Management accounting is a new branch of accounting that promotes the Essay

Management accounting is a new branch of accounting that promotes the overall managerial performance of an organisation - Essay Example As scholars indicate, an organisation’s management accounting discipline can have a great influence on its other functions. Mainly, management accounting discipline defines an organisation’s managerial ethics. Hence, the concept of management accounting discipline greatly relates to the firm’s corporate governance policies. This paper will particularly discuss the evolution of management accounting discipline and its relationship with other functions in organisations. The paper will give specific focus to the ethical aspects in management accounting, performance management, balanced scorecard, activity based costing and sustainability reporting. Evolution of management accounting discipline The history of management accounting can be dated back to 19th century when the process of industrial revolution compelled firms to maintain better managerial control over their business activities. During that time, most of the firms were run by a single owner or manager usin g their personal assets. As there had been no external stockholders or unsecured debt, organisations never used to prepare elaborated financial reports. Therefore, the concept of management accounting was widely known by its cost accounting functions in olden days. The idea of management accounting has undergone tremendous changes over the last century. As per the Malaysian Institute of Accountants’ (2005) study, the development of this concept can be explained using four recognisable time phases2. Phase 1 - Before 1950, the major function of the management accounting was to determine the costs and to control financial operations using financial tools such as budgeting and cost accounting. Phase 2 - By 1965, the scope of management accounting expanded and hence its focus has been shifted to provision of information for managerial activities such as planning and control. For this purpose, business managers used tools such as decision analysis and responsibility accounting. Pha se 3 – By 1985, management accountants extensively used techniques like process analysis and cost management in order to reduce the wastage of resources in business processes and thereby improve profitability. Phase 4 – By 1995, the management accounting branch focused more on value creation through effective use of resources. For this purpose, management accountants sought help of technologies that can identify the contributing factors to shareholder value, customer value, and organisational innovation3. The emergence of the concept strategic management accounting in late 1980s notably changed the overall outlook of the management accounting4. By the end of the 20th century, increased pressures from capital markets, creditors, and governmental regulatory bodies forced organisations to pay specific attention to managerial control. In addition, increasing business needs persuaded business houses to raise additional funds from different capital suppliers5. In order to ma nage fund raising activities and to identify future fund needs, business managers had to obtain audited financial statements. Likewise, firms had to communicate its financial

The relationship of PR on the Dominant, Counter-Narrative and Power Essay

The relationship of PR on the Dominant, Counter-Narrative and Power - Essay Example The powerful tool of communication through interaction that allows people to share their stories and disseminate that story caused them to unite their experiences. This paper aims to discuss the relationship of dominant narrative and counter-narrative, and the role of public relations to the narratives and its neutrality. Dominant Narrative and Counter-Narrative Dominant narrative is the depiction of real stories that is shaped by culture, social order, and experiences. Bruner (1991) examined the social construction of reality through text, which is referred as the narrative. The author added that dominant narrative is ruled by the conventionality of society wherein such thoughts or acts are considered as valid or within its acceptable limits. It has become the basis on how the human minds are formed through the socially structured concepts on their beliefs, traditions, and experiences. According to Stewart and Maxwell (2010, p. 35), dominant narratives serve as a prototype that enab les people to identify their personal experience as a universal one. Thus, dominant narrative influences how people view the world where they interact and live. When people have a different experience and understanding of the universal stories or the cultural narratives, a counter-narrative emerges that challenges the acceptable beliefs of a society. Willis, Inman, and Valenti (2010) assert that counter-narrative desires to replace the accepted truth by insisting on the truth on their narratives. The narratives contain the analysis and criticism of â€Å"dominant discourses† through disclosing the propensity, shortcoming, and limitation of the comprehensive theories â€Å"to make transparent the relations of power behind specific claims of truth† (Mooney & Evans, 2007, p. 47). Thus, the existence of counter-narratives is caused by the dominant narratives, which define its relationship. Without dominant culture, there will be no arguments that will challenge the univers al truth. This is construed by Bamberg and Andrews (2004, p. x) that counter-narrative â€Å"only makes sense to something else that which they are countering.† Counter-narrative is often associated when other people have different beliefs, which have not been told. Hall (1980) further explains the connection of broadcasting to the narratives. He indicates that media operation is centered on stimulating the dominant narrative because listeners with a different perspective will challenge the idea and eventually ignore the message. Role of Public Relations Public relations is a useful tool in managing and preserving the relationship between an organization and the public, but not only business sector utilizes PR -- even politics. The primary goal of PR is to shift the public opinion that will be favorable to a certain organization or a person (Ledingham & Bruning, 2000). Since Ledingham and Bruning considered that PR manages relations to be positive in the perception of the pub lic, it has a role to play in negotiating the dominant narratives and counter-narratives to gain the approval of the public. Heath (2000, p. 71) asserts that public relations conforms to the ethics of a society, aids in formulating value in which society functions, and provides society â€Å"commercial and policy value.† However, it can also be a powerful tool to persuade people in adopting another persons’ belief with the use of mass media. When individuals convey their point of view, it is natural that their opinion will generate

Environmental Factors Essay Example for Free

Environmental Factors Essay (A) Selection of an Organization   Ã‚  M/S GE Tractors M/s GE Tractors produces tractors, and dairy machines. Tractors are allotted to the Michigan unit in view of its location in the natural market zone for tractors. To supplement GE tractor production, a second tractor assembly line for 45 HP and 59 HP tractors has been in operation since 1985 at Michigan to meet the requirements of tractors in that area. It diversified its product range to provide cushion for the cyclical variations in the market and position itself globally. Besides supplying its products all over USA it has made its position globally. It is exporting tractors and related dairy machines to Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, most of the European countries, Africa and Asian continent.   A specific goal of 7,000 tractors worth $50 million in the coming 1-3 years is targeted so that there is a sustained growth in volume say 5% per annum. (B)High-level domestic and global environmental factors that may impact the organization marketing decision Business planning is basically concerned with the structuring of the relationship between a business and its environment. The environment in which business operates has a greater influence on their successes or failures. There is a strong linkage between the changing environment, the strategic response of the business to such changes and the performance. It is important to understand the forces of environment the way they influence this linkage. The environment which is dynamic and changing holds both opportunities and threats for the organizations. The organizations while attempting at strategic realignments, try to capture these opportunities and avoid the emerging threats. At the same time the changes in the environment affect the attractiveness or risk levels of various investments of the organizations or the investors. The environment in which the business operates broadly consist of the  Ã‚   Political, Ethical, Social, Cultural aspects, Technological and the Ecological related issues like pollution, sustainability etc. The Technological temper and its progress has been the key driver behind the major changes witnessed in the environment making it increasingly complex. These factors often overlap and the developments in one area may influence developments in other. Careful analysis of the above factors helps in identifying major trends for different industries.   Changes in these external forces affect the changes in consumer demand for both industrial and consumer products and services. These external forces affect the above company i.e. M/s GE Tractors regarding the types of products produced, the nature of positioning them and market segmentation strategies, the types of services offered and choice of business. Therefore, it becomes important for the organizations to identify and evaluate environmental opportunities and threats so as to develop a clear mission, designing strategies to achieve long-term objectives and develop policies to achieve short-term goals. (C) Technology impacts the organizations marketing decisions Technological factors represent major opportunities and threats which must be taken into account while formulating strategies. Technological breakthroughs can dramatically influence the organization’s products, services markets, suppliers, distributors, competitors, customers, manufacturing processes, marketing practices and competitive position. M/s GE Tractors is investing heavily in R D projects to bring out new models   hence Technological advancements can open up new markets, change the relative position of an industry and render existing products and services obsolete. Technological changes can reduce or eliminate cost barriers between businesses, create shorter production runs, create shortages in technical skills and result in changing values and expectations of customers and employees. changing The impact of information technology (IT) which combines fruits of both telecommunications and computers has been revolutionary in every field. Not only has it opened up new vistas of business but also has changed the way the businesses are done. IT has specifically brought in another dimension Speed which organizations recognize as the additional source of competitive advantage beyond low cost and differentiation. Manufacturers, bankers and retailers have used IT to carry out their traditional tasks at lower costs and deliver higher value added products and services. (D)Importance of social responsibility and ethics as related to organizations marketing Social: Demographic characteristics such as population, age distribution, literacy levels, inter-state migration, rural-urban mobility, income distribution etc. are the key indicators for understanding the demographic impact on environment.   The growing number of senior citizens and their livelihood needs have been highlighted and the government is being forced to pay more attention in the form of social security benefits etc. Social attitudes, values, customs, beliefs, rituals and practices also influence business practices in a major way. Social values and beliefs are important as they affect the buying behavior. The spread of consumerism, the rise of the middle class with high disposable income, the flashy lifestyles of people working in software, telecom, media and multinational companies seem to have changed the socio-cultural scenario and these needs to be understood deeply. Values in society also determine the work culture, approach towards stakeholders and the various responsibilities the organization thinks of owing to its stockholders and the society. Ethics: Considering Literacy and the composition of literates in the country creates opportunities for particular type of industries and type of jobs. For example on one hand , the presence of multimillionaires in middle east countries encouraged many software giants to set up shops and on the other , the availability of cheap labor ,those countries have become a destination of labor intensive projects. Large labor mobility across different occupations and regions has cut down wage differentials and this has an impact for business to take the proper course. Understanding of the environment in which an organization operates is the foremost pre-requisite towards strategy formulation. The six broad dimensions which the framework provides of the environment are capable of giving a comprehensive overview of how things may be unfolding. The objective of the analysis should not only restrict to the present and past but the real focus should be on projecting the trends into future in order to get the real feel of the environment. This shall enable the firm to proactively strategize for future considering the environment it is going to face and the issues which will be of importance.

Study of Internet Banking in Malaysia

Study of Internet Banking in Malaysia Introduction. Background of study: Many scholars claim that electronic banking started in the 1970s. However, evidence showed that the first visible ATM machine was introduced in the year 1981. The ATM- Automated Teller Machines- are a great component of internet banking. They serve as a great alternative to the brick and mortal branches. Afterwards, tele-banking followed suit it yet another delivery channel for branch financial services via telecommunications devices connected to an automated system of the bank by utilizing Automated Voice Response (AVR) Technology. Before the introduction of internet banking in Malaysia in June 1, 2000, banks operated under an unconsolidated system. It was very difficult to conduct an interbank transaction. The bottleneck system was too frail to face the ever rising global competition from it international counterparts of who, by then, most have gone e-banking. To fully utilize the benefits of internet banking, the Malaysian central bank decided to consolidate its commercial banks. Prior to the implementation of this policy, there were about 23 banks in Malaysia in the banking system. However, after the consolidation and the implementation of internet banking, only 10 core banking groups survived, though some merged. The introduction of Internet system into the banking sector, drastically shoot up the performance and competitive advantage of Malaysian banking system. Inter and intra banking transactions became more flexible and faster. Banks are now able to grant loans to firms and individuals through faster an d easier means à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"e-banking. Individuals and firms are able to pay from and deposit money to their account without having to pay a physical visit to their banks. Almost all banking transaction can now be made at home at anytime on a system that runs almost 24/7.amybank became the first domestic bank to offer internet banking services. In Malaysia, this service is currently provided to individual customers at a 128-bit encryption technology to allay fears of security among consumers. The services provided in this portal includes bill payment, banking enquiry functions, , funds transfer, and accounts rundown, credit card payment as well as operation history. Customer support service is made available via e-mails in addition to telephone lines. Bellow is summary table of internet banking services provided by 6 Malaysian commercial banks BANK SERVICE TRANSACTIONS Southern Bank PC Banking Real-time fund transfers, credit-card payments, access account balances and auto alerts. Hong Leong Bank [emailprotected] Fund transfers, balance enquiries, statement download, bill payments, cheque-book request, cheque-status enquiry, stop cheque and credit-card payments. ec-banking Account Summary, Funds Transfer, Credit Card Service, Bill Payments, Service Request HSBC Bank Hexagon A desktop-banking system via the HSBC Groups proprietary worldwide communications network. Services include transfer of funds within own accounts and third-party accounts. Multi-Purpose Bank Multi-Link Basic banking services account balance enquiry, fund transfer, bill payments and product info. Also offers desktop share-trading via JB Securities Sdn Bhd. PhileoAllied Bank PALDIRECT PALWORLD Provides banking, share investing, news and information, utility-bill payments, insurance, travel, electronic shopping and communications services. RHB Bank RHB OnLine Balance enquiry, fund transfer, remittance services, fixed-deposit placements, credit-card payments, brokering and bill payments. Source: Internet Banking Patronage: An Empirical Investigation of Malaysia by Suganthi, Balachandher and Balachandran. Despite the many complaints about the slow transmission of data, mobile e-banking using the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) has increased the ease with which transactions are made. The introduction of Global Packet Radio Services (GPRS) and 3G phones has help in defeating the speed problem. Thus, speed is no longer a problem. Bellow is a table of summary of banks three banks and there (3) Malaysian commercial banks. BANK NAME SERVICES OCBC Bank i.wap Banking transactions balance enquiry, transaction history, statement request, fund transfer, cheque-book request, stop-payment request, bill payments. Others news, banking rates, treasury news and credit-card services. Philoe Allied Bank Palworld WAP Banking transactions, bill payments, news, share trading. United Overseas Bank Mobile-phone banking Banking transactions such as balance enquiry, statement request, increase in credit-card limit and others. Source: Internet Banking Patronage: An Empirical Investigation of Malaysia by Suganthi, Balachandher and Balachandran. Despite the benefit that concomitantly associates with e-banking, it success largely depends on the reception its get from the people that use it, i.e. customer, retail and corporate alike. Its of no disputable doubt that many bank account holders have signed up for the internet banking facilities. In fact in Malaysia, CIMB for instance, almost all account holders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"i.e. more than 90%- have opted for internet banking due to the ease and flexibility it possesses. Problem statement: However, this success story has only been achievable due to the much resource being invested in creating awareness and expanding the capacity and speed of the system. The questions, Does the result or performance of e-banking justify the resource been used to promote it? How good is the response of the customer, and How well is the system running? Objectives of study The following are the objective of this paper: General Objective: To measure the performance of e-banking in Malaysian economy Specific objective Measure the security level of the system from both the customer and bankers perspectives Measure the level awareness amongst Malaysian denizen Measure the level of convenience in regard to accessibility and speed the users enjoy. Literature Review The advent of internet banking in Malaysia and its rapid growth and adoption has been a popular subject amongst modern researchers. Internet banking has attracted increasing attention since the 1990s. Partly fostered by technological advance, banks started to use the internet as an innovative payment method and as a way to reduce costs, enhance profits and increase customer convenience. Between the 1997 and 2001 Deyoung (2005) the internet banks had started and they managed to identify which online banking have been effective, and the study had shown that most of the internet banks had low profit but the study showed that the internet banks had been growing so fast, and to make these banks survive they need a competitor but the consequences in market share will be limited. Electronic banking (e-banking) is the newest delivery channel of banking services all around the world and has become a vital necessity. The definition of e-banking varies amongst researches partially because elect ronic banking refers to several types of services through which a banks customers can request information and carry out most retail banking services via computer, television or mobile phone (Daniel,1999; Mols, 1998; Sathye, 1999). Burr, 1996, for example, describes it as an electronic connection between the bank and customer in order to prepare, manage and control financial transactions. Many authors appreciate that Internet banking (e-banking) is defined to include the provision of retail and small value banking products and services through electronic channels as well as large value electronic payments and other wholesale banking services delivered electronically. Electronic banking can also be defined as a variety of the following platforms: (a) Internet banking (or online banking), (b) telephone banking, (c) TV-based banking, (d) mobile phone banking, and (e) PC banking (or offline banking) (LuÃ…Â ¡tÃ…Â ¡ik; 2004:9). Electronic banking (e-banking) is the newest delivery channel of banking services. The definition of e-banking varies amongst researches partially because electronic banking refers to several types of services through which a banks customers can request information and carry out most retail banking services via computer, television or mobile phone (Daniel,1999; Mols, 1998; Sathye, 1999). Burr, 1996, for example, describes it as an electronic connection between the bank and customer in order to prepare, manage and control financial transactions. Many authors appreciate that Internet banking (e-banking) is defined to include the provision of retail and small value banking products and services through electronic channels as well as large value electronic payments and other wholesale banking services delivered electronically. Electronic banking can also be defined as a variety of the following platforms: (a) Internet banking (or online banking), (b) telephone banking, (c) TV-based banking, (d) mobile phone banking, and (e) PC banking (or offline banking) (LuÃ…Â ¡tÃ…Â ¡ik; 2004:9). Financial service customers are getting further away from the providers of those services. Petersen and Rajan (2002) found that small business lending, which has been the specialty of local relationship lenders, has been moving further from their customers over time, due in part to remote banking technologies. Remote access technologies in financial services have long been used to increase the geographic market of the financial service provider. Remote access technologies in financial services have long been used to increase the geographic market of the financial service provider. Hannan and McDowell (1990) showed that banks adopted ATMs in order to expand their market share or protect their market against those banks that offered ATMs. Similar arguments have been made about other forms of remote banking technologies by Bouckaert and Degryse (1995), and Degryse (1996). Financial service customers are getting further away from the providers of those services. Petersen and Rajan (2002) found that small business lending, which has been the specialty of local relationship lenders, has been moving further from their customers over time, due in part to remote banking technologies. Remote access technologies in financial services have long been used to increase the geographic market of the financial service provider. Remote access technologies in financial services have long been used to increase the geographic market of the financial service provider. Hannan and McDowell (1990) showed that banks adopted ATMs in order to expand their market share or protect their market against those banks that offered ATMs. Similar arguments have been made about other forms of remote banking technologies by Bouckaert and Degryse (1995), and Degryse (1996). According to the birch and young, they can use the internet to get new channels to reorganize the structure of the banks, they also planning to use electronic channels to be above retail banks. The new delivery channels can help to solve all the problems that the traditional Branches have, which are going to help to provide a lot of services and assistance which is to lead to the growth of electronic commerce. (Jayawardhena and foley) (2000). Referring to sulivan (2000) Furst (2000) that most of the traditional banks are not affected by the channels and they had a study between the existence of the internet baking and the profit that they make. Its acceptance is likewise great for example Sanmugam (2005) in his paper presents the side view of the Internet banking users in Malaysia based on a large-scale study. The large-scale survey was conducted in 2004 to examine selected individual characteristics of over 800 bank customers. He used a logistic model o estimate the probability of a bank customer adopting Internet banking. He suggested that his method is very basic and can help banks in gaining in-depth understanding of their internet banking customers. He also borrowed a leaf from Rogers (1995) in classifying innovation adopters into five broad categories i.e. Innovators, Early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. Innovators are the first adopters, who are interested in technology itself and possess positive technology attitudes while early adopters are also fascinated by technology and are keen to take risks. Both early and late majority consist of mainly young working adults. And lastly the laggards we re found to be predominantly older people. He found out that there was a marginal effect made by social economic factors on the predicted probability of the typical adopter. Also, he found that among social economic environmental limitations, non-availability of Internet services in the rural areas is definitely a significant constraint, reducing the predicted. On the other hand, Bauer (2008) holds that the early adoption by customers of this technology was disappointing to most having this in mind; he resorted to examining the demand for remote access to banking accounts by consumers. He focuses mainly if not solely on the consumer perspective and sought to attain the main determining factor in deciding whether or not to use the internet banking facility. He used the micro-economic theory of consumer utility maximization to replica how consumers decide whether or not to use internet services provided by the banks. His findings reveal that when the technology is new, the traditional risk return models including variables allowing for heterogeneous risk add power in modeling the adoption decision. He stressed the importance of perceived risks in internet banking and claim that it is responsible for some of the hesitation to adopt. He also discovered that younger consumers are found to be early adopters only when they have relatively high lev els of risk tolerance. Ironically, older consumers are found to be less likely to adopt internet banking regardless of their risk tolerances. Also, Maugis et al (2004) examined the pre-e-learning period of internet banking. They sought to measure the significance and extent of e-readiness data from banks from ten (10) countries. They develop a conceptual framework for the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"next generation e-readiness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" focusing on different e-Business applications in different economic contexts with potentially different pathways. in concluding, they made the following propositions: (i) different countries (or economies) are characterized by diverse e-Readiness profiles or inclinations distinct by their individual access and capacity setting; (ii) given the range and diversity of characteristics, there may well be a wide array of variables that shape propensities for both admittance and capacity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a propos some opportunity; (iii) such propensities facilitate the pursuit of precise applications within the broad opportunity context that a country may have at any moment. Frame and Silber (2004, 2009) Silber (1983) the reason that the banks entered this field was because its going to help them and make their work easier. They also managed to offer a service which gone help to deposit and hold accounts and other staff and another service to reduce depositors to help them to compete with other banks. They had been trying to get new deposits so they made a new web service to help them and make their transaction easier and successful. They tried to put all the information about the new market shares to update their customers with every new thing and that have been done with most of the new banks. The rapid growth of the internet indicates that greater competitive pressure contributes to the adoption of Internet banking. They been trying to make banking market more open which they gone make the use of the internet banking more important, the more they used the internet it reduce the interest deposits, there was also a study that they are planning to make everything with technology such as PCs and other staff for people. Some still say otherwise about internet banking (Pavlou, 2003  ; Rotchanakitumnai and Speece, 2003) as the basic model of  «Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  TAM  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ » was extended in many studies by others factors as trust, perceived risks, awareness about Internet Banking, perceived costs. Through these studies, some obstacles to the adoption and the usage of Internet Banking were identified such as the lack of security the human contact, perceived risks Moreover, in order to identify the profile of Internet Banking user, a number of researchers have found that comparing to non users; users rated Internet Banking as being easier, more useful, more trustworthy Also comparing to non users, users are less concerned with human contact, security, perceived risks. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1: Introduction This chapter explains the design and methodology of this research. It begins by identifying this researchs theoretical model, and then followed by a brief discussion on the theoretical framework of the research study. The dependent variable is performance while the independent variables are; security, convenience and speed, trust and awareness of E-banking. The dependent and independent variables will be discussed under the theoretical framework. The second part of this chapter will be the hypotheses developments which are based on the variables. 2: Theoretical Framework Based on the conceptual framework below, it can be seen that there is a total of 4 independent variables which will be analyzed towards one dependent variable in this study. The dependent variable which is, performance of E-banking would be affected in a positive or negative manner based on the independent variables influence. Performance of E-banking Awareness of E-banking Trust Convenience and speed Security 3: Hypothesis Development Dependent variable Performance of E-banking: This deals with the performance measurements for Internet banking and how different people perceive its importance, usefulness and its impacts either negative or positive. Independent variables Security: With the growth of electronic banking have come new forms of security risks which often make users of the this new way of banking H1= Security positively influences performance of E-banking. Convenience and speed: H3= Convenience and speed positively influences performance of E-banking. Trust: H4= Trust positively influences performance of E-banking. Awareness of e-banking: H5= Awareness of e-banking positively influences performance of E-banking. Sampling method We used convenience sampling as our sampling method. Convenience sampling refers to the collect information from the members of the population who were conveniently accessible and available to provide it. For us it was quiet an effective and quick method, most importantly the best as we could attain information from the members of the population swiftly. We used questionnaire method to collect data from our respondents. Sample size The sample size we selected is around 250, we choose this quantity because we felt it was the best and was suitable for the population this is so because in research it has been stated that a sample size between the range larger than 30 and less than 500 is appropriate. The smaller the group size, the harder it is to be certain that the normal curve assumptions have not been violated (Todman and Dugard, 2001). We felt the sample we have elected is a valid and reliable one to carry out and base our investigation on. Sharon K. Ninness (2002) stated this in their research that Roscoe and Siegel and Castellan suggest that in the absence of an unambiguous demarcation between large-n and small-n studies, there is a commonly held assumption among parametric statisticians. Data Collection Method Our data collection methods are two in number. We used both questionnaires and interview to get our data. The questionnaires were distributed to e-banking users in order to get their own rating of the performance of e-banking, while the interview was to ascertain the bankers view of their system. Thus we collected and used primary data. Summary This chapter of the research is basically about the methodology of the project as a whole, it starts off with identifying the theoretical framework model, then a briefly discusses the theoretical framework of the research. The independent and dependent variables have been discussed and elaborated under the theoretical framework, then followed by the development of hypothesis for this research study. Other aspects that make the methodology successful have been also talked about.

Major Problems in Mexican American History by Zaragosa Vargas :: American Citizenship Equality History Essays

Major Problems in Mexican American History by Zaragosa Vargas Vendidos or the sold out ones by Luis Valdez is an enlightening film about the Mexican struggle for survival in the United States. It is thought provoking and challenges the viewer to question some of the history and values that American education has engrained into our lifestyle. Although, the film is only about twenty-five minutes long, it is packed with symbolism and information about the Mexican history in the US. In particular, the film explores the Mexican identity issue. The film opens with Amano Sancho who invites us to look at his shop when Ms. Jiminez walks into the door looking for the perfect Mexican model to take to a governor’s dinner. Sancho is excited to see a Chicana in his store but when he pronounces her name in Spanish she is quick to correct him. Ms. Jiminez she responds in an English accent. This scene has a lot of meaning because we gather that she was assimilated to the Anglo culture. She does not want to associate with her Mexican roots. She insists on being a proper American representative, but she is looking for a Mexican model during her lunch break. She presents Sancho with some stipulations he must be a Mexican she states, "But this one is too dark. I’m looking for a beige one." This is yet another indicator of the detachment Ms. Jimenez has from her culture. I believe she wants a light Mexican so that he can he can be versatile and mix in with the crowds. In Major Problems in Mexican American History by Zaragosa Vargas, we learn that Mexicans struggled to be considered American citizens. Even with the seizure of their lands and the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo Mexicans were still mistreated and abused simply because of the color of their skin. Mexicans learned that it was in their best interest to try to adapt to a new environment. As a result many tried to marry Spanish men or marry men of a higher social-economic status. There is a belief that white means money, so if you can’t marry a well-off man than you must lighten the race. Ms. Jimenez in Los Vendidos, was a light woman herself and made the transition into the white world a lot easier than one of her darker ancestors perhaps. When Sancho states that she likes a little milk in her coffee he is not only referring to the lightening of the race, but he also talks about her admiration of the American culture.

Crime And Punishment :: essays research papers

Crime and Punishment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever since the beginning of modern society, crime and punishment have been linked together. Depend on the seriousness of the crime, those who break the laws are punished accordingly. As the amount of homicide increased in the passed several years, people are demanding tougher punishments for more murder. Among them, the most supported one was the reapplying of execution as a mean of punishment. This notion could help decrease the number of killing, however it also raised many concerns. In order for execution to be reinstated as a punishment for murder, questions such as the morality of executing criminals and the possibility of killing a innocence person must be answered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One concern of executing murderers is the morality of the act. First of all, killing of any kind is wrong. As outlined by laws and guaranteed by the Canada Charter of Human Right, every human is entitle to live. And under no circumstances do anyone else have the right to someone else live away. Extinguishing the life of the murderer is equivalent to murderers killing their victim. If it is illegal for murderers kill, how is it possible for government to be justify to end the lives of the murderers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another concern of executing murderers is the possibility of killing an innocence person. With our improving technology, what we now believe is beyond reasonable doubt might a verdict filled with errors in the future. One very good example of this is the recent acquitting of a man jailed for raped and the murder of a girl. If he was executed at the time, he would of never had the chance to prove his innocence with the D.N.A. tests. He as an innocence man would have been killed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Legalizing execution for the punishing of murderers is a very important decision for Canadians to make. The result of the decision will decide of

Let’s Be Lefties for a Day

â€Å"The perception of normality is based on how closely you resemble the majority of people† (Devry College, 2013, Week One Assignment, Para. 1). I have been right handed since 2nd grade. This was not always the case though. When I began Kindergarten in 1985, I was predominantly left handed. I was persistently discouraged from writing with my left hand and eventually I became fluent in penmanship with my right hand. At the time, I recall being told that â€Å"Everyone should write with their right hand!† I was taught early on, that to be normal is to be like everyone else. To this day I am still right handed as far as for writing, however, I have always favored my left hand for activities such as gymnastics and driving. I remember feeling weird and looked down upon for being different and for taking longer than my classmates to learn how to write with a hand that felt foreign to me. Did it pay off? Was there an advantage to being right handed versus left? These are qu estions that are not as black and white as they may seem.This paper examines normalcy and what it means to be a part of the majority versus being a minority. In our society, right-handed people reflect the majority or dominant group and left-handed individuals would be considered the minority based on the percentage of right versus left-handed people. In order to understand the affects of being in a minority group, we were challenged to â€Å"Let’s be lefties for a day. † It was quickly apparent that our society and environment is catered toward right-handed people.This reflects a principle known as institutionalized discrimination where minority groups are at a disadvantage because of the normal way society operates (Devry College, 2012, Week One Lecture, para. 2). Take buttons for instance. It is much easier to button jackets, or pants, etc†¦ with one’s right hand as opposed to one’s left. The reason for this is simply that the vast majority of mec hanisms for buttoning, or zippering, are adapted for ease of right-handed individuals. Another example is door knobs. Most door knobs are manufactured with right-handed ergonomics in mind.Opening doors with my left hand involved twisting my wrist in a manner that is both awkward and uncomfortable. Further exploration found that items such as golf clubs, scissors, kitchen utensils, and keyboards, are available for left-handed individuals; however, they come at a price. Not only were they more expensive per unit than â€Å"standard† items that are readily available; but they also required internet access as they are primarily found online, and included shipping fees in addition to the already hefty price tag.It was evident that in this instance, being in the minority or less dominant group incurs inconvenience and monetary penalty. â€Å"Through these major institutions, the dominant group will shape the society in ways that reflect its interests, values, and beliefs and minim ize those of less dominant groups. The result is discrimination† (Devry College, 2013, Week One Lecture, Para. 2). Having spent the majority of my life right-handed, I hadn’t given much thought to what it means to be left-handed.It is easy to not have to consider what life is like for those in the less dominant groups when things as simple as the ease of opening a door, or a can, or sharpening a pencil, and/or buttoning ones pants do not require a second thought. Devry College, 2013, Week One Lecture states that â€Å"[u]nlike the dominant group, most minority groups recognize and understand cultural differences. Unfortunately, they also feel the need to be wary and defensive at all times† (Para. 8). This is very similar to how I felt almost 30 years ago when I took my first penmanship class in Kindergarten and was instructed to become a rightie versus a leftie.The Devry College, 2013, Week One Lecture continues â€Å"[t]he end result is that subordinate groups always know and understand more about the dominant group than the dominant group does about the subordinate group† (Para. 8). It is important to recognize that we all have differences, be it cultural, ethnic, gender, or something as seemingly simple as being right or left-handed. These differences are what creates diversity and adds richness and color to our world and â€Å"†¦is a major component in the social glue holding a culture together.What we want to do is simply recognize that we do have prejudices arising from our ethnocentric view of the world† (Devry College, 2013, Week One Lecture, Para. 10). There is an old familiar saying that you never know a man till you have walked a mile in his shoes. This is so true and it can be easy to forget that beyond our obvious differences, we are all human. How does all of this relate to the business setting? M. Bell, 2012 states that â€Å"[i]n inclusive organizational cultures, employees feel as though they are accepte d, belong, and are able to contribute to decision-making processes† (M.  Bell, 2012, p. 5).Imagine all of the important discoveries, policies, and practices that would not exist if we had not recognized the contributions of minority members of our society! That said, there is still a long way to go. Individuals need to be recognized and considered for their qualifications when seeking employment or promotion, not discriminated due to their gender, ethnicity, or cultural differences. In conclusion, the leftie experiment was a real eye-opener! I never realized how difficult seemingly simple things can be for some, and how much I take for grantedThe world is a different place for minorities and we need to level the playing field through acceptance and understanding. Ethnocentricity is not always a bad thing. It is the tie that binds us; but when used to discriminate, it serves only to tear us apart. How do we move forward? Devry College, 2013, Week One Lecture declares that hon esty and â€Å"explaining all options and services available† are key to braking down the barriers between majority and minority groups created by distrust (para. 11).