Intro University Studies Syllabus Essay Example for Free

Intro University Studies Syllabus Essay The essential information, skills, tools, and techniques necessary for academic success and personal effectiveness at University of Phoenix are introduced in this course. The course develops and applies practical knowledge and skills immediately relevant to first-year university students. Course topics include goal setting and working with personal motivation, understanding and using university resources, developing efficient study habits, making the most of personal learning styles, and how best to manage time and reduce personal stress levels. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Gardner, J. N. , Jewler, A. J. , Barefoot, B. O. (2011). Your college experience: Strategies for success (9th ed. ). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s. All electronic materials are available on the student website. Week One: Academic Success Details Due Points Objectives 1. 1 Differentiate between academic and casual communication. 1. 2 Identify university resources required for student success. Reading Read Ch. 1 of Your College Experience. Reading Read the â€Å"Choosing the Best Way to Communicate with Your Audience† section in Ch. 10 of Your College Experience. Participation/ Discussion Questions. Participate in class discussion by posting at least two substantive messages on four of the seven days during the week. Messages must be at least 50 words. Respond to at least three of the five discussion questions. Responses must be substantive and contain 150 – 300 words. Discussion question responses will count toward participation. Ongoing four of seven days 30 Activities and Preparation University of Phoenix Resources Watch the â€Å"Center for Writing Excellence (CWE)† video on the student website. View the Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® presentation, Center for Mathematics Excellence, on the student website. Access the Toolwire ® Learnscape: Finding. Information at the University Library by clicking the link located on the student website. Complete the Learnscape activities. Post completed assessment page to the thread in the Main Forum for participation credit. Activities and Preparation Communication Watch the information presentation, Academic vs. Casual Written Communication, located on the student website. Activities and Preparation MyFoundations Lab Click the MyFoundationsLab link on the student website. Click the Browser Check link to ensure you can access materials. Click the Take a Tour link for an orientation to MyFoundationsLab. Activities and Preparation Punctuation. Take the Skills Check for Punctuation, Mechanics, and Spelling. Access the following components in MyFoundationsLab: Writing: Punctuation, Mechanics, and Spelling Commas Final Punctuation Complete the following activities for each unit: Overview Animation Practice the Skills 1 Post-Test Note. If you achieved the Mastery Score on the Skills Check, you do not need to complete the activities. Individual Communication Styles Resource: Academic vs. Casual Written Communication information presentation Complete Appendix A located on the student website. Day 7 Sunday 70 Week Two: Personal Responsibility Details Due Points Objectives. 2 2. 1 Recognize the importance of personal responsibility. 2. 2 Evaluate goals using SMART criteria. Reading Read Ch. 2 of Your College Experience. Reading Read the following sections in Ch. 16 of Your College Experience: â€Å"Managing Stress† â€Å"Mental Health† Participation/ Discussion Questions Participate in class discussion by posting at least two substantive messages on four of the seven days during the week. Messages must be at least 50 words. Respond to at least three of the five discussion questions. Responses must be substantive and contain 150 – 300 words. Discussion question responses will count toward participation. Ongoing four of seven days 30 Activities and Preparation Ethical Lens Inventory Complete the Ethical Lens Inventory located on the student website. Note: The Ethical Lens Inventory will be used in Individual Assignments in Weeks Six and Nine. Activities and Preparation Punctuation Access the following components in MyFoundationsLab: Writing: Punctuation, Mechanics, and Spelling Quotation Marks Other Punctuation Apostrophes Complete the following activities for each unit: Overview Animation Practice the Skills 1 Post-Test Note. If you achieved the Mastery Score on the Skills Check, you do not need to complete the activities. Individual Goal Evaluation Resource: Appendix B Read Appendix C located on the student website. Choose five of the scenarios. Evaluate the goal action plan included with each of the chosen scenarios. Complete Appendix D located on the student website for the chosen scenarios. Day 7 Sunday 70 Week Three: Collaboration Details Due Points Objectives 3 3. 1 Describe methods of collaboration. 3. 2 Describe various learning styles. Reading Read Ch. 3 of Your College Experience. Reading Read Ch. 4 of Your College Experience. Reading Read the â€Å"How Collaboration Fosters Critical Thinking† section in Ch. 5 of Your College Experience. Reading Read the following sections in Ch. 15 of Your College Experience: â€Å"Confessions of a College Student† â€Å"Understanding Diversity and the Source of Our Beliefs† â€Å"Forms of Diversity† â€Å"Discrimination, Prejudice, and Insensitivity on College Campuses† â€Å"Challenging Yourself to Experience Diversity† Participation / Discussion Questions Participate in class discussion by posting at least two substantive messages on four of the seven days during the week. Messages must be at least 50 words. Respond to at least three of the five discussion questions. Responses must be substantive and contain 150 – 300 words. Discussion question responses will count toward participation. Ongoing four of seven days 30 Activities and Preparation Attitudes and Learning Complete the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire in the â€Å"Assessing Your Emotional Intelligence† section in Ch. 3 of the text. Complete the Multiple Intelligences Inventory in the â€Å"Multiple Intelligences† section in Ch. 4 of the text. Activities and Preparation Mechanics Access the following components in MyFoundationsLab: Writing: Punctuation, Mechanics, and Spelling Abbreviations and Numbers Capitalization. Complete the following activities for each unit: Overview Animation Practice the Skills 1 Post-Test Note. If you achieved the Mastery Score on the Skills Check, you do not need to complete the activities. Activities and Preparation Sentence Skills Take the Skills Check for Sentence Skills. Access the following components in MyFoundationsLab: Writing: Sentence Skills Sentence Structure Fragments Run-ons Complete the following activities for each unit: Overview Animation Practice the Skills 1 Post-Test Note. If you achieved the Mastery Score on the Skills Check, you do not need to complete the activities. Individual Collaboration Resources: Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire and the Multiple Intelligences Inventory Complete Appendix E located on the student website. Day 7 Sunday 70 Week Four: Academic Reading Strategies Details Due Points Objectives 4 4. 1 Explain effective textbook reading. 4. 2 Recognize strategies for improving reading comprehension. Reading Read Ch. 7 of Your College Experience. Participation / Discussion Questions Participate in class discussion by posting at least two substantive messages on four of the seven days during the week. Messages must be at least 50 words. Respond to at least three of the five discussion questions. Responses must be substantive and contain 150 – 300 words. Discussion question responses will count toward participation. Ongoing four of seven days 30 Activities and Preparation Reading Strategies and Media Utilization Access the Toolwire ® Learnscape: Reading Strategies and Media Utilization by clicking the link located on the student website. Complete the Learnscape activities. Post completed assessment page to the thread in the Main Forum for participation credit. Activities and Preparation Reading. Access the following components in MyFoundationsLab: Study Skills Concentrating When You Read and Study Getting the Most from Your Reading Complete the following activities for each unit: Overview Interactive Activity Self Check Activities and Preparation Spelling Access the following components in MyFoundationsLab: Writing: Punctuation, Mechanics, and Spelling Complete the following activities for the Spelling unit: Overview Animation Practice the Skills 1 Post-Test Note. If you achieved the Mastery Score on the Skills Check, you do not need to complete the activities. Individual Reading Strategies. Resources: Toolwire ® Learnscape: Reading Strategies and Media Utilization; MyFoundationsLab: Concentrating When You Read and Study; MyFoundationsLab: Getting the Most from Your Reading; Ch. 7 of the text Complete Appendix F located on the student website. Day 7 Sunday 70 Week Five: Effective Study Habits Details Due Points Objectives 5 5. 1 Identify effective study strategies and techniques. Reading Read Ch. 8 of Your College Experience. Participation / Discussion Questions Participate in class discussion by posting at least two substantive messages on four of the seven days during the week. Messages must be at least 50 words. Respond to at least three of the five discussion questions. Responses must be substantive and contain 150 – 300 words. Discussion question responses will count toward participation. Ongoing four of seven days 30 Activities and Preparation Study Strategies Access the following components in MyFoundationsLab: Study Skills Rehearsal Strategies Effective Note Taking Complete the following activities for each unit: Overview Interactive Activity Self Check Activities and Preparation Writing Take the Skills Check for The Craft of Writing. Access the following components in MyFoundationsLab: Writing: The Craft of Writing Getting Started The Writing Process Prewriting Complete the following activities for each unit: Overview Animation Practice the Skills 1 Post-Test Note. If you achieved the Mastery Score on the Skills Check, you do not need to complete the activities. Individual Ethical Actions Complete the Ethics Exercises: Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity located on the student website. Complete Appendix G located on the student website. Day 7 Sunday 70 Week Six: Academic Writing Details Due Points Objectives 6 6. 1 Demonstrate the key elements of the writing process. Reading. Read the following sections in Ch. 10 of Your College Experience: â€Å"Confessions of a College Student† â€Å"Writing† â€Å"Using Freewriting to Discover What You Want to Say† â€Å"The Writing Process† Participation / Discussion Questions Participate in class discussion by posting at least two substantive messages on four of the seven days during the week. Messages must be at least 50 words. Respond to at least three of the five discussion questions. Responses must be substantive and contain 150 – 300 words. Discussion question responses will count toward participation. Ongoing four of seven days 30 Activities and Preparation. Writing Access the following components in MyFoundationsLab: Writing: The Craft of Writing Recognizing a Paragraph The Topic Sentence Complete the following activities for each unit: Overview Animation Practice the Skills 1 Post-Test Note. If you achieved the Mastery Score on the Skills Check, you do not need to complete the activities. Individual Personal Ethics Statement: Topic Sentence and Outline Resources: Ethical Lens Inventory; Ethics Exercises; MyFoundationsLab: Recognizing a Paragraph; MyFoundationsLab: The Topic Sentence; Sample Outline in the CWE Complete Appendix H located on the student website. Create a topic sentence and informal outline for your Personal Ethics Statement due in Week Nine. Day 7 Sunday 70 Week Seven: Critical Thinking Details Due Points Objectives 7 7. 1 Identify the process of critical thinking. 7. 2 Examine ethics issues. 7. 3 Identify personal bias and emotion. Reading Read Ch. 5 of Your College Experience. Participation / Discussion Questions Participate in class discussion by posting at least two substantive messages on four of the seven days during the week. Messages must be at least 50 words. Respond to at least three of the five discussion questions. Responses must be substantive and contain 150 – 300 words. Discussion question responses will count toward participation. Ongoing four of seven days 30 Activities and Preparation Writing Access the following components in MyFoundationsLab: Writing: The Craft of Writing Developing and Organizing a Paragraph Complete the following activities for the unit: Overview Animation Practice the Skills 1 Post-Test Note. If you achieved the Mastery Score on the Skills Check, you do not need to complete the activities. Activities and Preparation Personal Ethics Statement: Rough Draft Resource: Ethical Lens Inventory; Appendix H. Write a 200- to 300-word rough draft of your Personal Ethics Statement based on your topic sentence and informal outline. Include the following: Describe your ethical perspective as identified by the Ethical Lens Inventory, including your blind spot, strengths, weaknesses, and values. Define what personal ethics means to you. Explain how your personal ethics might help you determine a course of action in a situation. Note. APA formatting is not required for this assignment. Individual Critical Thinking Complete Appendix I located on the student website. Day 7 Sunday 70 Week Eight: Information Utilization. Details Due Points Objectives 8 8. 1 Perform research in the University Library. 8. 2 Evaluate sources of information. Reading Read Ch. 11 of Your College Experience. Participation / Discussion Questions Participate in class discussion by posting at least two substantive messages on four of the seven days during the week. Messages must be at least 50 words. Respond to at least three of the five discussion questions. Responses must be substantive and contain 150 – 300 words. Discussion question responses will count toward participation. Ongoing four of seven days 30 Activities and Preparation Research. Review the Toolwire ® Learnscape: Finding Information at the University Library by clicking the link located in Week One on the student website. Access the Toolwire ® Learnscape: Utilizing Information from the University Library by clicking the link located on the student website. Complete the Learnscape activities. Post completed assessment page to the thread in the Main Forum for participation credit. Activities and Preparation Plagiarism Tutorial Complete the Plagiarism Guide in the Center for Writing Excellence. Activities and Preparation Writing Access the following components in MyFoundationsLab: Writing: The Craft of Writing Revising the Paragraph Editing the Paragraph Complete the following activities for each unit: Overview Animation Practice the Skills 1 Post-Test Note. If you achieved the Mastery Score on the Skills Check, you do not need to complete the activities. Activities and Preparation Personal Ethics Statement: Revision Resources: Facilitator feedback; WritePointSM Submit your paragraph to the WritePointSM reviewing service in the Center for Writing Excellence. Revise your paragraph based on your facilitator’s feedback and the WritePointSM report. Individual Reliable Sources. Resource: University Library research tutorial Locate two sources in the University Library on a topic of your choice. Complete Appendix J located on the student website. Day 7 Sunday 70 Week Nine: Communication Details Due Points Objectives 9 9. 1 Construct an academic paragraph. 9. 2 Create a short presentation. Reading Read the following sections in Ch. 10 of Your College Experience: â€Å"Speaking â€Å"Preparing a Speech† â€Å"Using Your Voice and Body Language† â€Å"The GUIDE Checklist† Reading Review the following sections in Ch. 10 of Your College Experience: â€Å"Confessions of a College Student†. â€Å"Writing† â€Å"Using Freewriting to Discover What You Want to Say† â€Å"The Writing Process† â€Å"Choosing the Best Way to Communicate with Your Audience† Participation/ Discussion Questions Participate in class discussion by posting at least two substantive messages on four of the seven days during the week. Messages must be at least 50 words. Respond to at least three of the five discussion questions. Responses must be substantive and contain 150 – 300 words. Discussion question responses will count toward participation. Ongoing four of seven days 30 Activities and Preparation Creating a Presentation. Complete the Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® tutorial on the student website. Access the Toolwire ® Learnscape: Making a Successful Presentation by clicking the link located on the student website. Complete the Learnscape activities. Post completed assessment page to the thread in the Main Forum for participation credit. Individual Personal Ethics Statement Resources: Ethical Lens Inventory; Personal Ethics Statement draft; WritePointSM report; facilitator feedback Write a 350-word reflection that defines your personal ethical viewpoint. Include what you learned through the Ethical Lens Inventory: Your preferred ethical lens. Your blind spot Your strengths and weaknesses Your values and the resultant behaviors Answer the following question: How might you use your personal ethics to determine a course of action? Day 6 Saturday 120 Individual Resources Presentation Resources: Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® tutorial; Toolwire ® Learnscape: Making a Successful Presentation Create a 5-slide Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® presentation with speaker notes on your experience in this course. Include the following: The importance of personal responsibility Upholding academic honesty Improving reading and study skills Developing writing skills Five tips for new students. Note. Oral presentations are not required for this assignment. Day 7 Sunday 50 Copyright University of Phoenix ® is a registered trademark of Apollo Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft ®, Windows ®, and Windows NT ® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Use of these marks is not intended to imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation. Edited in accordance with University of Phoenix ® editorial standards and practices.

Effect of privatization on performance of public corporations

Effect of privatization on performance of public corporations Stock exchanges anywhere in the world provide a platform for investors and capital raisers to come together and get what they want. They assist in trading of stocks and bonds. Apart from that, it can be viewed as a liquidity providing platform. For this purpose, the stock exchange has to have a set of rules that will govern the execution and clearing of trade. Some of the responsibilities of a stock exchange are also enforcing standard rules to reduce transaction costs and monitoring of the trading to prevent manipulations like insider trading. A share or stock company model does issue shares of stock that are available through one or more stock market exchange. Shareholders purchase the shares of stock and become part owners in the company. This is a highly desirable status for many companies, as it can help generate significant amounts of revenue that make it possible for the company to grow in ways that would not be possible if the corporation remained privately held. Etukudo (2002) notes that capital markets transfer funds from savers to investors in productive assets such as plant and machinery as well as to providers of services. Capital markets also provide a mutually beneficial bridge between those who have short-time horizons and companies and projects with longer prospects. In addition, enterprises are provided with equity capital through the stock market, short, medium and long-term debt is made available through the bond market, and short or medium-term debt is provided through the banking sector. The financial intermediaries in all these transactions constitute the financial service sector and while the constituents of the sector and their relative importance vary from country to country, they generally include banks, stock exchanges, brokers and insurance companies. 1.1.1.2 Privatization of public corporations Boubakri and Cosset (1994) note that privatization has turned into a major phenomenon for the developed world as well as the developing world, particularly so over the last decade, with state-owned enterprises (SOEs) being privatized at an increasing rate. Ramamurti, (1991) note that the objectives of privatization are numerous. Country studies show that these objectives include improving government cash flows by redusing subsidies and capital infusions to SOEs, promoting popular capitalism through a wider ownership of shares, restraining the power of trade unions in the public sector, redistributing incomes and rents within society, satisfying foreign donors by reducing the governments role in the economy and especially enhancing the efficiency and the performance of the SOE sector based on the rationale that the private sector outperforms the public sector. Privatization in the 1990s led to the sale of 207 enterprises. Kenya Airways (KQ) was rated the most successful privatization venture in Africa. The Government has earmarked 33 companies for full or partial sale, these include; the National Bank of Kenya (NBK),the Kenya Commercial Bank(KCB), the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), KenGen, Kenya Petroleum Refineries, the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Telkom Kenya and Kenya Railways Corporation. The methods of sale will range from concessioning, sale at the Nairobi Stock Exchange, and securing strategic partnerships with major players in the relevant sectors. 1.2 Statement of the Problem A study by Boubakri and Cosset (1994) examined the financial and operating performance of newly privatized firms in developing countries and noted that findings in for developing markets could be different from those of developed countries because the capital market may not play its monitoring role. To take account of the possibility that some of the differences between preprivatization and postprivatization performance could be due to economywide factors, the authors used performance measures adjusted for market effects in addition to unadjusted performance measures. The results were generally less significant when they adjusted the performance ratios for market effects. The authors thus concluded that this evidence brings to light the importance of considering a benchmark against which the performance of sample firms can be compared. Limi (2003) studied the influence of the level of economic development on the post-privatization growth rates in public infrastructure within the telecommunications industry and found that although privatization generally spurred network expansion in terms of telephone main lines by 4.4% in medians (5.4% on average), the performance improvement was dependent on the level of economic development. It is only the low-income and lower middle-income countries which can expect a significant positive privatization effect. Thus, it is important to account for economic development in assessing the privatization effects of public infrastructure stocks. From the foregoing it is thus useful to undertake a study to evaluate privatization and performance of public corporations listed in the Nairobi Stock Exchange. 1.3 Purpose of the Study or General Objective The purpose of this study is to evaluate privatization and performance of public corporations listed in the Nairobi Stock Exchange 1.4 Research Questions or Specific Objectives or Hypotheses This study is guided by the following research objectives formulated to aid in gathering the information regarding the research topic. Review literature on privatization of public corporations in Kenya To determine privatization factors in the Nairobi Stock Exchange To analyze privatization implications on public corporation performance in Nairobi Stock Exchange 1.5 Importance or Justification or Rationale of the Study The information generated by this study will be important for stock markets in the East Africa in understanding the implications of privatizing public corporations. This will benefit stock markets in Uganda, Tanzania and wider Eastern Africa which has the stock markets at their infancy stages. It will also assist policy makers who want to make use of performance measures of the stock market in advising public corporations on privatization prospects that may arise when listing in the stock market. In addition, it will guide policy makers of new baselines to use when determining privatization options for public corporations. Educators too in the education industry will find the information obtained from this study beneficial to their curriculum in imparting knowledge to students and researchers who are researching on the sector and how it can greatly benefit the country. 1.6 Scope of the Study The study will be limited to the Nairobi Stock Exchange for the duration 2008-2010. Nairobi Stock Exchange has about fifteen active stock broking firms with fifty two listed companies. I will focus on five of the stockbrokerage firms and fifteen of the listed companies. The use of the listed firms was due primarily to data availability and reliability because they are required by law to provide end of year financial statements. However, firms that were not listed for the entire period under study were left out of the sample. The study used annual reports that are available at the Nairobi Stock Exchange. 1.7 Definition of Terms 1.7.1 Privatization Privatization means the sale of public utilities to private concerns. 1.8 Chapter Summary This chapter covered the background of the research, the problem statement, the purpose of the study or general objectives of this research, the research objectives, the significance and scope of the research i.e. importance of the study and the definitions of Terminologies used in this research. Further, this chapter has specifically pointed the relevance of the study in regards to public corporations, and how they, in a bid to improve performance, employ a privatization strategy in light of global trends. 2.0 Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This chapter will review relevant literature in line with the study objectives. 2.2 Privatization of Public Corporations in Kenya ROK(1965) noted that the establishment of the parastatals was driven by a national desire to (i) accelerate economic social development; (ii) redress regional economic imbalances; (iii) increase Kenyan Citizens participation in the economy; (iv) promote indigenous entrepreneurship; and (v) promote foreign investments (through joint ventures). This desire was expressed in the Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965 on African Socialism and its application to planning in Kenya. A comprehensive review of the public enterprises performance was noted by (ROK, 1979) (the Report on the Review of Statutory Boards) that pointed that there was clear evidence of prolonged inefficiency, financial mismanagement, waste and malpractices in many parastatals; and (ROK, 1982) (the Report of the Working Party on Government Expenditures) which concluded that productivity of the state corporations was quite low while at the same time they continued to absorb an excessive portion of the budget, becoming a principal cause of long-term fiscal problem. The enactment of the State Corporations Act was a major attempt to streamline the management of the state corporations. The performance of most of the corporations continued to deteriorate due to the continued reliance on limited public sector financing. Sessional Paper No.4 of 1991 on Development and Employment in Kenya underlined the need to implement privatization and divestiture of State corporations urgently in view of the managerial problems afflicting the parastatals leading to poor return on government investments, the existence of a larger pool of qualified manpower, availability of more indigenous entrepreneurship to permit private sector led economy and the need for non-tax revenue for the Government. The Programme began in July 1992 with the issuance of the Policy Paper on Public Enterprises Reform and Privatization which pointed out that there were 240 commercial public enterprises with public sector equity participation and classified the PEs in to two categories: (i) 207 Non strategic commercial public enterprises which were to be privatised and 33 Strategic Commercial public enterprises which were to be restructured and retained under public sector ownership and control. By the time the first phase of the programme ca me to an end in 2000, most of the non-strategic commercial enterprises had either been fully or partially privatized, liquidated, sold under receivership while the strategic commercial enterprises to be retained under government operation had been reduced to 15 and later to 14 enterprises. The following is a list of privatized public enterprises by PUBLIC FLOATATIONS- Bamburi Portland Cement Co. Ltd, E.A., CMC Holdings Oxygen Ltd, National Bank of Kenya, Kenya Airways, Mumias Sugar Company; by PARTIAL DIVESTITUTRES Kenya Commercial Bank Ltd, Uchumi Supermarkets Ltd, General Motors (K) Ltd, and Housing Finance Company of Kenya. 2.3 Privatization Factors in the Nairobi Stock Exchange 2.3.1 Methods of privatization The term privatization has been applied to three different methods of increasing the activity of the private sector in providing public services: 1) private sector choice, financing, and production of a service;2) public-sector choice and financing with private sector production of the service selected; 3) and deregulation of private firms providing services. In the first case, the entire responsibility for a service is transferred from the public sector to the private sector, and individual consumers select and purchase the amount of services they desire from private providers. For example, solid-waste collection is provided by private firms in some communities. The third form of privatization means that government reduces or eliminates the regulatory restrictions imposed on private firms providing specific services. The second version of privatization refers to joint activity of the public and private sectors in providing services. In this case, consumers select and pay for the quantity and type of service desired through government, which then contracts with private firms to produce the desired amount and category of service. Although the government provides for the service, a private firm carries out the actual execution of it. The government determines the service level and pays the amount specified in the contract, but leaves decisions about production decisions to the private firm. 2.3.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Privatization Etukudo (2002) sates that in sub-Saharan African countries with a high level of illiteracy, public offer for sale of state-owned enterprises has its limitations due to cumbersome formalities in the prospectus as well as complicated application forms, etc. As banking facilities are concentrated in urban centres, the use of public offer in privatization works to the disadvantage of those in rural areas with few banking facilities. On the whole, Etukudo (2002 contends that privatization programmes have led to marked increases in stock market capitalization as well as increases in the quantity and range of issues traded on the market. The stock exchange has attracted a considerable number of players to the market leading to increased competition within the capital market. The structure and function of capital markets affect the availability of capital, influence investment processes and also influence the ways in which business managers who approach investors project the current performance and future potential of their enterprises. 2.4 Privatization implications on public corporation performance in Nairobi Stock Exchange Yarrow (1986) notes that as firms move from public to private ownership, their profitability should increase. First, given that shareholders wish the firm to maximize profit, newly privatized firms managers should place greater emphasis on profit goals Second, privatization typically transfers both control rights and cash flow rights to the managers who then show a greater interest for profits and efficiency relative to pleasing the government with higher output or employment (Boycko, Shleifer and Vishny, 1993). In addition, Boycko, Shleifer and Vishny (1993) state that following privatization; firms should employ their human, financial and technological resources more efficiently because of a greater stress on profit goals and a reduction of government subsidies. Megginson, Nash and van Randenborgh (1994) note that governments expect that greater emphasis on efficiency will lead the newly privatized firm to increase its capital investment spending. Once privatized, the firm should also increase its capital expenditures because it has greater access to private debt and equity markets and it will have more incentives to invest in growth opportunities. Megginson et al (1994) believe the switch from public to private ownership should lead to a decrease in the proportion of debt in the capital structure because with the end of government debt guarantees the firms cost of borrowing will increase and because the firm has a new access to public equity markets. The authors further note that with privatization, dividend payments should increase because unlike governments private investors generally demand dividends and dividend payments are a classic response to the atomized ownership structure which most privatization programs led to. In terms of output Megginson, Nash and van Randenborgh (1994) contend that privatization should increase output because of greater competition, better incentives and more flexible financing opportunities. On the other hand Boycko, Shleifer and Vishny (1993) predicts a fall in output since the government no longer subsidizes the newly privatized firm to maintain inefficiently high output levels. Kikeri, Nellis and Shirley (1992) assert that governments expect the level of employment to decline once the SOE which is usually overstaffed turns out private and no longer receives government subsidies. However, in growing sectors, the newly privatized firm could absorb surplus labor through new capital investment and more productive use of existing assets. 2.5 Empirical experience Jones, Jammal Gokgur (1999) undertook an impact study applied to 81 privatizations (covering not just infrastructure firms but a range of firms already operating in competitive markets (in agriculture, agro-industries, tradable and non-tradable sectors) in Cote dIvoire and concluded that firms performed better after privatization and that they performed better than they would have had they remained under public ownership. The study also found that the set of transactions as a whole contributed positively to economic welfare, with annual net welfare benefits equivalent to about 25% of pre-divestiture sales. These results stemmed from a number of effects, including increases in output, investment, labor productivity, and intermediate-input productivity. 2.5 Chapter summary The chapter highlighted the different studies that sought to address the research gap. Chapter three will point out the methodology to be used in the study. Chapter 3: Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction This chapter will discuss the research methodology that will be used as the basis of this study. The chapter will also discuss the population of study, sample frame and sampling techniques, data collection methods as well as data analysis and data presentation methods to be employed in the study. 3.2 Research Design The research design employed in this study will be empirical in nature and will be aimed at delivering answers to the research questions outlined in the problem statement. 3.3 Population and Sampling Design 3.3.1 Population The population involved in the study are four privatized public corporation that have listed on the NSE. Population refers to the entire group of people, events, or things of interest that the researcher wishes to investigate. Population forms a basis from which the sample or subjects for the study is drawn. 3.3.2 Sampling Design and Sample Size Methods that we will use in our paper to analyze the operating and market performance are descriptive statistics for evaluating the post listing share price performance and the financial ratio analysis using the accounting data to evaluate public corporation performance as well as their risk and return relationships profile. Documents will collected from the organizations resource center, individual file record, libraries of various universities, company reports, company newsletter and other printed materials (e.g. newspaper cuttings, journals, text books, conference reports, articles, training packages) that were made available for the purpose of the research. 3.4 Data Collection Methods In order to achieve the set objectives, I will collect data from the Nairobi stock exchange database and from the financial statements of the individual companies under study. The collected data will be captured in form of tables. This will be used to capture performance of privatized public corporations listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. 3.5 Research Procedures 3.6 Data Analysis Methods This study will use the quantitative method of data analysis. The quantitative analysis is applied using descriptive statistics. According to Denscombe (1998) descriptive statistics involves a process of transforming a mass of raw data into tables, charts, with frequency distribution and percentages which are a vital part of making sense of the data. Data will be analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program and presented using tables and pie charts to give a clear picture of the research findings at a glance. 3.7 Chapter Summary The chapter describes the methodology that is to be used in carrying out the study. The chapter has also indicated that, data will be analyzed using SPSS and presented in inform of chart and tables. The next chapter will present the findings of the research.

Perspectives on Fear :: Personal Narrative Writing

â€Å"At the University of California at Irvine, experiments in rats indicate that the brain’s hormonal reaction to fear can be inhibited, softening the formation of memories and the emotions they evoke† (Baard). Sometimes I have trouble sleeping. I lie in bed for hours while my mind churns through endless streams of fragmented thoughts and memories, bits of brain matter that I do not have time for in my waking life. I have tried the homeopathic remedies. I drink â€Å"calming† teas, take showers, and inhale scents advertised to promote sleep and relaxation. I even have a lavender neck pillow. Nevertheless, when I am inflicted with a bout of sleeplessness, there is usually very little I can do but wait it out. I stay away from sleep drugs. The streetlamp outside paints shapes across the wall next to my bed. I can see them in the darkness, dull orange lines that have become familiar in my many restless nights. At the heart of their canvas, they intersect to form a rectangle. A rectangle? For months I believed in this reality of form with the inborn certainty that accompanies that which is obvious. I didn’t have to think about it. Nightly, I would study the shape in a sleep haze, unconsciously harboring knowledge of its regularity. Except that it is not a rectangle. Two forty seven. Nearly three hours after my first attempt at sleep, I stared up at the wall and realized for the first time the distortion within the orange light. Where the lines connected to form the shape, the rectangle, were angles. Obtuse and acute, they had none of the symmetrical regularity that geometry dictates of a true rectangle. The outline on the wall was crooked, skewed, an imperfect representation of the form. I tend to think of my memories as shoeboxes, precise, neatly uniform components that stack tidily in the mind. Somehow I have trained myself to believe that in regularity and order I will uncover the diagram of my true self, a clear-cut explanation for all that I think, say, and do. But in sleepless nights I realize that even old recurring thoughts can be strangely misshapen, and I am thrown into a tailspin. My memories of experiencing fear seem contorted. Among the most vivid of my recollections, they stand out with their potent doses of color, emotion, and experience. They have been with me so long that I rarely question the nature of their composition.

Students with Learning Disabilities Offered Success in College :: School Education Essays

Students with Learning Disabilities Offered Success in College Registering for college courses can be straining for even the most organized college student. Knowing which courses to take, and what order to take them in, can be more than confusing to the already over-stressed student body. This process is even more strenuous for students with learning disabilities. Registering for classes is just the beginning for learning disabled students. Kyle Turin, a freshman with Dyslexia, at Northeastern University is dismayed at the lack of attention he feels he is getting. Turin was diagnosed at a young age. He was never officially tested for a learning disability, but he was put into a specialized reading class until he went to high school. Kyle learned how to compensate for his difficulties but felt he slipped through the cracks in the system. â€Å"They (teachers) figured out in like sixth grade that I had missed a crucial part of my reading comprehension stuff that other kids did get. I was put into reading courses. But now that I’m in college, I’ll have a class of like 150 kids where the only basis of the class is the textbook and in-class lectures, so I don’t have the opportunity to compensate in class the way that I used to.† said Turin. Kyle Turin transferred to Northeastern University after his first semester at Hudson Valley Community College. â€Å"They asked me if I had Northeastern insurance, and I said no and they basically said I was out of luck. They said I had to contact my own insurance company and see if they covered the disability test that I would need in order to get extra attention through Northeastern. But my insurance company won’t cover it because I’m over 18 years old. † A learning disability is defined as any one of various conditions that interfere with an individual's ability to learn, resulting in impaired functioning in language, reasoning, or academic skills. The National Center for Learning Disabilities explains it as a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to receive process, store and respond to information. Basically, among people with learning disabilities there is a noticeable gap between their level of expected achievement and their actual achievement. Doctors and professionals agree there is no way to pin-point any specific causes for learning disabilities. The NCLD says some possible causes may include heredity, problems during pregnancy or birth, head injuries or nutritional deprivation after birth, and exposure to toxic substances.

Essay --

The film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind focuses on the interesting topic of memory. The film follows two main characters, Joel and Clementine, who have both chosen to erase part of their memory. What both characters, and other characters in the movie, find out though is that our memory is complex and very flexible to what we make of it. The film reflects the tendency that we have as humans, to think that we are in control of our memory. The truth is that our memory is not like a video tape of the events in our lives nor is it a library of the knowledge we have collected. As I watched the movie, I couldn’t help but think; our memory is more like a ball of clay. Our minds can take the clay and make it into a shape and we can stare at that shape and know that shape but our minds will play with that clay and mold it into something different eventually. The idea portrayed in the movie is that no memory is safe from our meddling minds. The film emphasizes on the power of our long-term memory and our episodic memories. Would we be happier if we forgot about traumatic past experiences? Or are our long-term memories so tangled up with emotions and sensations that our brain is unable to truly let go of long-term memories? The film also looks at the difference between explicit and implicit memories. Although the film plays out in non-linear progression and is somewhat confusing at times, the audience quickly catches on to the plot. Joel and Clementine are in a relationship for two years before finally deciding to break it off. Like most couples, the two shared a lot of good memories but the fights that lead to their breakup were too emotionally heavy for free-spirited Clementine to bear any more. She pays some futuristic company ... ... to look past all the terrible things in their past and they chose love again. This film challenges the audience to actively get involved with the two characters, Joel and Clem. We see both characters try and take control of their memory. First by undergoing the procedure and then especially when Joel tries to keep his memories of Clem. But the characters find out that memory is more complicated than we think it is. We can mold out memories, change our memories, repress our memories and remember things we didn’t even know we experienced. In some ways, the writers challenge us to think about our own memories. If we were given the chance would we erase some of our painful memories? I think we are unable to detangle our memories. I think that our memories are stacked and tangled with each other and deleting or tampering with those memories is dangerous and unnatural.

Strength and Weaknesses of Ontological Argument

The Ontological Argument was, and still is, a hot-topic for debate among philosophers; many famous philosophers have published criticisms of the theory including Immanuel Kant and St. Thomas Aquinas. This obviously raises questions regarding whether or not this argument works.While there is no clear-cut answer to these questions, I personally believe that the negatives of this argument outweigh the positives, thereby making it a weak argument. The first published criticism of Anselm’s Ontological Argument was from Gaunilo in his book In Behalf of the Fool (making reference to the fool in the book of psalms who didn’t believe in God).While Gaunilo was a firm believer in God (and was in fact a monk), he disagreed strongly with Anselm’s method for proving his existence. His problem is with the strand of Anselm’s argument which is put forward in Chapter Two of Proslogion.While Anselm claimed that the God, who is defined as perfect, must exist because an existe nt God is better than a non-existent God meaning that if he didn’t exist, he wouldn’t be perfect and therefore, wouldn’t be God, Gaunilo applied this logic to the example of a Perfect Island.If the perfect Island didn’t exist in the real world, it would be a contradiction to call it the perfect Island. By this logic, the perfect Island must exist seeing as if it didn’t exist, it wouldn’t be perfect1. We obviously know that the Perfect Island does not in fact exist and, by Gaunilo’s reasoning, Anselm’s argument doesn’t work; if it doesn’t work with parallel arguments, it doesn’t work in the example of God. This criticism is very astute and, therefore, severely weakens the argument and its effectiveness.However, Anselm directly responded to his contemporary Gaunilo’s criticism in an attempt to defend his argument and its ideals. Firstly, Anselm pointed out the fact the example of the Island (or any oth er examples for that matter) do not work because it, unlike God, is contingent and not at all necessary; its existence relies on the Earth and the Sea and it would have been entirely possible for it never to have existed. God, however, must exist and depends on the existence of nothing else.Moreover, Anselm goes on to say that the perfect Island is impossible to define; will it become more perfect as it gets bigger? God, however, is specifically defined by Anselm allowing the Ontological Argument to be applicable to him.This response deals with the criticism well and manages to re-strengthen the Ontological Argument to some degree. Another philosopher who disagreed with Anselm’s Ontological Argument was St. Thomas Aquinas. Again, he believed in God but disagreed with Anselm’s argument proving his existence.Aquinas raises questions about God’s self-evident existence. He claims that things can be self-evident in two ways: in itself and both in itself and to us; ev en though something may exist self-evidently in itself, this self-evidence may not be known to us as humans and therefore, its existence would not be self-evident to us.This is exactly what Aquinas proposes God to be. God is self-evident in himself because he is his own essence. However, seeing as this essence is unknown to us (as we do not know enough about him), the statement ‘God exists’ is not self-evident to us.This, again, is another criticism which holds weight against the Ontological Argument, highlighting a glaring weakness in its logic. A third philosopher who published a criticism on the Ontological Argument (though in this case it was directed towards Descartes’ version of the argument which was published several centuries after Anselm’s in 1641) was Pierre Gassendi. In Descartes’ version of the Ontological Argument published in his Meditations, he claimed that God was entirely perfect and, as a result, must possess every possible perfec tion – including the perfection of existence.Gassendi believed that this logic didn’t work because if a thing doesn’t exist, it is neither perfect nor imperfect; it merely doesn’t exist. Therefore, if God doesn’t exist, this logic could not possibly be applied to him in an attempt to prove his existence.Descartes published a response to this criticism. In this response, he claimed that God could not be compared to anything else, proposing that ‘the relationship and essence is manifestly quite different in the case of God from what it is in the case of a triangle’; it is a part of God’s essence to exist.While this does respond directly to Gassendi’s criticism, it does not particularly strengthen the argument seeing as Descartes gives no reason as to why God’s existence is a part of his essence; he merely states that it is true. Yet another philosopher who published a criticism of the Ontological Argument was Immanue l Kant.Kant (who was an atheist) published a book called A Critique of Pure Reason in which he attempted to contradict both Descartes’ and Anselm’s versions of the Ontological Argument in two different ways.In his first argument, Kant begins by hypothetically accepting that existing is indeed a defining predicate of God (which both Descartes and Anselm claim it is). He then goes on to argue that, even if this were true, there would be no contradiction in altogether rejecting the concept of God.For example, you may understand that having a single horn on its head is a defining predicate of a unicorn. However, this does not mean that it would be contradictory to not believe in unicorns or magical horses with horns.By this logic, you could also claim that you agree that if God did indeed exist, he would necessarily exist but that you do not believe in God or his necessity without contradicting yourself. In Kant’s second argument, he attacks the Ontological Argument at its base by claiming that ‘existing’ could not possibly be considered as a defining predicate as it does nothing to change the definition of the being in question; two people – one of whom believes in unicorns and one who doesn’t – would most likely share the same idea of what a unicorn is.While these two people would disagree on whether or not unicorns were real, they would not disagree on what a unicorn was. Therefore, it is impossible to say that existing is a defining predicate of God because it adds nothing to the definition of God.Overall, therefore, while the Ontological Argument is by all means a sound theory to some degree, the criticisms which highlight so many of the argument’s weaknesses show how the theory is weaker than in it is strong.

Green Construction Essay

The Earth has been around for billions of years and people only a couple of millions of years. Yet, people have made such a huge impact on the Earth. In the course of mankind’s existence, people managed to make advancements that defined the way life is being lived today. However, there are prices to pay for all of the comforts that people are now experiencing. It has been said that there is only one Earth and people must do all they can in order to preserve it. Campaigns have been launched to ensure that life on Earth and the Earth itself can be sustained so that the future generations can still enjoy it. Even prominent people have taken an active role against human activities that contribute to the degradation of the blue planet. One of the activities said to be closely linked with the environment, thus directly affecting the latter, is construction. According to the Urban Environmental Management website, a number of natural resources are being consumed when construction takes place, i.e. land, water and energy (Srinivas, 2007). This being the case, ensuring that the negative effects of construction on the environment be minimized is of utmost importance. Focusing on this issue, the UEM website provided key information about the topic. It managed to define what green construction is. It was also able to highlight the importance of sustainable development, which is a concept closely related to green construction. The information posted on the website is relatively comprehensive. Navigation is not going to be a problem since the layout of the page specifically relating to green construction is simple and user-friendly. If an internet user is new to the concept of green construction, then visiting UEM’s website is going to be a big help in understanding the basics behind the concept. The information on the website ranges from awareness, assessment to action, making the website truly a good find on the internet. Reference: Srinivas, H. (2007). Introduction to Green Construction. Retrieved October 14, 2007, from http://www. gdrc. org/uem/green-const/introduction. html.