The Poem “Mother To Son” Was Written By Langston Hughes.

The poem â€Å"Mother to Son† was written by Langston Hughes. Hughes uses key words to express the hardships of the mother’s life, and in her words of encouragement to her son. A few key words used are; crystal stairs, tacks, splinters, boards with no carpet, â€Å"Bare.† The key words used for encouragement are; Climbing’ on, reaching’ landings’, Turin’ corners, don’t turn back, don’t sit down on the steps, and finds it’s kinder hard! (261) These words leave such a heart-felt message to all mothers who come across this sweet little poem. I can compare my life experiences with the essay â€Å"Mother to Son† because, I have a son, my life has not been easy, and I have also suffered great losses. To start with, I would like to begin with the introduction†¦show more content†¦To get back to the point, I can completely find comparisons between the essay and myself, when it comes to the mother pouring h er heart out to her son with her words of wisdom. In the second place, I can also compare myself to the poem â€Å"Mother to Son,† when â€Å"Hughes† writes how the mother’s life hasn’t been easy by the quote written, â€Å"Life for me has not been no crystal stair,† (261) I, myself have had hardships in my life, indeed my life has not had crystal stairs either. I started out on a happy path in life, but when I was six years old my parents divorced. I remember mommy telling me â€Å"baby girl, mommy has to tell you something that will make you sad and cry, but, however hard this is going to be, Daddy has been bad and as a result, he must leave us.† I must say, that was my first curve ball in life, my second curve ball would be when mommy remarried! I can remember it so clearly even after all these years, there he stood, a very tall man with long side-burns, and pants too short, nevertheless, he was nice in the beginning. To resume, the arriv al of my new step-dad was hard, but, he was nice to me in the beginning, but he would not remain this way for very long. His name was Dale and he was a mean man that would hit me all the time, for the purpose, of his own amusement. I was very lonely in my youth, because Dale wouldn’t allow me to have friends over, not to mention, he wouldn’t even allow me to goShow MoreRelatedAn Explication Of Langston Hughes Mother To Son1210 Words   |  5 PagesExplication of Langston Hughes Mother to Son Langston Hughes once stated in his own words that his whole purpose for writing was, to explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America. In the poem Mother to Son, he denotes his belief on racism in America. In Mother to Son, a mother is giving advice to her son about life from her perspective and experiences. She wants her son to keep striving on what he believes and to have a more prosperous life than what she had. Langston Hughes was born inRead MoreThe Writing Style Of Langston Hughes1001 Words   |  5 Pagescollective, is one of the many legacies of Hughes, who has been called â€Å"the architect† of the black poetic tradition. He is certainly one of the world’s most universally beloved poets, read by children and teachers, scholars and poets, musicians and historians. Langston Hughes became the voice of black America in the 1920s, when his first published poems brought him more than moderate success. Throughout his lifetime, his work encompassed both popular lyrical poems, and more controversial political workRead MorePoem Analysis : Langston Hughes Poem1258 Words   |  6 Pages Research Paper and Poem Analysis: Langston Hughes Poem Analysis: Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"Mother To Son† is a twenty line poem that seems to be from the perspective of a prudent mother that is giving her son, and possibly the readers, some helpful and supportive advice, telling them that, no matter how many adversities they may face, they can not give up. I believe that this is the main theme of the poem, perseverance. â€Å"So, boy, don’t you turn back./ Don’t you set down on the steps./ ‘Cause youRead More Symbolic Imagery in Langston Hughes Poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son1651 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolic Imagery in Langston Hughes Poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son Langston Hughes uses symbolism throughout his poetry. In the poems The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son, Langston Hughes uses symbolism to convey his meaning of the poems to the readers. Readers may make many interpretations about the symbols used throughout these poems. Throughout the poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers Hughes uses metaphorical statements to suggest to the readerRead MoreLiterary Techniques Used in Mother to Son by Langston Hughes Essay791 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Mother to Son,† written by Langston Hughes, is a short poem about a mother who is teaching her son about perseverance and determination by using the image of a staircase. She explains that even though life has given her many hardships, she continues forward and she urges her son to do the same. In â€Å"Mother to Son,† Langston Hughes uses an extended metaphor, imagery, dialect, and structure to paint a picture of a weary mother who wants her son to persevere through the hardships of life. The themeRead MoreThe Importance of Determination Essay687 Words   |  3 Pagesobstacles that stand in their way. â€Å"Mother to Son† by Langston Hughes and â€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou are two different works written by two different authors yet they both convey the same message. Together, the two authors stress the significance of pushing harder when faced with conflicts rather than simply giving up. Using figurative language and repetition, Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou effectively emphasize this message in both of their poems. In both poems, both authors attempt to convinceRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes s Poem, Mother And Son1171 Words   |  5 Pagesbelt, life is not always easy. As Langston Hughes states in â€Å"mother and son life is not a crystal stair. With his brilliant writing, Hughes conveys to the reader to never giving up just because something is not easy (Langston2). In the poem â€Å"Mother to Son† by Langston Hughes. It seems that Langston Hughes wants the readers to understand that yeah life may be hard, but you have to get through it. One cannot give up just because things are not going their way. The mother explains how she has also enduredRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes And His Views On Early 20th Century African American Society Essay1717 Words   |  7 PagesConnor Gamble Mrs. Carson AP Literature 7 December 2016 Langston Hughes and His Views on Early 20th-Century African American Society When African American slaves were released from slavery following the American Civil War, the ethnic group was now able to control their own lives, and the U.S had to acknowledge their freedoms and rights as American citizens. However, despite bold beliefs from the war, many white Americans still continued to deny equality to those of color. In addition, African AmericansRead MoreLangston Hughes: A Jazz Poet1045 Words   |  5 Pages Langston Hughes (James Mercer Langston Hughes) was a poet, columnist, dramatist, essayist, lyricist, and novelist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry. Hughes, like others, was active in the Harlem Renaissance, and he had a strong sense of racial pride. Through his poem, novels, short stories, plays, and kids books, he promoted equality, condemned racism, and injustice, and celebrated African American culture, and humor. (Illinois). Langston HughesRead MoreLangston Hughes And The Harlem Renaissance1736 Words   |  7 PagesEndie E. Moss Professor Jolene Mendel LITR 221 Sum 17 Due: 20 Aug 2017 The Dream Called Langston As an artist, or literature, music or visual art, there is power in creating pieces that move the masses. For an African American artist in the 1920’s, that power was fought for harder and dimmed due the racial inequalities across America. Being acknowledged as a credible artist was equated to being acknowledged as an American during a time where African American citizens were not considered an equal

Masculinity And The Ideal Man - 969 Words

Masculinity and â€Å"the ideal man† are themes and ideas that have been explored in stories for centuries. From ancient Greek epics to modern television programs, the theme of what it means to be a man has been developed repeatedly, with some of the core ideals remaining the same and others changing with modern societal perceptions. While the idea of activity over passivity persists as an accepted and ideal trait of masculinity, the ideal that men must be dominant over women to match the portrait of â€Å"the ideal man† has been displaced. Through examination of both Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey and the Netflix television production House of Cards these ideals of masculinity, who assigns them, and their evolution or lack thereof can be explored and determined. This analysis reveals that while activity is an enduring trait of the masculine ideal, the idea that men need to be dominant over women has been, for the most part, eradicated from the portrait of â€Å"the ideal man† by modern society. Activity is a trait of ideal masculinity that is pervasive in both the Odyssey and House of Cards. As the story of the Odyssey begins, Telemachos is not a man, he is more of an adolescent. Once Telemachos calls for a meeting to evict the suitors, he begins on his path from adolescence to manhood. He begins to follow in his father’s masculine footsteps when he calls the first meeting on Ithaca since his father left for Troy. He continues his path of action when he leaves Ithaca to seek informationShow MoreRelatedHegemonic Masculinity : Characters And Plot Of The Popular Sitcom Two And A Half Men1720 Words   |  7 Pagesthe production of hegemonic masculinity and subordinate masculinity in the show reinforce the idea of hegemonic masculinity as the only real form of manliness accepted by society’s standards of an â€Å"ideal man.† Effeminate masculinity, a subordinate form of masculinity, is not represented in the show in a positive light rather, it is mocked. Th e characters that play these roles are Charlie, who plays the hyper masculine role, and Alan, who plays the effeminate masculinity role. Alan’s role is inferiorRead MoreFight Club Analysis1125 Words   |  5 PagesMasculinity and Anti-capitalism in FIght Club I am planning to write about the 1999 film Fight Club, directed by David Fincher. This movie is about a nameless insomniac office worker (the narrator) who has become, as he views, a slave to consumer culture. He begins attending support groups for diseases he doesn’t have to subdue his emotional state, and he begins to sleep again. He meets Marla Singer, another fake attendee of support groups, she is an incredibly mysterious woman who is obviouslyRead MoreThe Between Cressida And Troilus And Cressida Essay1624 Words   |  7 Pagesknow what a man is? Is not birth, beauty, good shape, discourse, manhood, learning, gentleness, virtue, youth, liberality, and so forth the spice and salt that seasons a man? CRESSIDA Ay, a minced man†¦ (1.2.231-236) This conversation between Cressida and Pandarus demonstrates the representation of masculinity in both Coriolanus and Troilus and Cressida. Each of them is concerned with ideas of honour and military prowess in relation to the male identity, drawing on the masculine ideals of Roman antiquityRead MoreMasculinity And Its Impact On Society1317 Words   |  6 Pageshave deeply influenced today s’ generations by changing their perspectives of masculinity. Masculinity is becoming an ongoing debate on what it means to be masculine. Masculine traits are defined as having qualities appropriate to or usually associated with a man. These qualities include being strong, rugged, dominant, and powerful. Social platforms and media have defined masculinity over the years to standardize the ideal male body type, appearance, social norms, stereotypical roles, and emotionalRead MoreMasculinity And Its Effects On Society s Views Of Masculinity1122 Words   |  5 Pages Masculinity in the 21st century United States can be best defined as having traits of toughness and physical strength. A â€Å"manly† man cannot show emotion and is only able to show aggression. This aggression and competiveness is supported by society through its interpretation of what is considered appropriate male behavior and activities needed to survive. Paul Theroux in â€Å"Being a Man†, he examines society’s views of masculinity. He states that â€Å"the whole idea of manhood in America is pitifulRead MoreWestern Culture s Ideal Beauty Type963 Words   |  4 Pagescommercial also reinforces traditional views of masculinity, sexuality and beauty. Through the depiction of the man as the womanizing, adventurer and the woman as a passive, sexual being the Axe Campaign uses conventional portrayals of gender roles in order to sell their product. In this paper, the commercial will be analyzed as it supports traditional views on beauty, sexuality and masculinity. This advertisement reinforces the western culture s ideal beauty type. The woman featured in the commercialRead MoreMasculinity in American Society and Hip-Hop Essay766 Words   |  4 PagesMasculinity in American Society and Hip-Hop Never cry or show any emotion, when things happen take it like man, do not get mad, get even. These along with many other rules are makeup â€Å"the Guy Code† believed to shape what masculinity in American society. â€Å"’Bros before Hoes’: The Guy Code† by Michael Kimmel discusses a set of epigrams and analyzes American masculinity. These ideals of what is takes to be a â€Å"man† are often portrayed by hip-hop artists in today’s mainstream music industry. KimmelRead MoreHow Has White Patriarchy Affected Black Masculinity?1339 Words   |  6 PagesAmanda Hurdon 100987702 WGST 2811–A01 Masculinities Essay: How has white patriarchy affected black masculinity? White patriarchy has strongly affected black masculinity in many ways. Historically, as slaves black men were taught that dominance and patriarchal control over women was their right, and an integral part of masculinity.1 Living in white patriarchal society, where powerful white men are the standard of masculinity, many black men may struggle to find an identity which reflects themselvesRead MoreSexuality, Gender, Masculinity And Status1334 Words   |  6 Pagesless concerned with the gender or age of a man’s sexual partners than with the perception of the masculinity of all male partners involved. Other things were more important than gender when it came to sex, such as penetration, masculinity and status. To exemplify that society was less concerned with the gender of a man’s sexual partners than the perception of masculinity, I will evaluate masculinity in ancient Rome, the social hierarchy of being the receptive versus penetrative partner, laws, cinaedusRead MoreW hite Mans Muscles Essay904 Words   |  4 Pageswould have on male self-esteem and masculinity. People in our generation remember watching films such as Rocky, Rambo, and The Terminator, which showed incredibly built and tan white males in some type of extreme action role. However, people would be hard pressed to find a film in which a half naked white male was not shown as superior regardless of muscle size. Although some of the actors who portrayed Tarzan did not have the characteristics of the ideal male specimen, the prevalence of a

Funny Quotes About Women

Women are not easy to understand, at least according to the famous authors, poets,  entertainers, and comedians who have written on the nature of women. None of them claim to fully fathom the female mind. Find out what they really think of these  funny quotes about women — some written by men, some by women. Read wisecracks about a womans nature that make most women exclaim, Whats all the fuss about? But men say, How true, how true! Will Rogers There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works. Robert Heinlein Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. Nancy Reagan A woman is like a tea bag. She only knows her strength when put in hot water. Sigmund Freud Despite my thirty years of research into the woman soul, I have not yet been able to answer the great question that has never been answered: What does a woman want? Margaret Mead I do not believe in using women in  combat  because females are too fierce. Aristotle If women didnt exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning. James Thurber I hate women because they always know where things are. Malcolm de Chazal A woman knows how to keep quiet when she is in the right, whereas a man when he is in the right, will keep on talking. Freya Stark The great and almost only comfort about being a woman is that one can always pretend to be more stupid than one is and no one is surprised. Gloria Steinem Someone once asked me why women dont gamble as much as men do and I gave the commonsensical reply that we dont have as much money. That was a true but incomplete answer. In fact, womens total instinct for gambling is satisfied by marriage. Some of us are becoming the men we wanted to marry. Dave Barry Scientists now believe that the primary biological function of breasts is to make men stupid. Joseph Conrad Being a woman is a terribly difficult task since it consists principally in dealing with men. Ogden Nash I have an idea that the phrase weaker sex was coined by some woman to disarm some man she was preparing to overwhelm. Virginia Woolf For most of history, Anonymous was a woman. Charlotte Whitton Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily this is not difficult. Chris Rock There are only three things women need in life: food, water, and compliments. Mae West Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere. Mike Vanatta Woman arent confusing. Theyre a Sudoku-Jenga puzzle surrounded by Rubiks cubes strapped to a terrorist screaming at you in another language. Ann Landers Women complain about sex more often than men. Their gripes fall into two major categories: (1) Not Enough. (2) Too Much. Harry Haenigsen Feminine intuition is a fiction and a fraud. It is nonsensical, illogical, emotional, ridiculous and practically foolproo..

Performance Based Design For An Integrated Solution

PERFORMANCE BASED DESIGN The concept of achieving design with some focus on performance is not new, the tools and methods that changes. To discuss performance for design, it is important to classify and separate its functions and features. If a building consists of a set of parameters, the design process can be associated to a balance act, where parameters are weight and arranged to ï ¬ t the context of a project. In traditional architectural design, the use of measurable parameters often postponed or take place in a later phase of the design process. The concept design is rather focused on aesthetics, plan functionality and experience of spaces, however, this approach limits the success of an integrated solution. Today, there is an almost understood association with computational tools along with the measurable parameters and thresholds. The massive power of computation makes it superlative for repeating calculations, it could be useful in optimization algorithms for instance, and the target parameters for the optimization have to be simple enough to be expressed in a computer algorithm. In the application of structural engineering, these quantiï ¬ able and measurable parameters could be mass, force, moment, deï ¬â€šection or even cost. Karamba plug-in for Rhinoceros 3D software is a physics engine and a good example of an interactive, parametric finite element program that helps analyzing the responses of shell structures and 3D beams under arbitrary loads. The software is used inShow MoreRelatedApplications Of Low Power Integrated Intelligent Sensors1217 Words   |  5 PagesApplications of low power integrated intelligent sensors [1–5] has been prolific in recent years, for instance in environmental observation [8–10], security surveillance [11] and infrastructure communication [12], and biomedical and healthcare monitoring [6, 7]. In particular, as the baby boomers enter retirement, medical cost becomes significant. For example, in 2014, health care accounted for 20% of federal spending in the U.S. []. A major problem in current healthcare systems is that sensing andRead MoreHow Technology Has Broadened The Spectrum Of Applications877 Words   |  4 PagesThe integration of existing and new techn ologies with CMOS extends the scope of implementation. Figure 3 : Relationship among More Moore, More-than-Moore, and Beyond CMOS 4.1 More than Moore The functional diversification of the semiconductor based devices by non-digital components is More than Moore implementation. These non-digital functionalities may not scale at the same rate as the digital components. The non-digital components are capable of interacting with outside world through sensorsRead MoreApplication Of Low Power Integrated Intelligent Sensors1249 Words   |  5 Pages2 Research Motivation and Signiï ¬ cance Applications of low-power integrated intelligent sensors [1–8] have been proliï ¬ c in recent years, including, for instance, in environmental observation [9–11], security surveillance [12, 13], infrastructure monitoring and communication [14–17], and biomedical health care monitoring [18–21]. In particular, as the baby boomers approach retirement age, medical expenses become signiï ¬ cant. For example, in 2014, health care accounted for 28% of US federal spendingRead MoreWestpac Banking Strategy1360 Words   |  6 PagesDistribution oriented One team (accountable, collaborative, aligned, integrated) Siloed business units Predominantly 1 brand Bank centric Multi-brand Integrated financial services Transforming banks to be customer centric 24 May 2010 Jason Millett – Westpac Banking Corporation There are several key target capabilities implied by a ‘customer centric’ focus †¢Proactive lead generation tools †¢Single view of the customer †¢Integrated multi-channel origination servicing Distribution (SalesRead MoreProject Energy Efficient Database Management Systems Essay1700 Words   |  7 Pagesapplications. In this paper, I have described the concept of energy efficiency problem and recent techniques to design energy efficient database management systems. I have broadly classified recent research into three categories: hardware based, software based and cluster based database designs. Last section of paper includes a description of power models used for evaluation of energy efficiency solutions. Section 1 Introduction Data center industry supporting internet has become world s largest consumerRead MoreSingle Objective Closed Loop Supply Chain Model1724 Words   |  7 PagesChain Model Jayaraman et al. (1999) developed a 0-1 MIP model to design the closed-loop supply chain of an electronic equipment remanufacturing company in the US. The supply chain includes collection of end-of-life products (core) from customers, remanufacturing and distribution of remanufactured products. In this setting, the optimal number and locations of remanufacturing plants and the number of cores collected are determined based on investment, transportation, processing, and storage costs. InRead More1.3.1. Seminar objectives This seminar aims to investigate new fiber optics solar lighting1100 Words   |  5 Pagesconcern the performance and applications of what is so called HLS are still unrevealed. Most related publications are carried out by the HLS developers to present systems development progress. Universal utilization of the HLS requires more studies to investigate many areas such as systems performance in terms of light delivery, light quality, light distribution, relationship with the host building, integration with other building systems, compatibility with building codes, economic performance, installationRead MoreProduct Concept Definition1686 Words   |  7 PagesConcept PhaseAs discussed in Chapter 2, new ideas for new products and services are generated in many different ways in and outside the modern company in the market. Today a more open and collaborative process of accessing innovative ideas and problem solutions is available to companies on the Web in the form of wiki platforms. A w iki is a collaborative Website that can be directly edited by anyone with access to it. This virtual market for new product ideas that is generated by a wiki is called an ideagoraRead MoreResponse Paper. I Have Realized That Facility Management1193 Words   |  5 Pagesbusiness. Moreover, the manager has a significant role to play in the department, especially amid growing recognition of the concepts of interdepartmental task forces, process improvement teams, and shared responsibility, in improving organizational performance and productivity (Goopio 5). The knowledge will also be useful in improving health, comfort, and safety of both employees and customers. Just like other industries, the hospitality industry is experiencing changes. Of all the departments facingRead MoreHuman Performance Improvement Is Growing As A Key Focus Area For Organizations786 Words   |  4 PagesHuman Performance Improvement is growing as a key focus area for organizations. (International Society for Performance and Improvement (ISPI) help people and organizations make a difference to their co-workers, clients, communities and their world. By providing tools and strategies for effective and universal improvement, they help members create bigger impact, make greater contributions, and, ultimately, make our world a better place to be. The field of the HPI is relatively new relatively young

Columbia Business Environment Free Essays

According to (Walter, J. (2006), any business worthy its salt must carry out a business analysis audit before venturing into expansion plans. This often saves an organization time and resources which would be lost if the decision to expand or relocate business is not based on sound business practices. We will write a custom essay sample on Columbia Business Environment or any similar topic only for you Order Now The case below analyses the business environment in Colombia, by addressing the political, cultural, economic, and domestic and industry analysis of the country. Finally the paper gives a verdict based on the findings of the analysis which is basically a recommendation on the economic investment options for a business aiming at venturing into the Colombian market. Location. Colombia, neighbors Caribbean Sea, Panama, Venezuela, a well as North Pacific Ocean. With a population of about 40 million people, the country has a good domestic market. Colombia enjoys a mixture of climates such as coastal- tropic climate as well as in the eastern plains it also has cool highlands climate suitable for agricultural activities. Political environment Major political parties currently include, Democratic Alliance, Liberal Party, Patriotic Union, and Social Conservative Party (Kline, Harvey, 1985). Political leaders include the president, Carlos Franco Echavarria, Antonio Navarro Wolff, Otty Patino, Carlos Alonso Lucio, Jose Fernando Bautista, Aida Abella and Dr. Eugenio Merlano de la Ossa. The country has democratic ties with the US and has ambassador in the US as well as hosts an ambassador from the US. In terms of religion the people are largely Roman Catholics, which constitute over 90% of the population with other religions forming the 10 percent. Currently the country is grappling with civil riots, poverty, lawlessness, depreciating currency as well as unstable political environment. The country has been faced with civil strife for the past 40 years something which has led to the displacement of over 200,000 people internally (Amnesty International, 2002). Currently, the presidency is from right –wing and many pundits have predicted that, as long as he continues to favor socialist ideals, the long waited reforms especially those addressing the plight of the poor in Columbia will continue unresolved. Economic conditions. The economy is predicted to grow at a rate of 6. 1something attributable to stable domestic consumption as well as favorable private investment situation. In the year 2005 the GDP was 5. 13 and a 6. 1 growth this year is appositive indicator of a favorable economic environment. The best performing sectors are trade, infrastructure and industry. Columbia’s GDP has been growing at a rate of 3. 1 to 3-6 in the last 3 years that is from the year 2004 to presently. Improved global economic environment is the reason behind a lot of economic activity being experienced in Colombia (Bagley, Michael, 1987). In addition, the domestic market is growing in a sharp contrast to the impoverished people. The growth rate can be termed as encouraging with the country experiencing strong and predictable exchange rates, as well as low and favorable interest rates. On top of the above, the credit conditions have improved significantly as compared to the situation in the 90’s. Major economic sectors include textiles, oil exploration, beverages, chemicals, cement; as well as minerals like gold, coal, and emeralds (Thoumi, Francisco 1987). Labor conditions. The labor market in Colombia is ready and oversupplied. However major challenges lay ahead because of the deplorable labor movement conditions in that country. In a nut shell it is evident from the available literature that, labor organizations are non operational in Colombia, joining trade union is equitable to courting death something which has greatly affected the labor relations in the country. On top of that, employees’ morale in the country is on an all-time low due to the fact that, the workers in that country do not have a strong bargaining power (Peeler, John, 1976). The situation becomes more complex due to the involvement of military groups which besides being armed, seem to operate undeterred by law enforcement agencies. There have been reported numerous abductions, threats and assassinations all directly related to labor issues something which calls for great planning on the side of a foreign company wishing to invest in Colombia. The above have had a negative effect on the economic environment of the country and have been the leading causes for investors shunning from investing in the country. Besides the above named conditions of crime, there has been of late a wave of economic crime such as hijackings of shipments, ransom demand kidnappings, counterfeit goods trade, all of which have made production costs to go up due to high risks. Colombia is active in regional and international organizations such as UN, Andean community, the Rio group and OAS (Martz, John, 1962). The country’s political system is a democracy of bicameral congress and independent executive as well as judiciary. The biggest political parties are the Liberal and Conservative currently the president is, Alvaro Uribe. The people speak their ethnic languages of their respective ethnic groups but Spanish is the official and national language, such ethnic groups and languages include; Mestizo, Whites, Blacks, mulatto and Amerindian. The literacy level is very high with 91% of the population being literate which implies that skilled labor is readily available in the country. The people are known to be hospitable and rarely has there been reported animosity related to foreigners. Evidently, Colombia is not a politically stable country something which has resulted from continued guerrilla warfare as well as paramilitary activities. Urban crime rate is very high as well as the insecurity conditions in the whole country. Corruption is reported to be very high couple with drug trafficking and all other manner of social crimes. It is correct to say that Columbia is one of the most unsafe places to invest in and therefore the business should postpone its expansion plans in Colombia and perhaps relocate to other neighboring countries with same strategic business advantages as Columbia but less risks and therefore operational costs.. How to cite Columbia Business Environment, Papers

Columbia Business Environment Free Essays

According to (Walter, J. (2006), any business worthy its salt must carry out a business analysis audit before venturing into expansion plans. This often saves an organization time and resources which would be lost if the decision to expand or relocate business is not based on sound business practices. We will write a custom essay sample on Columbia Business Environment or any similar topic only for you Order Now The case below analyses the business environment in Colombia, by addressing the political, cultural, economic, and domestic and industry analysis of the country. Finally the paper gives a verdict based on the findings of the analysis which is basically a recommendation on the economic investment options for a business aiming at venturing into the Colombian market. Location. Colombia, neighbors Caribbean Sea, Panama, Venezuela, a well as North Pacific Ocean. With a population of about 40 million people, the country has a good domestic market. Colombia enjoys a mixture of climates such as coastal- tropic climate as well as in the eastern plains it also has cool highlands climate suitable for agricultural activities. Political environment Major political parties currently include, Democratic Alliance, Liberal Party, Patriotic Union, and Social Conservative Party (Kline, Harvey, 1985). Political leaders include the president, Carlos Franco Echavarria, Antonio Navarro Wolff, Otty Patino, Carlos Alonso Lucio, Jose Fernando Bautista, Aida Abella and Dr. Eugenio Merlano de la Ossa. The country has democratic ties with the US and has ambassador in the US as well as hosts an ambassador from the US. In terms of religion the people are largely Roman Catholics, which constitute over 90% of the population with other religions forming the 10 percent. Currently the country is grappling with civil riots, poverty, lawlessness, depreciating currency as well as unstable political environment. The country has been faced with civil strife for the past 40 years something which has led to the displacement of over 200,000 people internally (Amnesty International, 2002). Currently, the presidency is from right –wing and many pundits have predicted that, as long as he continues to favor socialist ideals, the long waited reforms especially those addressing the plight of the poor in Columbia will continue unresolved. Economic conditions. The economy is predicted to grow at a rate of 6. 1something attributable to stable domestic consumption as well as favorable private investment situation. In the year 2005 the GDP was 5. 13 and a 6. 1 growth this year is appositive indicator of a favorable economic environment. The best performing sectors are trade, infrastructure and industry. Columbia’s GDP has been growing at a rate of 3. 1 to 3-6 in the last 3 years that is from the year 2004 to presently. Improved global economic environment is the reason behind a lot of economic activity being experienced in Colombia (Bagley, Michael, 1987). In addition, the domestic market is growing in a sharp contrast to the impoverished people. The growth rate can be termed as encouraging with the country experiencing strong and predictable exchange rates, as well as low and favorable interest rates. On top of the above, the credit conditions have improved significantly as compared to the situation in the 90’s. Major economic sectors include textiles, oil exploration, beverages, chemicals, cement; as well as minerals like gold, coal, and emeralds (Thoumi, Francisco 1987). Labor conditions. The labor market in Colombia is ready and oversupplied. However major challenges lay ahead because of the deplorable labor movement conditions in that country. In a nut shell it is evident from the available literature that, labor organizations are non operational in Colombia, joining trade union is equitable to courting death something which has greatly affected the labor relations in the country. On top of that, employees’ morale in the country is on an all-time low due to the fact that, the workers in that country do not have a strong bargaining power (Peeler, John, 1976). The situation becomes more complex due to the involvement of military groups which besides being armed, seem to operate undeterred by law enforcement agencies. There have been reported numerous abductions, threats and assassinations all directly related to labor issues something which calls for great planning on the side of a foreign company wishing to invest in Colombia. The above have had a negative effect on the economic environment of the country and have been the leading causes for investors shunning from investing in the country. Besides the above named conditions of crime, there has been of late a wave of economic crime such as hijackings of shipments, ransom demand kidnappings, counterfeit goods trade, all of which have made production costs to go up due to high risks. Colombia is active in regional and international organizations such as UN, Andean community, the Rio group and OAS (Martz, John, 1962). The country’s political system is a democracy of bicameral congress and independent executive as well as judiciary. The biggest political parties are the Liberal and Conservative currently the president is, Alvaro Uribe. The people speak their ethnic languages of their respective ethnic groups but Spanish is the official and national language, such ethnic groups and languages include; Mestizo, Whites, Blacks, mulatto and Amerindian. The literacy level is very high with 91% of the population being literate which implies that skilled labor is readily available in the country. The people are known to be hospitable and rarely has there been reported animosity related to foreigners. Evidently, Colombia is not a politically stable country something which has resulted from continued guerrilla warfare as well as paramilitary activities. Urban crime rate is very high as well as the insecurity conditions in the whole country. Corruption is reported to be very high couple with drug trafficking and all other manner of social crimes. It is correct to say that Columbia is one of the most unsafe places to invest in and therefore the business should postpone its expansion plans in Colombia and perhaps relocate to other neighboring countries with same strategic business advantages as Columbia but less risks and therefore operational costs.. How to cite Columbia Business Environment, Papers

Morality of Management Earnings free essay sample

The term â€Å"Earnings Management† is a form of â€Å"number smoothing† used by a company’s management to manipulate or influence the companys earnings to match a pre-determined dollar amount. This is done in an attempt to keep financials stable, as opposed to showing financial fluctuations. When a company appears to be stable it has a greater chance of attracting investors, which in turn demands higher share prices. When a company is able to have higher share prices, the more likely they are to draw new investors. Likewise, a company that has low share prices is often a reflection of a company that is not doing well financially (Investopedia, 2009, para 2). Often, companies perform abusive earnings management practices in an effort to â€Å"make the numbers† (Inevestopedia, 2009, para 4). In order to do this, management may be tempted to â€Å"make up† numbers as a means of drawing investors or to make their company appear financially stronger tha n what it actually is. The methods used in earnings management can be varied, and may be done through manipulation of financial numbers or operating procedures (As cited by Gibson, 2013, p. 84). In a study conducted by the National Association of Accountants, a questionnaire was prepared which described 13 observed earnings management situations (As cited by Gibson, 2013, p. 83). Below are five listed generalizations that can be made by the study findings regarding short-term earnings management practices. 1. Respondents of the survey felt that earnings management practices utilizing accounting methods to be less acceptable than methods of operating procedure manipulation (As cited by Gibson, 2013, p. 84). Manipulation of operations can include something as simple as pushing shipping to the last day of the fiscal quarter or asking customers to take early delivery of goods (As cited by Gibson, 2013, p. 85). Another example is when companies make â€Å"Unusually  attractive terms to customers† or â€Å"Deferring necessary expenditures to a subsequent year† (Rosenzweig Fischer, 1994, para 5). According to survey responses, practitioners had fewer ethical dilemmas when using operational earnings management tactics compared to those involving accounting methods (Rosenzweig Fischer, 1994, para 7). 2. When it came to accounting, survey respondents felt that increasing earnings reports to be less acceptable than the decreasing of earnings reports (As quoted by Gibson, pg. 84). Managers appear to be more comfortable in reducing the overall company profit when reserves show elevated numbers (As cited by Gibson, p. 85). It would seem that management might assume that if their reserve numbers are high, then reducing them to show lessor profitability acceptable. If the money is genuinely there, then what is the harm in reducing the profit amount to meet a designated number? However, when it came to reporting profit increases, managers were hesitant in determining what earnings management methods would be ethical and which would not. 3. Generalization #3 is similar to generalization number two where ethics are concerned. Respondents felt that if earnings management tactics were kept small that it was more acceptable than if the effects were large (As cited by Gibson, p. 84). When manipulations of numbers or operating procedures are kept to smaller changes, managers seem to feel it more justifiable and acceptable. For instance, if management were asked to show an increase of sales by $12,000.00, such manipulations would be more ethical than if asked to increase sales by $120,000.00. Likewise, if production costs were delayed for advertising to meet a quarterly budget it would be more acceptable than if production costs for advertising were delayed to meet the end of year fiscal budget. This also ties in to generalization #4, the time period of the end effect. 4. Time periods play a large part in determining how ethical earnings management practices are. As described above, when asked to alter numbers or operating procedures in an effort to make quarterly forecasts, managers seemed to feel this practice to be more acceptable. When asked to alter numbers or operating procedures for annual reports, however, the line between ethical and questionable is blurred. 47% of respondents to the survey felt that earnings management practices that were made to meet an interim quarterly budget to be ethical, while only 41% felt that such manipulations in order to make an annual budget to be ethically sound (As  cited by Gibson, 2013, p. 85). 5. When asked whether it was acceptable to offer special extended credit terms to customers in an attempt to increase profits, only 43% of survey respondents felt the practice to be ethical. However, when asked if the same end result would be ethical if achieved through ordering overtime to ship as much product as possible at years-end, 74% of respondents felt this manipulation to be ethical (As cited by Gibson, 2013, p. 85). A staggering 80% of survey respondents felt that selling excess assets as a means of realizing a profit to be ethical, while only 16% felt it would be questionable (As cited by Gibson, 2013, p. 85). Short-term earnings management procedures, while questionable, are often legal. The alteration of financial information in an attempt to meet budgets or as a way to show profitability is often alluring and an â€Å"easy† way to draw investors. Managers who use earnings management tactics must take into consideration the impact such actions may have with key stakeholders (As cited by Gibson, 2013, p. 86). When numbers are skewed favorably, it gives stakeholders a false sense of security in their investments. Companies who engage in short-term earnings management practices often set themselves up for losses over time. When numbers are adjusted to make a quarterly or yearly dollar amount, chances are the following quarter will find the company in the negative. Such practices are rarely foolproof and care must be taken when making earnings management practice decisions. Focusing on long-term earnings management practices are ultimately more favorable, but in order to be effective management must remain committed to consistent operational procedures. Forecasting the product needs of customers and looking ahead are key strategies for keeping sales income at a consistent level. Waiting until the last minute to offer customers generous credit terms in an effort to boost end of year or quarterly sales is a short-term answer at best. Looking at the purchase history of customers and integrating theses sales number into future budgets should help alleviate the need to resort to last minute scrambling to make budget targets.