS: Pre-merger: $71 synergy: (871. 02 + 2245) / 90. 5 = $34. 4 Opportunity Cost: (222. 7 + 585. 14)/90. 5 = $8. 92 Total Offer Price: SSL 14. 6 B Norfolk Southern Merger not have the information Norfolk Southern share volume, the unlearned beta of Norfolk Southern cannot be calculated. Therefore, I would assume the unlearned beta is the same for both Norfolk Southern and Conrail. Hence, would use the Contrails cost of unlearned equity to value the merger as below: = 6. 83% 1. 046 * (14. 10% 6. 83%) = 14. 43% Terminal Value as of 1 996 = [442 * 1. 03 / (0. 1443 0. 03)]*Discount factor of year 5 52030 Opportunity cost Of losing the bid Terminal Value as of 1 996 = [-208 * 1. 03 / (0. 1443 0. 03)]*Discount factor of year 5 = -$955. 33 Value of equity value/share of Conrail from the point of view of CSS: Pre-merger: $71 Synergy: (776. 6+2030) / 90. 5 $31 opportunity cost: (387. 95 + 955. 33)/90. = $14. 84 Total Offer Price: SSL 16. 84 Please note: the equity values of Conrail calculated above are absolute maximum value that both CSS and Norfolk Southern will pay for Conrail since the gain in revenue from competitor is highly risky, subject to the decision of SST B. Technically, the discount rate should be higher and probability should be applied on this portion of incremental synergy. Part b) Contrails Market Capitalization as a standalone value Pros Since Conrail is rather large company, I would assume that it is w ell covered by analysts and practitioners in the financial market. Hence, it can be safely assumed the market is efficient and the price of Conrail is fundamentally reflected in its price Easy and quick way to determine the value of Conrail Cons The market is highly fluctuated dependent on Stage Of the market Ignore the control premium since the stock price does not assume the control power of the stock owner There might be information available to the acquirers but the market is not aware of. Therefore the market price does not reflect the information Question 4 The stand-alone bidders, CSS and Norfolk would value the target, Conrail, based on its fundamentals, however if both bidders are present they would enter price wars and legal battles, therefore this would inflate the offered price for the target. In particular the acquirers have to take into account of the opportunity cost of losing the bidding war (I. E. Losing significant proportion of their revenue going forward). According to our analysis, the value Of opportunity cost of losing the bid war can be as high as 13% of total offer price (calculated in SQ). In this case, although the synergy impact between Norfolk and Conrail is lower compared to that with CSS, the value of opportunity cost of Norfolk losing the bid is significantly higher, which brings Norfolk potential offer price higher than that of CSS (116. 84 vs.. 114. 36) calculated in SQ. If they were stand-alone bidders, Coxs potential offer price is significantly lower (105. 44), and Norfolk offer price is c. 02. However, since CSS, Conrail and Norfolk are in mature market with high concentration of market power, I believe the bidding war is naturally the product of this market structure. Question 5 CSS Friendly Offer: Two-tiered transaction of the purchase 90. 5 Mil lion Conrail Shares (acquisition shares) Inc. Apron. 1. 3 million common shares owned by management and directors. 1 CSS to pay USED 92. 5 per share on cash for 0% of Contrails acquisition shares (Front-end offer) to be completed in 2 stages (regulatory reasons) a Stage 1: CSS to acquire 19. 7% of the shares (17. 86 million shares at USED 92. 5 per share) b stage 2: CSS to acquire 20. % of the shares (after shareholders approved the deal) The reason why the front-end offer was split as such is given Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law in which Conrail Shareholders would be required to opt-out of the Pennsylvania Statue before CSS could purchase more than 19. 9% of the shares. For the opt-out vote, CSS had 17. 86 million shares from the first-stage tender offer, management had 1. Million shares and employees trust had 13 million shares. Since management was in favor of the merger, parties in support had 35. 5% of the acquisitions shares and would require another 14. 6% to vote in f avor of theopt-out for it to pass. Following shareholders approval it would be possible to complete the second cash tender offer. 2 Following cash tender offers, CSS would exchange shares in ratio of 1. 8561 9:1. (CSS:Conrail) for the remaining 60% of Contrails Shares (back-end- offer). The back end offer is calculated by multiplying the ratio with the Coxs closing price on the bid announcement day. A Based on closing price on the id announcement day, blended value of CSS was USED 86. 77 per share (23. 5% premium over Contrails pre-announcement stock price of USED 71. 00) b 06/11/1996 CSS increased front-end offer. In 19/1 2/1996 CSS increased back- end offer. 16/01/1 997 was the eve of shareholder vote The blended value in Exhibit 8 is calculated by weighted average affront-end and back-end offers: The blended value was adjusted in 19/12/1 996 and 16/01/1 997 to reflect the completion of Coxs first stage tender offer. Blended value idea is to have a single value of the combination of both the front-end and back-end offers given they were done with different set of eights (40% and 60% respectively). Its major limitation is that it calculates both Front-end and Back-end offers on the same day ignoring the time element. The time element is essential for a correct valuation given there are a set of events that need to happen in between the first cash tender offer from the front-end offer until the back-end offer and hence both would happen on a different set of dates. The back-end offer is sensitivity to the time because it is reliant on prices given its proposition to exchange of shares based on a ratio. Question 6 CSS intended to take control of Conrail through a combination of financial orientations, deals with management and limiting Contrails susceptibility to other acquisitions. By definition, the most important aspect of the aqua session was through the ownership of Conrail stock. However, in order to make the acquisition easier for CSS, CSS wanted to control access to Conrail. CSS tried to do this by placing barriers to prevent Conrail from back-tracking from the deal, such as: A breakup fee of $mm in the event Conrail chose not to proceed with the takeover. The breakup fee is a crude and obvious deterrent for Conrail, as well as for any new potential bidder. It would no longer make sense for Conrail to pull out of the agreement unless it discovered it would be more than $mm worse off if the deal went ahead -? which was highly unlikely. The deterrent for any new bidder is that they would now have to beat Coxs offer by $mm in order to become more attractive for Contrails management to choose their new bid. Offer of 15. Mm newly issued lock-up shares to CSS at the same price as the initial Front-End tender. This reduces many of the fees and complications associated with purchases on the stock exchange. It also means that this 20% of stock would not be subject to shareholder whims and s a certainty to CSS regarding how it will obtain 20% of the required shares. It made sense to exercise the option only if shareholders voted to opt-out of the fair value statute (described below), because if shareholders did not opt out of the fair value statute, common stock to the value of 20% of Conrail would have been needlessly created. If CSS purchased shares that were already outstanding, they could simply resell them on the open market, and Conrail would not have created these additional shares. Conrail suspends Poison Pill option to offer new shares at 50% discount in order to protect itself against an unsolicited takeover. This mitigates one of Contrails biggest threats against Coxs ownership. Should there be a change in management that is no longer willing to proceed with the takeover, the poison pill option will no longer be available to deploy. A no-talk clause, which prevents Conrail from entertaining other bids. This clause is valid unless it interferes with the boards fiduciary duty to shareholders (and if it seems unlikely that CSS would be able to complete the deal). Conrail board members, to an extent, had license to define Fiduciary Duty as they pleased, and since the board had already agreed to the CSS bid, Norfolk would have to replace board members in favor of the deal. This would be difficult, since Conrail had a classified board, which meant only a third were up for election each year so it could take years before the decision to go with CSS was overturned by which time the CSS deal would have been consummated. Further complications to the deal were Pennsylvania Business Laws. Coxs bid to take control of Conrail included a Front End offer to purchase at $11 0 per share with cash, 40% of the shares it needed to take control. The Back End offer was to exchange the remaining 60% of the shares it needed, or shares in the new company at the rate of 1. 85619:1. 0 plus a further $16 of new convertible preferred stock. This created a blended value to the Back End of $105. 07 per share. The difference in prices (SSL 10 vs. $105. 07) meant that the bid was subject to a Pennsylvania fair value statute, which stated that an acquirer must tender all shares at the same price. An acquirer cannot tender at different prices, unless shareholders explicitly vote to opt out of the fair value statute. CSS now had to persuade Conrail customers to vote to opt out of this statute. It attempted to do this by running adverts in financial newspapers hampering its proposed takeover.

Three Gorges Dam in China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Three Gorges Dam in China - Research Paper Example â€Å"The massive project sets records for number of people displaced (more than 1.2 million), number of cities and towns flooded (13 cities, 140 towns, 1,350 villages), and length of reservoir (more than 600 kilometers)† (Three Gorges Dam). its location. China's huge Three Gorges Dam hydro-power project could spark a "catastrophe" unless accumulating environmental threats are quickly defused, senior officials and experts have warned. The dam, which is located in Hubei province in south-western China, is the world's biggest hydro-electric project. Inaugurated in 2006 it began generating electricity in 2003(Chinese government fears Three Gorges Dam â€Å"catastrophe) Three Gorges Dam has caught the headlines of media recently because of the huge concerns about the environmental impacts it may generate in Chinese territory. Environmentalists, not only from China, but also from other parts of the world unanimously opposed this project because of the huge threats it may cause to wild animals and to the environment. At the same time, Chinese authorities describe it as a landmark which has proved the technological advancements or dominance achieved by China. Moreover, Chinese authorities claim that the success of this project was achieved through the careful blending of social, engineering and economic capitals. They also argued that this dam is the greatest victory man achieved over nature because of the complexities involved in the construction of this dam. Amidst all such exaggerated or colourful claims, many people in the world are looking at this project suspiciously because of the environmental impacts it can cause not only to China, but also to the neighbouring nations. Erosion, landslides etc are some of the major threats other than the threats to the habitats of wild animals, as a result of the construction of this dam. This paper analyses the reasons for the construction of this dam, arguments of ecological organizations against it, alternate option s which could have been used, future plans of Chinese authorities to construct such dams etc. Chinese authorities labelled Three Gorges dam as a multipurpose dam because of the multiple utilities it can provide to the public and the nation. The entire world is currently facing severe energy shortages and it is necessary for each country to find out alternate energy sources since most of the energy sources available on earth are non-renewable in nature. For example, bio fuel or petroleum is a non-renewable energy source which is used extensively all over the world. According to some estimates, the available oil stocks may be used up within another 30 or 40 years time and it is necessary to find out alternate energy sources. Solar energy is a non-renewable energy source; however, cheap technologies have not been developed yet to exploit solar energy. Hydroelectric power is a renewable energy source and it is necessary for a big country like China to exploit such power as much as possi ble since alternate options are limited. Another reason for the construction of this dam is the increasing threats of floods. It should be noted that because of global warming and subsequent atmospheric temperature rise, huge ice blocs in the polar region are melting and as a result of that the probabilities of flood increasing day by day. Yangtze River is extremely vulnerable to flood threats and in

Incarcerations effects on families Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Incarcerations effects on families - Term Paper Example Now there is a new category for incarceration, debtors, even for very small debts. In a bid for increased corporate welfare, businesses in some states (Illinois, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Washington, for example) enlist the police, sheriff, and court system to imprison those who owe money and are not paying it quickly enough. A recent news article told about the case of Lisa Lindsay, a breast cancer survivor who ignored a $280 medical bill she was told was in error and not owed. A collection agency got jurisdiction over it and Illinois state troopers took her to jail in handcuffs (Sherter, 2012). In more than one third of the states in America, many poverty-stricken seniors, veterans, mothers, fathers, and the unemployed have been locked up in prison for the flimsiest of reasons, being unable to settle even the tiniest of debts. The marginalized poor are being increasingly criminalized. It is not the assumption of this paper that incarceration is totally without merit. There are peop le whose thinking is so distorted and whose actions are so dangerous that society must be protected from victimization. On the other hand, a rapidly rising prison population, unrepresentative of socioeconomic and racial parameters of the general population, and in comparison to the incarceration/population ratios of other countries, suggests a possibility that the USA criminal justice system is failing to solve crime through incarceration, and is worsening the situation. Incarcerating a person who is found to have broken the law removes a single threat from the street, perhaps, but there are less visible outcomes this paper intends to consider. Incarcerated prisoners, on any given day, represent more than 500,000 families being impacted by incarceration (Hairston, 1991). Those families need to be strongly bonded and assisted by personal and community networks. Maintaining strong family ties has been found to support prisoner and family mental health, increase the probability that th e prisoner will have a family to return to after prison, and reduce the probability that the prisoner, once released, will have to return to prison for probation violations or other criminal activity (Hairston, 1991). In support of strengthening family ties, prisons are beginning to implement more generous family communication policies, marital and private family visits, children’s centers in the prison, and prison visitor hospitality houses. Families of prisoners are organizing to advocate for conditions and services that support prison families (Hairston, 1991). A lot more is needed, however, not only to provide a strong family network for the prisoner, but especially to counter the profound negative effects of incarceration on other members of the family. The effects of parent incarceration on children is a significant social issue because 56% of all state prisoners have minor children, and the majority of incarcerated adults are, in fact, state prisoners (Lengyel, 2006). Separation from an incarcerated father, the stigma attached to the incarceration, and deceptions played on the child around that incarceration have reportedly been associated with emergent aggressive and antisocial behavior, particularly in the sons of

Comparing Two Shows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparing Two Shows - Essay Example The show has had a very successful run, it is presently in its tenth season, this goes to show how popular the show has been thus far. â€Å"There are six main characters and each of them has their own traits. Almost all the characters have traits which would make them look funny, it is a sitcom and the characters must appear funny to be able to convince the audience.† (Television and Gender Roles) â€Å"Everybody love Raymond is another very popular TV show which has been very well liked and followed.† (Everybody loves lazy stereotyping of male roles)The concept of Gender roles must be noticed in this serial, Debra the wife of Raymond is always in the kitchen making food either for her husband or for her family, this goes to show that women are always in the kitchen spending their time cooking for their families. Marxist feminism also comes into play here, Karl Marx argues that women must be paid for domestic labor; this is what Marxist feminism is all about. Another v ery important thing which must be noticed in this show is that Debra is the one who always packs the lunch of her children; Raymond never bothers to do this. It goes to show how irresponsible at times men are towards their families. â€Å"The gender roles presented in these serials are presented very rightly after doing comprehensive research.† (Gender and Media Representation) Gilman called herself a humanist, she was deadly against exploitation of women, our society is still following the patriarchal ways and exploiting the women. She was not very comfortable accepting the theory of evolution laid down by Charles Darwin, the theory of evolution portrays man in the driving seat and gives less importance to women. Both the sexes are equally important and no favoritism of any sort can be done. She argued that women had to rely excessively on their sexual assets, they had to please their husband to ensure their survival, this is very true and beyond the pale. What a pity this r eally is. Grounded for life is another very popular TV show which is well liked by the audience. In one episode the husband decides to buy a car without even bothering to ask his wife, marriage is an institution and it is the right of the wife to be well informed about all the decisions made by her husband. This again reflects the reality; there are countless husbands who do not bother asking their better halves before making an important decision. Dad goes to work and Mom takes care of the household chores, it is unacceptable if a man packs lunch for his children, it is unacceptable if a man does the dishes. It is incorrect if a man asks his wife before making a big decision, buying a car is quite a big decision and a wife must know of this big decision before hand. Perkins Gilman was a very famous American sociologist who wanted to bring about change in the society, it is our duty to share the workload with women, and it is not a man’s world anymore. Women must be given res pect and their workload must be shared. It is very important to understand the responsibilities of living in a family, gender stenotypes must be abolished and we must awake to a new and a better world. Our society is becoming more and more men-oriented society, women have never been given enough respect and this is perhaps why so many marriages never workout. In a relationship both the partners have to make sacrifices and both should complement each other but this can only happen when there is perfect understanding and coordination between the pair of

Copper Ion Effects On Mung Beans Germination Environmental Sciences Essay

Copper Ion Effects On Mung Beans Germination Environmental Sciences Essay This experiment was planned to investigate the effect of different concentrations on copper ion on seed germination of mung beans. The experiment uses seed germination as a parameter in the presence of varying concentration of copper ion solution (Cu2+) in copper (ii) sulphate (CuSO4). Solutions used were 300 ppm, 200 ppm, 100 ppm, 75 ppm, 50 ppm, 25 ppm, and 0 ppm and the seeds were all soaked for 6 hours, and then sown on Petri dishes with a wetted cotton layer. The seeds were watered with the same volume of Cu2+ solution of respective concentrations. The numbers of seeds germinated were recorded after 20 hours, and the germination rate was calculated. Results showed that germination rate increases as concentration decreases. An analysis was done using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (PMCC), and it showed a statistically significant negative linear relationship between concentration of Cu and germination rate as the calculated r-value was greater than critical va lue (Cr) at 5% significant level. Research and Rationale Plants as micronutrients require a number of heavy metals, which are found naturally in soil.13 However, the global buildup of metals in the environment is increasingly becoming a problem.1 Toxic metals continue polluting the biosphere by volcanoes, natural weathering of rocks, and by industrial activities such as combustion of fossil fuels and mining.2 Heavy metal pollution has accelerated since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Copper (Cu) is one of the main metal pollutants, and usually results from human activities such as mining and the use of fertilizers.4 Cu is an essential element needed in trace amounts in plants, about 4-30 ppm of the approximate dry weight in plants (Raven and Johnson 1999), associated with enzyme activity which catalyses the oxidative reactions in various metabolic pathways.(4) An excess causes a reduce in germination, growth, respiration, photosynthesis and also causes severe membrane decomposition.4 It becomes toxic as it interferes with the enzyme activity, acting as a non-competitive inhibitor, destructing the tertiary bonds in some enzymes, thus altering and inhibiting enzyme activity.4 Human life becomes at risk once these plants develop tolerance mechanisms against Cu, and when these plants are incorporated into our food chain.(2) Mung bean is part of the human food chain as it is a favourite ingredient in Asian food.5 It is commercially grown in many regions of Asia. An ability of it to become Cu tolerant would pose a high risk on human health due to Cu accumulation in the body.2 This investigation also serves to show the type of soils suitable for mung bean growth in agriculture. Soils contaminated by copper or near industries are deemed unsuitable. The seed- Vigna radiata, commonly known as mung beans was chosen as it has a short life cycle and is small, thus large numbers of the seeds can be used as not much space is taken. (487 Words) Germination rate, which is usually expressed in percentage, shows the number of seeds that is likely to germinate; based on a particular plant species.6 Germination is one of the most critical stages of development in a plants life cycle. It is at this stage where the plants are more susceptible to injuries, water stress or diseases. 7 Experimental Hypothesis The lower the concentration of Cu2+ in the solution, the greater the germination rate of mung beans. Null Hypothesis There is no correlation between the different concentrations of Cu2+ in the solution and the germination rate of mung beans. Variables: Manipulated variable : Different concentrations of Cu2+ from Cuso4. (ppm) Responding variable : Germination rate of mung beans (%) Fixed variables : Mass of Cuso4 (g) Volume of solution used for soaking (30 ml/beaker) and for moistening the cotton (50 ml/petri dish) Temperature Light Intensity Humidity (632 Words) Apparatus: Petri dishes Label stickers Weighing balance Dropper Beakers (600 ml) Volumetric flask (1000 ml) Measuring cylinders (100 ml, and 500 ml) Pipette Schott bottles Materials: 3.937g of Cuso4 Distilled water Mung bean seeds (A) Cotton Planning Number of seeds used: 15 The first trial was to determine the condition needed for germination. Three different conditions were identified- in the dark (inside a cupboard), normal laboratory conditions, and outside the laboratory (under normal environment). The seeds were soaked for an hour in distilled water and then sown on wetted cotton. For each condition, three replicates were prepared. The results were observed after 20 hours. (736 Words) Conditions Number of seeds Germinated Mean Number of Seeds Germinated Replicate 1 Replicate 2 Replicate 3 Laboratory 6 9 8 8 In the Cupboard 8 14 11 11 Garden 6 9 5 7 Table 1: Germination rate of seeds in different conditions Germination rate= Number of seeds germinated/Total number of seeds 100 The results showed that the seeds grown in the dark had the highest germination rate. This is in line with what has been written about the germination of mung beans in websites stating that mung beans germinate in darkness.5 Therefore, it was decided that further germination of the seeds would be carried out in the dark under room temperature of 25Â °C in the mornings and 22Â °C during night. The second trial was a combination to find out the most suitable duration to soak the seeds and the best concentrations needed to carry out the experiment. For starters, the concentrations decided were a range from 1000 parts per million (ppm), 750 ppm, 50 ppm, 250 ppm, 100 ppm and 0 ppm (distilled water). The stock solution of 1000 ppm was prepared by the following method. (929 Words) To make 1000 ppm of Cu using CuSo4.5H2o Molar Mass of CuSo4.5H2o= 249.5g Atomic weight of Cu=63.5g 1g of Cu in relation to molar mass of salt= 249.5/63.5 = 3.931g Hence, 3.931g is weighed out from CuSo4.5H2o and dissolved in 1000ml of distilled water to make a standard solution of 1000ppm of Cu.8 From the stock solution, the serial dilution method was applied to make a concentration of 750 ppm. From 1000 ml of the stock solution, 750 ml of the solution was diluted in 250 ml of distilled water in a volumetric flask, to make up 1000 ml of 750 ppm solution of Cu. To make up 500 ppm solution, 500 ml of stock solution was diluted in 500 ml of distilled water and so on. The duration to soak was set to one hour, three hours, six hours and 12 hours. The seeds were soaked in 6 beakers containing the different concentrations, and sown to germinate on Petri dishes. Wetted cotton was used, and the respective concentration of the solution the seeds were soaked in was used to wet the cotton. 15 soaked seeds of similar size were chosen to germinate in two replicates. (1125 Words) Concentration (ppm) Duration of Soaking (Hours) 1 3 6 0 A 10 8 10 B 11 10 10 Mean 11 9 11 Germination Rate (%) 73.3 60.0 73.3 100 A 5 6 13 B 2 2 12 Mean 4 4 13 Germination Rate (%) 26.7 26.7 86.7 250 A 0 5 2 B 0 4 6 Mean 0 5 4 Germination Rate (%) 0 33.3 26.7 500 A 0 0 4 B 0 0 5 Mean 0 0 5 Germination Rate (%) 0 0 33.3 750 A 0 0 0 B 0 0 0 Mean 0 0 2 Germination Rate (%) 0.0 0.0 0.0 1000 A 0 0 0 B 0 0 0 Mean 0 0 0 Germination Rate (%) 0.0 0.0 0.0 Table 2: Germination rate of seeds in different conditions soaked for different durations (1286 Words) Observations were made 20 hours later, and in concentrations of 1000 ppm and 750 ppm, no seeds germinated. 500 ppm was the highest concentration whereby seeds germinated while for 0%, the germination rate was 80%. The seeds that was soaked for six hours showed the highest seed germination rate for the concentrations whereby seeds did germinate. Therefore, it was decided that the best range of concentrations to be used included 0 ppm, and also a value slightly lower than 500 ppm, and the duration of soaking was 6 hours. For seeds soaking in 500 ppm solutions ad above, the seeds appeared slightly purplish, and some even turned black. The seeds germinated at concentration of 500 ppm had its roots stunted with necrotic tips. To ensure the results were more reliable statistically, the number of seeds to be used in the actual experiment was increased to 50 seeds per concentration instead of 15. The actual experiment also included two replicates, using similar methods to obtain more reliable results. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (PMCC) was chosen to analyse the data obtained. Experimental Procedures A stock solution of 1000ppm of Cu2+ was prepared from 3.937g of Cuso4 (as indicated in the trial). The serial dilution method is used to prepare different concentrations of Cu2+ in Cuso4 solution. For example, 10 ml of 1000ppm solution was pipetted out and mixed with 990ml of distilled water in a 1000 ml volumetric flask to obtain a 10ppm solution, and so on. Besides 10 ppm, 25 ppm, 50 ppm, 75 ppm, 100 ppm, 200 ppm, and 300 ppm were prepared and stored in labeled Schott bottles. (1558 Words) At least a 150 seeds were chosen randomly and placed in a beaker to be soaked with a 300 ppm solution (50 ml) for six hours. Two Petri dishes were prepared and labeled A and B. Two layers of white cotton were placed in each Petri dish, spread evenly. The cottons were moistened with 300 ppm solution of the same volume (30 ml). 50 seeds of similar size were chosen and sown in each labeled Petri dish and placed inside the cupboard to germinate. Observation was made 20 hours after sowing. Germination was said to have occurred once the radicle was visibly extended from the surface of the seed for about a minimum of 5mm. The number of seeds germinated was determined, and the mean and the germination rate were calculated. Steps 2 to 8 were repeated for different concentrations- 200 ppm, 100 ppm, 75 ppm, 50 ppm, 25 ppm, and 0 ppm, and all results were recorded in Table 3, a graph was plotted and a PMCC test was used to analyse the data. Risk Assessment All glasswares, such as measuring cylinders and volumetric flask were handled with extra care as they can break easily and may then cause injuries. The soaked seeds were handled with gently as they are very fragile. While using the measuring cylinder, volumetric flask and pipette to measure the amount of solution needed, the eye-level was ensured to be perpendicular with the scale on those apparatus as to prevent parallax error. This was crucial while mixing the stock solution for a little difference may actually affect the percentages of all the other solutions. (1833 Words) Results Concentration (ppm) Number of Seeds Germinated Mean Number of Seeds Germinated Germination Rate (%) A B 0 49 50 50 100 25 46 48 47 94 50 44 45 45 90 75 40 38 39 78 100 15 13 14 28 200 7 10 9 18 300 7 9 8 16 Table 3: Germination of seeds in different concentrations Calculating germination rate: = = = 78% (1910 Words) Statistical Analysis (1932 Words) The PMCC test was chosen to measure the strength of linear dependence between two variables-concentrations and germination rate. The correlation coefficient, r ranges from +1 to -1. A value of zero indicates no linear correlation between the said variables, while +1 indicates a linear equation explains the relationship between concentration and germination rate perfectly, with all the points from the data lying on a line for which germination rate increases as concentration increases. A value of -1 indicates that all points from the data lie on a line whereby germination rate decreases as concentration increases.9 x 0 25 50 75 100 200 300 ∑X=750 y 100 94 90 78 28 18 16 ∑Y=424 x2 0 625 2500 5625 10000 40000 90000 ∑x2= 148750 y2 10000 8836 8100 6084 784 324 256 ∑y2=34384 yx 0 2350 4500 5850 2800 3600 4800 ∑xy= 23900 SS (x) = = =68392.857 SS (y) = = =8701.714 SS (xy) = = = -21528.571 ( Words) The correlation coefficient, r, is found using the formula: = -0.8825 (negative indicating a negative correlation between variables) r = 0.8825 > 0.754 Cr for 5% confidence level. The analysis using PMCC proved a statistically significant negative linear relationship between the concentrations of Cu2+ in CuSO4 and germination rate, as the calculated r value was larger than Cr at 5% confidence level. Hence, null hypothesis is rejected and experimental hypothesis is accepted. A higher concentration of Cu2+ leads to a lower germination rate of mung beans. Data Analysis The statistical analysis using PMCC proved that low concentration of Cu did result in a greater germination rate of mung beans, as shown in Table 3 too which shows the number of seeds germinated after treatment with respective concentrations of Cu2+ in CuSO4 solutions for 20 hours. The table shows that only a very low concentration of Cu allows germination. Graph 1 illustrates the trend and relationship between the variables. It can be seen clearly that as the concentration of Cu2+ in CuSO4 increases, the rate of germination decreases. Distilled water recorded the highest germination at 100%, while the lowest germination rate was noted when the concentration used was 300 ppm. There is a great difference in germination rate from 75 ppm to 100 ppm, about 50%. Increase the concentration from 25 ppm to 50 ppm and 200 ppm to 300 ppm only showed a decrease in 4% and 2% respectively. This may one of the inconsistencies of the experiment. Distilled water, or 0 ppm acted as a control in this experiment. From the results obtained, all the seeds germinated when soaked in distilled water. From the trials, seeds soaked in distilled water did not germinate more than 80%, however in the actual experiment it was 100%. After much research, I concluded that the results obtained from the actual experiment was valid as it supports the results obtained from various other research published.1, 10 The inconsistencies that occurred may have been due to: Some of the seeds may have been already damaged (trials) and so germination was impossible The cotton layers used in 0 ppm during trials were too thick, and became dry fast, thus made it impossible for the seeds to absorb the water and enable germination in 20 hours. Mixing errors could have occurred causing the drop between 75 ppm and 100 ppm, as the concentrations of the solutions could have been higher than it was suppose to be. ( Words) Evaluation The degree of seed germination in the presence of Cu2+ is to some extent a measure of resistance of mung beans to this toxic metal.11 Germination, is a process said to occur when a dormant seed begins sprouting into a seedling, under the right growing conditions.14 This process is highly dependent on external and internal conditions. Light or darkness, temperature, water and oxygen and considered to be the important external conditions that may affect germination. Imbibition, the process by which water is taken up by the seeds, causes the soaked mung bean seeds to swell and start softening, thus the breaking of the seed coat.11, 6 This makes germination easier. Hydrolytic enzymes are activated (due to water), and these enzymes digest the food source in the seeds into chemicals, that are useful metabolically. 6, 7 Excess Cu is detrimental as it becomes toxic. It interferes with the enzyme activity, acting as a non-competitive inhibitor, destructing the tertiary bonds in some enzymes, thus altering and inhibiting enzyme activity.4 It combines with the thiol groups, breaking the hydrogen bonds and disulphide bridges holding the 3-D shape together (of an enzyme). In order to germinate, amylose is needed, and is metabolized by amylase. The interference of toxic level of Cu causes the inhibition of amylases, thus preventing the food store in the cotyledon to be broken down, depriving the embryo from carbohydrate needed for respiration and production of energy for germination.4 ( Words) There were some limitations in this experiment. The temperature of the surroundings is one of it. It was assumed that the temperature in the cupboard was to be 22 and 25 at night and morning respectively. However, along the day, the temperature could have fluctuated. This could have affected the germination process, as the time taken for germination to occur could have been longer. Besides, the humidity of the surroundings was also not measured and thought to be constant all the time. However, due to changes in weather (rain at night, hot sun in the mornings) during the time of experiment, there could have been changes in relative humidity and temperature too. Some of the seeds may have already been damaged but appeared normal. These seeds could have been sown for germination, thus it can be certain that the seeds that did not germinate were purely due to high toxic Cu levels or not. The use of a large sample had given enough replicates to support the conclusion for this experiment. The results are reliable as the experiment can be controlled and also repeated. This investigation only stressed on the effects of Cu on the germination of mung beans, without subjecting the seeds to different abiotic or biotic pressures. Modification could be made by comparing the, effects of other heavy metals such as Nickel, Cadmium and Lead on the germination of mung beans. Besides investigating the rate of germination only, the length of the radicle can measured (plant growth) to see the effects on growth of mung beans. The growth of plants may show a more visible change due to the toxic metals. Plus, other varieties of seeds such as sunflower, orca or cabbage can be used to test the levels of metal toxicity tolerance on other plants species. ( Words) Conclusion With reference to the results obtained and statistical analysis made, it can be concluded that the lower the concentration of Cu in the solution, the greater the germination rate of mung beans, Vigna radiata. This is because Cu is an enzyme, non-competitive inhibitor which alters and inhibits enzyme activity. Thus experimental hypothesis is accepted, while null hypothesis is rejected. Evaluation of Sources Source 7 and 13 are published books written by well-known authors in the scientific community. The source is reliable as it has been revised, recognized and undergone a series of editing before being published. Sources 1,2,3, 10 and 11 are scientific journals. Scholars wrote it and the journals have been peer-reviewed, and have a high level of scientific creditability. Therefore, these sources should contain valid information. Sources 4,5,6,8,9,12 and 14 are websites. These are sites that have been referral site to by many people and the information in it are also cited, thus it is reliable. ( Words) Appendix Figure The apparatus used to make the stock solution-500ml Measuring Cylinder, 100ml Measuring cylinder, 1000ml volumetric flask ( Words)