Word Choice Lessen vs. Lesson

Word Choice Lessen vs. Lesson Word Choice: Lessen vs. Lesson Sometimes, when two words look and sound similar, they come from the same root term. Other times, the similarity is a complete coincidence. Such is the case with lessen and lesson. And because these words are unrelated, you should always take care to use them correctly in your writing. Lessen (Become Less) The verb â€Å"lessen† means â€Å"reduce in degree or amount.† This can be either something that happens naturally or something someone does actively: Its speed has lessened since the previous observation. I eat a healthy diet to lessen my risk of heart disease. As you may have guessed, this word is related to the adverb â€Å"less.† Lesson (Learning Opportunity) The word â€Å"lesson† is a noun meaning â€Å"a time set aside for learning†: The teacher always prepared lessons that would keep the kids interested. In the sentence above, for example, we’re talking about a time set aside for formal education in a classroom. But learning a â€Å"lesson† can include many things, from taking proofreading lessons online to learning from a mistake: After missing my flight, I learned a lesson about planning my journeys. We will not imprison you this time, but let this fine be a lesson to you. The â€Å"less† in â€Å"lesson† isn’t the same as the â€Å"less† in â€Å"lessen,† though. Rather, this word comes from the Latin lectionem, which meant â€Å"a reading.† And the original use of â€Å"lesson† reflects this, since it once referred specifically to a reading from the Bible rather than teaching in general. Summary: Lessen or Lesson? These words may sound and look similar, but they have very different uses: Lessen is a verb meaning â€Å"become less† or â€Å"reduce in amount or degree.† Lesson is a noun that usually refers to a period of time used for teaching. It can also mean â€Å"learning opportunity† more generally. And since these words are so different, you’ll want to use the right one every time! So to make sure your writing is always error free, try submitting a document for proofreading today.

The top high paying part-time jobs for college students

The top high paying part-time jobs for college students With the expenses associated with higher learning- tuition, housing, books, clothing, food- most college students can’t afford to forgo work while attending school. Considering the time limitations that come with being a full-time student, you likely can’t afford to take on a full-time job, either. Fortunately, there are actually some part-time jobs that pay really well that may be the perfect fit for a college student already bearing a full workload. Here are 8 of them. 1. Social media assistantDo you spend a big chunk of your free time checking out scrolling through Instagram and Twitter? If so, you’re not alone, and utilizing social media doesn’t just have to be something you do when you’re bored or procrastinating. Companies rely on social media to get the word out about their goods and services, and they need social media devotees to manage their accounts and cook up fresh content. If you’re a creative thinker and have a basic grasp of m arketing, you could make as much as $21 an hour as a social media assistant.2. TutorIf you’re more the studious type than the social butterfly, you might consider one of the most tried-and-true after school jobs. Tutoring might involve helping students raise their grades in particular problem subjects or get top scores on standardized tests such as the SAT or GRE. Tutoring jobs generally pay anywhere from $30 to $100 an hour. Even the low end of that scale is good money for a part-time gig!3. Dog walkerSay you don’t particularly like socializing online or dealing with one-on-one tutoring sessions- maybe you’re more of a dog person than a people person. Well, there are opportunities in the canine sector as well. Dog owners who are short on time or stuck in the office most of the day rely on professionals to keep their pets from making a mess at home. Cleaning up poop probably isn’t anyone’s idea of a party, but dog walkers work very short hours- per fect for ensuring plenty of study time. They also tend to earn $15 to $30 per walk, so students who can commit to walking multiple pooches more than once a day can really rake in the doggie dough.4. Lyft driverOne potential downside to being a dog walker is that you need to be on call at particular times of the day, as dictated by the pet owners who need you. The big boon of being a driver for companies such as Lyft is that you can set your own hours. Since peak times are before classes start in the morning, as well as evenings and weekends, being a Lyft driver is ideal for the college student. With tips, the average Lyft driver earns about $18 per hour.5. Freelance writer/editorFor creative types, there are a number of freelance opportunities that can be great sources of income. If you fancy yourself a wordsmith, you should consider seeking out freelance writing work, which can entail anything from blogging to creating study content for your fellow students.If you are more comforta ble tidying up text than creating it, you might also find work as a freelance editor. Writers often make as much as $55 an hour and editors earn up to $40- though you can make a lot more than that depending on how quickly you’re able to churn out high-quality work.6. Freelance photographerThe basic features of the smartphones we all carry around have turned all of us into amateur photographers. If your snapping skills are better than the average person’s, you might find work as a freelance photographer. These positions require both the ability to take a superb pic and edit it. There are a multitude of photography fields, but the one that seems to draw the most income is product photography, which can make you around $20 an hour.7. Freelance web designerIf your computer skills extend well beyond editing images, using social media, and blogging, you might have what it takes to be a web designer. Of all the jobs on this list, web designer demands the most specialized skil ls, but the pay is great- at up to $30 per hour.8. FundraiserWalking dogs, transporting passengers, and generating online content can all be effective ways to make some cash, but do they really make the world a better place? If you have loftier goals, you can pursue them while also helping to pay for your education as a charity fundraiser. You’d be getting out the word about a worthy cause to expand awareness and attract potential supporters. If you have experience dealing with the public on a professional level and a knack for networking, you can be making up to $30 an hour during those hours away from your classroom and coursework.

Request for Proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Request for Proposal - Assignment Example MemaTech Company is a comprehensive solution for integration of large networks that assists companies overcome the technical and operational hurdles by documenting and discovering the networks of the two companies in the first week, plan the virtual network merge in the company within the first month and execute the network merge with proper connection within the first year. During the first week, MemaTech Company will discover and then document the pre-merge network (Janevski, 2003). The organization will perform a discovery of null network and Q-map for documentation of the topology and design of L3/L2. Therefore, the merged companies will have the benefit of updating their network knowledge. MemaTech Company is a knowledge station that will minimize the need of conventional transfer efforts like meeting. During the first month, the company will perform virtual merging. Here the company will leverage the discovery results. MemaTech will create three workspaces that will include the workspace for Company A, workspace for Company B, and workspace for company A and B. From there the hurdles of merging the network will be dealt with inside the company. The company will discover the IP addresses that over plan or planning the migration of the IP addresses. Here the company will compare the IP tables for Company A and Company B to come up with the IP addresses that overlap. The plan is as shown below MemaTech Company will analyze the routing protocol for the two companies, and provide both a graphic and listed view of the information that was collected (Janevski, 2003). For instance if both companies use the two area-Os exist and OSPF, the company will quickly leverage the issue. The company will use the routing table to compare features to spot the problematic routes that needs merging. As shown in the diagram below MemaTech Company will further

Differences Between Jefferson and Hamilton Schools Essay - 3

Differences Between Jefferson and Hamilton Schools - Essay Example This notion is supported by the explanation that elites have more resources and better skills set for the formation and execution of government. This view is further disregarded by Jefferson through another counter-argument that every form of government is corruptible and giving such power to limited individuals makes rest of the public vulnerable. Hamilton, on the other hand, believes that for stronger control over a system, executives in the government need to be strong and have complete sovereignty (Geer et al. 13). Another fundamental difference between Jefferson and Hamiltonian approaches is the presence of state government. Jefferson believes that the division of power between state and national governments would allow citizens to have more control of government’s decisions whereas Hamilton recognizes the concept of strong national government. Other than supporting citizens’ extensive rights, Jefferson believes that expanding gateways of influence would allow bett er liberty to people and will keep government accountable for its actions. This view is also contested by Hamiltonian approach as it believes that restriction in gateways would allow access of only educated, skilled and experienced elites to the government matters. Jeffersonian view believes that state should be more involved in internal matters instead of global issues. A hamiltonian approach, on the contrary, believes that strong strategic positioning in global affairs through established industrial and military power would benefit United States (Cunningham 106). Analyzing these differences helps in understanding that a Hamiltonian approach provides a more holistic system of government. It is understandable that all the individuals i.e. elites and common men, cannot have the same profile and skills for participating in government. Therefore, allowing educated individuals to have access to government offices ensures that only the most suitable and capable talent runs this instituti on. Of course, selecting elites representing different social segments would benefit American citizens more. There are rather limited benefits accrued to the American nation due to irreconcilable differences among these two approaches. Now, United States has a system which allows elites to represent interests of communities and states. Both of these regimes have strong disagreements regarding structure and role of government. Perhaps, finding a middle way i.e. system run by elites for the welfare of Commons would be more suitable. Question No. 6 Division of Power in American Constitution Division in power represents a division of authority among different branches of government along with national and state governments. The federal government divides into legislature which is Congress, executives which include president and other bureaucracy, and judiciary which is Supreme Court and federal courts (Geer et al. 11). Another name for this vertical division of power is the separation o f powers. This division of power among different branches of government ensures that no branch becomes too independent and strong in its authority and operations that it harms the interests of common citizens. This system of branches having authority over each other is called checks and balance.  

Against the Machiavellian Principles of Politics Essay Example for Free

Against the Machiavellian Principles of Politics Essay According to Machiavelli, the affairs of the state reside in the power of the prince. It is the prince which determines, directs, and unifies the components of the state. The prince therefore should act to preserve, strengthen, and protect his position from danger, whether external or internal, without due moral consideration. In short, with the preservation of the state in mind, the prince should act with political diligence to promote it, regardless of the means. According to Machiavelli, â€Å"he who considers what ought to be done rather what is done will rather find himself in a state of ruin than preservation† (Machiavelli, 29). Political action free from any moral consideration is based from three assumptions: 1) Human nature is corrupt and selfish. It is impossible for the prince to satisfy all the needs of the people without injuring the welfare of others. The people is always eager to overthrow their government, to mock the instruments of the state, and to criticize the actions of the prince, whenever their interests (whether political or economic) are affected. According to Machiavelli, â€Å"Because this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life and children, as is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against you† (Machiavelli, 29); 2) Morality and religion only limit the actions of the prince. In fact, when fortune fades away, the prince may become unable to defend himself from disconcerting threats. It is therefore important, according to Machiavelli, for the prince to â€Å"guard himself as from a rock; and he should endeavour to show in his actions greatness, courage, gravity, and fortitude; and in his private dealings with his subjects let him show that his judgments are irrevocable, and maintain himself in such reputation that no one can hope either to deceive him or to get round him† (Machiavelli, 32). The prince should endeavour to show himself as the bearer of righteousness, fidelity, and religion, without endangering his own power. This impression is only used to preserve the power of the state. Only in this way can religion and morality be twisted for the benefit of the prince; 3) The success of a prince is never solely dependent on law, morality, or religion. Sometimes, political success is achieved by political deception, alteration of political favors, and in general by arms. It is therefore necessary for the prince to use these instruments to preserve the instruments of the state. It is this condition that the position of a prince who took the state by arms is much more endangered than that of a prince appointed by the people or the Church. To preserve his power, the prince must take moral considerations and religion as only instruments of that purpose. General Critique In order to provide a more comprehensive criticism against Machiavellian politics, there is a need to draw important propositions from different thinkers and theories. Some of the selected philosophers and social theorists are as follows: St. Thomas Aquinas, Immanuel Kant, Rousseau, and Montesquieu. According to Aquinas, morality and religion are necessary instruments for the governance of the state. In his book â€Å"De Regnum† (On Kinship), Aquinas argued that it is always necessary for the ruler to take the precedents of moral and religious obligations as a means to please Divine justice (Curtis, 431). For Aquinas, the foundation of the state is divine in orientation. It is founded by the grace of the Divine Being (who willed the creation of the state after man’s fall). A prince who disregards the religion and morality disregards the Creator. Aquinas here does not disregard the necessity of preserving the power of the state. What Aquinas emphasized is the excesses of unscrupulous rule – a condition which would be punished by God. For Aquinas, a good prince ‘will always be favored by God’ (and preserve his base of power). Rousseau argued that morality is borne out of the so-called ‘social contract. ’ The people gathered to appoint a ruler who would promote their interests. The ruler has the following obligations: 1) to protect the people from threats, 2) to maintain peace and order, 3) to promote solidarity and good governance, and 4) to relinquish power whenever the people chooses a new ruler. A ruler who fails to accomplish these tasks would lose his position. The state, however, would remain intact because the instrument of power resides not in the prince but in the people. According to Rousseau, a prince who put all the instruments of power in his hands is more likely to fall than a prince who measure his authority based on public will. Montesquieu offered a more critical and comprehensive understanding of the position of the prince. According to him, an unruly rebellion of the people is tantamount to political disobedience – a violation of the law of the land. This instance applies only if two conditions are met. First, the ruler does not show any violation of the law. And second, the people unlawfully breaks the social contract and sought to depose a good government. In short, according to Montesquieu, there is no need for a ruler to follow the Machiavellian principles because the law is the manifestation of social and moral obligation, the codec of ethics (Curtis, 613). Here, one may infer that the actions of the ruler should be based solely on this criterion. A ruler who follows the law would never fall in disgrace. Using Kant’s universal moral standards (in his book â€Å"Prolegomena†), one can create a set of moral standards which would be used in judging the actions of a ruler. First, one should determine whether the consequence and intensity of political actions. If a political decision disfranchises a significant portion of the population, such decision is illegitimate (not morally neutral). Second, one may determine the means by which decisions are carried out. Here, legality is an important factor. Third, one may determine whether the actions of the state are in congruent with accepted international standards of morality. Here, an external standard is added in order to ensure the moral efficacy of the state in all levels. The proper enforcement of these external standards is either left to the disposition of international agencies or to the efficacy of treaties. In short, internal political standards of morality are enforced by the state (the people serve as the watch guard of the state). Machiavellian concepts of political deception and moral neutrality have no standing in this type of political set-up. Works Cited Curtis, Michael. The Great Political Theories. New York: Avon Books, 1981. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Trans. by W. K. Marriott. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1995.

The Shinto Creation Story and Genesis Essay -- Scripture Analysis

â€Å"And God said let there be light, and there was light†¦Ã¢â‚¬  according to the Genesis story, an entity which bears no tangible face or bodily structure created the world with nothing more than a swift tongue. It bore the shape of the earth, the plentiful bounty of the soil, the beauty of animals, and the wonder known as humanity all within the timespan of seven days. It created the notion of societal law, moral principle, and a reverence for a deity by loyal subjects. And it instituted a harsh rule of law which instigated the idea that if any part of you, mind or body, were to disobey it, you would be punished in the now and in the after. Nonetheless, the Christian telling of how our world came to be, although following a path negligent of the idea of a multilateral approach to understanding God, seems to carry some similarities to that of Shintoism. Or differences? The Shinto creation story is a work of art in and of itself, not to mention it takes on the idea that mult iple humanoid deities, not an unidentified mass of spiritual benevolence, created this world. In addition, we take on a different approach to creation, in which rather than things being born out of spoken word, our world was actually artistically created by two master creators of land and sea, Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto . First, let us analyze the particulars of the Christian Genesis story as to begin formulating the basis of comparison and contrast. We shall look at the two parts of Genesis, the first discussing the formulation of earth and its inner particulars, in concert with the first few verses associated with the second part of Genesis, which touches on the creation of the first man and woman: â€Å"Light is commanded to appear†¦ the light is divided f... ...ted human existence as the result of God’s benevolence, and his want to create a universe inhabited by beings of his own image and his perfection, not the other way around. However, both serve the purpose of representing their respective cultures, in the case of Japanese, who are proud of their unified state under the watch of Kami and his sub-deities, and the case of the world of Christians, who view God as a supreme being bound to a code of law which serves to protect their interests and ensure that their life is respected and continued. Works Cited http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/ http://crab.rutgers.edu/~goertzel/genesis.htm Shimazono, Susumu. 2005. "State Shinto and the Religious Structure of Modern Japan." Journal Of The American Academy Of Religion 73, no. 4: 1077-1098. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 23, 2012).

Describe the Role of Hr Professionals in Designing

Introduction This question asks to address how bullying policies and procedures are a task of HR to implement in the workplace therefore this answer will define exactly what bullying is, what policies should be in place and any recommendations for the occurrence of bullying in the workplace. Relevant case examples will be used to support the argument along with relevant referenced authors, on this topic. On concluding, how bullying can be prevented will be reflected on after stating what the future may hold for bullying in the workplace.What is bullying? Since the shift from Uni-cultural societies to multi-cultural societies in recent times, there has been a significant decrease in perceived inequalities in the workplace. However, the issue of bullying is still prominent in many organisations, (especially throughout Ireland today). Baillien et al. (2009) defines bullying as persistent negative behaviour at work in which the victim is subject to psychological, physical or sexual acts by the perpetrator and often find themselves in a position where they are unable to defend themselves.The analysis carried out found that bullying, or some form of harassment, was likely to occur out of one of three pathways: interpersonal frustrations, interpersonal conflict and intragroup level. The problem with the latter is that the culture of gossip within organisations has become a norm and hence the certain behaviours by perpetrators may often be overlooked. Although bullying is often associated with actions that people carry out, it also includes actions that individuals fail to do such as providing necessary training to a particular employee. For example, if new technology is introduced into the firm, extra training will be required. Hence, if bullying of a certain employee was occurring, this may lead to their deprivation of sufficient training which in turn will have a negative consequence for the entire firm. ) Within Maslow (1943) hierarchy of needs framework, safety ne eds are crucial to all employees and the victimisation due to bullying will prevent the fulfilment of this need in the workplace. As a result, low productivity and low morale may be present within the workforce.Policies/Procedures As the question states, it is the task of the HR department to ensure the design & implementation of policies and procedures to prevent or deal with the occurrence of workplace bullying. The event hierarchy of the bullying (reference) intervention process has three levels: the prevention zone which involves policy enquiries by the target, the intervention zone which begins with an informal complaint and may lead to a formal complaint, and the failure zone where legal action is taken.In order to prevent an employee reaching the highest level and engaging in legal action, it is the responsibility of HR to assist in dealing with the problem immediate to the first complaint. Bullying/Harassment must be occurring in the workplace as opposed to personal life con flicts between workers in order for HR to manage the situation but studies carried out in this area have shown that senior level management are often weak in dealing with issues of bullying or harassment. (Baillien et al. 009) Consequently, when HR is implementing practices, they need to ensure the co-operation and comprehension of senior level managers in this area. There are three main actions HR can take in order to reduce bullying situations. Firstly the implementation of clear, concise policies needs to be carried out which state unacceptable behaviours classed as bullying or harassment and the procedures an individual may take if found subjected to this behaviour. In addition to this, a Code of Conduct should be established in order to set out training procedures for employees and management as a means of preventing 7workplace bullying.Within management training, conflict resolution and mediation skills need to be provided in order to act effectively. During the recruitment of management in an organisation, it is vital to ensure they have people management skills along with task related competence. Finally, often the most important thing HR and senior managers can do is lead by example. If policies and procedures are implemented but managers are not behaving in a way that complies entirely with these, then this could lead to adverse effects by subordinates. ExampleOne primary example of where HR failed to act on behaviour of a new employee that initially was unacceptable by the firm but resulted in unacceptable behaviour to moral society was in relation to Rob Parsons within Morgan Stanley. (Burton, 1998) Parsons was hired to achieve a growth implementation strategy as Nasr believed he was the man to do it. However, a culture of strict policies and procedures within the organisation meant that Parsons Non-compliance immediately stood out. Initially, he was not involved with bullying but was seen as a ‘lone wolf’ within the firm, significantl y seen through his inability to perform within a team.As time lapsed, HR and Parsons Management failed to confront him on his behaviour and essentially allowed the collapse of their organisational policies for him due to the fear he may leave the firm. Eventually, he was fired as a result of a bullying case that occurred at a client meeting. He had been making unacceptable critical remarks to a fellow female employee of the firm, humiliating her in front of the client. Hence, the occurrence of Parson’s psychological bullying was finally evident and may have been prevented if HR followed through with their policies with all employees including Rob Parsons.Future of Workplace Bullying Due to the increase of technology, the working environment now often extends into the realm of personal life. In effect, this may cause the enabling of workplace bullying to stretch further than the perimeter of the four walls of the organisation and in particular, social networking sites are a pr imary target for the extension of this bullying. However, since present policies and procedures focus on ‘workplace bullying’, victims may be limited to the actions they can take.With the growth in the integration of personal and work life, HR may be unable to re-address their policies to include outer work boundaries due to legal constraints. Although, conversely it may be easier to identify and prosecute the perpetrators of bullying or harassment if the behaviour extends to personal life, such as through social networking sites. Conclusion Bullying and harassment is often a topic ignored within the workplace as victims sometimes feel ashamed and managers choose not to deal with the problem. However it is the responsibility of HR to ensure these practices are implemented and abided by all, including management.Failure to do this will undoubtedly lead to extensive consequences such as reputational damage to the firm, direct costs including replacement costs and indirect costs such as low productivity. Although not a continuing case of bullying, the Morgan Stanley case briefly highlights how the failures of HR and senior management to address his unacceptable behaviour from the outset led to undesired effects, including his removal from the firm and legal action by a fellow employee. All in all, the prevention of workplace bullying can be assisted by appropriate practices carried out by HR.

Candide

While reading Voltaire’s Candide, I sensed a touch of detachment on the part of the narrator regarding the violence occurring in the book. He began the story by short, hardly imaginative descriptions of the characters, ending the 1st chapter with an account of the brief lover’s tryst between Candide and Miss Cunegonde which was perturbed by the latter’s father having a fit and without seeming ado, deals Candide with some â€Å"kicks on the breech†, and driving him out the door.This then makes Cunegonde faint but when the girl wakes up, she is met with a boxing of her ears by her mother. The recounting was fast-paced so much so that by the end of the chapter, I felt as though the master of the castle had shut the door to my face also: after such fleeting events—fleeting descriptions, fleeting meetings, fleeting allusions to the depth of the characters’ relationships with each other (or rather, shallowness thereof)—the author ends withou t so much as a description of how the people felt.We are not given an insight as to how Candide felt about being abruptly separated from his beloved, or how all their love came to be in the first place, although regarding the former, Candide is shown to not have fought for his love nor his home and went about all wretched, for god knows how long, before he naively gets recruited into ranks of the enemy.He then proceeds with another curt account of Candide’s subsequent inclusion into the Bulgarian army, and how, merely because he chose to take a leisurely walk that soldiers (or â€Å"heroes†) were apparently supposed, he was made to run the gauntlet after choosing that over being shot in the head. The atrocity of the actions are rendered impotent to the reader because Voltaire treated them with such a detached air of someone who is merely observing events.Then again a normal observer would not be as indifferent as he was. To an extent, his description of the events beca me a cruel comedy: the naivete and foolishness of the â€Å"young metaphysician†, a phrase so obviously paradoxical; and, the apparent lack of political and moral judgment on the part of the Bulgarians prior to killing someone who merely took a walk when he was not supposed to, or in other words, the lack of hesitation to commit unjust execution, which might as well be murder.This attitude towards the characters—like that of a cruel god who plays with his own creations/followers like a mean child—continues throughout the first 15 chapters my most favorite being the part where the cowardly Candide makes his way around heaps of dead or dying people, and sees the victims of war: Voltaire gives me the impression that he has a fascination for the morbid, the gruesome, and the morally offensive.No, I do not share this â€Å"fascination†, I just meant to say that it was in this Chapter that Voltaire appeared less indifferent. He gives little value to the emotion s and thoughts of his characters, but he has an eye for detail of the surroundings. Personally I find the narration quite humorous, the characters are rendered absurd, the punishments for their absurdity severe and exaggerated. As I said earlier, it is a cruel comedy, full of wit and an undercurrent of intellectual criticism perhaps of the society in which Candide dwelt.However, I also find it morally offensive, as if it were real life and not just a satirical account of a foolish boy, the characters, what with the atrocities, cruelties and hardships they were put through, were treated in an inhumane manner by the narrator: there is a lack of compassion on his part, a quality which I think necessary in this story. Or at least to prove that the narrator has a piece of humanity in him.The lackluster account of the events; the focus on the gruesome and the morbid— all of these leave an air of innate cruelty, of cynicism, of paganism or atheism, of blasphemy, and deep hatred of t he lives the characters had. I am given the impression that the author wishes to enlighten us on the perspective of men who care less for others and more for themselves—indifferent of other’s suffering, or if they harbor any feeling, it is that of sheer cruel amusement.

Questions and Answers on International Capital Budgeting Essays

Questions and Answers on International Capital Budgeting Essays Questions and Answers on International Capital Budgeting Paper Questions and Answers on International Capital Budgeting Paper 1. Why should the required rate of return for a capital budgeting problem be project specific? Doesn’t the firm just have to satisfy an overall cost-of-capital requirement? Answer: The required rate of return for a capital budgeting problem is project specific because the firm is viewed as a portfolio of projects owned by the shareholders. It is the shareholder’s perspective that matters, and it is their opportunity cost that gives the required rate of return for a project. The question that the managers should ask is the following: If the shareholders were to receive the cash flows from the project directly, what risk would they associate with the cash flows? Notice that this immediately suggests that the required rate of return should be project specific and that it should reflect the market risk that continues to be present when an investor holds a large, well-diversified portfolio. 2. What is the conceptual foundation of the flow-to-equity approach to capital budgeting? Answer: In the flow-to-equity approach to capital budgeting, the after-tax cash flows that are available to be paid to equity holders are discounted at the levered equity required rate of return. Hence, the interest costs of debt are subtracted from the earnings of the firm in considering the amount of tax the firm will owe, and the interest payments that the firm must make are taken out of the residual free cash flow. The discount rate for these levered equity flows therefore must reflect the fact that equity is a residual claimant on the cash flows of the firm. 3. What is the weighted average cost of capital? Answer: The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) approach to capital budgeting involves forecasting the all-equity free cash flows of the firm and then finding the value of the levered firm by discounting the all-equity free cash flows at an appropriate WACC. It is a one-step procedure for finding the value of the operating assets plus the value of the interest tax shields. The weighted average cost of capital is the weighted sum of the after-tax required rate of return on the firm’s debt and the required rate of return on the firm’s levered equity. The weight for the after-tax rate of return on the firm’s debt is the ratio of the market value of the debt to the market value of total assets. The weight for the rate of return on the firm’s levered equity is the ratio of the market value of the equity to the market value of total assets. Once the total value of the firm is found, the market value of equity is found by subtracting the market value of the d ebt from the value of the levered firm. 4. Should a firm ever accept a project that has a negative NPV when discounted at the weighted average cost of capital? Answer: One reason we like the adjusted net present value approach to valuation is that it specifies all of the possible sources of value for a project. The WACC approach works well for projects that will support a certain percentage of leverage and that have no other associated features, such as interest subsidies or growth options that might add value to the project. If the only cash flows from the project are the ones that are being discounted and there are no other sources of value, other than the interest tax shields that are included in the WACC analysis, then the WACC approach finds the market value of the levered project. If this is negative, the project should be rejected. 5. Can you do capital budgeting for a foreign project using a domestic currency discount rate? Explain your answer. Answer: The answer to the question is yes; you certainly can do capital budgeting for a foreign project using a domestic currency discount rate. You just have to be careful to match the cash flows with the discount rate. One fundamental principle of capital budgeting is that the discount rate should reflect the currency of denomination of the expected cash flows that are being discounted. If a foreign project is providing expected future foreign currency cash flows, these can be discounted to the present using a foreign currency discount rate that reflects the riskiness of the project. The domestic currency present value of this foreign currency present value can then be determined by converting from the present value of foreign currency into the present value of domestic currency using the spot exchange rate. Alternatively, one can generate expected future domestic currency cash flows in future years by converting expected future foreign currency cash flows into expected future dome stic currency cash flows using expected future spot exchange rates. These expected future domestic currency cash flows should then be discounted to the present using an appropriate domestic currency discount rate. 6. Why might it be important to use period-specific discount rates when doing capital budgeting? Answer: We know that risk free spot interest rates are the appropriate discount rates for cash flows from risk free pure discount bonds. If the term structure of spot interest rates is not flat, that is, if it is upward sloping or downward sloping, using the same discount factor for all the cash flows of a risky project will not be correct. If the term structure is upward sloping, and you use the single long-term rate as the base for your risk adjusted discount rate, you will needlessly penalize the earlier cash flows from the project because short-term spot interest rates are lower than long-term spot interest rates. Conversely, if the term structure is downward sloping, and you use the single long-term rate as the base for your risk adjusted discount rate, you will be incorrectly enhancing the value of the earlier cash flows from the project because the short-term interest rates that should be used to discount near-term cash flows are higher than the long-term rates that should be used to discount longer-term cash flows. 7. Why is it necessary to consider forecasts of real currency appreciation and depreciation when doing an international capital budgeting analysis? Answer: The most important reason to consider forecasts of real currency appreciation or depreciation is that it is likely that a change in the real exchange rate will affect the cash flows of the project. Remember that a real depreciation of the domestic currency makes domestic exporters more profitable and domestic importers less profitable. Also, real appreciations typically reverse themselves somewhat slowly, so that knowledge of the current situation is necessary to know whether the future expected changes in the real exchange rate are going to enhance or detract from the cash flows of the project. Finally, if forecasts of nominal exchange rates are being made with uncovered interest rate parity, these will be somewhat different than forecasts based on relative purchasing power parity. If the market thinks that there will be a real appreciation or depreciation in the future, forecasts of nominal exchange rates based on relative purchasing power parity will not be correct. 8. What is the rate of return on invested capital? How is it calculated? Answer: The rate of return on invested capital is the free cash flow of the firm divided by the firm’s total assets. If the firm is earning its weighted average cost of capital, the rate of return on invested capital should equal its WACC. If we think of an investment that the firm is making, the rate of return on capital expenditure is the incremental free cash flow divided by the CAPX. Here again, it is important for the firm to do investments in which the rate of return on invested capital equals or exceeded the WACC – otherwise the firm is destroying value. 9. If you borrow a foreign currency, what interest deduction would you receive on your taxes? Answer: When you borrow in a foreign currency, you get an interest deduction for the domestic currency value of the foreign interest that you pay. 10. If you borrow a foreign currency, are there any capital gains taxes to worry about? Answer: If you borrow in a foreign currency, there are capital gains taxes to worry about. If the domestic currency has appreciated relative to the foreign currency between when the initial borrowing took place and when the principal is being repaid, it takes less of the domestic currency to repay the foreign currency principal than the amount of domestic currency that you had access to when you borrowed. Thus, you are repaying less than you borrowed and that capital gain is income to you and is taxed by the fiscal authorities. Conversely, if the domestic currency has depreciated relative to the foreign currency between when the initial borrowing took place and when the principal is being repaid, it takes more of the domestic currency to repay the foreign currency principal than the amount of domestic currency that you had access to when you borrowed. Thus, you are repaying more than you borrowed and that capital loss is deductible for tax purposes. 11. Why might a manager accept a high-variance, low-value project instead of a low-variance, high-value project? Answer: Shareholders only gain in good states of the world, and if the variance of the firm is higher, they gain more in those good states. Holders of debt get paid their full amount in good states of the world, and they get the value of the firm in the bad states of the world. By accepting a high variance project, managers may be able to shift some value from bondholders to shareholders. In such a situation the manager is said to have engaged in asset substitution. 12. Why would a manager not accept a positive net present value project? Answer: The value of the project accrues to the firm as a whole. Thus, if the firm has risky debt in its capital structure, some of the value of the project will accrue to the bondholders, and the remainder will accrue to the equity holders. The increase in the value of equity may be less than the equity holders must contribute to finance the investment in the project. Hence, a manager acting in the interests of the shareholders would forego such a project. This situation is referred to as an underinvestment problem.

French Long Stay Visa and Residence Permit Application

French Long Stay Visa and Residence Permit Application If youre a United States citizen and want to live in France for an extended period of time, you will need a visa de long sà ©jour (long-stay visa) before you go- France will not let you into the country without it. You will also need a carte de sejour, a residence permit which you complete after you arrive in France. The following is a general overview of the process required by United States citizens to obtain long term residence in France. This information is derived from the exceptional amount of detail in English on the France-Visas website. Processes change and it is essential that you be au courant with the appropriate method, so plan to become familiar with France-Visas. The process is conducted in part online but it is a long one and can take weeks or months, and you may not be accepted the first time out. No matter what, France will not let you into the country without a proper visa, so dont buy your ticket until you have completed all the paperwork and have your visa in hand. Process and Function Basically, the long-stay visa is operationally equivalent to a Schengen visa- the visa used by residents of the 26 European states and members of the European Union that have officially abolished all passport and other border controls at their mutual borders. That means that with the visa you will be able to visit the 26 Schengen countries. There are some restrictions and some exceptions, depending in part on the purpose and length of your stay.   The visa and residence permit application process can vary not only due to different family and work situations but also based on where you apply. Beware of scams and unofficial websites: the official secure France-Visas portal is: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/us/ The official list of U.S. VFS Global Centre locations- a third party service provider where you will have to go to submit your visa application- is: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/us/a-qui-sadresser Do You Need a Long-Stay Visa?   In general, an American holding an ordinary passport who wishes to stay in France for a period between 90 days to a year will need a Visa de Long Sà ©jour acquired in advance. Exceptions include if you (or, if you are a minor, your parent) already hold a French residence permit or are a citizen of a European Union Member State. All visa requests must be entered online at the secure France Visas website- since you will be inputting personal information, be absolutely sure you are at the right website. The French government has created a Visa wizard so that if you have any doubts about whether you need one or not, use that.   Will You Also Need a Residence Permit? There are two types of long term visas: the visa de long sejour (VLS) and the visa de long sà ©jour valant titre de sà ©jour (VLS-TS). The VLS requires that you submit a request for a carte de sà ©jour (residence permit) within two months of your arrival in France; the VLS-TS is a combined visa and residence permit, which you must validate within three months of your arrival. They are both long term visas but they have administrative differences which are assigned to you by the French consulate. Either way, if you wish to stay beyond the one year limit, you must apply for a residence permit at your local prefecture in France. Categories of Long Stay Visas (VLS) There are four categories of long-stay visas, based on your purpose for going. The categories determine what supporting documentation you will require in advance, at the border, and in France, and any restrictions youll need to adhere to- such as whether you can work for pay while you are in the country.   The categories of purposes of a long-term stay are:   Tourism / private stay / hospital care: all of these purposes restrict you from working for pay.  Professional purpose: If you will be in France to work, you will need a professional visa regardless of whether you are an employee of a company, or self-employed. Youll have to describe the type of business you will conduct and, if you are in a profession that requires credentials such as doctors and teachers, you will need to prove that you meet French criteria to conduct that work.  Studies training: This category includes if you will be taking an advanced degree; if you want to learn French while working as a family assistant or an au pair; or if you want your minor child to study in a French school. You or your child may need to be officially enrolled before you go.  Family purpose: Youll need to provide the address, names, and nationality of your relatives in France, what your relationship to them is, and the reason for your stay.   Starting the Visa Process Once you have determined that you do need a visa, you can prepare your application online at the France-Visas portal, regardless of where you live in the United States. The online application form and you will be guided through the whole process by on-screen explanations. In order to save your form and print it out, youll have to create a personal account that includes your email address. Once you have finished, you will receive the list of required supporting documents required to the type of visa you have requested, and have the opportunity to book your appointment. All visas for France are ultimately reviewed by the French counsel in Washington DC, but first, youll have to appear in person at the VFS Global Centre for your region to get it submitted to DC. There are ten Global Centres in the United States- youll need to request an appointment through the France-Visas portal.   Submission Requirements   The specific documents you need will depend on your specific circumstances, but you will need a current passport, two recent identification photos in the  specific International Civil Aviation Organization (ISO/IECI) format, and whatever other documents (originals and a copy) are required because of your situation.   As of June 1, 2019, the legal requirements to successfully submit a visa are:   Your passport must be clean and in good condition, issued no more than 10 years ago, valid three months beyond your intended departure date from the Schengen Area, and with at least two blank pagesThe purpose and conditions of your stayDocuments and visas (if any) required by international conventions, which will depend on the circumstances of your visitProof of accommodation: either a hotel reservation or a form filled out by your hostEvidence of your financial ability to live in France: you must have proof that you can spend â‚ ¬65–120â‚ ¬ per day depending on where you will be housed and no less than â‚ ¬32.50 per day if youre staying with familyApproved insurance for medical and hospital expensesGuarantees of repatriationDocuments (if required) for the exercise of a professional activity2 recent photographs according to strict ISO/IECI specificsYour return ticket or the financial means to acquire one at the end of your stayNon-refundable application fee which is t ypically â‚ ¬99 ISO IEC restrictions on photographs which are acceptable for identification are quite specific. The photos must have been taken within the last six months, they must be about 1.5 inches (35-40 mm) in width. The image must be a closeup of your head and top of your shoulders, not too dark or light, your face must take up 70–80% of the photograph. It must be in sharp focus without shadows, you must be standing in front of a plain background, and the picture must not include another person. Dont wear heavy framed glasses, dont wear a hat- if you wear religious headgear your face must be clearly visible. Look at the camera and you can smile, but your mouth must be closed.  You will need several copies during the process. Submitting Your Application After you have filled out your form, you will be given an opportunity to set up an appointment at the VFS Global Centre for your regionbut you can also do it later. Request your appointment through the France-Visas portal.  Bring all of your original documents to the appointment, as well as at least one photocopy of each. The service provider at VFS will receive you, review your application, collect the visa fee, and capture your biometric data (a photo scanned or taken during your appointment, and ten individually-taken fingerprints). She or he will retain your passport and the copies of all your supporting documents in order to forward them to the consulate. You can track the progress of your application online at the France-Visas site; you will be notified when your documents are ready at the VFS Global Centre you applied at. On Arrival To enter France, you will need to offer the following documentation (at least) to the Border police: valid passport and visaproof of accommodationproof of sufficient financial meansyour return ticket or financial means to acquire oneany document providing details on your profession Unless you obtained a VLS-TS, the visa de long sà ©jour does not give you permission to live in France- it gives you permission to apply for the carte de sà ©jour. If your visa has the words carte de sà ©jour solliciter,† you do need to get a residence permit. Start that process within two months of your arrival, at the prefecture of your place of residence within two months of your arrival. If you live in Paris, you must report your presence to police headquartersif you live in another department, you must report to the prefecture or subprefecture of your department   Validate Your Residence Permit (VLS-TS) If you received a VLS-TS visa, you wont need a carte de sà ©jour, but you must validate it within three months of your arrival. While the process is completely online, you will need to provide the information on your long term stay visa, the date you arrived in France, your residential address in France, and your credit card to pay the required issuance fee or electronic stamp.

HR Practices in Gala Coral Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

HR Practices in Gala Coral Group - Essay Example As the discussion outlines the strategies of Group include developing and applying the most excellent technology structures so that their customers get the finest products in well-organized way possible, delivering market-dominant multi-channel facilities, so that their customer could assess the exhilarating products, continuing to build up exclusive and innovative product, and focusing on better locations for their retail shops, thus delivering augmented profitability. Gala Coral Group serves customers mainly in the Italy and United Kingdom which are the largest regulated markets of gambling in Europe. This study stresses that the objective of this paper is to focus on one of the social problems such as gender inequality issue of Gala Coral Group. It will lay emphasis on the major issues of the company such as pay gap, discrimination at work, occupational sex segregation, etc. Various approaches to these issues will be also taken into consideration which will consequently lead to the success of the company. The company is facing some gender issues as all the Board member or directors are male members. The company does not have any female member on the director’s position. For their marketing campaign strategy also, Gala Coral Group have male brand ambassadors to carry out the required activities. So, the major issue of Gala Coral Group is the gender inequality issue. Gender inequality is the biasness based on the gender that supports sex stereotypes of communal roles. It is most frequently used in regard to unfairness against women, though men could be differentiated against as well. Women are frequently supposed to be submissive and passive, whereas men are normally supposed to be aggressive and self-confident.