Distinguishing the Arts and Crafts in Books

Distinguishing the Arts and Crafts in Books OVERVIEW OF THE TOPIC This dissertation examines the craft of the book and its distinction between Art and Craft. Is it considered an art form†¦ a fine art if you will, or simply a traditional craft? The intended, original purpose of the book, was to be used as a means of recording information, but soon developed to become a piece of literature used for education or to contain novels of drama, fantasy, crime and other assorted genres, eventually developing further into aesthetically pleasing objects of art. In this digital era our daily lives have become disengaged from touch and so the craft of the book is taken for granted, with no thought taken into how books are made, whether it is by means of machine or by hand. REASONS FOR INVESTIGATION The tactile nature and this production method of books†¦ the traditional handmade method to be more precise is what drew me to this subject. I myself am an obsessive bookbinder, producing handcrafted books on a daily basis; there is a concrete sense of satisfaction felt in transforming sheets of paper or other media into a book. I am fascinated with this traditional craft and the aesthetic qualities the book possess, with the use of fine quality materials used and the traditional techniques and methods. However, more recently, there are now other uses for the traditionally bound book, one being the function as an artists medium, an art object known today as Artists Books. Having just recently discovered this art form, I feel more investigation is needed to distinguish what sets it apart from the traditionally crafted book. Is this genre of book art considered an art or craft? KEY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES There will be a number of key aims and objectives to this exploration of the craft of the book. However the primary objective of this study will be to determine the art and craft aspects of this handmade production of books, determining their distinctions. William Morris, a well-known figure in the Arts Crafts movement, will be a vital key thinker in studying the traditional craft aspect of the book. Morris, going back to the traditional methods of the 15th century, produces books â€Å"†¦with the hope of producing some which would have a definite claim to beauty†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [1] At the other end of the scale, Johanna Drucker, a scholarly writer in the book arts, will be a vital key thinker in exploring the art aspect of the book, more specifically the subject of Artists Books. Her book, The Century of Artists Books explores the Artists Book and its development in form and concept. She comments that Artists Books â€Å"†¦did not exist in their current form before the 20th century†.[2] That being the case, there is a possible transformation of the book from a traditional craft, to an expressive art form, which will be explored in the coming chapters, along with further exploration to discover the of moment of liberation for the book designer and the Artists Book. STRUCTURE The first chapter examines the historical significance of the book and its perceived appearance as a work of art. It will begin by reviewing the history of the book as a container of information, as a means of recording the past, touching on the various methods, techniques and technologies that were paramount in the craft of book production. Key thinkers involved will be Lucien Febvre and Henri-Jean Martin, in particular their highly credited book, The Coming of the Book. Along with other key thinkers in this field of study, they will assist in examining the development of the book and print culture, exploring the historical importance and emergence of the codex book that we are familiar with today. The first chapter will also consider the work of William Morris, a leader in the Arts Crafts Movement, and his interest in the craft of the book and the traditional methods of book production he used. Morriss greatest achievement, the influential Kelmscott Press, will set the scene to explore the growth of the private press of the twentieth century. Does the private press of today meet the standards of early traditional book production? Can the handmade qualities of the private press be compared to the machine made? As David Pye comments on his theories in workmanship, the effects of the finish and the aspects of the handmade, â€Å"Some materials promise far more than others but only the workman can bring out what they promise†.[3] The second chapter however, will be concerned with the book in relation to art, or to be more specific†¦ the Artists Book. Here the referencing of Johanna Drucker, a key thinker and scholarly writer on the subject, will be useful as it will introduce the early forms of the Artists Book, focusing more on the development of the book as an object of art. As well as a select few artists that were paramount in the development of the Artists Book, the work of William Blake, Ed Ruscha and Dieter Roth will be explored along with the relationship between text and image, artist and author. The third and final chapter offers a study of Fine Bindings being produced today, focusing on the work of Shepherds Bookbinders of London as great examples of contemporary bindings. The books in particular are a set of hand crafted, limited edition Ian Fleming novels†¦ the James Bond series to be more precise. They are of high quality craftsmanship, although with aesthetic qualities that would consider them to be works of art. Compared to their paperback counterparts, the study of these books will aid in understanding whether the handcrafted books of today are considered art or craft. The study will review numerous definitions of art and craft, which I shall discuss in the conclusion. Will a definitive distinction between art and craft be achieved? Will the craft of the book fit into either one of these categories, or even its own category yet to be named? The answers to these questions and more will be discovered in the coming chapters of this investigation. Sources [1] Ruari McLean, Modern Book Design: from William Morris to the present day, Faber Faber, London, 1958, p.11 [2] Johanna Drucker, The Century of Artists Books, Granary Books, New York, 2004, p.1 [3] David Pye, The Nature Art of Workmanship, University Press, Cambridge, 1968, p.2

Business ethics Essay

Introduction EDM *** For the purpose of this research, we will look at the factors which influence an individual to engage in unethical behaviour, which is defined as any organizational member action that violates widely accepted societal and moral norms (Rest, 1986). It may be useful to note that unethical behaviour does not equate to workplace deviance or counterproductive work behaviour (violating organizational norms) These factors can be split into three categories, individual characteristics (cognitive moral development, locus of control, Machiavellianism, moral philosophy, demographics), moral issue characteristics such as moral intensity (T. M. Jones, 1991), and organizational environment characteristics (ethical climate, ethical culture, codes of conduct). Personal Characteristics Cognitive moral development. The theory of cognitive moral development (CMD) states that there are different levels of reasoning that a person may apply to ethical issues. The individual at level one is concerned with their self-interest and external rewards and punishments. At level two, the individual does what others expect of them. The individual at level three possesses more autonomous decision-making skills based on principles of rights and justice rather than external influences (Kolberg, 1969). According to empirical research by Kolberg, most people operate at level two thinking. This is supported by Trevino and Nelson (2007), who say that most individuals are not autonomous and do not constantly follow an internal moral compass when it comes to decision making. A study by Weber (1990) also placed most business managers at level two. Rest (1986), who proposed the 4-stage ethical decision making process, places vast importance on CMD theory. This implies that while the level of reasoning an individual carries is a determinant of his actions, the situational context also does influence the actions of that individual. Taking CMD theory into consideration, it can be said that the actions of an individual is both a consequence of personal and organizational characteristics. National and cultural characteristics According to Crane and Matten (2007), research has shown that nationality and cultural background can have a significant influence on an individual’s ethical beliefs. Of the more than 30 empirical cross-cultural studies on ethical attitudes and ethical behavior conducted, practically all of them recognize the influence of national culture on one’s ethical attitude and behaviour. In support of this view is a study by Christie et al. (2003) using primary data collected from 345 business manager participating in executive MBA programs in selected schools across India, Korea and the United States looked at the relation between Hofstede’s four cultural dimensions and the attitude of individuals toward business ethics in general and toward twelve common questionable practices in particular. It concluded that there existed strong relationship between cultural dimensions of individualism and power distance and ethical attitudes of business managers toward certain questionable business practices. The analysis of the relationship between ethical attitudes of business managers toward questionable business practices and cultural dimensions of masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation produced mixed results, probably due to the effect of external variables and the insiginificant differences in cultural dimension scores among the countries surveyed. Although it is difficult to hypothesize, it is unquestionable that culture has an impact on ethical attitudes and behaviour. Organisational Characteristics Rewards. According to Trevino and Nelson (2007), a reward system is crucial to the alignment of ethical culture because people pay attention to what is measured, rewarded and disciplined. It is in human nature to do or repeat what is rewarded. The opposite is true; people will avoid what is punished. Jackall (1988) states that what is viewed as acceptable in a workplace is often what is rewarded. Crane’s research (2001) also showed that managers could avoid the moral aspect of issues and problems due to lack of progression and fears of marginalization. While generally positive, rewards can lead to unethical behaviour too Code of ethics enforcement Others – Moral Intensity What would promote ethical behaviour – link to above References * Kohlberg, L. (1969). Stage and sequence: The cognitive– developmental approach to socialization. In D. A. Goslin (Ed. ), Handbook of socialization theory and research. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally. * Rest, J. (1986). Development in judging moral issues. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. * Trevino, L. K. , & Nelson, K. A. (2007). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. New York, NY: Wiley. * Jones, T. M. (1991). Ethical decision making by individuals in organizations: An issue-contingent model. Academy of Management Review, 16, 366–395. * Weber, J. (1990). Managers’ moral reasoning: Assessing their responses to three moral dilemmas. Human Relations, 43, 687–702. * Crane, A. , & Matten, D. (2007), Making Decisions in Business Ethics Descriptive Ethical Theories (Chapter 4) in ‘Making decisions in business ethics’ in Business ethics : managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, Oxford ; New York, pp. 127-167. * Hofstede, G. H. (1980), Culture Consequences: International Differences in Work-related Values, Sage Publications, London. * Christie, P. M. Joseph, et. al. â€Å"A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Ethical Attitudes of Business Managers: India, Korea and the United States†, Journal of Business Ethics, 46(3), pp. 263-287, Sep. 2003. * Crane, Andrew, Unpacking the Ethical Product (November 3, 2004). Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 30, No. 4, 2001. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn. com/abstract=1533523 Not used * Trevino, L. K. & Brown, M. E. (2004) ‘Managing to be ethical: Debunking five business ethics myths’, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 69-81. * Brown, M. E. & Trevino, L. K. (2006) ‘Ethical leadership: A review and future directions’, The Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 17, Iss. 6, pp. 595–616. * Ardichvili, A. , Mitchell, J. A. & Jondle, D (2009) ‘Characteristics of Ethical Business Cultures’, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 85, Iss. 4, pp. 445-451.

Sociocultural Influences on a Person’s Attitude Towards Physical Exercise and Heath

Sociocultural Influence’s on a person’s attitude towards Physical Exercise and Health. Humans are by nature social beings. In trying to determine what makes us feel fulfilled, psychologists have found that a feeling of social connection or relatedness is near the top of the list of what we need to experience. We appear to be happiest when we successfully connect with others. Much of what we say and do is motivated by a desire to appear likeable, to gain social approval, to solidify group membership, to manage self-image, or to gain social support.Sociocultural factors that influence a person’s attitude towards Health and Physical exercise can be classified into three groups. They are * Self-presentation * Social Influence (social norms and persuasion) * Social support Self-presentation The number one most influential factor on how sociocultural influences do have on one’s attitude towards health and physical exercise. Self-presentation is where a person tr ies to influence others on the perception of their own image.People make many different attempts to manage how others’ view them because other people control many of the things we want to obtain, such as friendship, financial resources, or career advancement, we strive to gain others’ approval or avoid rejection. In exercise and physical activity settings, these attempts to present ourselves favourably may have either positive or negative effects on our strivings to be physically active. For example, Tim is slightly overweight and has dietary habits that aren’t exactly the best and decide to join a gym.Tim doesn’t want to go and run on the treadmill next to a super fit world class athlete because his figure and athletic ability are notably different and he doesn’t wish to embarrass himself. We see in this example that Tim has this idea that because he isn’t the same as the super fit world class athlete that he isn’t healthy and theref ore he is reluctant to exercise because he’s afraid of embarrassing himself. It’s people like Tim that are changing who they are and what they are trying to achieve because of either the public opinion or their friends opinion.Self-presentation is a major factor in influencing a person’s attitude towards health and physical exercise and the way they general perceive themselves in amongst the group or the community. Social Influence Following in contributing factors that influence a person’s attitude towards health and physical exercise is Social Influence. Social influence is when an individual's thoughts, feelings or actions are affected by other people’s opinions. If you have ever been in an audience at a large musical or theatrical performance, you may have noticed that the audience tends to clap in unison and stop clapping at the same time.You may have even started to clap when no one else did only to feel foolish and quickly stop clapping. Wha t you are experiencing in these situations is the power of social influence – specifically, social norms and conformity. Social influence can be defined as a real or imaginary pressure exerted by others that shapes our behaviour. While self-presentation describes our actions or attempts to project a positive image to others, social influence describes the pressure exerted by others to influence our action.In exercise and physical activity settings, there are numerous examples of the power of social influence. Joining a fitness club because other friends pressure you join, or your teenager’s desire to buy the latest pair of basketball shoes because Michael Jordan wears them and touts them on commercial television are both examples of the power of social influence. Social Support Finally, the last group called Social Support. Social Support provides reassurance and/or assistance, information or feedback through contact with other individuals or groups.People do not exerc ise merely to look good in other’s eyes or because we have been persuaded by others to do so. Sometimes people exercise because they obtain social benefits from physical activity participation. An example would be Fiona is out running on her own and feels vulnerable and exposed and feels like everyone else watching is laughing at her. She joins a gym group that runs regularly and finds comfort in the fact that she isn’t the only person who may be struggling. The frequency or type of social contacts may have a strong influence on the general well-being of the person as we see in the example.As a whole, physical activity participation appears to be nurtured when there is a socially supportive atmosphere or when participants perceive social support when striving for their exercise goals. Plus having feedback from others that boosts their self-esteem helps and allows them to have the opportunity to find a group in which they feel comfortable and are supported emotionally a nd tangibly and are able to obtain useful guidance or advice from other exercisers, friends, family, or exercise leaders.In conclusion, the contributing factors mentioned above have a significant impact on the entire health spectrum. Emotional, Physical, Mental, Spiritual and Social aspects are all affected in how sociocultural factors influence a person’s ability towards a healthy lifestyle and staying physically active. Bibliography: Title Pgs 1, 2,3,4,5 Sydney Distance Education High School, PD/H/PE 2013 PD/H/PE Second Edition Textbook, 2009 by Oxford University Press (copyright)

Traditional Chinese Houses essays

Traditional Chinese Houses essays Chinese architecture is most famous for the Great Wall of China. However, there are many other remarkable structures. Chinese houses reflect a tradition of craft and symbolism that echoes that of Chinas great monumental architecture. Besides showing the connection between architecture and daily life of Chinese people in the past, they also reveal Chinese cosmology and beliefs in concrete and practical terms. Housing is the first response of human. As human must regularly lie down to sleep, and most of us sleep deeply enough to become oblivious to our surroundings, a safe sleeping place is very important to us. Houses do not only provide the shelter, they also provide spaces for us to cook our food, store our properties, have some leisure and care children There are many types of Chinese houses. Some examples are northern houses, southern houses, subterranean or cave housing and courtyard houses. Most Chinese houses share some common features. The ridgepole of most houses is arranged in an east-west direction. The facade is then oriented so that the doors and windows face south. This is for maximum light and warmth. Besides, according to Confucian principles, parents, their unmarried children, their married sons with their families all live under the same roof. Therefore, in one house there might be four or five generations. Rich families have servants who live in the house, too. North China is a region of continental climate in which there is great disparity between summer and winter temperatures, with ranges usually exceed 30C. Rainfall is generally below 50 millimeters and is concentrated mostly in the summer. Dry winter winds together with spring dust storms pummel much of the region from the north and north-west for more than six months of each year. The typical north Chinese rural dwelling is a small one-story rectangle with a depth of only a single room that responds well to th...

Proceso expedito para tramitación urgente de visa

Proceso expedito para tramitacià ³n urgente de visa Cuando se inicia una solicitud o peticià ³n ante el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) los plazos de tramitacià ³n pueden ser muy largos. Por lo que es razonable plantearse si es posible acelerarlos  mediante un pago premium.  La respuesta es afirmativa pero sà ³lo en casos relacionados con peticiones por trabajo. En este artà ­culo se informa de los casos en los que se puede pedir el aceleramiento en la tramitacià ³n de una peticià ³n mediante un pago premium, quià ©n lo puede solicitar, cunto se demora, cul es el costo y cà ³mo contactar con USCIS para resolver problemas o dudas que surjan en dicha tramitacià ³n. Tramitacià ³n expedita  con USCIS  mediante un pago premium Es posible un pago premium en peticiones por trabajo, que comprende dos grandes grupos: cuando se solicita   para un extranjero una visa de trabajo temporal  en la que el empleador debe utilizar el formulario I-129.o cuando el empleador utiliza una planilla I-140 para pedir por razà ³n de trabajo una tarjeta de residencia permanente, conocida tambià ©n como green card. Tambià ©n se admite, en casos extraordinarios, auto-peticià ³n por parte de un trabajador. Esto significa que puede solicitarse en los siguientes casos: Visa E-1, comerciante al amparo de un tratadoVisa E-2, inversor al amparo de un tratadoVisa H-1B, trabajadores extranjeros especiales o modelos. En este caso el gobierno ha anunciado la suspensià ³n temporal del proceso expedito que se reanudar el 10 de septiembre de 2018.Visa H-2B, trabajadores temporales para trabajos no agrà ­colasVisa H-3, trabajadores en prcticas o visitantes de intercambio en el campo de la educacià ³n especialVisa L-1, L-1B y LZ, trabajadores transferidos dentro de una empresa o subsidiarias de la mismaVisa O-1 para trabajadores con extraordinaria habilidad en Ciencias, Deportes, Arte, Educacià ³n o NegociosVisa O-2 para trabajadores que son un apoyo esencial para los titulares de una visa O-1Visa P-1, P-1S, P-2, P-2S, P-3 y P-3S, para deportistas individuales y de equipo, artistas y personal de apoyo para participar en un programa o evento à ºnico o que formen parte de un programa de intercambio cultural.Visa Q-1, para extranjeros participando en un prog rama de intercambio cultural internacional Visa R-1 para religiososVisa TN-1 y TN-2, para canadienses y mexicanos al amparo del Tratado de Libre comercio  (NAFTA, por sus siglas en inglà ©s)Visa EB-1, para extranjeros con habilidades extraordinarias, profesores e investigadores excepcionales y gerentes y ejecutivos de multinacionales.Visa EB-2, para profesionales con titulacià ³n avanzada o habilidad excepcional.Visa EB-3, para profesionales, trabajadores especializados y otros trabajadores El USCIS puede suspender temporalmente el procesamiento premium para alguna de esas visas. En el momento en que se escribe este artà ­culo no est vigente ninguna excepcià ³n. Es decir, se puede aplicar para todas las peticiones enunciadas. Costo del procesamiento premium y a quà © da derecho En la actualidad es de $1.225. Sin embargo, esta cantidad puede variar por lo que es muy conveniente verificar con la pgina oficial del USCIS. Si la solicitud se hace por internet utilizando el sistema de e-file, el pago puede realizarse mediante tarjeta de crà ©dito, dà ©bito o transferencia desde una cuenta de un banco en Estados Unidos. Por el contrario, si se envà ­a una solicitud en papel, el pago debe hacerse mediante un cheque de un banco en Estados Unidos o por money order. El pago da derecho a que el USCIS acuerde una respuesta en el plazo de 15 dà ­as naturales  a contar desde el dà ­a en el que se recibià ³ la solicitud de procesamiento premium con su correspondiente pago.   La respuesta no significa siempre que se obtiene la aprobacià ³n, sino que puede ser cualquiera de las siguientes: Una carta de aprobacià ³n de la peticià ³n de visa o de tarjeta de residenciaUna carta en la que se pide ms informacià ³n o documentacià ³n. Es lo que se conoce como Peticià ³n de Evidencia o RFE, por sus siglas en inglà ©s.Una carta en la que se notifica la intencià ³n de rechazar la peticià ³n. Se conoce como NOID, por sus siglas en inglà ©s.Y, finalmente, puede que lo que se notifique es que se   inicia una investigacià ³n porque se sospecha que la peticià ³n es fraudulenta o se ha mentido en la misma o se ha presentado documentacià ³n de apoyo falsa. En el caso de que USCIS haya respondido con una RFE o una NOID, el solicitante debe contestar en el tiempo que se le otorga en la notificacià ³n. Y, una vez que el USCIS recibe las  alegaciones o la documentacià ³n  adicional que pidià ³, tiene que responder en el plazo de 15 dà ­as naturales. En casos extraordinarios puede suceder que USCIS no responda dentro de los 15 dà ­as siguientesa  haber recibido la peticià ³n de tramitacià ³n premium.   En estos casos est obligado a regresar el coste del trmite y, adems, a responder inmediatamente.   Adems, el pago premium da derecho a utilizar un telà ©fono especial gratuito, el 1-866-315-5718, para resolver dudas o hacer preguntas relacionadas con la peticià ³n de la visa. Cà ³mo se solicita el pago premium para acelerar una peticià ³n con USCIS El formulario para solicitar la  aceleracià ³n de los trmites  es el I-907. La solicitud se puede realizar  conjuntamente  con el envà ­o de los formularios I-129,   en el caso de visa de trabajo temporal, o I-140, cuando se solicita la tarjeta de residencia por trabajo. Tambià ©n puede enviarse  por separado  en un momento posterior. Resaltar que la peticià ³n de tramitacià ³n acelerada sà ³lo la puede solicitar la empresa o emprendedor o su abogado  que son los que piden la visa. Nunca puede solicitarla el beneficiario de la peticià ³n, excepto en el caso en el que un trabajador de cualidades excepcionales solicita  una tarjeta de residencia para sà ­ mismo sin patrocinador. Por el contrario, el pago del formulario I-907 pueden efectuarlo no sà ³lo la empresa o  su abogado, sino tambià ©n la persona extranjera que resultarà ­a beneficiada por este trmite.  ¿A quà © no da derecho el pago premium para acelerar los trmites? En primer lugar, este pago no levanta los là ­mites anuales en el nà ºmero de visas que se pueden aprobar dentro de cada categorà ­a  por aà ±o fiscal. Es decir, si se ha agotado el nà ºmero de visas disponibles, con o sin pago premium hay que esperar al siguiente aà ±o fiscal para que se abra de nuevo la disponibilidad de visas. Tampoco da derecho a beneficios extra en los casos en los que existe una loterà ­a para determinar quià ©nes son los beneficiados de una visa, como por ejemplo con las visas de la familia H, en particular con la H-1B para profesionales. En los aà ±os en los que el nà ºmero de solicitudes excede en menos de una semana al total de visas disponibles para un aà ±o fiscal se procede a decidir por sorteo quià ©n es el ganador. El pago de procesamiento premium no da ventaja en esa loterà ­a. En tercer lugar, el pago premium no se admite en visas o en tarjetas de residencia cuyo proceso se inicia con formularios distintos al I-129 o al I-140. Por ejemplo, no es posible en las visas de turista, estudiante, intercambio, etc. Tampoco en las peticiones de green card por razà ³n de familia, algunas de las cuales sufren grandes demoras, como son los casos de  las peticiones de ciudadano americano para hermanos, hijos casados o hijos solteros mayores de 21 aà ±os o las de residente para sus hijos solteros mayores de 21 aà ±os. Este artà ­culo es informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal para ningà ºn caso concreto.

Fair Value Measurements of Financial Instruments by US companies and Research Paper

Fair Value Measurements of Financial Instruments by US companies and comparability issues - Research Paper Example Thus the implementation of the fair value has to be implemented at an applicable hierarchical level (Price Water Coopers, 2009, p.2) Need for study Fair value measurement of financial instruments has become a debatable topic since the emergence of the economic downturn. According to the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) it has been made a rule to report the financial instruments based on the fair value measurement system. Through the calculation of the financial data at fair value prices the decisions related to the high risky business facing economic problem in the financial market becomes easier. The financial statements of the company computed at a fair value system gives more meaningful information to the investors, suppliers and creditors about the valuation methodologies thus used for the same. Hence it is only justified to have a clear view about the impact of the fair value measures of the financial instrument of the company. Literature review The fair value mea surement is implemented both by Goldman Sachs and Citibank with the purpose of getting the actual value during selling of assets or during the transfer of a liability on the date of measurement between the participants of the market. Even while trading of the derivatives of the company measuring in the fair value is of utmost importance to the company. Thus maintaining the rules of the levels of the hierarchy the implementation of the fair value measurement is essential as the correct information related to the accounting of the company’s books of accounts gets projected. Methodology The three methodologies for the calculation of the fair value of the company are market approach, income approach and the cost approach. In market approach the matrix pricing method is used which helps in finding the value of the debt securities in comparison to that of another firm without relying on the data of the quoted prices of specific securities. The time value of money technique is imple mented in case of the income approach methodology of fair value measurement. Lastly based on the concept of obsolesce is the implication of cost approach system of fair value. The data related to the calculation of the fair value of a company can be obtained from the annual reports of both Goldman Sachs and Citibank. For the convenience of analysis the period of 2011 has been chosen. The financial ratios are generally implemented to assess the financial health of the company, analysing which the companies fair value measurement can be done. Limitations of study The fair value measurement also has some criticism in its calculation method. Fair value measurement the inherent risk factor of the company tends to gets exaggerated resulting in misleading results in the long run. Hence the recording of the contingent losses which have not yet been realised signals negative outcome to investors, which lead to meeting of negative consequences. The fair value measurement is usually not prefer red by many analysts due to lack of reliability as the system of valuation has a tendency of showing an optimistic value irrespective of the present economic situation. Thus the business decisions taken on the basis such fair value measurement may be inaccurate in nature. Company profiles Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is one of the leading banks which is globally renowned for investment banking and provides a wide range of financial

Services Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Services Management - Essay Example For Virgin Trains and any other business for that matter, to realize improved service delivery and performance emanating from effective service process and people management, it is imperative that the business’ processes are aligned with the wants, needs, preferences, and tastes of its clients and employees. Such an alignment is quite an effective approach in promoting business effectiveness, efficiency, flexibility, technology use, and innovativeness. In addition, there should be a continuous attempt by the company to improve its processes. In other words, the firm should adopt a "process optimization process." This approach replaces the functionally focused and traditionally hierarchical management approaches that most businesses practice with more effectiveness and capabilities to generate revenues and reduce costs. Importantly, Virgin Trains ought to regard its service processes, service people, and resources as strategic assets, which must be well managed, understood, and constantly improved to help the business add value to its products and services. Finally, Virgin Trains may adopt sound process governance in which it would allocate its processes and work towards realizing its objectives in both its operational and progress-related sections.