English Proverbs Essay Example for Free

English Proverbs Essay A Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. Zig Ziglar, in See You at the Top (1975), p. 380 Absence makes the heart grow fonder. From Isle of Beauty by Thomas Haynes Bayly Absence makes the heart grow fonder but makes the mind forget. The acorn (apple) never falls far from the tree. Act today only, tomorrow is too late Action is the proper fruit of knowledge. Actions speak louder than words. (a common English saying) Advice most needed is least heeded. After dinner sit a while, after supper walk a mile. All cats love fish but hate to get their paws wet. All flowers are not in one garden. Clothes make the man. A coin of gold is delighting in a bag of silver coins Cometh the hour, cometh the man. (Some information about the phrase and about its use by a 1940s cricketer) A constant guest is never welcome. A coward dies a thousand times before his death. The valiant never taste of death but once. From William Shakespeares Julius Caesar[1] The cure is worse than the disease. The customer is always right. Cleaning the house when kids are growing, is like shoveling snow when its still snowing. [edit]D Damned if you do, damned if you dont. Lorenzo Dow (d. 1834). [2] Desperate times call for desperate measures. The difference between a man and a cat or a dog is that only a man can write the names of the cat and the dog. Different strokes for different folks. Discretion is the better part of valor. Derived from The better part of valour is discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life. Falstaff in Shakespeares Henry IV, Part 1. Does a one-legged duck swim in circles? alternate saying for Does a bear shit in the woods and a common response to an obvious answer yes to a silly question. Do it today, tomorrow it may be against the law. Dont bark if you cant bite. Dont bite off more than you can chew. Dont bite the hand that feeds you. Dont bring a knife to a gun fight. Dont burn your bridges. Dont burn the candle at both ends. Dont count your chickens before theyre hatched. Dont cross a bridge before you come to it. Dont cry over spilt milk. Dont cut off your nose to spite your face. Dont dig your grave with your own knife and fork. Dont enter your nose in the affairs of others. Dont fall before youre pushed. Dont have too many irons in the fire. Dont judge a book by its cover. Dont judge a man by the size of his hat, but by the angle of his tilt. Dont let procrastination eat your own clock.

Ethics in Accounting: Financial Reporting Scandals

Ethics in Accounting: Financial Reporting Scandals Introduction The first thing is character, before money or anything else. J. P. Morgan Integrity is of utmost importance for a successful career in business and finance in the long run. Some believe that the world of finance lacks ethical considerations. Whereas the truth is that such issues are prevalent in all areas of business. The business environment in much of the world is reeling from the revelation of several financial scandals in the past few years. The optimism of the turn of the century has been replaced by scepticism and distrust. It will be discussed as to how we landed ourselves in this situation, what is being done to correct it, and what the future holds for us. Though Enron has been used as the poster-child for this purpose, breakdowns in accounting and corporate governance in Enron as well as in other companies will be discussed. Some companies that have encountered financial reporting problems will be discussed along with the role of auditors (including Andersens role in Enron), the regulatory environment, some of the causes of the problems, and the current and possible future outcomes. Ethics and Accounting Ethics (maintaining fair and true statements) is a key part of financial reporting. For shareholders to trust a company with money, they must feel confident in the companys financial reporting. Financial reporting presents all data relating to the entityscurrent, historical and projected health meaning investors and shareholders rely upon the financial data available for making informed and educated decisions. To help entities comply with business regulations and maintain financial reporting, shareholders can trust the existing organizations designed to monitor different aspects of the accounting world. Primary organizations are Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC), the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). These three bodies together ensure financial reporting is fair, reliable, and available to all investors. The specific importance of ethics in business and in financial reporting is to ensure public and investor confidence in companies. Without a strong code of ethics and adherence to that code, individuals may not be certain their investments are secure. Accounting professionals must have a strong ethical and moral reasoning because their decisions regarding financial reporting can have major consequences for individuals as well as corporations and entire nations. Ethics in the business environment are more than just issues relating to accounting; because ethical practices can and will cross boundary from business practice to what a company may ask its accounting professionals to do in financial recording. The many recent scandals involving accounting and reporting fraud generally began at the CEO and made their way down into the financial records. Before the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, various financial abuses such as WorldCom, Enron, and Adelphia Communications plagued the American public and affected economic health of the entire nation adversely. Most of these frauds stemmed from unethical accounting practices instituted at the highest levels of the corporations, but carried out in the financial reporting practices of public accounting firms. In December 2001, Enron, which used to be one of the worlds leading energy companies once, filed the largest bankruptcy in the history of the U.S., using the retirement accounts of thousands of American workers, to enrich those at the highest levels of the corporation. Using thousands of off-the-records partnerships to hide nearly $1 billion in debt and to inflate profits, company had defrauded shareholders of billions. Due to these scandals, President Bush and Congress were forced to take tough stance in the form of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in July of 2002. When ethics seem to be on the downfall in a society, the common man naturally turns to the government for guidance. Various crises in the history of the United States have led to creation of several regulatory bodies and laws. The three entities in the US, mentioned above, work closely together to ensure financial accounting is honest. The SEC, the FASB, and the PCAOB are each an independent entity, but they often work in cooperation in certain areas such as oversight and reporting. While these three bodies work together, they rely on cooperation from member companies and from participation from â€Å"whistle-blowers† in companies and public citizens. As the Enron collapse illustrated, there were systemic failures in the private-sector watchdog-groups. The SEC and the PCAOB must work closely together and include way to fast-track criminal cases. Enron and other financial reporting scandals Enron was a great symbol of widespread problem in corporate America as its rise was as spectacular as its fall. Enron, formed in 1985 when Internorth purchased Houston Natural Gas was soon being run mainly by Houston Natural Gas executives, with Ken Lay as CEO. In 1990, both Jeffrey Skilling and Andy Fastow were hired. In 1996, Skilling became the President and COO. A meteoric rise in both reputation and stock value came by, with Enron being named as one of Fortunes most admired companies in 2001 and its stock price peaking at $90.56 a share as on August 23, 2000. Much of the companys success was credited to the financial wizardry of Fastow. However, companys fall was just around the corner, with Skilling resigning in August of 2001. This was followed by a $1.2 billion write-off, and the beginning of an SEC investigation in October. By December, Enron had declared bankruptcy and the share price was $.26 per share. If Enron had been a lone case, concern would have dissipated quickly and confidence in capital markets would not have plumped. But it was not so. Before Enron, there were companies such as Waste Management and Sunbeam — not significant by themselves, but they should have acted as a warning of what was to come. After Enron the disclosures kept coming. WorldCom was caught capitalizing expenses. While Enron was trying to outsmart the accounting and capital market regulators, WorldCom made accounting errors that even novice accounting students would know were inappropriate. A disturbing aspect of many of these scandals is the collusion among many executives. An important observation is that all of these scandals cant be attributed to one factor alone. Each one was different. Hence it can be concluded that the solution is not easy to find. There is no single accounting practice that made these entities vulnerable to executive excesses. What these scandals had in common was a culture that was pervasive in corporations. A culture had come in that made it permissible to lie to shareholders and the markets. â€Å"The ends justify the means† became the corporate mantra. Also, the watchdogs, the auditors had turned a blind eye with their focus just on their consulting businesses. They were not as vigilant as they should have been in audits. The auditors role in ensuring fair play Auditors are supposed to protect the public from the types of abuses that have been seen in the past. Even though financial statements are responsibility of management, the shareholders hire auditors for the protection of their interests and to add credibility to financial information provided by the firms. To be credible, auditors need both expertise and integrity. Expertise assures if there is a financial reporting irregularity, the auditor has the capacity to discover it. Integrity assures that auditors will disclose any irregularity they may find. These two qualities are essential. They are also multiplicative that is if either is missing, other has no value. It has been found that both were missing in many cases. Expertise was missing as audits had come under cost cutting measures of firms. This happened often at the cost of quality. Integrity was gone when auditors forgot that the first allegiance of a professional is to the public. Seldom did auditors betray management for the benefit of the public. Hence, even if they did discover reporting problems, rather than reporting them to the public they often helped management devise ways around the reporting problems. Auditors fell into this position (probably not because they were incompetent or unethical but) because of the cultures in major accounting firms. Andersen, Enrons auditor, is a classic example. There were good auditors who got caught up in an economic struggle leading to undue focus on revenue generation. An audit firm having the highest reputation for competence and integrity compromised on its values as that was the only way its partners thought to be economically competitive. In the more recent Satyam case in India, the fraud started at the top level management and reached the financial records. The role of Pricewaterhouse, Satyams auditor, is also controversial in the said scandal. Causes of financial reporting problems The regulatory environment had not changed suddenly then why did the financial reporting problems surface at the time, is a question to be pondered upon. There are many reasons, not one that dominates. It was a confluence of circumstances that opened eyes to the problems. The bursting of the bubble economy was a major reason these financial abuses came to light. When everything was seemed bright, nobody questioned companies financial reports. In accounting the lack of relevance of historical cost accounting and even the basic traditional accounting framework were being discussed. The â€Å"new economy† was not to last forever. And when it did not last, investors began to ask tough questions. For many of the questions, there were no answers — only denials and cover-ups. In the auditing profession, audits had become loss leaders. The balance sheets and income statements had lost value, so auditing of the statements was not important. Thus, many audits became hasty and more of a formality. No one was willing to pay for quality audits, so many audit firms believed there remained no sense in competing on the basis of quality. Cost drove audit decisions. Lower cost even with lower quality was the norm. The passivity of corporate boards was also a contributor. This was worsened by the growing number of complex financial transactions, most of which were beyond understanding of board members, who had gained their experience before such instruments came into being. Even a former accounting professor heading Enrons Audit Committee, a person of utmost integrity, had difficulty understanding the implications of the companys financial manoeuvring. Finally, the biggest culprit is the corporate culture. Focus was laid on short-term gains forgetting about all long-run considerations. Also the executive scorecard became focused on salary. Many players had become greedy — executives, investors, and attorney, among others — but more than that was the need to compete on the basis of compensation. Implications for accounting educators The perpetrators of most of financial reporting scandals are former students, graduates of accounting or MBA programs. So educators must ask themselves: What are they doing wrong and what must they do to fix the problems? The first obvious reaction is to emphasize ethics in business and accounting curricula. This is important. Educators in a business ethics class can not dissuade someone who is inclined to commit a fraud from doing so. But it is also true that most perpetrators did not at the onset set out to commit a fraud. They simply got ended up on a slippery zone. Also, the most disappointing aspect about most of the scandals is the number of people who, (though not personally involved) knew what was happening and still did nothing. Exceptions to the rule are some courageous whistle blowers, many of whom were products of university accounting programs. Thus, the focus of ethics classes should be to recognize and analyse the situations that can lead to compromise on ones ideals and values, and to promote the reporting of inappropriate behaviour. This can be best done in context because ethics issues come up in context, with you imagining yourself in the real situation. It is easy to go into an ethics class and give the answer that the instructor wants. It is an altogether different thing to put ones self in a case situation with conflicting pressures, and determine the appropriate action when ethics is only one of the many factors impacting your decision. Conclusion The accounting profession is in the middle of a challenging time. A reputation gained over years and decades can be lost in a day. Accountants were thought of as persons of high integrity working at an uninteresting job. In the current scenario the job has gotten more interesting, but at the cost of their reputation for integrity. It is essential to win back the trust of the public and maintain their belief in the importance of accounting. The road to restoring integrity of accountants today is a long one. The job will neither be quick nor easy, with the new series of financial reporting scandals that have come up. References Wikipedia online encyclopaedia Sarbanes-Oxley Act. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbanes- Oxley_Act#Overview_of_the_PCAOB.27s_requirements Financial oversight of Enron: SEC and private-sector watchdogs http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/100702watchdogsreport.pdf http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/54065/accounting_ethics.html

Link between Sexual Abuse and Feelings of Shame in Victims

Link between Sexual Abuse and Feelings of Shame in Victims Women and Shame: Exploring the Link Between Sexual Abuse and the Shame Experienced by Victims Abstract Change in the culture of the United States and other countries is allowing for more discussion on the topic of sexual abuse, but it has yet to become the norm. Survivors of sexual abuse experience various negative consequences, including shame and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Shame includes, but is not limited to, feeling trapper, powerless, and isolated (Brown, 2006). PTSD experienced by survivors of sexual abuse can lead one to withdraw and succumb to the negative and detrimental effects of sexual abuse (Wilson & Scarpa, 2014). To reduce the severity of PTSD and combat the negative effects of shame on those who experience it, specifically female survivors of sexual assault, it is suggested that there be a focus on deep and sincere connection provided by supportive women figures and other women who have experienced sexual abuse. This support, in addition to individual and group psychotherapy, may provide the needed empowerment to overcome shame and decrease PTSD symptoms ex perienced by survivors of sexual abuse. Women and Shame: Exploring the Link Between Sexual Abuse and the Shame Experienced by Victims Sexual abuse is disturbingly prevalent, particularly among college students. The American Association of Universities (AAU) found that the prevalence of sexual assault in college was 22.2% for undergraduate women, and, of the women who were in their senior year of college, 27.2% reported having been sexually assaulted during their four years (Cantor et al., 2015). However, disclosing this information has not always been easy and still proves to be a challenge. It is a barrier that is at times insurmountable for victims of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, in the United States today, and all around the world for that matter, the act of sexual abuse is not taboo—exposing it and talking about it is (Turner, 1993). Despite research statistics indicating that 16% of adult American women will experience abuse before the age of 18 (Jackson, Calhoun, Amick, Meddever, & Habif, 1990), society has shied away from the discussion of sexual abuse become commonplace in America. Moreover, sexual abuse and its negative effects are all encompassing and prove difficult to overcome. Sexual abuse can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Sexual abuse also affects the relationships that survivors have with others. Survivors may feel that their experience is a private narrative that should not be shared with others, or they may be concerned that others may not think that what happened to them was truly rape or assault; therefore, victims may not choose to disclose this experience to anyone (Filipas & Ullman, 2001). In order to change this negative thinking, women need to provide deep and sincere connection to female abuse survivors that will allow them to feel supported and empowered. Because feelings such as fear, shame, doubt, and confusion post abuse may lead to avoidance coping and a potential diagnosis of PTSD, understanding the negative effects of sexual abuse is vital to understanding how supportive women can help female victims to overcome feeling trapped, powerless, and isolated. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, including rape or other violent personal assault (â€Å"What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,† 2017). People who suffer from PTSD experience disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their traumatic experience for long periods of time after the event has passed. A study done by Feiring and Taska (2005) found that women who had experienced sexual abuse and reported high levels of shame after one year were at greater risk for experiencing high levels of shame after six years, as well. This type of residual shame is characteristic of PTSD in that survivors experience it for long periods of time after their traumatic experience. If more can be done to help survivors of sexual abuse within the first year after their experience, they may be empowered to combat the negative effects of shame and overcome the statistics. This help can be provided through support, understanding, patience, and providing a safe place for survivors of sexual abuse to share their experience. PTSD due to sexual abuse is not the only psychological disorder that affects victims. Research done by Molnar, Buka, and Kessler (2001) found that sexual abuse occurring during childhood was highly correlated with the onset of 14 various psychological disorders in women. In addition, research done by Wilson and Scarpa (2014) indicated that childhood sexual abuse is associated with higher amounts of PTSD symptoms than other forms of childhood abuse. When considering the implications of PTSD, the long-term effects it has on those suffering it, and the potential onset of 14 various psychological disorders (Molnar, Buka, & Kessler , 2001), childhood sexual abuse can lead to a lifelong struggle with mental health and shame if not addressed. Female survivors of sexual abuse can receive the necessary support through deep and sincere connection with other women—connection that is needed to combat PTSD. Sexual abuse is not a one-time action. Sexual abuse of any type leaves one with feelings of worthlessness, shame, and insecurities that require intensive care and effort to overcome. Women cannot be left alone post abuse to question their worth. Researchers have looked to strengthen the link in the relationship between shame and sexual assault in order to provide more clarity for those seeking answers. Studies demonstrated that shame is often a mediator between an experience such as sexual assault and PTSD (DeCou, Cole, Lynch, Wong, Matthews, 2017). While few studies have been done to examine what role social connections play in the recovery process, Hyman, Gold, and Cott (2003) suggested that the most influential predictor of PTSD—self esteem might be able to offset feelings typically experienced with shame. Because shame is a mediator between sexual assault and PTSD, targeting it by means of connection will minimize its power and role in bringing those symptoms to the forefront. In addition, because 70% of sexual abuse victims will tell someone about their experience—typically a friend (Fisher, Daigle, Cullen, & Tanner, 2003), overcoming the barriers that delay disclosure may prove helpful in providing a safer and more supportive environment for survivors of sexual abuse. Survivors may be able to seek the support they need and share the motions that they are feeling in a much more efficient manner (Ullman, Foynes, & Tang, 2001). Because of the safety that close relationships can provide, the focus on their role in recovery must be emphasized, because survivors can benefit by sharing the emotions of that experience instead of carrying them alone. One of the most prevalent emotions felt by victims of sexual abuse is shame. Shame is an intensely painful feeling or experience of believing one is flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging. This strong emotion can lead survivors to feel trapped, powerless, and isolated (Brown, 2006). No victim of sexual abuse should have to face these experiences and emotions alone. Although the shame experienced by female victims of sexual abuse can be a difficult psychological construct to measure consistently across sample populations, deep and sincere connections among women, along with individual and group psychotherapy, may play a vital role in empowering females to combat the negative effects of shame. Women who maintain supportive interpersonal relationships post-abuse are uniquely empowered to feel less trapped, powerless, and isolated. Interpersonal Relationships While those directly involved with sexual abuse are the true victims, friends, peers, and family members to whom this negative experience is disclosed are also impacted by the negative consequences. Victims of sexual abuse are typically not prepared for what they experience, and neither are those they reach out to for support. Each person to whom this information is disclosed responds differently. Wile the majority tend to respond positively, there are some who do respond negatively (Ahrens & Campbell, 2000). Some results have shown that negative reactions include, but are not limited to, feelings sorry for the victims, blaming the assault on the victim instead of the perpetrator, and minimizing the seriousness and effect of the event (Popiel & Susskind, 1985). This negative response typically comes from a place of unpreparedness. Sexual abuse has far-reaching effects, and those who are indirectly affected (and their response to the survivors) should be examined. By providing education to peers and familial supports, in addition to providing a safe place for survivors of sexual assault to disclose their abuse experience, peers and familial supports will likely respond in a way that fosters trust, confidence, and courage. According to George, Winfield, and Blazer (1992), the majority (59% to 91%) of sexual assault victims disclose the event to family and friends because they view them as helpful and/or supportive. Very few report the information to formal agencies such as the police, the hospital, or a formal rape center. Research done by Ullman (1996) tested friends of rape victims and determined that participants did not feel more distressed than normal when they were told their friend was a victim of sexual assault. The results further showed that the friends were angry at the perpetrator and wanted to seek revenge but otherwise maintained positive feelings towards the survivor (Ullman, 1996). Because the results can vary from friend to friend, it is imperative that friends, family members, and supporters of survivors of sexual abuse are educated on their role in the process of recovery and healing. Sexual abuse affects more than just those who experience it first hand, it also impacts those who are trusted enough to help bear the weight and seriousness of this horrible experience. Exploring shame, one of the consequences of sexual abuse more thoroughly, will provide clarity to the healing process that survivors of undergo and the important role that women play in empowering female survivors to overcome their experience. Oftentimes, abuse-related shame is created by the secretive context under which it takes place, including threats to stay silent and not disclose the event to anyone and condemnation from the perpetrator towards the victim (Feiring & Taska, 2005). This shame can then lead one to feel trapped, powerless, and isolated (Brown, 2006). Shame requires a sense of self and an ability to compare oneself against a cultural standard (Feiring & Taska, 2005). Having a better understanding of shame will not only allow female survivors of sexual abuse to take steps towards healing, but will also help peers, family members, and friends to support survivors along this path. Feeling Less Trapped The word trapped is often thought of in the context of not being able to escape. Female survivors of sexual abuse often feel trapped by their experience. Researchers found that a consistent result of shame is an avoidance response so severe tat the individual prefers to hide rather than expose themselves (Barrett, Zahn-Waxler, & Cole, 1993). Additionally, shame promotes cognitive avoidance which is an intentional effort to avoid dealing with a stressor (Berliner & Wheeler, 1987). Because shame produces avoidance, both cognitively and behaviorally, survivors, as well as those who support them, need to understand the significant effect that deep and sincere connections can have on survivors while working through abuse-related shame. Turner (1993) stated that â€Å"the process of sharing feelings with others and realizing that other people feel the same way provides a sense of relief and makes people feel less frightened and not so alone† (para. 12). Being able to reach out for h elp and seek connection, the opposite of avoidance, will likely improve the survivor’s ability to overcome shame and empower her to fight the feelings of isolation that she experiences. Feeling Less Powerless As suggested by Brown (2006), sexual abuse survivors find that producing effects strong enough to counter the shame caused by sexual abuse very difficult. Because shame produces so many emotions, survivors have difficulty feeling empowered enough to get to the core of their abuse and begin healing. Survivors are often stuck in the secondary emotions: shame, guilt, anxiousness, helplessness, and hurt (E. Harwood, personal communication, November 1, 2017). In a study done by Berliner and Wheeler (1987), survivors of sexual abuse typically got to the core of their abuse and began healing by gradually exposing their abuse situation through talking about or abreaction, the expression and emotional discharge of repressed emotion (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017). If female survivors of sexual abuse can experience abreaction, in addition to the support of deep and sincere connections with other women, then they may be able to reach the core of their abuse and begin to explore to real emotions that they are feeling. Survivors will likely gain power over their abuse each time it is exposed through the help of therapists, peers, and family supports. Survivors may begin to feel empowered and start to overcome the complexity of the shame that they experience. They may also find the power to keep seeking connections necessary to overcome feelings of isolation. Feeling Less Isolated The confusion, betrayal, and loneliness that survivors of sexual abuse experience are conflicting emotions and tend to run deep. Because sexual abuse can come by means of close friends, family members, trusted individuals (or associates), isolation seems to be the fitting response when considering that a trusted person could be the perpetrator of such acts. Survivors typically need to rebuild trust, and this can be done through forming deep and sincere connections with women among whom they feel comfortable or women who have experienced something similar. Bass and Davis (1988) found that as women speak to each other about past traumatic experiences, they are able to put more distance between themselves and the pain. That ability led survivors to feel less victimized and more connected with those to whom they were talking (Bass & Davis, 1988). If female survivors can come to trust the deep and sincere connections the form with fellow women, ten they will be able to feel less isolated through talking about their experiences. In addition, survivors will likely feel more empathy and sympathy from those around them and begin to feel that they are not alone but rather surround by people who understand them and their experiences. They will begin to feel connected. Empowerment through Connection Human beings thrive off of feelings of belonging. On Maslow’s Hierarch of Needs, the need to belong is most important after basic needs and safety and security. Further, it is often said that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety but rather connection. If connection is powerful enough to help one to overcome or avoid addiction completely, how important is it then for one seeking to overcome the shame that comes from sexual abuse? Baumeister and Leary (2000) described the â€Å"need to belong or need to develop and maintain meaningful social bonds as a ‘fundamental human motivation’ that lies beneath a myriad of human interaction and behavior†(P#). On that premise, the desire for connection and feelings of belonging come naturally and should not be ignored. In a study done by Llabre and Hadi (1997) that examined children in Kuwait who had experienced trauma, data showed that girls who experienced trauma and perceived low levels of support experienced the highest levels of PTSD symptoms. By providing support to female survivors of sexual abuse through deep and sincere connection from fellow women, these PTSD symptoms may diminish. Whether survivors of sexual abuse prefer avoidance or connection, as observed earlier, friends and familial support must be understanding. If the proper support can be given to victims soon after the abuse occurs, then they symptoms of PTSD may decrease and the natural desire for connection and belonging will likely be satisfied. That help alone may empower female survivors of sexual assault to push through the shame they feel and move forward through the process of healing. The need for connection is not merely a desire to have friends. Satisfying the need for connection can help one to avoid depression, anxiety, and loneliness. The need for connection also elicits goal-oriented behavior (Baumeister & Leary, 2000). In a study done on 160 women who had experienced sexual abuse in their childhood, women who perceived that they had social support reported a significant reduction in depression and other symptoms of PTSD (Hobfoll et al., 2002). Knowing that a need for connection will inspire goal-oriented behavior and combat depression, loneliness, and anxiety, support provided by women can help to counteract the feelings of isolation and powerlessness that female survivors of sexual abuse experience. By building and strengthening deep and sincere connections, survivors will feel less isolated and be empowered to combat the negative effects of shame. Sharing Experiences   While group therapy and individual therapy are great additions to the therapeutic process, sharing the experience outside of therapeutic groups is an additional support. According to a national study done in Sweden, 46% of all Swedish women surveyed had experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 15 (Ormon, Sunnqvist, Bahtsevani, Tostensson Levander, 2016). Because of these results, further research was done in a women’s general psychiatric clinic. The follow-up study found that women preferred to share their abuse experiences with their peers more so than with staff (Ormon, Sunnqvist, Bahtsevani, Tostensson Levander, 2016). This research demonstrated that survivors of sexual assault tend to be more willing to disclose their experience to trusted women or those who have experienced something similar. Because of this level of trust that is extended to those without therapeutic licensure, fellow women must be aware of the impact they have o those who wish to sh are their experiences. Deep and sincere connection outside of individual and group psychotherapy may supplement the help that is provided there. While research on the view point of friends and family is minimal, some research has been conducted on the matter. Ahrens and Campbell (2000) reviewed the responses of friends to survivors and found that those to whom the information is disclosed are conflicted by wanting to help and support but feel powerless and unhelpful. These same researchers surveyed college students again and found that women are more empathic, especially if they have their own history of sexual assault, blame the experience on the survivor less often than men, and see more positive changes in their relationship with the survivor (Ahrens & Campbell, 2000). Contrary to these findings, Banyard, Maynihan, Walsh, Cohn, and Ward (2010) cited significant responses indicating that friends to whom sexual assault is disclosed feel anger and distress. Because of the inconsistency in responses to sexual assault, there is a need to continue educating peer and familial supports on the role the play in the healing process. By providing this education and spending more time talking about their role, survivors may be able to find deep and sincere relationships with those to whom they disclose their experience to and will likely be able to overcome the shame that stems from sexual assault. Conclusion A community, a culture, a friend, or a family member that provides safety and refuge for survivors of sexual abuse is positioned at the forefront of changes that need to be made. Sexual abuse is experience by more friends and family than is made known and healthy and positive support is owed to them. While sexual abuse is an emerging topic in the world of open discussions, understanding the trail of negative effects that is left behind in its wake is only beginning to be explored. PTSD experienced by survivors of sexual abuse is long term and fosters feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness. In addition, survivors that experience high levels of PTSD within the immediate year following their experience are likely to maintain that high level for a minimum of six years (Feiring & Taska, 2005). PTSD can also accompany 14 other psychological disorders that women are prone to develop after experiencing sexual abuse (Molnar, Buka, & Kessler, 2001). It is difficult and potentially impossible to determine a fix-all for symptoms and effects of PTSD, but it is not impossible to challenge it. PTSD can be challenged and combatted through deep and sincere connection that allows survivors of sexual assault to feel empowered, heard, and supported. Fortunately for survivors of sexual abuse, studies have also shown that they will often be positively received when disclosing their traumatic experience to friends, family, and trusted figures (Ahrens & Campbell, 2000). Unfortunately, there will be some who perceive them negatively, blame the vent on them, and cut off communication and support (Popiel & Susskind, 1985), but by allowing for sexual abuse to be a commonplace conversation and providing safe settings for that to happen, the negative reactions be minimized further. With this positive support, female survivors of sexual abuse will begin to work through the negative effects of abuse-related shame: feeling trapped, powerless, and isolated. Survivors of sexual abuse, women in particular, need each other. By providing deep and sincere connection to those effected by sexual abuse, they will likely feel empowered to overcome the shame that envelops them, because they will feel connected, they will feel included, and they will ex pose the abuse that they experienced. Additional research on the effects of deep and sincere relationships among women should be conducted to better understand their influence as more is being done to provide help for survivors of sexual abuse. Providing education on the importance of supportive peers and families and the positive effects that they have on victims may decrease the amount of psychological disorders and long-term effects that sexual abuse can leave in its wake. Research should therefore be done that explores more in depth the emotion of shame and the role that it plays n recovery from sexual abuse.    References Ahrens, C. E., & Campbell, R. (2000). Assisting rape victims as they recover from rape: The impact on friends.  Journal of Interpersonal Violence,  15(9), 959-986. doi:10.1177/088626000015009004 American Psychiatric Association. (2017). What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder? Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd Banyard, V. L., Moynihan, M. M., Walsh, W. A., Cohn, E. S., & Ward, S. (2010). Friends of survivors: The community impact of unwanted sexual experiences.  Journal of Interpersonal Violence,  25(2), 242-256. doi:10.1177/0886260509334407 Barrett, K. C., Zahn-Waxler, C., & Cole, P. M. (1993). Avoiders versus amenders: Implications for the investigation of guilt and shame during toddlerhood? Cognitionand Emotion, 7, 481-505. Bass, E., & Davis, L. (1988).  The courage to heal: A guide for women survivors of child sexual abuse. New York, NY, US: Perennial Library/Harper & Row Publishers. Retrieved from  https://www.lib.byu.edu/cgibin/remoteauth.pl?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=1988-97592-000&site=ehost-live&scope=site Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (2000). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. In E. T. Higgins, A. W. Kruglanski, E. T. Higgins (Ed) & A. W. Kruglanski (Ed) Eds.), (pp. 24-49). New York, NY, US: Psychology Press. Retrieved from  https://www.lib.byu.edu/cgibin/remoteauth.pl?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2000-12688-001&site=ehost-live&scope=site Berliner, L., & Wheeler, J. R. (1987). Treating the effects of sexual abuse on children.  Journal of Interpersonal Violence,  2(4), 415-434. doi:10.1177/088626058700200407 Brown, B. (2006). Shame resilience theory: A grounded theory study on women and shame.  Families in Society,  87(1), 43-52. doi:10.1606/1044-3894.3483 Cantor,  D.,  Fisher,  B.,  Chibnall,  S.,  Townsend,  R.,  Lee,  H.,  Bruce,  C., &  Thomas,  G.  (2015). Report on the AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct.  Washington, DC: Association of American Universities. Retrieved from  https://www.aau.edu/uploadedFiles/AAU_Publications/AAU_Reports/Sexual_Assault_Campus_Survey/AAU_Campus_Climate_Survey_12_14_15.pdf DeCou, C. R., Cole, T. T., Lynch, S. M., Wong, M. M., & Matthews, K. C. (2017). Assault-related shame mediates the association between negative social reactions to disclosure of sexual assault and psychological distress.  Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy,  9(2), 166-172. doi:10.1037/tra000018 Feiring, C., & Taska, L. S. (2005). The persistence of shame following sexual abuse: A longitudinal look at risk and recovery.  Child Maltreatment,  10(4), 337-349. doi:10.1177/1077559505276686 Filipas, H. H., & Ullman, S. E. (2001). Social reactions to sexual assault victims from various support sources.  Violence and Victims,  16(6), 673-692. Retrieved from  https://www.lib.byu.edu/cgi-bin/remoteauth.pl?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2002-12346-006&site=ehost-live&scope=site Fisher, B. S., Daigle, L. E., Cullen, F. T., & Turner, M. G. (2003). Reporting sexual victimization to the police and others: Results from a national-level study of college women.  Criminal Justice and Behavior,  30(1), 6-38. doi:10.1177/0093854802239161 George, L. K., Winfield, I., & Blazer, D. G. (1992). Sociocultural factors in sexual assault: Comparison of two representative samples of women.  Journal of Social Issues,  48(1), 105-125. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1992.tb01160 Hobfoll, S. E., Bansal, A., Schurg, R., Young, S., Pierce, C. A., Hobfoll, I., & Johnson, R. (2002). The impact of perceived child physical and sexual abuse history on Native American womens psychological well-being and AIDS risk.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,  70(1), 252-257. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.70.1.252 Hyman, S. M., Gold, S. N., & Cott, M. A. (2003). Forms of social support that moderate PTSD in childhood sexual abuse survivors.  Journal of Family Violence,  18(5), 295-300. doi:1025117311660 Jackson, J. L., Calhoun, K. S., Amick, A. E., Maddever, H. M., & Habif, V. L. (1990). Young adult women who report childhood interfamilial sexual abuse: Subsequent adjustment.  Archives of Sexual Behavior,  19(3), 211-221. doi:10.1007/BF01541547 Llabre, M. M., & Hadi, F. (1997). Social support and psychological distress in Kuwaiti boys and girls exposed to the gulf crisis.  Journal of Clinical Child Psychology,  26(3), 247-255. doi:10.1207/s15374424jccp2603_3 Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2017). Abreaction. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster. Molnar, B. E., Buka, S. L., & Kessler, R. C. (2001). Child sexual abuse and subsequent psychopathology: Results from the national comorbidity survey.  American Journal of Public Health,  91(5), 753-760. doi:10.2105/AJPH.91.5.753 Ormon, K., Sunnqvist, C., Bahtsevani, C., & Levander, M. T. (2016). Disclosure of abuse among female patients within general psychiatric care: A cross sectional study.  BMC Psychiatry,  16  Retrieved from  https://www.lib.byu.edu/cgibin/remoteauth.pl?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2016-15202-001&site=ehost-live&scope=site Popiel, D. A., & Susskind, E. C. (1985). The impact of rape: Social support as a moderator of stress.  American Journal of Community Psychology,  13(6), 645-676. doi:10.1007/BF00929794 Turner, S. (1993). Talking about sexual abuse: The value of short-term groups for women survivors.  Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama & Sociometry,  46(3), 110-121. Retrieved from https://www.lib.byu.edu/cgibin/remoteauth.pl?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=1994-26536-001&site=ehost-live&scope=site Ullman, S. E. (1996). Do social reactions to sexual assault victims vary by support provider?  Violence and Victims,  11(2), 143-157. Retrieved from  https://www.lib.byu.edu/cgi-bin/remoteauth.pl?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=1997-07861-004&site=ehost-live&scope=site Ullman, S. E., Foynes, M. M., & Tang, S. S. S. (2001). Benefits and barriers to disclosing sexual trauma: A contextual approach.  Journal of Trauma & Dissociation,  11(2), 127-133. doi:10.1080/15299730903502904 Wilson, L. C., & Scarpa, A. (2014). Childhood abuse, perceived social support, and posttraumatic stress symptoms: A moderation model.  Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy,  6(5), 512-518. doi:10.1037/a0032635 Appendix Figure 1. Type of response experienced by survivors of sexual assault when disclosing their experience to family and/or friends. Adapted from â€Å"Assault-Related Shame Mediates the Association Between Negative Social Reactions to Disclosure of Sexual Assault and Psychological Distress,† by C. DeCou, T. Cole, S. Lynch, M. Wong, & K. Matthews, 2017, Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, (2)9, p. 169.

Internet Issues :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Internet Issues    The Internet is a wide network of computers around the world.   It allows many computers to communicate and share information, with few physical boundaries.   It has become an integral part of today's society.   Today, almost everyone in the US can access the Internet.   It is a valuable asset for people doing research as well as new form of entertainment for many people addicted to the world wide web.      With this great advancement in technology, many people are signing up for accounts with ISP's and people wait in line at their local libraries, just to surf the web.   The Internet has become so accessible and so high in demand, that now even pocket organizers come equipped with 33.6 KBPS modems so that people can connect to the Internet from any location in the world with a phone line.   This new technology, however is not without its   shortcomings.  Ã‚   In fact people are constantly praising it, that they don't always realize the pitfalls of the Internet.      Many people go on the Internet every day to do research or to catch up on current events.   However, one must realize that no one owns the Internet and therefore it is difficult for one organization to control it.   This makes it very easy for people to release false information and to spread propaganda, with almost no laws to stop them.   Even though there are laws restricting people as to what may be posted on the Internet, the Internet is so large that no one can really enforce all the laws.   It may take years for a government agency to find a site with illegal content.   A government also cannot control a site's content if the site is located on a computer outside the physical boundaries of the country.   Also, anyone wishing to spread a rumor can do so by e-mail and the false information will spread around the world like wildfire.   Thousands of users logged into the Internet everyday access information via e-mail, newsgroups, world wide web pages and many other w ays, but how much of the information they access can be trusted to be true.   It has always been a good rule of thumb to only trust corporate or government sites, but what if it were them who also spread false information.   And why shouldn't they? They have nothing to lose by spreading rumors about their competitors, after all.

NHS Balanced scorecard Essay -- British Health Care, Politics

This part of the assignment will discuss balanced scorecard that has been implemented by UK National Health Service (NHS), how it has influenced and impacted upon the performance measures of this organisation. ‘Since its launch in 1948, the NHS has grown to become the world’s largest publicly funded health service. NHS employs more than 1.7m people and deals on average with 1m patients every 36 hours. It is also one of the most efficient, most egalitarian and most comprehensive. Even though NHS services in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are managed separately and each might have some system differences, they remain similar in most respects and belong to a single, unified system. The NHS core principle is that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth.’ (NHS, 2010) Success of NHS depends on how well the organisation balance quality and customer (patient) satisfaction with adequate financing and long-range goals. Health care organisations such as NHS must deal with government oversight, managed care, new technologies, and increasing pharmaceutical prices. The NHS has adopted a performance measurement system that is based on the concept of balanced scorecard in order to obtain a broader view of performance within the organisation (Department of Health, 2001). Although, measuring performance evaluation of health care system could be difficult, it can on the other hand serve several purposes and can help facilitate change and improvements in the effectiveness and quality of health care. It seems peculiar to focus on performance measures in organisation such as NHS, but even NHS is facing increasing competitive pressures when considering ageing populations increasing demand, improved treatment... ...t in public/patient accountability, service efficiency and staff involvement to a highly prominent level. Government has developed ‘Star Ratings’ system which monitors improvements in accountability measures. The experience of the ‘Star Ratings’ system in respect of service efficiency indicates that it is prudent to act pro-actively rather than re-actively. It is vital to consider that the Government is expecting demonstrable improvements in health services rather than rhetoric alone (Radnor and Lovell, 2003). ‘Though it is intricate to demonstrably prove in quantitative terms that the balanced scorecard can deliver efficiency improvements at the start of its implementation, it can be shown in quantitative terms that a well designed fully cascaded balanced scorecard system should address the needs of a health care system. ’ (Radnor and Lovell, 2003, p. 105)

Medical Terminology and Healthcare

TBLS Week 1- TBLS Assignment BC1030X: Medical Terminology and Healthcare Setting & Claims Processing (7-30-2012) Section 13 Melissa Brown | Doing the exercises allows us to really look at how we can determine our future by enforcing positive thoughts and â€Å"self-talk†. OR we can destroy all possibilities by succumbing to negative† self-talk. † Today I made a conscious effort to push out of my head any negative â€Å"self-talk†. While I enhanced the positive â€Å"self-talk. † Doing both exercises allows me to really see the effects of both.I had never realized how my thinking and attitude plays such a vital role in every aspect of my life. The exercise allows me to see how I can take control over my future and even my today. How do I see myself? Well, self-examination allows me to see how my personality can positively affect others and more importantly†¦ myself. I am making an effort this entire week to use nothing but positive self-talk, acti on, behavior in every aspect of my life. I never realized how much a negative attitude, disposition and outlook affects me as a person. I have been unemployed for almost 4 months.I thought I had a job however, something went wrong with the drug test or background test and I just know they are avoiding me. I never heard of any test that takes a month to come back, so I assumed something went wrong. However, I just decided to keep putting in applications and I refuse to allow that to get me down. Positive thinking allows me to keep going with a smile on my face. I am grateful because I have a family that chips in and we will be ok. I found out what is necessary and actually what isn’t a necessity. And we are doing ok. I accredited God for that.So in that aspect a positive attitude allows me to wake up in the morning with a plan of action and I am actually enthused about it. That enthusiasm allows me to stay positive, think positively and make my day a pleasant day with all kind s of new possibilities. How I feel about myself inside reflects how others will see me. A smile can be contagious. If I am positive others around me will be as well. Self-examination and having control of our thoughts is something that I am sure with practice I can master. We will always have challenges and obstacles.I have learned how we see them, deal with them and behave plays a vital role in the overall outcome. I have faith and devoted to the most high, as a servant I believe that he gives us the empowerment to control ourselves in a manner that allows us personal growth, strength and control over ourselves. We can benefit by staying positives self-examination, and correction and that is shown in our attitude, behavior and focused on our goals. Exercise: TBLS-self talk snapshot What’s going on up there http://www. positive-thinking-for-you. com/positivethinking. html

Microeconomic Factors in Automobile Industry in India

Automobile Industry Hailed as ‘the industry of industries’ by Peter Drucker, the founding father of the study of management, in 1946, the automobile industry had evolved continuously with changing times from craft production in 1890s to mass production in 1910s to lean production techniques in the 1970s. The Asian countries, mainly by Japan, China and India, registered a 9% increase in production over last year, constituting 35. 9% of the global production. In fact China and India posted positive growth rate over 2003.This supply mainly catered to meet the demand from households where the automobiles constituted the second largest expenditure item next only to housing. Thus the global automobile industry dominated by Europe, US, Japan, and of late by China and India, continued to have a significant influence on economic development, international trade, foreign direct investment and environment-friendly practices. Total Sales Trend of Four-wheelers in India Demand Factor s 1. Financing Options Auto industry observers cite car loans as the biggest driving factor for the expansion of the Compact Car segment.At present, almost 85 per cent of all new car sales are  backed by auto finance, compared to 65 per cent five years ago. Interest rates on car loans have come down drastically in the past four or five years, which helps prospective buyers, take the plunge. The growth of the CC-segment in the  past few years can be mainly credited to factors such as rise in income levels leading to increased affordability and simultaneous reduction in interest rates leading to lower  EMIs. The drop in interest rates usually helps very few people to probably shift from the base model to a deluxe model.A larger shift happens if people are willing to take long-term loans, like five years instead of the earlier three-year loans. 2. 2. Advertising And Marketing Due to the advertising techniques adopted by all the manufacturers in the CC-Segment the sales have risen drastically. It is all due to because the companies now days are using even aggressive selling techniques for which they are even coping with the Film celebrities and Cricket stars, like Maruti has contracted Irfan Pathan as the  brand ambassador of Zen and for Santro Hyundai has contracted for Shah Rukh Khan.And the companies are even trying to approach to the customer as to their demand for  a vehicle at special interest loans, etc. They are using data according to the customers return and earning capacity for attracting the customers for their vehicles. 3. Price of the Car One of the major factors that affect the demand of any commodity in the market is the  price of the commodity. As the law of demand also states that with an increase in  price the demand of the commodity decreases and vice versa.Since, in the compact car segment market even there are very less competitors there is stiff price competition. Like the price of Zen in 2001 was Rs. 3. 93 lacs which increased to Rs. 4. 01 lacs in 2005, but still the sale of the Maruti brand keeps on increasing it was due to the company’s reputation with the customers. 4. Income of Consumer / Buyer The income of the consumer or buyer of the car is a very important factor of demand. In recent time we have seen that due to increase in the Income of the general public, there has been a shift from the Lower CC-segment cars to the Upper CC-segmentcars. 2Due to the recent increase in the number of multinationals in India, the income level of the employees have risen drastically and has made CC-segment cars an entry level car for a lot of people. The average age of a CC-segment car owner has also dropped from 35 years to 31 years in India. 5. Increase  in  Affordability The demand for passenger cars is driven mainly by greater affordability, which in turn increases the aspiration level of the customers. Today with high amount of disposable income in the hand of Indian youth, who forms major portion o f the population, P-marker has larger addressable market. 6. Demographic DriversCars being aspirational products, purchase decisions are influenced by the overall economic environment. Increase in per capita income increases the consumption tendency of the customer. Growth in per capita income and rising aspirations and changing lifestyle is leading to increased preference for cars over two-wheelers, which is also having a positive rub off on car demand. 7. Availability of Easy Financing Options A majority of PV purchases are financed through financial institutions. Over the past4-5 years car industry has been benefited through significant increase in affordability due to the decrease in EMIs.Car finance rates dropped from 17% in 2000-01 to 11%in 2005-06. However it has increased and averaged at 13. 75% in 2006-07. The current hardening of interest rates is expected to affect demand by reducing affordability. 8. New Offerings Car sales increase when a new model hits the market. Due to escalation in competition in Indian car market, frequency of new model launches has increased. In the past one year only the Indian car market has seen many launches namely SX4,Swift Diesel, Zen Estill, Spark, Logan, etc. 9. ExportsThe share of exports from domestic production is currently at 12-13%, which is much lower than current export hubs. Currently, India’s share of global passenger cars export volume stands at less than 1%. But India is fast emerging as a manufacturing hub for leading global car makers, and several manufacturers have already firmed up  plans for setting up manufacturing bases in India, which will also be used for exports. 3 Supply Factors 1. Presence  across  Segments Manufacturers with presence across various product segments can ensure higher  volume and better capacity utilization by using the common manufacturing capacity.Typically a customer upgrades from one segment to higher segment and the presence across various segments ensures th at the company retains its existing customers. 2. Efficient Operations Competition in PV segment is very intense and this requires the existing players to initiate steps to reduce their cost of production. Effective and successful operation methods like platform commonality, reduction in vendor base and workforce rationalization can help a company immensely. 3. Wide  Dealer Network and Availability  of FinanceA wide dealer network helps the company serve customers over wide geographical area. For e. g. Maruti has used its available wide service network as point of difference over competitors. The companies are tying up with the financial institutions having rural presence to provide additional financing options to customers in such areas. 4. Access  to Latest Technologies Indian PV segment is highly competitive with as many as 14 players operating in it and more than 80 models on the offering. But still any new model launch meets with increase in sales volume for the company.M oreover in a time when a substantial  portion of Indian customer is looking to upgrade in higher segment, companies with latest technologies and latest models will catch more attentions 5. Price of the Car Price of the car is one of the major factors that affect the supply as well as the demand of a car. If the price of the car is high in the market, the manufacturer or the supplier  will want to supply more units in the market so he can earn more profits. In the automotive industry where the market type is oligopoly, if one company drops its price for the car, there is a huge impact on the sales of the other cars as well as the same car.In the market the price of one car is inter-related to the price of the other  cars in the same segment. The best solution is that market equilibrium should be achieved so that the amount of the quantity demanded should be equal to the amount of the quantity supplied to achieve maximum profits. A Market Equilibrium is achieved at the point of intersection of the demand line and the supply line. The point is the equilibrium point where the quantity demanded is equal to the quantity supplied. 6. Factors of  Production There are some factors of production which influence the supply of a car likeCost of Raw Material Labor Cost Machinery Input Cost. These factors influence the supply of a car largely. If the cost of the raw material (Steel, Spare Parts, Rubber) increases there will be an increase in the cost of  production leading to decrease in profit margins. Costs like labor costs, machinery and input costs also influence the supply with the increase or decrease in these costs. 7. 7. Government Policies and Taxes If there is a change in the government policies regarding the increase in the road tax charged or the tax which is to be paid per unit sold, the supply of a car will fluctuate with the nature of the change.Recently the government has reduced the custom duty on inputs and raw material from 20% to 15% which has increased the supply. Conclusion Market economies are assumed to have many buyers and sellers, high competition and many substitutes. Monopolies characterize industries in which the supplier  determines prices and high barriers prevent any competitors from entering the market. Demand and supply refer to the relationship price has with the quantity consumers demand and the quantity supplied by producers. As price increases, quantity demanded decreases and quantity supplied increases.On the other hand, elasticity tells us how much quantity demanded or supplied changes when there is a change in any of the factor. The more the quantity changes, the more elastic the good or service. By studying various demand and supply factors affecting  the automobile industry we can conclude that an upturn or downturn in this sector is due to an aggregate effect of  multiple factors. These together govern the economies of automobile sector. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis of Indian Automobi le Sector Industry Rivalry Bargaining Power of CustomersBargaining Power of Suppliers Threat of New Entrants Threat of Substitutes Industry Rivalry Bargaining Power of Customers Bargaining Power of Suppliers Threat of New Entrants Threat of Substitutes 1. Industry Rivalry * Industry Concentration: The Concentration Ratio (CR) indicates the percent of market share held by a company. A high concentration ratio indicates that a high concentration of market share is held by the largest firms – the industry is concentrated. With only a few firms holding a large market share, the market is less competitive (closer to a monopoly).A low concentration ratio indicates that the industry is characterized by many rivals, none of which has a significant market share. These fragmented markets are said to be competitive. If rivalry among firms in an industry is low, the industry is considered to be disciplined * High Fixed costs When total costs are mostly fixed costs, the firm must produce capacity to attain the lowest unit costs. Since the firm must sell this large quantity of product, high levels of production lead to a fight for market share and results in increased rivalry.The industry is typically capital intensive and thus involves high fixed costs * Slow market growth In growing market, firms can improve their economies. Though the market growth has been impressive in the last few years (about 8 to 15%), it takes a beat in even slight economic disturbances as it involves a luxury good. Aggressive pricing is needed to sustain growth in such situations * Diversity of rivals: Industry becomes unstable as the diversification increases. In this case the diversity of rivals is moderate as most offer products which are close to standard versions and the competitors are also mostly similar in strength Highly competitive industry: The presence of many players of about the same size little differentiation between competitors, and a very mature industry with very little g rowth were the features of a highly competitive industry. Higher the competition in the industry lower would be the profit margin. To remain ahead in competition, auto-makers were tempted to offer value added services to the customers incurring more costs 2. Threat of New Entrants These are the characteristics that inhibit the entrance of new rivals into the market and in turn protect the profits of the existing firms.Based on the present profit levels in the market, one can expect the entrance of new firms into the market or not. The entrance is however also affected by the start-up costs * Economies of scale: The Minimum Efficient Scale (MES) is the point at which unit costs are minimized. The greater the difference between the MES and the entry unit cost, greater is the barrier. Economies of scale are becoming increasingly important as competition is driving the profit margins to lower levels. Also being a capital intensive industry economies of scale have important consequence * Government policies: Automobile Industry was delicensed in July 1991 with the announcement of the New Industrial Policy * The passenger car industry was delicensed in 1993. No industrial licence is required for setting up of any unit for manufacture of automobiles except in some special cases * The norms for Foreign Investment and import of technology have been progressively liberalized over the years for manufacture of vehicles including passenger cars in order to make this sector globally competitive * At present 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is permissible under automatic route in this sector including passenger car segment.The import of technology/technological upgradation on the royalty payment of 5% without any duration limit and lump sum payment of USD 2 million is allowed under automatic route in this sector * The automotive industry comprising of the automobile and the auto component sectors has made rapid strides since delicensing and opening up of the sector to FD I in 1991 * The industry had an investment of about Rs. 50,000 crore in 2002-03 which has gone up to Rs. 80,000 crore by the year 2007.The automotive industry has already attained a turnover of Rs. 1,65,000 crore (34 billion USD) * The industry provides direct and indirect employment to 1. 31 crore people. The contribution of the automotive industry to GDP has risen from 2. 77% in 1992-93 to 5% in 2006-07. The industry is making a contribution of 17% to the kitty of indirect taxes of the Government With all the policies regarding the FDI and Tariff barriers as mentioned above, it has become easier for the foreign players to enter the Indian automobile industry. 3.Threat of Substitutes * The replacement market is characterized by the presence of several small-scale suppliers who score over the organized players in terms of excise duty exemptions and lower overheads. * A product’s price elasticity is affected by the presence of substitutes as its demand is affected by the chang e in the substitute’s prices * The cost of the automobiles along with their operating costs was driving customers to look for alternative transportation options * The new technologies available also affect the demand of the product E. g. In case of Maruti’s products, the threat of substitutes is high. The competition is intense as several players have products in the categories given by Maruti. However, in the 800cc range it is the market leader and the threat of substitute products is low. Price performance comparison favors heavily towards Maruti in most product categories. Also the high availability and quality of services offered by Maruti gives the customer a better trade-off 4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers * Suppliers can influence the industry by deciding on the price at which the raw materials can be sold.This is done in order to capture profits from the market. * Steel is a major input in this industry and so steel prices have a sharp and immediate impact on the product price * The industry being capital intensive switching costs of suppliers is high, other than steel as raw material which is highly price sensitive and the firm may easily move towards a supplier with lower cost 5. Bargaining Power of Buyers * It specifies the impact of customers on the product * When buyer power is strong, the buyer is the one who sets the price in the market.Here there is purchases of large volumes * There is prevalence of alternative options * Price sensitive customers were some of the factors that determined the extent of influence of the buyers in this industry E. g. : In the case of Maruti, the sales volumes have shown increasing trend over past so many years. The customers are more or less concentrated in metros or other tier two cities. The industry is also concentrated in these regions mostly. Most of them are have good amount of knowledge about the product.Except the 800cc range in other categories brand loyalty is only moderate. Also it is dif ficult to measure since repurchases are rare. Product differentiation is high as there are many categories in the passenger vehicle segment. Buyers get incentives in the form of cost discounts and better after sales services * The major focus of Indian Component suppliers is Quality as suggested by one of the Japanese Quality focus firm. The Industry association ACMA reports that over 170 of its members have already received ISO-9000 certification and 23 have received QS9000 certification.There are examples of Indian suppliers becoming single source global suppliers for leading OEMS (GM and Ford), and also becoming global leaders with Sundaram Clayton receiving the Deming award but there are few drawbacks as shown by A. T, Kearney survey which found that defect rates in India are in the range of 1000-2000 ppm against Japanese average of 100-200 ppm * The rising gasoline price is bound to influence the buyers Taxation India has a well-developed tax structure. The power to levy taxes and duties is distributed among the three tiers of Government, in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Constitution.The main taxes/duties that the Union Government is empowered to levy are:- Income Tax (except tax on agricultural income, which the State Governments can levy), Customs duties, Central Excise and Sales Tax and Service Tax. The principal taxes levied by the State Governments are:- Sales Tax (tax on intra-State sale of goods), Stamp Duty (duty on transfer of property), State Excise (duty on manufacture of alcohol), Land Revenue (levy on land used for agricultural/non-agricultural purposes), Duty on Entertainment and Tax on Professions & Callings.The Local Bodies are empowered to levy tax on properties (buildings, etc. ), Octroi (tax on entry of goods for use/consumption within areas of the Local Bodies), Tax on Markets and Tax/User Charges for utilities. Excise Duty Central Excise duty is an indirect tax levied on those automobiles which are manufactured in India and are meant for home consumption. The taxable event is ‘manufacture' and the liability of central excise duty arises as soon as the automobiles are manufactured.It is a tax on manufacturing, which is paid by a manufacturer, who passes its incidence on to the customers. Types of Excise Duties Basic Excise Duty: This is the duty leviable under First Schedule to the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985 at the rates mentioned in the said Schedule. Special Excise Duty: This is the duty leviable under Second Schedule to the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985 at the rates mentioned in the said Schedule. At present this is leviable on very few items.Basic Central VAT (CENVAT) or Excise Tax Structure for Automobiles Year| CommercialVehicles| MUVs| Cars| 2 Wheelers| 3 Wheelers| Unit| | | | | ? 75 CC| > 75CC| | | 2001-02| 16| 32| 32| 16| 16| 16| %| 2002-03| 16| 32| 32| 16| 16| 16| %| 2003-04| 16| 24+1*| 24+1*| 16+1*| 16+1*| 16| %| 2004-05| 16| 24+1*| 24+1*| 16+1*| 16+1*| 16| %| 2005-06| 16| 2 4+1*| 24+1*| 16+1*| 16+1*| 16| %| 2006-07| 16| 24+1*| 24/16**+1*| 16+1*| 16+1*| 16| %| 2007-08? | 16| 24+1*| 24/16**+1*| 16+1*| 16+1*| 16| %| Source: Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturing (SIAM) – Based on Government of India Notifications,  ?Additional higher & Secondary Education Cess of 1%,  *National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD) of 1 %,  **16% on cars (up to 4000mm in length &1200cc for petrol & up to 4000mm in length & 1500cc for diesel) and 24% for rest National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD): Normally known as NCCD. This duty is levied as per section 136 of the Finance Act, 2001, as a surcharge on specified goods. Excise Duties and Cesses Leviable under Miscellaneous Act:On certain specified goods, in addition to the aforesaid duties, prescribed rate of excise duty and cess is also leviable.Education  Cesson excisable goods is levied in addition to any other duties of excise chargeable on such goods, under the Central Excise Act, 1944 or any other law for the time being in force. Customs Duty Customs Duty (Import duty and Export tax) is a type of indirect tax levied on goods imported into India as well as on goods exported from India. Taxable event is import into or export from India. In India, the basic law for levy and collection of customs duty is Customs Act 1962.It provides for levy and collection of duty on imports and exports, import/export procedures, prohibitions on importation and exportation of goods, penalties, offences, etc. Basic Customs Tax Structure for Automobiles Year| CVs1| MUVs2| Cars| Two Wheelers| Three Wheelers| Unit| 2001-02| 35| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| %| 2002-03| 30| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| %| 2003-04| 25| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| %| 2004-05| 20| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| 105/60/35| %| 2005-06| 15| 100/60/15| 100/60/15| 100/60/15| 100/60/15| %| 2006-07| 12. | 100/60/12. 5| 100/60/12. 5| 100/60/12. 5| 100/60/12. 5| %| 2007-08| 10| 100/60/10 | 100/60/10| 100/60/10| 100/60/10| %| Source: Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturing (SIAM) – Based on Government of India Notifications, *For Used Vehicle/New CBU/CKD & Components respectively,  1CVs = Commercial Vehicles  2MUVs = Multi-Utility Vehicles   Ã‚   Export duties are levied occasionally to mop up excess profitability in international prices of goods in respect of which domestic prices may be low at the given time. But the sweep of import duties is quite wide.