Cellular Network Security

Network limitations of cellular networks present a number of security issues. As cellular networked are scaled up in their capacity, they become more complex and deplorers need to be extra careful while fixing security loopholes so as not to create others. Networks function well when all users can be authenticated. Cellular networks face a burden of authenticating a large number of users. Batch authentication of users is not yet possible and each user is authenticated individually every time they access the network. In addition, of authenticating every point of instance, wireless cellular networks have to be interconnected to other cellular networks to facilitate communication across borders. The requirement brings up additional authentication tasks that require a very robust and powerful system. Failure to ensure that the system is robust and well guarded allows attacker to have anonymous access. In the event of a network compromise, network administrators are unable to verify the source of attack. Authentication problems also become national security issues when they face a national wireless network. Such a network carries a considerable number of important information such as financial transactions and national security sensitive information.

 

Cellular networks offer a variety of services. Network subscribers expect that their messages get to their intended recipients without any non-agreed alteration. When there are errors in the network because of interference or non-authorized access, the integrity of the information passing through the network is questioned. Cellular networks must be secure to ensure that conversations are confidential. Eavesdropping abilities should only be conferred to authorized agents in accordance with the law. Cellular devices are now common tools of conversation; as a result, cellular networks handle a lot of sensitive information that should not be allowed to fall in the hands of unintended persons. Such persons might use the information to conduct criminal offences such as blackmailing the conversing parties (Vacca, 2009).

 

Cellular networks are accessed by cellular devices. The devices are supposed to be restricted on the amount of data they can submit or extract from the system. In addition to authentication, devices have to be restricted to the levels they can access within the system. Such restriction may be realized through used of different technologies or cryptography software. It is important that even with proper expertise, devices failing to meet a certain technological requirement are unable to access certain limits in a system. Proper access control ensures that the cellular network system is secure (Bragg, Rodhes-Ousley & Strassberg, 2004).

 

Individual cellular devices are the Achilles’ feet in the network. Vulnerability of one device may compromise the whole network. Cellular phones and other mobile devices such as netbooks and pads that access cellular networks have powerful operating systems. The processing power of such devices now matches that of desktop systems. Previously, such devices only handled end user processing task. With the increased processing power, these devices are able to handle stand-alone processing tasks that cannot be regulated by the network system. The devices use Java Based systems or run their own operating systems. In the event that these systems are compromised, for example being attacked by computer Viruses and Trojans, then they are able to send malicious data into the network system or anonymously obtain sensitive data from the network. Such vulnerabilities when exploited by attackers may be disastrous to cellular networks companies and can destroy a whole network system (Xu, Wood, Trappe & Zhang, 2004).

 

In addition to the vulnerabilities presented by powerful devices, cellular networks use and offer Web Services to their subscribers.  Web Service as a component provides functions that subscriber’s access via the web. Use of the web in accessing these services opens up the network to security threats associated with the standard HTTP protocol. These threats include denial of service attacks and viruses. Cellular networks are now advancing to use their system available resources more efficiently. The network companies are also facing completion pressure to become more innovative in their product offerings. To avoid business extinction, companies are moving their cellular networks to become Internet Protocol (IP) based. IP based systems allocate addresses to each access point in the network. A user’s location therefore becomes searchable since the user is associated with the access point they use to access the system. Such a possibility of locating a cellular device compromises user location privacy (Maxim & Pollino, 2002).

 

Other than becoming threats indirectly, malware and viruses also offer direct security threats. The wireless networks system is structured in a similar way as other computer system. Increased processing capacity also increases the artificial intelligence level of the system. As the system become more intelligent, they are relied upon to make automatic decisions based on the given parameters. Corrupt system software results to errors across the network. Network wide errors, resulting from malfunctioning, caused by viruses or malware cause unimaginable problems. For example, they can arise to a large-scale denial of service attack; secondly, they can affect the billing system of the cellular network resulting to losses or loss of subscribers because of overbilling.

 

Web services allow subscribers to download content from the web and such downloads are sometimes infected with spyware and adware. These compromised downloads bring up a security issue since they enhance the other security issues aforementioned. Other than acting as vulnerability points, download services raise copyright issues on digital files. Download and upload services offered by cellular networks allow subscribers to upload and download digital files in any format such as images, music, games and books. Users might download or upload unauthorized copies therefore committing the unlawful act of piracy.

 

There is need to ensure that only device owners use the devices to access the network. Devices are uniquely identified and in the case of phone, each subscriber is assigned a unique number. When other persons other than the device owner use the device to access the network, then the device owner is charged for a service not personally used. In addition to unwanted charges, unauthorized device use may bring about criminal liabilities when the unauthorized user engages in unlawful acts such as spamming and stalking. Therefore, cellular networks need to be able to disable devices remotely when owners loose them. Other than unauthorized access to the network, unauthorized users of devices get access to personal information like emails, phone numbers and other documents. The remote disabling should be able to make the device deny access to such personal information (Bragg, Rodhes-Ousley & Strassberg, 2004).

LISTENING EFFECTIVENESS

Analyzing Your Listening Effectiveness Study

The listening process involves a lot more than just hearing and includes being aware of the speaker, actively focusing on the present moment by blocking any internal or external distractions, having an objective of hearing the speaker and analysing words delivered by the speaker and how they are delivered. My listening effectiveness depends on a number of factors that are in my control or are beyond my control (Battell, 2006).

 

I have strengths that contribute to making me an effective information listener. The strengths include being attentive to the listener as they speak. Secondly, I have an ability to maintain my focus on a speaker by blocking any thought digression and ignoring any external disruption to my attention. Thirdly, I consider the delivery of the message by the speaker in terms of their mood, composure and emphasis. This enables me to get not only the spoken words, but the speakers feelings about the words and their expectations on my response (Woods, 2010).

 

Unfortunately, I mostly find myself listening defensively, as I take in most personal references as criticism. Sometimes because of listening defensively, I get a very wrong meaning of what has been said and end up with the wrong impression of the speaker. Another weakness is that i become selective at what I listen to, choosing only what interests me in a conversation. While listening to non-interesting parts of a conversation, I internally question the relevancy of the conversation instead of paying attention. As a result, am unable to recall a conversation after a moment. When conversing with people whom I find uninteresting, I use my interest prejudice as a reason to bias their speech as uninteresting. In such cases I completely ignore the body language of the speaker and only take in their words at face value. This makes it difficult to remember their words later because I have nothing to associate with the words (Woods, 2010).

 

I would like to improve my listening attention to all speakers irrespective of my prejudices. In order to accomplish this task, I shall ensure that I pause at what I was doing and pay attention to the speaker instead of listening while still performing other tasks. Secondly, I shall practice the affirmation that while listening, the delivery of words is the most important aspect to consider other than the words spoken. This affirmation will assist me in demonstrating appropriate feedback to the speaker that will enable them to appreciate my attention. Finally, I will seek to understand the speaker’s words in a non-biased way after the realization that prejudiced listening hinders me from getting the overall context of a conversation. While listening, I will not to judge the speaker before they are done speaking. Instead, I will respond appropriately such as using eye contact and nodding (Woods, 2010).

 

In some instances, listening attentively is not beneficial, especially when the task is repetitive on same conversations that have no clear benefit. For example talking to strangers whose conversation will not be worthy of remembering later. In such cases, I shall use my pseudolistening skills to pay attention to the speaker and actively be thinking about other things. Practicing pseudo listening will allow me to encourage the speaker to feel comfortable and speak while am able to disregard what they say without showing them that am not interested (Woods, 2010).

References

Battell, C. (2006). Effective listening.  Infoline: Business Skills, (605): ASTD Press

Woods, J. T. (2010). Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters, (6^th ed.), Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning

Limitations of Wireless Cellular Networks

A number of issues limit the optimal performance of wireless cellular networks. The limitations make wireless networks less reliable than wired networks. The first limitation is that Wireless cellular networks provide an open access medium. The network operates on a wireless channel and therefore does not have a form of physical barricade. Attackers need no equipment to access the network. Secondly, the networks are able to scale up to a given maximum bandwidth. Wireless networks share the same wireless frequency spectrum and therefore are limited on bandwidth amount they can hold. They are governed by the policy of equitable sharing (Gardezi, 2006).

 

Wirelesses cellular networks are supposed to support mobility. The requirement makes such systems complex and forms one of their limitations. The complexity makes the administration of network security difficult and introduces new loophole that can be exploited by attackers. In order to increase the efficacy of the wireless systems more complexity is added to the system further opening up loopholes. Wireless networks are not connected in a grid structure like wired networks. As a result, each node in the network requires its own power supply. A full-scale deployment of a wireless network therefore consumes more power than a wired network equivalent. In addition to the need for extra power, the functionality of each network node is dependent on its own power supply capacity (Gardezi, 2006).

 

Wireless networks need processors on every device used to send or receive signals. The speed of the network is therefore proportional to the processing power of the devices that make up the network. Even though the processor power of these devices is increasing, it is yet to reach optimal levels required to carry out exhaustive processing tasks. By relying on radio frequencies, wireless networks are prone to interferences from other wireless networks and systems. The signals transfer within the network also suffers in relation to the density of the network and the number of users in the network. When compared to a wired network, a wireless network is more limited in its reliability because of the errors arising out of the aforementioned influences (Gardezi, 2006).

Criminal Acts

Criminal acts are actions that under the United States law cause a threat to injure persons even if the offender is considered unable to commit the crime. Race does not significantly affect the probability of committing criminal acts. Socio-economic factors are majorly responsible for crime prevalence in certain communities. Inadequate Law enforcement can also be the reason for increased criminal acts in a particular area. In this essay evidence is provided to show neutrality of race, and morality of law enforcement is shown to influence the criminal justice system and citizen responsibility to report criminal acts.

Sources used in the research

1. Sampson J. R. and Lauritsen J. L. (1997). Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Crime and Criminal Justice in the United States. Crime and Justice, 21, Ethnicity, Crime and Immigration: Comparative and Cross-National Perspective (1997), 311-374.

            The article compares whites and blacks participation in violent crimes and suffering as victims of these crimes. It examines official statistics of arrests, victimization estimates and self-reported offending. Then the theories explaining race differences are examined. The article offers in-depth analysis of data from criminal justice process system as well as previous research into the topic.

2. Bazelon D. L. (1975-2976) The Morality of the criminal law. Southern California Law Review, 49:385

            The article looks at the implications of viewing the law as an internalization of control as well as the implications of viewing the law as an externalization of the law. This article also examines the moral arguments that affect how law is viewed. The author is a judge of the appeal court and has a wealth of experience in the matter.

3. Kaplow, L. and Shavell S. (1994). Optimal Law Enforcement with Self-Reporting of Behaviour. Journal of Political Economy 102(3):583-606. The university of Chicago press. Retrieved from http://www,jstor.org/stable/213864

            This article analyses a model for optimal self-reporting, examining its generalizations and demonstrate that optimal law enforcement schemes that include self-reporting are superior to those that exclude self-reporting. The article also observes that advantages of self-reporting can be greater than those found in the model, depending on the law enforcement method.

Criminal Acts

            According to the United States law, criminal acts are actions that under the United States law cause a threat to injure persons even if the offender is considered unable to commit the crime. Criminal acts are not influenced by race, such that persons of a particular race are prone to commit crime more than those of another race. Criminal acts are influenced by socio economic factors that put minority groups in improvised conditions promoting delinquency. How the law is enforced will affect the extent of prevalence of criminal acts.  In this essay; race is shown to be insignificant, law enforcement is shown to be a moral question and self-reporting policies are seen as a social solution to managing criminal acts.

            Research findings of Sampson and Lauritsen (1997) conclude that race there is no significant disparity in crime and criminal justice in the U.S. among blacks and whites that are as a result of race. More blacks than whites are arrested and this is attributed to the crime-conducive neighbourhoods that many blacks live in. Blacks are also less likely to self-report crimes they commit because of their prejudice against law enforcement. Whites offend the law less than blacks’ arguably because they enjoy better economic opportunities and success. If the tables were turned, blacks would be less law offenders than whites.  The criminal justice system serves as the main source of research on racial differences. These sources are subject to the question moral concepts that were held at the time of implementation.

            The view that order should be achieved at all costs does not consider social justice. It emphasizes stiff penalties regardless of the social factors of the crime. On the other hand factoring in of the realities of social injustices, law enforcement is viewed as a moral obligation, where people believe it because it is justified. Such diverse views have affected how law enforcement is carried out (Bazelon, 1975-1976). The first view of restoring order at all costs by the criminal justice system is to blame for the majority blacks’ prejudice against law enforcers. Therefore we can argue rightfully that the system is to blame for the biasness in crime records that show prevalence to be high among blacks.

            Embracing the second view of law enforcement as a moral obligation, results to better management of criminal acts in society. Self-reporting by offenders who understand their moral obligation reduces costs associated with investigations, promotes better relationships among citizens and law enforcers, and reduces incidences of mistaken identities and generalizations (Kaplow & Shavell, 1994). It is important to view all criminal acts neutrally without racial bias. Socio-economic factors that affect blacks and other minority communities should be factored in while formulating policies to encourage self-reporting in the management of criminal acts.

References

Bazelon D. L. (1975-1976) The morality of the criminal law. Southern California Law Review, 49:385

Kaplow, L. and Shavell S. (1994). Optimal law enforcement with self-reporting of behaviour. Journal of Political Economy, 102(3):583-606. Retrieved from http://www,jstor.org/stable/213864

Sampson J. R. and Lauritsen J. L. (1997). Racial and ethnic disparities in crime and criminal justice in the United States. Crime and Justice, 21, Ethnicity, Crime and Immigration: Comparative and Cross-National Perspective (1997), 311-374.

Reaping the Whirlwind, Technology Challenges for Tomorrow's IT Manager

Information technology managers play a key role in daily operations of a company. Their roles run from supervisory to company security roles (Denardis & Aksoy, 2007). With the ever-changing technology world, it is eminent that these officers are well versed with the daily happenings in the information technology arena. Globalization has made the exchange of vital firm information and data easily. Daily Inventions of business software necessary for firm operations are daily practice, making the already existing outdated instantly (Garson, 1999). Organizations system audit and control is necessary if a firm is too survive in this computer age. This will help ensure that organization vital data is safe and that system access is restricted to only the authorized users. The firm that invests in information technology will have an added advantage in relation to the other organizations. In this paper, I am going to expound some key information system avenues for technological advance. There are a number of emerging technologies expected to change the world. There technological effects will cut across various sectors. Many organizations are keen to making a general overhaul of their existing information systems betting on the new technologies (Denardis & Aksoy, 2007)

            In accordance to a report by market research media, NoSQL is a new technology under development. NoSQL is software used in data mining, military and genome databases. Its attributes are still under development and its transaction consistency is at the rise. There is also the development of Relational Database Management system (RDBMS), whose operations will be realized by 2015.Moreover, there is Cloud computing, a technology which has drawn a lot of interest. This is because is a form of technology which is meant to address the insecurity problems in the 21^st century. Cloud computing is designed to store unique data of a specific organization in a hidden location. The federal government is keen to using the device in their security system to curb hacking and store vital information in the cloud. AWS GoVCloud is the name designated to the USA security system. No company will afford the hacking of its systems and most of them will go an extra mile to acquire suitable software to check this vice(Denardis & Aksoy, 2007). Business empires are requesting developers of these new technologies to devise one for usage in the business day-to-day operations. Although cloud technology is advanced, traditional on-premise backup will be here for an unforeseeable future. These technological innovations are expected to come into operation from 2012 – 2015 (Hall & Singleton, 2004).Information system managers are tasked with consultancy roles to ensure that firms adopt only those technologies that will add to the revenues of these companies. This is because the main aim of business enterprises is to make profit. Other technologies that will advance online business transactions are under development and will come into force in the subsequent years (Hall & Singleton, 2004)..

The aforementioned advanced technologies affect the operations of firms in a big way. They cover all the stages of productions and guide operations in relation to data inputted (Hall & Singleton, 2004). Information managers therefore need to go an extra mile to ensure that they are well informed to assist them give a sound advice to their company management and to help companies recruit individuals who are well informed about daily developments in the information field. In addition, government ought to chip in and sponsor technological research. This can be a joint initiative with the private sector. Having a research team and tough brains will enhance response to technological threats and these elites will advance more innovations.

References

Denardis, L., &  Aksoy,P . 2007. Information Technology in Theory. New York:  Course Technology PTR.

Garson, D. (1999).  Information Technology and Computer Applications in Public Administration.NY: Issues and Trends, Idea Group Pub

Hall, J.,  & Singleton,T. (2004). Information Technology Auditing and Assurance. New York: South-Western Pub.

Industrial revolution

Industrial revolution is a gradual development process which led to the transformation of early mans’ way of living through sound innovation in various sectors of the economy (Ashton, 1948). Industrial revolution totally transformed not only the way things are done but also the way man operates. Agrarian revolution changed the lifestyle of humankind. Prior to 18^th century, the early man used to survive on hunting and gathering, more often using crude weapons in his day-to-day activities (Eric,2009). The practice of hunting and gathering was tedious and time consuming as individuals had to cater for their daily needs and those of their immediate families. Industrial revolution totally alienated individuals from their traditional working modes. This has largely transformed the agrarian society in a number of ways. First, there was mitigation of time wastage as persons worked on the fields to produce their products that they were sure of harvesting, this replaced the uncertainty of capturing something to eat. Early man used to cover a wide area hunting but with revolution he was able to operate in a small location which increasing his output.

Textile manufacturing was in small scale before the revolution; it was termed as cottage industry (Clark, 2007). This mostly was done by individual workers and missing on innovation and division of labor. The mode of transportation could only accommodate the small-scale production. With the wave of revolution, textile industry had a massive shift into large-scale production (Clark, 2007). However, at the beginning the working conditions at the ginneries were not human. Dim lighting and working for long hours were problems that were realized at the early stages. Child labor was also a common issue during this progress.

Industrial revolution led to the development of advanced machines, which replaced human activities in many aspects (Eric, 2009).With the help of these machines, production was always on the rise although less labor was in operation. The transformation of labor from man to machine power necessitated other invention to allow massive transportation of these products to the market. Bernal (2006), pointed out that spinning jenny and the flying shuttle that were later replaced by spinning mule were the first innovations that transformed the textile industry. Some expertise on the how to run these machines was required, this additional training increased the efficiency hence increased production. These developments changed how work was being done as it accommodated increased number of individuals it also advocated for division of labor. Moreover, iron folding and steam power are other 18^th century sectors that transformed the agrarian life. The early man through these sectors was able to develop advanced weapons that were used for various purposes (Ashton, 1948).

According to Bernal (2006), industrial revolution was a blessing to the early man; this is because the daily dues from wages and salaries outweigh the struggles of hunting and gathering. In addition, working in these firms is dignifying enough. Moreover, the source of food in the industrial generation was more stable as individuals could work more efficiently in one location and produce surplus to help sustain them.

References

Ashton, T. S. (1948). The Industrial Revolution (1760-1830).UK: Oxford University Press.

Bernal, J. D. (2006). Science and Industry in the Nineteenth Century. London: Routledge,

Clark, G. (2007). A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. New Jersey :Princeton University Press,

Eric, H,(2009).The Age of Revolution: Europe 1789–1848.United Kingdom :Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd

Issue of ownership, use of real estate and restrictions imposed

Introduction

Land is one of the factors of production that has unique features. One of its uniqueness is limitation in supply (Jaakko,et al. 139). Many policy makers and legal practitioners have therefore advanced various guidelines to ensure prudent use of this important resource. In accordance to the article, they are real estate rights .From the writers perspective these rights are limited to government policies i.e. taxation and the need to have each property under the custody of either the state or identified individuals. Real estate property rights are meant to explain in detail the guidelines to be taken into consideration when dealing with a property that is either under the public or private ownership (Jaakko,et al. 141). Washington State is experiencing low house rates and the real estate rights established five years ago are coming into play in the transfer of these properties.

Description of which of the estates in land or the type of public/private restriction is addressed.

According to the article, most people are in dire need of credit in relation to the surging housing problems .Individuals according to the article are seeking rental houses but the property rights on the ownership and usage of these real estate property is locking out most of these persons. These rights have been in existence since the Roman era and the local courts have cemented them to address the plight and the ever-changing needs of the residence and property owners (Lasfer,et al.  80). This in relation to the courts is meant to address what they term as nuisances. This external factor can curtail millions of people who are seeking for residential houses in posh location. The national laws protect the residence and owners of these properties. The statute points out that external intrusion will prevent maximum economic usage of a property. Gradual development of real estate property has solely laid the right of a property to the owner. This initially was not the case as a country could still have a say on these properties Lasfer,et al.  86).

Given the ever-rising demand for rental houses at Washington State, the government needs to chip in and address the general welfare of its citizens. Moreover, this response will not only address the plight of the homeless but also will defend the reputation of the government. Many argue that the governments hand on the issue will infringe on their constitutional right. This is a disadvantage to the growth of the real estate sector, as any move by the government has to address the needs of individuals, leaving the homeless to their fate. According to the writer, Washington state constitution the state has the powers to claim a property either public or private and just pays for the compensation of the same . This curtails the right to own and enjoy property as everything is at the discretion of the state. The Washington state constitution advances regulations that are confusing most at time .A regulation might be confusing in its interpretation in relation to public and private usage.

The government policy of repossessing houses for rental purposes according to the article is not prudent .The writer argues that it does not address the plight of those already residing in them. The boom in the rental market drives the government move and their idea is to move over 250,000 housing units to this promising market. The house prices has over a long period been falling courtesy of the housing recession. The writer points out that rent is expected to rise by up to 4% this year, this is a figure close to the ones prior to recession. With the decrease in prices of real estate property, real estate investors are pumping billions of dollars into the sector. This has necessitated the acquisition of loans from the banking institutions. The writer has identified small investors to be active in acquiring small properties with an intention to lease out.

 Analysis of the impact of the issue on the broader real estate   market, how the parties might respond.

Issues of ownership have a huge impact to the market of real estate. Converting of property according to the article needs to be done with strict following of postulated procedure. Foreclosed homes that are under for-sale market have to be converted to rental houses for sale to the large homeless citizens. The transfer of ownership shifts the price to much higher levels. This is attributable to the time lag between the transactions (Jaakko,et al. 143). With demand of house and property right restrictions, price of housing will hike in the short run. According to the writer, investors smell a fortune in the recent teething housing problems at the Washington state, and they are seconding the government in their quest. The move by the government to advocate for more rental houses other than foreclosed units will leave many citizens without shelter. Ownership issues moreover scare away investors who are ready to spend a good amount of money in the sector. This they believe might reduce the value of the housing units in the long run. The housing recession in USA at large is still an issue in investment at Washington State.

The idea by Obama administration to convert foreclosed housing units might experience delays. This is because individuals evicted might opt to launch a petition challenging the government initiative. This will lead to an increase in the rental price further as the supply of the units will hampered. The rental price increase is a plus to the both the small and the big investor, who will be able to pay for borrowed funds much easier. The demand for extra units will continue to increase as most of these homeless persons may lack the economic muscle to pay for the expensive units. It is imperative for the government to subsidize the construction and acquisition of new units. This will cushion the already overtaxed citizen, who has not rested since the bite of the global recession .In addition; the cushioned sector will attract several new investors hence bringing down the rental costs.

The writer of the article has clearly discussed the real estate ownership issue to a large extend. However, the different types of property and how it is transferred is not clear. In addition, the process used by the government in the identification of property to be converted has not been taken care in the article. Despite the aforementioned weaknesses, the article has clearly addressed the problems that could befall both the investors and the customers. In my opinion, consultation with all stakeholders is needed to ensure that all aspects of this issue are addressed in a well-versed manner.

The issues surrounding real estate ownership has worsened the housing situation in the Washington state. Homeless individuals have increased the demand for rental homes. This has seen an increase in these rental units price by up to 4%.The government being the custodian of all the property as far as national interest is concerned has chipped in to ensure these homeless individuals are settled amicably. This has not gone without criticism from many quarters especially the human rights bodies. These human rights bodies argue that, upon conversion of foreclosure houses, residence in these houses could be rendered homeless. Despite the challenges of ownership issues, several investors have invested in the real estate market. This has largely grown the sector, as there is a huge population still homeless. The investors are also able to get bank loan with minimal interest rates. With the government hand on the housing recession issue, the supply of housing units will increase in the future bringing down the rent rates.

Growth of real estate is through increased demand in Washington state. The conversion of houses to accommodate this demand has devalued the housing units of posh areas designated for private purposes initially. This is because in many situations the governments hand is present. However, the initiatives by the government are welcome as it levels the playing field of investors thereby reducing the rental prices of created units.

                                                Works cited

Jaakko Niskanen, Jussi Rouhento, Heidi Falkenbach. European real estate equities: ownership structure and value of the firm, Journal of European Real Estate Research, Vol. 4 Iss: 2, (2011):131 – 144

Lasfer, M. On the financial drivers and implications of leasing real estate assets:the Donaldsons-Lasfer’s curve, Journal of Corporate Real Estate, Vol. 9 No. 2. (2007): 72-96.

Bozec, Y., Rousseau, S. and Laurin, C. Law of incorporation and firm ownership structure: the law and finance theory revisited, International Review of Law and Economics, Vol. 28 No. 2. (2008): 140-9.

Time value of money

Time value of money critique and how it applies to financial management

The title of this article is appropriate for the writing. Leimberg et al. (2000, p.1), enumerates on how the internal revenue code continually change the interests every month. The valuing process is always much detailed and together with frequent revision of interest rates monthly and the change of life interests after a decade. Financial practitioners have to be well versed with the ever-changing complex rules especially those related with the time value of money. To help us understand how and why interest rates change over a given period, the writer has expounded the valuation of various interest rates (Leimberg et al.,2000).

Valuation according to the writer depends on two major seemingly impossible scenarios (Leimberg et al., 2000, p.3). These cases are, the length of live of an individual controlling a life interest and the actual return on capital of an investment. According to Leimberg et al. (2000, p.3), a figure is always put during their creation though the two are always unknown. The above poses a big challenge to finance management because of the uncertainty of the future. The valuation of investment and life interests is often based in the present value of future payments. This from the writers’ point of view is the reason why there is uncertainty in the two unknowns. The reason of doing valuations is normally to assist determine the discount rate of an investment that characterize the interest under valuation. The discount rate according to the writer helps convert the values to the present .The only changing variable in a 1-year computation is the discount rate; this therefore makes it easier to carry out the computations.

According to Leimberg at al. (2000), making assumptions on how people frequently die is another form of valuing property. The writer is not clear on how probability can be used to ascertain mortality of different ages. It is however up to financial managers to formulate a workable guide to enforce section 7520, apiece which postulates how gifts, estates included are to be in line with the death assumptions. Moreover, this section is not clearly, as although it’s designed to conform with the valuation set in line with the date the gift was made or the date the decedent died, the use of a monthly discount rate is applied. Its therefore cumbersome and a prone to errors. The IRS publication of census figures and subsequent mortality assumptions, which are due to a decade update, are much inconsistent. This is because there is no building of the section 7520 case. The statistical figures of these census data are prone to errors and basing valuation solely on them could be imprudent for investors. This is because the interests might be biased. Thus, the writer attest to this by pointing out that there is a shortened life expectancy above ages 95,while the life expectancy in the new statistics in accordance to those below the age of 95 is higher contrary to the previous actuarial tables.

Financial management is the backbone of investment and asset valuation. This therefore calls for vivid understanding of the actuarial table of time value of money. According to Leimberg et al. (2000), financial practitioners need to understand not only what these actuarial tables represent but also their creation. In calculating the annuity, a procedure ought to have been advance to aid in exhaustive calculations. The summary of reminders on the enjoyment of property and life are in summary and grasping what is really happening after period lapse is not clear.

In conclusion, the paper did to a large extend explain various aspects of time value of money. Some work moreover needs to be done to link interest rates and annuity with section 7520 and to devise software to aid financial practitioners in computations.

References

Leimberg, S. R., Doyle, R. J., & Evans, D. B. (2000).How to compute the time value of money. The Practical Tax Lawyer, 14(4), 5-5-14). ProQuest Research Library.

Health policy and the federal government

Role played by Congress in the formulation of health policy

Congress is responsible for the formulation of programs and policies that affect the lives of individuals in one way or another. Among the issues dealt by the congress, health care is its top priority. The health programs advocated for by the congress cuts across the political sphere (Shi &  Singh, 2011). Congress plays a major role in agitating for reforms in the health sector; these reforms are in line with the public outcry in relation to health care costs and increasing figures of uninsured citizens. However, despite the crucial health reform role, congress is responsible for the designation of paramount programs i.e. the Medicare and Veterans Administration (Burke, 2011). In addition, congress is tasked with the formulation of public programs like Medicaid whose funding criteria is looked into. Moreover, the congress plays a major role in ensuring National institutes of health research services attract utmost support. Various committees handle health programs and policies in accordance to their uniqueness. The different committees are entitled to different tasks that include regulating, designing program structure, dealing with finance and the one overseeing implementation.

How Congress operates

Congress is composed of the senate and the House of Representatives. The senate is made up of 100 senators, two from each state and their terms lapse after six years. The House of Representatives is composed of 435 representatives whose terms expire after two years. Each of these houses has four different committees that deliberate on health care matters. In addition, their dissemination of duties varies as their lengths of terms differ. The committees form an integral part in congress. The eight committees have unique responsibilities and its members are experts in their respective fields (Burke, 2011). At a glance, this is how the committees are linked to the congress business. Congressional representatives’ sole responsibility is to draft bills, or receive public petitions and forwards it to the clerk for deliberation. After his deliberations, the clerk forwards it to a relevant committee. Once in the committee, debate on the issue is opened and wide consultations are conducted before a poll is taken to ascertain the chances of passage. After the committee stage, the bill is returned to the clerk who will conduct a poll before forwarding it to the other chamber for further deliberations and approval. Considering both chambers agree on a bill its send to the president for assent (Burke, 2011).

Legislation steps

There are eight stages in legislation. These are, identification of a problem, bill drafting, hearing, committee stage, floor actions, conference stage, appending by the president and implementation (Burke, 2011). Problem identification marks the beginning of the process, and then drafting of a bill with a suggested solution follows. The responsible committees hold a hearing where the supporters and the opponents of the bill are given a hearing. The committee then reaches a consensus on the bill language before taking it to the congress or the chambers.  A bill can start from any chamber but it has to pass through both houses for deliberations before the president assent. However, bills that seek to increase revenue start from the House of Representatives while the senate is responsible for treaty ratifications. Both chambers are brought together in the floor action stage. This is the stage where amendments are proposed and subsequent proposals incorporated. After the deliberations and the passing of the bill, it is then taken to the president for assent. Thereafter, the authorities tasked with the implementation ensure the law is

implemented to the latter (Rich & White, 1996).

How a bill becomes law

The legislative system of the United States of America is much complex for the nonprofessional to understand.  For a bill to become law, it has to undergo several procedures that entail deliberations, amendments and voting (Wiener, 2003). To foster democracy, a bill develops from an idea of a member of the senate or House of Representatives (Leichter, 1997). The responsible member creates a bill out of an idea that is then taken to a committee. The committee deliberates on both positive and negative value of the law and its passage necessity. With the committee ratification, the bill is referred to either chamber for further deliberations. Given the satisfaction of one branch, the bill goes to the other branch for the same scrutiny of merits and its implications to the public. The bill is amended to meet the requirements of a given branch of congress before its passage. After the deliberations and subsequent amendments by the two branches, the bill is taken to conference, a congregation of both houses for final poll. Thereafter, the bill is taken to the president of the United States of America for assent. Given the president assent, a bill automatically becomes a law (Wiener, 2003).

The chance to become a Congressman or a Senator

Given a chance, I could love to be a senator. This is because a senator represents a large geographical area of a constituency (Rich & White, 1996). This implies that my policies will influence a broad area. In addition, senators enjoy long terms that stretch to six years in office. The increased time is paramount as one is able to exhaust all his intended projects. A congressional representative does not enjoy the aforementioned factors.

References

Shi, L., &  Singh, D. (2011). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach. Sudbury : Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Wiener, J. (2003). Federalism and health policy. Washington: The Urban Insitute.

Rich, F., & White, W. (1996). Health policy, federalism, and the American states. Washington :The Urban Insitute.

Leichter, H. M. (1997). Health policy reform in America: innovations from the states. New York: M.E. Sharpe.

Burke, S. (2011). The U.S Congress and Health Policy. Retrieved October 11, 2011, from http://www.Kaiseredu.org/Tutorials-and-Presentations/US-Congress-and-Health-Policy.aspx?referrers-search

Personal Introduction

The Fashion institute of Technology is internationally recognized as a college for fashion as well as design, art and business. The institute is known for its innovativeness that is unmatched. I wish to join its long line of creative and ambitious pacesetters. This essay talks about my personal skills and experience that support my intention to obtain a Fashion Merchandise Management degree from FIT.

The following skills and experiences make me a perfect candidate for Fashion Institute of Technology. I am an international student and this allows me to easily grab globalization concepts. I am keen at working behind the curtains of boutiques and fashion shops to make everything look stunning, presentable and beautiful. I already hold a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, marketing option and would like to infuse a fashion blend to my skills so as to become an expert in fashion merchandise management. Learning at Fashion institute of Technology will provide me with an edge in the fashion curve as I learn to use my artistic and scientific skills in developing real market strategies. I am fluent in written and spoken English and have passed my tests of English as a foreign language (TOEFL), able to socialize easily with new people from all over the world. My presence in FIT as a student will improve its cultural experience. I have already stayed in the United States for seven years and have known the country and its systems as well as the way of life of its large cities like New York.

I have business knowledge in product development that I have gained during my study for a BBA in Marketing, and I will further refine to suit the fashion industry for my future career. A BBA in Marketing introduced me to retail management and am hopeful that as a merchandise management student, I will develop my know-how in the subject further to professional standards. My communication skills are good. The FIT degree in Fashion Merchandise Management will give me an added advantage in my negotiations with suppliers and manufactures in so that my marketing message gets out to customers. I am functional in my decision making and possess a good sense of style, able to take responsibility for my decisions after analyzing issues at hand. Trends are interesting to me and I hope to develop my forecasting skills using the degree program at FIT.

I have great organizational abilities and will be able to fit into the course swiftly without major disruptions in my personal life. My interest in Fashion merchandising management is informed by a desire to have a dynamic and flexible fashion career. I also wish to learn practical skills in the best setting of the fashion world that offers every side of the fashion industry from shops, to showrooms and even firsthand networking experience. I want a global education and FIT will provide make me a merchandise manager with skills in fashion issues of major cities around the globe. I am attracted to FIT because of its internship program that makes its education unmatchable by other institutions offering the same course.

To sum up, FIT would benefit from my presence as an international student enriching its cultural diversity. My strong interest in fashion combined with skills and knowledge I already possess from a BBA Marketing degree make me a perfect candidate for the next intake by FIT. Am aware of the facilities and the nature of all-round, real hands on experience that FIT provides and I find it quite easy to fit the requirements of the Fashion Merchandise Management course to my personal routine. Lastly, I have met all the basic requirements necessary for successful admittance to the institute.

Counter Service Quality Customer Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions: A Study on the Hospitals in Sarawak

SERVQUAL

The SERVQUAL model is a standard instrument that aptly measures the quality of service in public services such as hospitals that are characterized by difficulties such as patients who have limited contact with the hospitals service (Donnelly, Kerr, Rimmer, & Shiu, 2006). In a research to find success parameters that measure how quality management influences a hospital’s business performance, Kunst and Lemmink (2000) find out that, total quality management (TQM) models are fashionable because of the need to know the progress and achievements of quality management is a given institution. There are limitations that should be considered when choosing to use the TQM models. The models have to be used in the context that they are developed. The patient quality scores form a key factor in the relation of TQM and business performance in hospitals. The researchers concluded that employment of hospital patient-oriented strategies positively correlates with improved business performance.

Suki, Lian and Suki (2011) indicate that using SERVQUAL in hospital settings produces varied results. Furthermore, they find out that some studies find SERVQUAL to be appropriate in measuring the patient’s expectation and their perception of the healthcare domain. The researchers used a SERVQUAL 5 dimension model to conduct a survey aimed at measuring the service quality in the private healthcare setting of Malaysia. In this type of questionnaire, items are paraphrased to fit the appropriate wording and context to make them applicable in the research. Items in the questionnaire have a Linkert scale structure of five points that range from “completely agree” to “completely disagree”. The researchers had 23 questions for the expectation scale and a similar number for the perception scale. The study findings indicated that customer perception of healthcare quality was within the limits of their expectations. Patients were dissatisfied with the amount of time they had to wait to receive service and to get a response when there was a problem (Suki, Lian, & Suki, 2011).

Shekarchizadeh, Rasli and Hon-Tat (2011) used a modified SERVQUAL instrument on their sample size of international postgraduate students to access their quality perception and expectations in the quality of Malaysian universities. The modified SERVQUAL was distributed into five separate factors of professionalism, reliability, hospitality, tangibles, and commitment given that university service is measured by standards of education and research. The researchers also conducted a reliability study that indicated that their modified SERVQUAL instrument was statistically reliable. Findings of the study indicated that international postgraduate students in Malaysian universities negatively percept the educational quality they receive because their expectations were not met as far as education performance goes.

There is a more superior instrument for measuring quality however, the superiority remains within the context of its application. Vaughan and Woodruffe-Burton, (2011) empirically tested a disabled service user specific service quality model known as ARCHSECRET against a modified version of the well-known SERVQUAL in the context of disabled students of higher education. The experiment tested the portability of the SERVQUAL model into the context of measuring the experience of disabled service users. The research find is a pilot and does not reflect all contexts of possible application. The study indicated that other than being reliable, the model provides a powerful conceptual framework for diagnosis of service shortfalls and was superior in predicting the variation of the disabled student’s variation of quality as compared to the SERVQUAL.

Counter Management

Counter management concerns the initiatives to make staff free to use their rational thoughts to offer quality service to customers. Counter management releases the staffs assigned at customer counters from the constraints that limit them to making responses that are in accordance with the stipulated procedure. In many case, customers making inquiries that have not been covered in the procedure are forced to withdraw their requests because without counter management, staffs cannot respond to the queries in the fear of doing things wrongly (Drury, 2009). In addition, counter management will involve the provision of resources to make the interaction of hospital staff and clinicians swift by removing any unnecessary hindrances. Technology may be incorporated to achieve this goal of streamlining processes and making communication easier (Zeithaml, Berry, & Parasuraman, 1988).

Sharma, Sharma and Sharma (2011) studied service provision in an Indian hospital and the patient satisfaction as a measure of the health system satisfaction. They conclude that infrastructure and architectural hindrances are the main cause of patient dissatisfaction with the quality of service offered by the hospital. Improvements should be made at reception counters to limit the waiting period for patients (Rossiter, 2003). The waiting area needs to be more comfortable and provide more information. According to Sharma, Sharma and Sharma (2011), patients also complained that clinicians used jargons that they could not understand. Although the doctor quality of hospitals may be satisfactory, the dissatisfaction of patients at hospital counters influences their overall perception of the healthcare service they receive (Li, Huang, & Yang, 2011).

According to Currie and Finnegan (2011), institutional forces influence the introduction of enabling technologies that would improve the service quality of the healthcare environment. In their study, introduction of electronic records that reduce the overall waiting time for patients forced disruptive changes to clinicians, healthcare managers and even patients. They conclude that service improvement is not merely a technical aspect of cost cutting for management and performance improvement in the service delivered. Rather, it is infused with ideologies and rational concerns of several stakeholders.

Comparison of ‘I Have a Dream’ and ‘the Ballot or the Bullet’ Speeches

Malcolm X claimed that he was a Muslim minister, and that despite his religious affiliation, he wished not to convert any of his audience to Islam or change their opinions about their respective religions (Malcolm X para.2-8). Similarly, Martin Luther although being a Christian minister, in his speech did not try to influence his audience’s religious beliefs but concentrated his arguments on the common factor of oppression that the black population in America suffered.

The two speakers in their speeches were advocating for the recognition of the human rights of the African America that they considered being abused by the whites in America. According to the ‘ballot or the bullet’ speech by Malcolm X, all whites were not oppressors of African Americans, however all oppressors of African Americans were whites. Malcolm X reiterated that he was not against the white people rule of America, but he was against the double standard employed by white people when it comes to equality. Malcolm uses the example of an African American, whose skin color was outright black, who put on a turban on his head and headed into a white restaurant and was served yet if he had no turban on his head, he would not be admitted into the restaurant. According to Malcolm X, this tale shows how much the African American oppression was baseless on any worthy ideology other than just putting the black man down (Malcolm X para.4-16).

Despite the economic contributions that the African American had put into the success of America, prosperity and wealth still concentrated on the white people who controlled a majority of the key economic sectors of the country. It pained Malcolm X to know that other white people who were not previously American assume American citizenship automatically when they got to America from their respective continents and countries yet the African American who had lived in America for an entire lifetime did not yet have the freedom accorded to other citizens.

Malcolm stressed that there was no other option other that forceful takeover of the freedom denied by the white people. He said that even though the African Americans in some states had voting rights, their votes were a simple manipulation to elect a white politician who after being elected forgot the plight of the African American until the next election. Malcolm saw the ballot as a carrot dangled in front of the African Americans to imply that they had freedom and power to influence the governance of America, yet the whole idea was an illusion in reality.

Throughout his speech, Malcolm refers to the deception of the African American by quoting examples to show that the white person oppressing the African American does not wish to change the status quo. He even gives the example where the white oppressors resolve to shift district borders so that the African Americans in a particular area do not form a majority and elect one of their own. He champions for the realization of the deception and for the African American to put a stop to the oppression by taking charge.

Malcolm equates the ballot to a bullet and notes that with a bullet one had to take aim only when the target was within range and shoot. Therefore, with the ballot, the African American had to identify what they want in return for their vote and only vote when they are sure that the item was deliverable with their vote. In his speech, Malcolm says that if blacks fail to vote then the white democrats and republicans would have no clear majority. He says that the whites use the black vote for the sole reason of obtaining a majority in the Senate (Malcolm para.23).

The ballot or the bullet speech might be a response to the speech by Martin Luther in 1963 to disapprove the idea that collaboration and dialogue with the white person would yield any positive result for African American nationalism. Malcolm referred to the white people as hypocrites who would go to fight wars for democracy and integration in other nations, when in America they segregated the African American and feared the integration of the same would wipe away their economic and political advantage.

Martin Luther comes out as very compromising when his speech is compared to the ballot or the bullet speech of Malcolm X. In the, ‘I have a dream’ speech, Martin Luther related to factors affecting the African American in a metaphorical manner. He pointed out that the struggle for equality was a push for justice that would equitably serve the white and the black alike. He also identifies the irony of a free country that America was supposedly referred, even though after more than one hundred years the African American was not free. He reminds his audience of the hope embodied in the hearts of the African American’s during the declaration of freedom and how that hope had yet to be fulfilled.

           

Martin Luther accepted that the white governance of America had denied the African American their citizen rights but cleared away from blatantly calling out white people as the oppressors.  He carefully chose the words of his speech to bring out the message of tolerance by both races towards each other. Luther did not advocate for a forceful claim of justice and instead appealed to the white people to change their oppressing views about the African American and start referring to the African American as Americans with equal rights as they had (Luther para.4-9).

           

Unlike Malcolm, Luther did not give a disclaimer about his religious affiliation; instead, he stuck to the theme of justice from the beginning to the end of his speech. He was rhetorical in his insistence of justice for all, reiterating that there could never be such a situation as insufficient justice to warrant the oppression of others. In addition to steering away from religion, Luther also steers away from referring to other similar revolutionary calls from other leaders championing for Black Nationalism. Moreover, unlike Malcolm, Luther’s speech did not have a reference to a specific time or date when the results he was advocating for were to be realized. He only tried to inspire his followers to increase their zeal for advocating for justice for all in America and to tolerate each other irrespective of the color of their skin.

            Luther’s speech was reflective of an ideal future and was an encouragement to his audience, white and black to strive to realize the ideal future. He cautioned against viewing all white people as oppressors noting that, that would amount to going against the very ideals embodied in the speech. Throughout the ‘I have a dream’ speech, Luther did not explain the meaning of the dream but gave the details of the dream. He mentioned the various incidences of oppression in different parts of America through the mirror of what an ideal scenario would be. He describes his examples as if he was the character in the situations described so that his audience can identify with the incidences of oppression (Luther para.10-14).

           

Luther’s speech comes out as a powerful attempt to influence the ideology of Americans. He did not seek to direct each individual on how to go about their daily struggles for justice and nationalism, but wanted to influence their individual thoughts and decisions regarding the subject. Luther wanted his narration of an ideal America to inspire his audience without having to rely on a specific leader to drive the march for freedom.  He implicitly advocated for each person to carry out a personal campaign for justice and this was akin to the call for guerilla tactics by Malcolm (Malcolm X para.30).

           

Malcolm identified guerilla warfare as the only weapon against the white Americans, given their sophisticated weapons and other military prowess. He called for personal initiatives to defeat the white oppressor in a way that prevents the white people from pinpointing to a target group of African Americans for retaliation. However, even though both leaders called for use of guerilla tactics in the revolution, the actual target of the application of those tactics was different. Martin targeted the ideology of his followers, such that each should seek to transform their friends one at a time, on the other hand, Malcolm targeted the physical confrontation of individual oppression acts, advocating for his followers to stand against any form of oppression as they encountered.

           

Another key difference of the two speeches was how the leaders perceived the white Americans who were responsible for the predicaments of the African American. Luther, by use of his words showed that not all whites were oppressors and that even the whites who denied blacks their justice could be influenced to change their stand through dialogue and reasoning. Malcolm also noted that not all whites were oppressors; however, he was adamant that it the intention of the white person was to maintain his power to rule the African American as he wished. An analysis of the ballot and the bullet brings out Malcolm’s advocacy for a reciprocation reaction for the white oppressor. He does not see the white oppressor changing through an ideological influence, and insisted that the white oppressor gained when there was a match for freedom as the case of Luther’s march, because he benefited economically through the trade in campaign merchandise and transportation of the campaigners. Malcolm was against using the system in place to call for change and instead wanted followers to put a stop to it by coming up with alternative ways from an individual’s perspective.

           

Although Luther and Malcolm championed for the rights of the African American, Luther seemed to refer to civil rights while Malcolm referred to human rights. Therefore, according to Luther, the situation required the acceptance of whites that African Americans had rights too, while according to Malcolm, whites were in violation of the humanity ideals and had to be forcefully reminded that human rights are given by birth rather than by constitutions. In accordance with this reflection, Luther appears to be tolerable to the white population while Malcolm appears as a radical to be avoided by white people. Luther’s message was powerful and did not depend on the strong character of a leader to spread, because it embodied ideals that appealed to a large majority of people. On the other hand, Malcolm had to physically drive his message and demonstrate its strength for it to gain more followers. Perhaps that was why ‘the ballot or the bullet’ speech was more than double the ‘I have a dream’ speech.

Works Cited

Luther, Martin Jr. “I Have a Dream.” American Rhetoric. 28 August 1963. Retrieved 6 May 2011 form http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

Malcolm X. “The Ballot or The Bullet.” EdChange Multicultural Pavilion. 3 April 1964. Retrieved 6 May 2011 from http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/malcolm_x_ballot.html