The Internet :: essays research papers

Right now I'm thinking about the Internet, the all-pervasive medium through which I've published my thoughts and work I've done in my free time for several years now. Like mostly everyone else, I communicate with others using the Internet, play games through it, read news, and learn about things. (Except, sadly, I am not convinced the general public is interested in learning.) And we are all familiar with the "dot com mania" and the insane rise in the NASDAQ - and, sadly, the subsequent fall of the NASDAQ. People have been wondering exactly what was behind all of this, and if the Internet - which once seemed so enticing - is now bogus. "What we are entering is a power age, and the importance of the power age lies in its ability, rightly used with the wage motive behind it, to increase and cheapen production so that all of us may have more of this world's goods. The way to liberty, the way to equality of opportunity, the way from empty phrases to actualities, lies through power" - Henry Ford Here's something which should not be news: the entire .com insanity was a crock from the start! That's right - the entire New Economy was founded on delusions and misinformation all along. But just as people were overzealous then, they are overly pessimistic now (at the time of this writing). The Internet is not intrinsically a crock. But the general public got a taste of what the Internet can do, and warped and distorted it into a magical cure-all for all of life's problems. The Internet cannot produce material objects; only industry can. The Internet can near-instantaneously transport information from any location to any location, but it cannot transport atoms. And while information is fun and happy, many other things we enjoy (such as books (for now), pizza, and computers!) are made of heavy, sluggish atoms. Throwing up a web site does not automatically mean instant wealth, nor does a name that ends in ".com". This has always been true, and will continue to be true (for a while...), but for a short time most everyone deluded themselves into believing the exact opposite. And even technically knowledgeable people (such as myself, and many others who knew what the Internet was before everyone and his uncle came onto the scene) were caught up in the hysteria, because the Internet is indeed really cool, and it seemed it was the time when everyone was becoming aware of that fact too.

Agency problem and its solutions

Principal-agent relationship occurs when a principal contracts an agent. The principal hires the agent to perform a service for him or to act on his behalf. For example, in a large corporation, shareholders would hire managers to help them to organize the company in dairy business. However, agency problems may arise because of the conflict interest and asymmetry information between principals and agents, which lead to agency costs. In this essay, I would like to use the agency theory introduced by Jensen and Meckling (1976) to analysis that to what extent that agency cost would damage shareholder’s wealth maximisation and what actions shareholders could take to correct it.Agency problems and main causes of itFirst of all, there might to conflicts of interest or different goals between principals and agents, the agent would act as their best self-interest but not principal’s. Secondly, there is asymmetry information between principals and agents, managers may have more i nformation than principals or they could hide their actions. Thirdly, there is uncertainty in the outcome. The outcome may not just depend on managers’ effort but also other factors like good luck or high market’s expectation lead to increase in share price.Agency costsAgency cost incurred when the managers do not attempt to maximise firm’s value and the cost to monitor manager and constrain their behaviours. Agency cost is the sum of three types of costs, cost of designing the contract, cost of enforcing the contract (monitoring and bonding) and residual loss if contract is not optimal.Solutions of agency problems Monitoring Management compensation Incentive compensationThere are two major principal agent model, adverse selection and moral hazard. Adverse selection occurs when one of the parties, usually the  agent, has better relevant information prior to the contract. This hidden information will be used opportunistically to optimize the utility gained from entering the contract. In moral hazard the principal is unable to observe the agents actions after signing the contract. This causes the agent not to take the full consequences of his actions and thus he can use this hidden information to act opportunistically and maximize his own profit. In most cases the principal will have to carry the costs of this behaviour. ï » ¿Agency problem and its solutions IntroductionPrincipal-agent relationship occurs when a principal contracts an agent. The principal hires the agent to perform a service for him or to act on his behalf. For example, in a large corporation, shareholders would hire managers to help them to organize the company in dairy business. However, agency problems may arise because of the conflict interest and asymmetry information between principals and agents, which lead to agency costs. In this essay, I would like to use the agency theory introduced by Jensen and Meckling (1976) to analysis that to what extent that agency cost would damage shareholder’s wealth maximisation and what actions shareholders could take to correct it. Agency problems and main causes of it.First of all, there might to conflicts of interest or different goals between principals and agents, the agent would act as their best self-interest but not principal’s. Secondly, there is asymmetry information between principals and agents, managers m ay have more information than principals or they could hide their actions. Thirdly, there is uncertainty in the outcome. The outcome may not just depend on managers’ effort but also other factors like good luck or high market’s expectation lead to increase in share price.Agency costsAgency cost incurred when the managers do not attempt to maximise firm’s value and the cost to monitor manager and constrain their behaviours. Agency cost is the sum of three types of costs, cost of designing the contract, cost of enforcing the contract (monitoring and bonding) and residual loss if contract is not optimal.Solutions of agency problems Monitoring Management compensation Incentive compensationThere are two major principal agent model, adverse selection and moral hazard. Adverse selection occurs when one of the parties, usually the  agent, has better relevant information prior to the contract. This hidden information will be used opportunistically to optimize the utili ty gained from entering the contract. In moral hazard the principal is unable to observe the agents actions after signing the contract. This causes the agent not to take the full consequences of his actions and thus he can use this hidden information to act opportunistically and maximize his own profit. In most cases the principal will have to carry the costs of this behaviour.

Fan Violence in International Soccer Essay

Fan violence in international soccer is a very serious form of aggression and it must be given a lot of attention by the games’ stake holders. Fan violence in international soccer involves actions that are taken by the football supporters and fights between the supporters of rival teams may sometimes take place after the football matches. The fights could also be prearranged in locations that are away from the stadiums so that the fans can avoid the police interventions. Fan violence can be at times be prompted by violent actions which involve the players themselves or any other form of event that could be taking place during a game or even disturbances and riots that are sport related and often they occur for other reasons. Fan violence in international soccer has been on the increase as it is known as the existence of an essentially unstable and an abnormal temperament in some individuals who happen for some reason to have taken soccer as an arena in which they act out their instabilities. (Smith, 1983) It has become very difficult to deal with the offenders in the football matches and the international football federation has had difficulties punishing the spectators who misbehave themselves . The international football federation has also had to deal with issues that prompt fans violence in soccer matches such as providing seats in place of standing accommodation, initiating maximum cooperation between the police and the football clubs and also ensuring that there is an absolute acceptance of the referees decisions by everybody in the football arena. The key stakeholders of the soccer game are the international football federation who ensure that the punishment that is given to the offenders and to those who participate in football hooliganism should match the seriousness of the offence. It is notably very true that the consumption of alcohol is a very important factor in crowd misbehavior especially in places where the football matches are taking place. (Smith, 1987) The football fans are mainly controlled by the activities and the popularize of different clubs . This makes it a contest as they embark on slogans chants and even songs so that they can demonstrate their support to the teams they support. The violence that exists between the sets of fans is seen as a part of their participation in the game. Violent fans and those who mainly participate in violent actions in the international soccer are basically those people who are young and unemployed. It also involves also those who are members of fanatic clubs and they are poorly educated since they attribute most of their behavior to the external factors rather than the internal ones. In most case there are usually two matches going on in a football stadium and whereas one match concerns the football teams that are on the pitch and the second match usually involves the fanatic fans whose interests are not in the game as such but on the opportunities which are offered by the football such as meeting the club mates and giving vents to their emotions and energies in the battles with others. (Smith, 1983) It is at times very complex to handle fan violence in soccer ethically since the game requires intense physical contact which may cause harm of injury. When the stake holders access the moral status of an action, they examine the issue of consent by the person on whom the action has been performed. Actions by the fans which are outside the rules of the federation of international soccer are considered to be morally unacceptabl. Reference: Smith, M. (1983): Violence and Sport, Toronto, Ontario: Butterworth’s. Smith, M. (1987): Violence in Canadian Amateur Sport, a Review of the Literature, Ottawa, Ontario, Commission for Fair Play, Government of Canada.

Konstantin Levin and His Strug essays

Konstantin Levin and His Strug essays In Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy examines the psychological makeup of Konstantin Levin. On one hand, he is a symbol for the educated landowners and aristocracy that is prevalent in Russia. Conversely, he represents the struggle in searching for the meaning of life. Although part of the Russian Aristocracy, Levin finds contentment in farming and manual labor. It is in the agricultural environment that Levin discovers his purpose when viewing the blue sky and experiencing nonverbal communication. One of the most famous scenes of Anna Karenina is the mowing at Levin's estate. The first fully developed interaction between Levin and the peasant class symbolizes the triumph of nature over the stained upper classes, the essence of Slavism that would save Russia from Europe's fate of nihilism and anarchism, and the core of a future religious utopia. They here appear in the narrator's brief snatches of description in a very neutral, factual light. Characteristic of Tolstoy's prose is the importance of point of view, and often Tolstoy will recount the same scene from many different view points, even to the point of including the inner monologues of Levin's hunting dog during a shooting outing. In the fields so prosaically presented by the narrator, Levin's view of the peasants that work his lands is nothing short of an exalted religious experience accompanied by an intense and driven rational analysis. Here, sickle in hand, Levin confronts in a classic and symbolic simplicity the source of his unhappiness and a vision of how it may be overcome. The arbitrary twists and turns of the fields they mow and the uneven surface of the Earth that knock and trip the mowers are symbols of the unstructured world that Levin confronts and that is so indifferent to the intense and almost unspeakable love that draws him to Kitty. As he tears at the grass with such energy that he nearly collapses at the end of each length, next to him an old man slices easi...

Business Ethics And Cross Cultural Management Commerce Essay

Business Ethics And Cross Cultural Management Commerce Essay Ethics, or more accurately, the lack of ethics, on the part of business and government leaders has lately received significant attention in the mass media and has been a topic of discussion among the public, as well as the different organizations in the world (Peppas 2002). Business ethics has gained the attention of many scholars and executives in both private and public sectors because of many unethical practices that are being reported. This includes the cases of large multinational organizations including Enron (Rashid & Ibrahim 2007). This is the reason why many studies about cultural differences and business ethics have been implemented in the past years. This literature review is conducted in order to analyze and evaluate the arguments regarding the different aspects that are related with business ethics and differences in cultures. Implications of Business Ethics The concept about ethics is considered as a complex matter because it is predicated on an interchange of views re garding the belief systems of individual among the citizens of any culture (Svensson & Wood 2003). The study of business ethics and its connection for the stakeholders of organizations have experienced fast growth in the past few decades. The literature about business ethics is divided on its views regarding the motivation and the cause for organizations to have their ethical dimension. The study of Harrison (2001) showed that there are two main schools of thoughts – first are those who suggest that firms are operating in order to generate profit, therefore, business ethics is considered as another means of attracting the customers, while the second are those who supported some corporate conscience as well as inherent motivation for the implementation of business ethics. On the other hand, Paul (2001) considered business ethics are very subjective in nature because it is a function of time and culture – therefore, the business ethics have changed, together with the cul tural values and norms motivated the business ethics in the national and regional boundaries. The study of Hofstede (1983) is considered as one of the most important studies which show the differences of countries or nations in terms of cultures and values. The study showed that there are 4 vital indicators which include individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity which shows great differences in the culture among different nations. The study of Vinten (1991) divided the issues of business ethics in different degree, which include international business, domestic business and professional ethics. Each level constitute for different level of some unethical activities perform by organizations and businesses. Even though, there are many studies which show importance of ethics, and even though it is being followed by different organizations, there are still many reasons and disapproval of adoption of ethics in the world of business. This is connected to the stud y of Stemberg (1994) which focuses on the case of rejected relativism. It stated that ethics is seen as excessively theoretical, at the same time, contradict the primary reason of any business and it is also lacking of direction in terms of harmony across the different cultures. Â   Business Ethics and Cultural Differences

A Film Review-Synecdoche, New York 2008 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Film Review-Synecdoche, New York 2008 - Essay Example Cotard is a theatre director and he does not possess the typical admirable qualities of a movie hero or protagonist. Rather, his character is dark and difficult to admire. Kaufman has deliberately made his film riddled with intricate ideas and thoughts related to love, death, loss, and recreation. Strong messages are conveyed through different scenes. For example, in the final scene Cotard and Hazel lie in bed in the same house which is set on fire. Actually, the fire is used to describe Hazel’s fate. The burning house is a bold sign of what is eventually going to happen to Hazel. It is not only related to Hazel, but it is an ominous sign of every character’s death. Earlier on when Hazel is contemplating the decision to buy the house, it is still burning. But, she still chooses to buy it which is the kind of action which translates into a person accepting fate. She puts aside her suspicions and buys a house that is not right for her. Hazel’s burning house is used to portray sudden death, while the water leak in Caden’s house is used to describe slow damage. Caden is obsessed with death and vigorously attempts to resist damage, while Hazel accepts her fate and moves into a damaged house. Such themes used by Kaufman can also be interpreted in another way also assuming Hazel to be fire and Caden to be water. For example, there is a scene where Hazel smokes a cigarette and offers one to Caden too. However, Caden refuses to smoke with her because he secretly sees Hazel as fire which may set him on fire too. So, he desperately attempts to stop this damage. In another scene after sex with Hazel, Cotard does not feel fulfilled and cries. This shows that Hazel is a warm part of Cotard’s life, but that warm part is actually a burning house inside which he is trapped and cannot escape. This is why after his sexual encounter with Hazel, he cries because he is ultimately afraid of death yet has no one to call for help. After sex with Hazel, he is

Reflections on Experience with Second Life Essay

Reflections on Experience with Second Life - Essay Example Being a downloadable client programme created by Linden Lab, San Francisco, United States gives the participants known as 'avatars' an opportunity to socialize and interact with other people of the virtual community, exchange views, buy or sell land and present their talents to the community. As per the website of 'Second Life', presently more than three million people have registered themselves with the community. With the growth of the broadband internet connections especially in the United States, where there is an increase from 30 percent (2005) of the Americans having a high-speed connection at home to 42 percent in 2006 has enhanced the passion for participation in this virtual world. This paper attempts to narrate the experience on the environments encountered in 'Second Life', the potential social and political implications of this virtual medium and also the possible future uses. As is being claimed by 'Second Life' this unique digital world offers a lot of opportunities to develop one's own skills by exhibiting what they are capable of creating. Especially people who are introverts and shy of meeting the other people in the real world can improve their socializing behaviour by interacting freely with other 'avatars' of this virtual world. People can give concerts, draw pictures; build houses and hotels and trade in any other commodities. All the trading transactions will be just like as happening in the real world. Because of the three dimensional effect of the site, one gets a feeling that he is interacting with the fellow community member in real life. This gives ample scope for the development of specialized skills of public speaking or playing musical instruments in front of an invited audience. People can shed their inhibitions. In 'Showcase'-one of the environment of 'second life' one can bring out his or her real talent to be appreciated by the fellow avatars. Second Life provides another opportunity of real time sales meetings with the customers and it is possible to make customer presentations through this media. Distance learning is another possibility which would be a very useful feature for the students to acquire a quality education. There are much more environments like business, property development and community interaction available in this virtual world which are distinguishably rare phenomena that need to be evaluated by one's own personal encounter and experience. 3.0 Social Variables Influencing Participation in 'Second Life': The social variables generally influencing any issue of importance are the Family Structure, Ethnicity, Language, Demography, Educational standards. Employment Status, Crime rates, Cultural Factors, Action by community based organsiations, Lifestyle issues, Recreational factors, Psychological factors and Historical dependence. This part of the paper analyses the influence of some of these social factors on the participation in 'Second Life. Of all these variables, recreational and psychological factors may have more impact on the participation than other variables. The people who feel shy and having inhibitions to present themselves to others in the real world may be more susceptible to participation in this virtual world. Similarly people who have more time at their disposal for recreation may well be influenced by this engrossing multimedia interaction and may see this as a