A Problem In the Field of Finance Annotated Bibliography

A Problem In the Field of Finance - Annotated Bibliography Example This will provide important information and guidance about scholarly sources relating to earning management. This journal article examines the relationship between firm size and earnings management. To this end, the article is based on an empirical study into small and large organizations to identify which organizations are more prone to earnings management. The study indicates that both large and small organizations undertake earnings management to avoid presenting negative results. The study shows that most small firms undertake earnings management to avoid reporting losses. On the other hand, larger and medium sized organizations use aggressive earning management to avoid profit decreases than smaller firms. The journal involves a study of the relationship between earnings management and accounting standards. It identifies that earnings management are increasingly done in areas where organizations and business are allowed to pass judgments. These areas are increasingly being regulated by accounting standards. However firms continue to use methods of overriding accounting standards because most of these elements and aspects of earnings management causes firms to incur serious losses. Fundamentally, this journal examines the relationship between earnings management and corporate governance. It answers the question of which practices of earnings management affects earnings management and how. The study critically evaluates 100 S&P firms and their accounting practices and auditing trends between 1994 and 2003. The study identifies that in organizations where there is a strong presence of institutional investors, earnings management are minimal because there is control and care that is induced in the affairs of the firm. However, where there are many individual shareholders, earnings management is common. This study involved an examination of elements of managers’ manipulation of

How precious metals relate to the economy Research Paper

How precious metals relate to the economy - Research Paper Example While gold remains the most popular investment vehicle for investors, silver, platinum, and palladium continue to hold strong interest. This research paper focuses on how these precious metals relate to the American economy and examines the price of the dollar in relation to these metals. This essay describes the history of the Western economy and banking structure, that was originally linked to gold through the gold standard. At a time in history all currency produced was held to a standard reserve of gold in the country’s central bank. However, recent decades have gradually witnessed a shift from this economic structure. Today precious metals operate in large degree like a currency, as they are subject to market inflations and deflations. There are many motivations for the purchase or investment in precious metals. In this context of understanding, this research paper reveales that precious metals largely function as a hedge for investors against fiat currency and volatile markets. In addition the nature of the historic relation between gold and currency is examined in terms of the gold standard. It’s noted that supporters argue going off the gold standards creates greater government volatility, while detractors argue that going off the gold standard creates the potential for a welfare state. Ultimately, it’s clear that both historically and in the contemporary environment precious metals and the economy are greatly intertwined.

Relationship Between Facebook and Delayed Gratification

Relationship Between Facebook and Delayed Gratification Discussion This chapter is discussing about the significant findings of the relationship between the usage of Facebook and college students, how they fulfill the different gratification by using Facebook. This will relate to the literature review in Chapter 2. Summary of Findings The purpose of our study was to explore and invest the uses and gratification of college students when they use Facebook and the relationship between these. There are five gratifications which we apply through uses and gratifications theory are enhance social interaction, get information of education, simple entertainment, escape from the stresses of daily life and also recognition. Discussion of getting information of education According to the data of Park, Kee and Valenzuela (2009), it shows that students join Facebook because of the need of obtain information about on-and off campus activities, to socialize with friends, to seek self-status and to find entertainment. Of the sample surveyed, more than 40% college students agree that it is convenient to get information about their course or subject on Facebook, only less than 20% college students disagree with it. In addition, there is more than 50%, which is half of the sample agree that it is convenient to get updates of their course or subjects. There are 30% of our sample agree that it is convenient to interact with their lectures about the course or subjects, and 40% choose medium in this. Furthermore, there are 75% of college students agree that it is convenient to interact with coursemates about the course or subjects on Facebook. Facebook can be used as an educational environment, as it improves classroom practices and student involvement (Aydin, 2 012). Besides, the study of Lame, Ellison and Steinfield (2006) found that students who were likely to use Facebook to interact with their instructor in various way were more likely to collaborate using Facebook. In general, we found that most of the college students agree that it is convenient for them to get the information of education through using Facebook which is one of the gratifications in our study. The college students mostly use Facebook to interact with the lecturer, classmates, course mates to discuss the information of their course or subjects. The relationship of college students using Facebook and getting information of education, is as predicted, they use Facabook to fulfil the gratifications of getting information of education through interact with the lecturers and course mates at Facebook. Discussion on Recognition Closed-group Facebook pages are an invisible, virtual space that makes people more visible (Reid, 2011). Again from Reid (2011), Facebook provides access for students to engage in critical literacy activities where they reflect how the way they write on the page constructs their identities and diversity. Gratifications obtained from Facebook allow the users of the website to gain and maintain recognition from others – a social group or community – and satisfy their need to belong (Capua, 2012). The second gratification we examined in our study is college students use Facebook to gain recognition. In our study, we found that there are almost equal numbers of sample are agreeing and disagreeing that they share video, status, photo and others on Facebook to get people notice them, there are 30% college students agree with it and 33% of college students disagree with it. Moreover, there are more college students who disagree that they are posting video, status, photo and ot hers to get attention as well as influence others. Only there is slightly more college students agree that they want to gain emotional support from others when posting video, status, photo and others on Facebook. This shows that most of the students of Tunku Abdul Rahman University College are not using Facebook to fulfil their gratification of gaining recognition. Discussion on getting simple entertainment In the study of Sheldon (2008), there is a significant number of students use Facebook for entertainment reasons, and there are also a larger proportion of students go to Facebook to pass time when they are bored or after receive an e-mail suggesting them that someone had posted on their Facebook site. Park, Kee and Valenzuela (2009) also mentioned that Facebook is mainly for entertainment needs. In our study, although there is more than half of the sample are disagreeing that they are using Facebook to play games, but there is a significant group that more than 80% of college students agree that they are using Facebook to view photos and more than 60% of college students agree that they are using Facebook to view videos. Further, there are a larger group of college students, 40% are agreeing that they use Facebook to view article. The college students use Facebook to gain simple entertainment like view photos, video and article, to kill the time and boredom. Entertainment and boredo m were also prominent reasons for use social networking sites (Sponcil Gitimu, 2010). The result of our study enhance this, as there are more than half amount of the sample are agreeing that they use Facebook to view photos, videos and articles. Other than getting simple entertainment to kill time, enhance social interaction by using Facebook is one of the main reasons for college students as well. Discussion on enhancing social interaction Secondly, is the relationship between college students using Facebook and enhance social interaction. According to past research, most of them found that most of the college students using Facebook to social with their family, friends, keep contacting with them and updating the information about them. Sheldon (2008) found that most of the students go to Facebook to maintain relationships with other people they know. The same purposes of keeping in touch with old friends, current friends and family members emerged as the highest use of social media (Ezumah, 2013). Besides, in the study of Capua (2012) it shows that users employ social networking website mostly to keep in touch with friends and maintain relationships with geographically distant peers. Communicating with friends and family on social media sites was very common among college students and they use a variety ways to communicate like the common ways are wall posts and status updates, as well as private messages and posted photographs (Sponcil Gitimu, 2010). In our study, we found that there are 30% of college students agree that they are using Facebook to meet new friends. Further, there are 75% of college students agree that they are using Facebook to keep in touch with friends or family. Most of them are using Facebook to interact with their friends and family, there are more than 70% of our sample agree with this. We found that although not more than half of the samples agree that they are using Facebook to meet new friends, but most of them agree that they are using Facebook to interact and keep in touch with their friends and family. This shows that most of the college students are using Facebook to enhance social interaction, which is similar with the previous research in other countries. Discussion of escape from the stresses of daily life The data of the research of Dhaha and Igale (2013) shows that the youth of Somali need to obtain virtual companionship escape from the worries of the life by using Facebook. Although this study mentioned that the escape from the stresses of daily life is one of the gratifications fulfilled by college students when using Facebook, but there is slightly different with our study. Most of the college students in our research are disagreeing that such as there are 42% of sample disagree that they are using Facebook to escape from study problems and 50% of sample are disagreeing that they are using Facebook to escape from relationship problems. This shows that most of the college students in Tunku Abdul Rahman University College are not using Facebook to escape the stresses of daily life. On the other hand, most of the student agree that they are using Facebook to release stress from study problem, 43% of sample are agree with this, and 27% of sample are agreeing that they use Facebook to release stress from relationship problems. Therefore, most of the college students do not use Facebook to escape from stresses of daily life but they release stress and mostly release the stress of study problem. Implication of Findings Implications of findings on theory and practice are discussed in this section. Implication on Theory This study intended to elucidate the validity of the constructs in the Uses and Gratification Theory such as information of education, recognition, simply entertainment, enhance social interact and escape from the stresses of daily life as well as fulfilled by college students to using Facebook. Result from this study revealed that all the individual perceptions to information of education, simply entertainment and enhance social interact different with recognition and escape from the stresses of daily life. Therefore, the effect size of the differences between information of education, simply entertainment and enhance social interact were high on OFTEN. The three categories of the uses and gratification theory were high on OFTEN because there are the most usage for college students on Facebook and it is very effective for this study and researchers may use it to develop the new theory in future. Implication on Practice Findings of our study revealed that there are many college students are using Facebook to get information of education. We found that there are larger group of the college students are using Facebook to interact with their lecturer or course mates and get updates and information of course or subject. Facebook should be targeted as a useful tool to communicate within lecture and college students. Limitations of Study This study is not without any limitations. Firstly, it cannot be generalized to all college students of Tunku Abdul Rahman University College because the sample is convenient and the population is not well represented. The sample in this study are most of the students in Penang Branch Campus, the Kuala Lumpur Main Campus contain bigger population and also other branches in Kampar, Johor and so on. Secondly, there could be more equal level distribution, compared the three level in our demographics, there are 64% are age between 21-24 who are mostly enrolled in second year or higher level such as advanced diploma or degree, while the lower level, freshmen or first year of diploma who are probably between age 18-20 only consist 35% from our sample. Lastly is the accuracy and definition of our sample. In our research, we mainly focus to study the college students of Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, we distribute the questionnaire through internet which cannot define the identity of the sample, we cannot identify whether they are the students of Tunku Abdul Rahman University College. Suggestions for Future Research As mentioned above in the limitations of our study, future research can increase the number of the sample and include other branches or colleges. It can be more generalize to represent the college students in Malaysia with study the students from different states or colleges, and also increase other level of college student in different age. Other than that, an area of study worth exploring following this study is to examine the gratifications of enhance social interaction in further between college students maintain relationship with family and friends by using Facebook and develop serious, closer or romantic relationship. According to the research of Capua (2012), found that although private messages in Facebook allow the users to communicate confidentially , but still it not adequate enough to maintain serious relationships with people unless geographically distant because communication over Facebook seems to be seen as ‘cheap’ and low-effort. Therefore, future resear ch can examine the relationship between the maintain relationship with friends or family and maintain serious relationship between closer partner by using Facebook. Works Cited Aydin, S. (2012). A review of research on Facebook as an educational. Education Tech Research Development , 60, 1093-1106. Butler, K. (2010). Tweeting your own horn. District Administration , 46 (2), 41-44. Cantril, H. (1942). Professor Quiz: A Gratifications Study. Radio research 1941 , 34-45. Capua, I. D. (2012). A Literature Review of Research on Facebook Use. The Open Communication Journal , 6, 37-42. Dhaha, I. S., Igale, A. B. (2013). Facebook Usage among Somali Youth: A Test of Uses and Gratificaitons Approach. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science , 3 (3), 299-313. Ezumah, B. A. (2013). College Students’ Use of Social Media: Site Preferences, Uses and Gratifications Theory Revisited. International Journal of Business and Social Science , 4 (5), 27-34. Jenkins, G., Lyons, K., Bridgstock, R., Carr, L. (2012). Like our page using Facebook to support first year students in their transition to higher education. A Practice Report. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education , 3 (2), 65-72. Lampe, C., Ellison, N., Steinfield, C. (2006). A Face(book) in the crowd: Social searching vs social browsing. In proceedings of ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work , 167-170. Lampe, C., Wohn, D. Y., Vitak, J. (2011). Student use of Facebook for organizing collaborative classroom activities. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning , 6, 329-347. Newhagen, J., Rafaeli, S. (1996). Why communication researchers should study the internet: A dialogue. Journal of Communication , 46, 4-13. ODonohoe, S. (1994). Advertising uses and gratifications. European Journal of Marketing , 28, 52-75. Park, N., Kee, K. F., Valenzuela, S. (2009). Being Immersed in Social Networking Environment: Facebook Groups, Uses and Gratifications, and Social Outcomes. Cyver pschology and behavior , 12 (6), 729-733. Pempek, T. A., Yermolayeva, Y. A., Calvert, S. L. (2009). College students social networking experiences on Facebook. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology , 30, 227-238. Quan-Haase, A., Young, A. L. (2010). Uses and Gratifications of Social Media: A comparison of Facebook and Instant Messaging. Bullentin of Science Technology and Society , 30 (5), 350-361. Reid, J. (2011). â€Å"We don’t Twitter, we Facebook†: An alternative pedagogical space that enables critical practices in relation to writing. English Teaching: Practice and Critique , 10 (1), 58-80. Sheldon, P. (2008). Student favorite: Facebook and motives for its use. Southwestern Mass Communication Journal , 23 (2), 39-53. Spiliotopoulos, T., Oakley, I. (2013). Understanding motivations for Facebook use: Usage metrics, network structure and privacy. Madeira interactive technologied institute , 1-10. Sponcil, M., Gitimu, P. (2010). Use of social media by college students:Relationship to communication and self-concept. Journal of Technology Research , 1-13. Wong, W. K. (2012). FACES on FACEBOOK: A study of self-presentation and social support on Facebook. Discovery- SS Student E-Journal , 1, 184-214.

Media Violence - Helping Youth Understand Death Essay -- Argumentative

Media Violence: Helping Youth Understand Death    We've all heard it before. Blame it on TV, or the movies. If a child bludgeons another child to death with a wrench or shoots a classmate, it is the violent TV programs that they watch which are to blame, not the parents or the supervisors who are supposed to be there to make sure their kids do the right thing. How far is it true that the media is responsible for trivialising death and violence, thus causing the children of America to go out on shooting rampages, or kids in Britain to murder innocent toddlers? First let us look at the way the media portrays death. Death has always been a taboo subject. People do not usually sit around talking about death, especially to children. It may be for that reason that children do not really understand the concept of dying. We constantly see instances in cartoons where a character is killed, but in the next scene, that same character is alive and well again. The fact is that they do not actually die. Characters like Warner Bros. Wild E Coyote never die. They always get up after apparently perishing in a violent way. The South Park character, Kenny, dies a violent death in every single episode (with the exception of the Christmas Special), and that is supposed to be funny. Death is trivialised by the media, and in addition, parents avoid talking about death to their kids, for fear of scaring them, but unknowingly reinforcing the assumption that death is not something to be taken seriously. Death can be described as follows: "It (death) sells newspape rs and insurance policies, invigorates the plots of our television programs, and - judging from our dependency on fossil fuels (84.5% of all U.S. energy consumption in 1995) - - even pow... ...so complex, so contradictory that it is virtually impossible to rule out all other variables to simply measure this one factor." (Death in the mass media). In other words, due to our different ideologies and perspectives, people react to things differently. Therefore, it is difficult to ascertain whether violent acts committed by youth are a direct result of the violence and death they see on TV and in the movies. Who knows, the media may even be helping people develop a healthier attitude towards death. Works Cited Death - An inquiry into man's mortal weakness. "Death in the mass media" http://library.thinkquest.org/16665/mass.htm Kearl, Michael. Kearl's Guide to Sociological Thanatology. "Sociology of Death and Dying" http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/death.html Romei, Stephen. "US recoils: Boy, 6, guns down classmate" The Australian 2 March 2000:10

Destruction is Creation Essay

Two vast classifications of fiction most readers would agree to be are commercial fiction and literary fiction. The commercial fiction focuses on bringing pleasure to the readers and satisfying the readers’ expectations at the end of the story. While the literary fiction focuses on giving the reader an understanding and enlightenment about human nature and society. â€Å"The Destructors† by Graham Greene is a short literary fiction story about the loss of innocence of a gang of adolescents thru destruction. It is a dramatizing story were destruction can happen anywhere. Dramatizing the rebellion of a gang of adolescents who had grown up during World War II, the characters are extremely affected psychologically and team up against society. This literary story helps the reader understand the characters’ mischievous ways, the society’s complexity of moral issues, and the destructors creation. The Wormsley Common Gang is built of mischievous adolescents who li ved thru the World War II madness and destructions. The protagonist, Trevor, or â€Å"T† called by the other members, has been deeply affected by the city’s demolition which is why it is he who gets the wrecking idea to destroy Mr. Thomas’ house. â€Å"We’ll pull it down. We’ll destroy it†, T. says to the gang. Blackie, the ex-leader of the gang starts out in the story with victimless troublesome shenanigans. By the end of the story however, Blackie is fully supportive of the plan to destroy Mr. Thomas’ house. The society’s complexity of moral issues is demonstrated by the protagonist, T. Greene states, â€Å"There was a reason T., as he was afterwards referred to, should have been an object of mockery.† Trevor’s name is common is the upper-class level and is a symbol of his formerly affluent lifestyle and by accepting the change, T., given by the gang, the gang accepted him instead of laughing at him for down grading to the lower-class. Trevor says to Blackie, â€Å"Nobody’s going to steal anything from this house. I kept these for you and me, a celebration. We’ll burn them, one by one.† Trevor shows the gang no care for class distinctions and disregard for wealth by burning all of Mr. Thomas’ hidden life savings. . T. has resentment for the house and ruined the house out of anger and jealously because it is something the gang wish they had and it is something that symbolizes upper-class. It is said in the story, â€Å"Destruction after  all is a form of creation†, meaning that by destroying the house, T. thinks he’s creating an equal quality society and also creating the gang a more criminal identity. By Trevor accepting the shorte ning of his name, T. demonstrates change on himself thru destruction. When the gang is done destroying the house from the inside, the gang ties a rope to the back of a lorry and that’s tied to a great wooden shore that supports Mr. Thomas’ house. The next morning someone gets into the lorry, drives off and takes the house down with him. While Mr. Thomas cries out for his house, the driver can’t help but to laugh and says to him, â€Å"There’s nothing personal, but you got to admit it’s funny.† The driver is helping Mr. Thomas understand that it wasn’t about him, it was about something bigger, it was about his house. This big old house that everybody saw everyday stand there with such dignity between the bomb-sites like a man in a top hat. And in destroying his house, the gang inadvertently create for Mr. Thomas the possibility to more beyond his â€Å"Old Misery† by eliminating the anchor tethering him to a difficult past. This literary short fiction implies itself with characters that have flaws such as T. who went from living in a great environment to living in the Wormsley Common Underground Station living in poverty and knowing what it is like to suffer. The society class levels doesn’t matter to T. and it’s proven thru out the story. T. wants everybody to be the same, no lower class, no upper class, just one society, and gets the idea that by destroying Old Misery’s house he’ll accomplish. The characters deal with real life society tragedies that can enlighten a reader. The gang of adolescents lose their innocence thru the bombing of World War II because t he characters have experienced destruction, war, and life changing tragedies. The effects of the two world wars (World War II and T.’s and the gangs’ war) have given birth to a new and grimmer society, as represented by the gang. The characters experience that by destroying something, change comes along with it and a new creation can be created.

Neuron and Chemical Synapse

Nervous System II: Anatomy Review 1. The somatic nervous system stimulates ____________ muscle. The autonomic nervous system stimulates ___________ muscle, ____________ muscle, and ___________. 2. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) consists of two divisions, each innervating the effector organs. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) generally speeds up everything except digestion. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) generally slows down everything but digestion. Signals from the SNS cause the heart rate to _________, while signals from the PNS cause the heart rate to ___________.Signals from the SNS cause smooth muscles of the intestine to _________ contractions, while signals from the PNS cause these muscles to _________ contractions. Signals from the SNS also cause the adrenal gland to _________ epinephrine and norepinephrine. 3. Neurons can excite or inhibit another neuron. Exciting another neuron will increase the chances of a/an ___________________ in the second neuron. Inhi biting another neuron will make the chances of a/an __________________ less likely. 4. Axons from one neuron can synapse with the dendrites or soma of another axon.These synapses are called ______________________ (on dendrites) and _________________________ (on soma). They carry input signals to the other neuron. Axons from one neuron can synapse with the axon terminal of another neuron. These synapses are called ________________________, and they regulate the amount of ________________________ released by the other neuron. 5. The electrical synapse: Electrical current flows from one neuron to another through _________________. These synapses are always (excitatory or inhibitory). Advantages of the electrical synapses: . _______ signal conduction 2. _____________ activity for a group of neurons. 6. The chemical synapse: Chemical synapses are not as fast as electrical but are the most common type of synapse. A chemical, called a/an ______________________, is released from the sending neuron and travels across the ___________________(a gap between the neurons) to the receiving neuron. Advantages of the chemical synapse: 1. The signal can be either ____________ or ____________. 2. The signal can be ______________ as it passes from one neuron to the next. 7.The neuron conducting the impulse toward the synapse is called the __________________ neuron. The axon terminal contains ___________ ____________ filled with ______________________. An action potential in the axon terminal of the _____________ neuron causes the chemical transmitter ____________________ to be released. It diffuses across the synaptic cleft and binds to receptors on the ________________ membrane. These receptors open __________________. The movement of the charged particles causes an electrical signal called a/an _______________________.

Artificial Intelligence and Technology of the Future essays

Artificial Intelligence and Technology of the Future essays The technology of the future will do things that seem "mad" to most of us today. Our ability to create artificial intelligence is increasing exponentially. In the labs of prestigious institutions across the country, scientists try to create a computer that will replace the brain. This futuristic technology may not be far off; however, it faces harsh opposition by people afraid of what they don't understand. The idea of living past my short window of mortal life is wonderful. I look forward to seeing Dr. Hans Moravec, and other brilliant scientists like him create immortality, for anyone bold enough to accept it. As my favorite band 311 says in their song Evolution, "If it's understood it could be used for good and would if you will believe in all we can conceive." Hans Moravec, the senior research scientist at Carnegie-Mellon's Mobile Robot Laboratory, wrote, "We are on a threshold of a change in the universe comparable to the transition from nonlife to life"(The Conscious Reader, 500). Moravec seeks to create "robotic immortality" for everyone. His idea involves making an exact computer replica of an individual's brain and transferring it into a robotic body. The downloaded brain would have the same thought process and memories as its mortal counterpart. In essence, you would be the same person, in a state of the art robotic body. Moravec is not alone, Marvin Minsky, Donner Professor of Science at MIT, also accepts the idea of artificial intelligence. Minsky is researching the brain. He is attempting to uncover the mystery, behind the operation of the billions of brain cells that allow us to think and remember. Minsky says, "If a person is like a machine, once you get a wiring diagram of how he works, you can make copies" (The Conscious Rea der, 499). If successful, Moravec, Minsky, and others like them, will indeed create the computer brain, making robotic immortality, a reality. Is it right to "play" God? ...