Monday, September 30, 2019

Assessing A Company’s Future Financial Health Essay

Google is a multinational corporation that serves thousands of consumers worldwide. Through Internet related products such as Internet searches, maps, emails, mobile apps, and other online contents for users Google became the company it is today. Every employee of Google is different in his or her own way; making it a well-diversified organization similar to the global audience they serve. Google’s mission statement is to organize information from all around the world and make it universally accessible at a quick and orderly fashion. This means creating a search engine smart enough to understand the difference between Jaguar, the car, and jaguar, the animal. Google went public in 2004 and has been doing exceptionally well ever since. It has an estimated number of over three hundred million servers using the search engine every day. From these statistics it is easy to say that Google is number one in the Internet information industry. This industry is considered to be one of th e most important economic sectors due to the fact that it is for industries that are information intensive. Although there are many search engines similar to Google, such as Yahoo, Facebook, Groupon, Microsoft, and Pearson education, Google seems to be the one consumers use more frequently. The analysis of this paper will discuss the current financial status of Google, conditions relevant to the market, competitors, and recent news. One way to measure the financial health of Google’s current status is to analyze the S.W.O.T analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This being said Google should maintain its current strengths of a successful audience which helped reach a high of $13,100,000,000 operating income for the current fiscal year. With the growth of the company over the last five years Google’s net income, gross profit, and revenue have gradually increased. Hitting a low point towards the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 then rising again in 2010. Even  during a recession, a time of need, Google remained lucrative through its assets, liabilit ies, stable stock price, and efficiency for paying back debt. Google’s total assets have steadily increased from 2008 to 2012. Some key figures to point out in their assets are the slow growth between the second half of 2008 to the second of 2009. This slow growth period is probably due to the economic recession. Google also saw a strong growth in assets from the second quarter of 2012 to the third quarter 2012. Google has mainly kept its liabilities relatively low compared to assets. There was some increase in liabilities in 2010 as well as an extensive increase 2012 compared to earlier years. The stock price during the recession drastically decreased for many companies but this was not the case for Google. In 2008, the beginning of the recession, Google’s stock price increased by $7; every year since the recession the stock price has risen and is predicted to continue rising for future years. Google also remains a strong company because of their efficiency on paying back their debt with their cash received from operations. This can be shown by their operating cash flow to total debt ratio. Google’s operating cash flow to total debt ratio is 2.56%. Meaning cash is double the amount of debt issued. Therefore, Google is able to pay back their debt fairly quick. Although Google has some strength’s the company also has some weaknesses. A key factor that contests Google’s respected reputation is its bond rating. In 2011 Google started to issue bonds; they received a rating of AA, the fourth down level of ratings a company can receive. However, the double a rating still means the company is a high credit-quality investment. According to credit rating Agency Moody’s, who gave the rating, Google received the rating due to their substantial financial flexibility as well as its conservative financial philosophy. For the year ending December 31, 2012 for Google, it finished with $60,454,000 in current assets. This is a big increase from 2011, which had $52,758,000 in current assets, a total increase of $7,696,000. The bulk of this increase is due to net  receivables, which could be the result from selling advertising space on credit or one of the many products Google offers. Cash and cash equivalents also had a major jump of $4,795,000, which could be the result from selling phones, advertising, apps, and other cash generating assets Google owns. This is a promising sign to investors because if they can sustain the growth hopefully enough cash will be retained and dividends will be offered. Assets 2012 2011 2010 Current Assets Cash and Cash Equivalents14,778,000 9,983,000 13,630,000 Short Term Investments33,310,000 34,643,000 21,345,000 Net Receivables 9,729,000 6,387,000 5,261,000 Inventory 505,000 35,000 – Other Current Assets 2,132,000 1,710,000 1,326,000 Total Current Assets 60,454,000 52,758,000 41, 562, 00 Google’s total assets have steadily increased dating back from 2008 to 2012. Some key figures to point out in their assets are the slow growth between the second half of 2008 to the second of 2009. This slow growth period is probably due to the economic recession. Google also saw a strong growth in assets from the second quarter of 2012 to the third quarter 2012. Google has mainly kept its liabilities relatively low compared to assets. There was some increase in liabilities in 2010 as well as an extensive increase 2012 compared to earlier years. Google has a total asset turnover of .6%. The total asset turnover can be interpreted to mean the amount of sales, that each unit of assets can generate. Simply, it’s smarter to get more sales on the assets that you are deploying to a business. The higher the total asset turnover, the better the business is doing. Therefore, Google’s percentage of .6% is an indication that the company is below the average industry of .7%. The current ratio measures a company’s ability to pay short-term liabilities. The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its liabilities. Google has a current ratio of 3.94, in comparison to the industry average of 4.8%. Due to the fact that Google is under the industry average it means that Google can pay  back its short-term debt but not as quick as other companies in the industry. The quick ratio is very similar to the current ratio; in the way it also measures the company’s ability to pay of short-term liabilities. The only difference is that it adds the inventory of the company to its calculations. Google maintains a quick ratio of 3.7, which still shows it, is efficient in paying off its short-term obligations. The debt to equity ratio indicates wha t proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets. Google has a debt to equity ratio of 11.61%. This is considered high and means that the company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. The high number can result in inconsistent earnings as a result of additional interest expense. Google has a return on assets of 10.5%. This is an indicator of how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. Since Google maintains an ROA below the industry average, of 15.6%, this shows that the company is earning less money on investments. Google has ‘day’s sales outstanding’ or DSO of 49.8. This means that Google takes a relatively long time to receive revenue once a sale has been made. This could be because most of their sales could be done on credit. With the expansion of the industry, Google has an opportunity for growth. The current growth rate for 2012 for Google is 11.29% and it is predicted to increase to 17.43% in 2013. The reason Google is predicted to grow over the next year or so is because the demand for online use is more predominant. With the growth of this industry it is vital that Google is aware of the threats it may encounter. One of Google’s biggest competitors, Microsoft, has introduced a newly organized search engine called Bing. The search engine Bing is gradually growing and advancing their technology making them a threat towards Google. Whenever Google advances their technology Bing turns around and does something to make their search engine better, creating a war between the two. Google is generally strong in its ability to cover debt. It has a current ratio of 3.94%, meaning it can efficiently cover its short-term liabilities. The company also has a debt to assets ratio of .07%. This number measures the company’s financial risk by determining how much of the company’s assets have been financed by debt. Since Google’s number is equal to industry average it is easy to infer that Google has average financial risk because its assets are significantly higher than its short and long term debt. Google also shows a strong ability to pay off their  interest because their EBITDA to interest ratio is extremely high at 154.64. The operating cash flow to total debt ratio measures how well the cash generated from Google’s operations covers current liabilities. Google’s operating cash flow to total debt ratio is also high at 2.56. This is a good sign and means Google is able to generate a large sum of cash to pay off debts. When a company with operating cash flow is considerably higher than its net income the company is considered to have high quality. This is the case with Google. In 2008 Google’s net income was $6,632,000,000 and its operating cash flow was $7,853,000,000. Over the last five years both net income and operating cash flows have increased. Net income increased to $13,339,000,000 and the cash from operating activities increase to $15,874,000,000. Since Google is generating a good amount of their money back they have been able to reduce debt alo ng with buying backs some of their stock. Google investing activities primarily consist of information technology, consumer discretionary, and financials. In 2008 Google’s investing activity started out at $5,319,000,000 and gradually increased over the last five years till it reached $19,041,000,000 in 2011. In the beginning of 2012 Google’s investing activities decreased to a $12,101,000,000. In 2012 Google’s main investment was information technology with a hint utility research. Over the last few years Google has spent an exceptional amount of money on capital expenditures, items that last a long time to keep the company running. Over the last three years Google spent an average of $2,755,333,000 on capital expenditures. Cash from financing activities measures the movement of cash between a firm, its owners, and creditors. Financing activities consist of issuing dividends and issuing or selling stock. In 2008 and 2009 there was no long-term or short-term debt issued but in 2010 Google issue over $5,246,000,000 worth of debt and only paid back $1,783,000,000 of the debt. The following year Google issued $10,179,000,000 dollars’ worth of debt and repaid more then 2/3s of the debt, making them a credible company. Over the last few years Google did not have any dividends. In 2010 Google repurchased a stock of $801,000,000 because they felt their stocks were undervalued. When a company buys back stock they increase their earnings per share and increase the market value of the outstanding shares. From 2009 to 2010 cash from financing increased drastically, from $233,000,000,000 to $3,050,000,000,000. With a CAPM beta of 1.23 and a P/E ratio of 21.65 Google is a riskier firm. Google’s beta of 1.23 is above average making it riskier than other firms in the industry due to the amount of debt issued. However, firms with higher risk have higher return. Google’s P/E ratio is also currently under the industry average of 28.70% making the stock undervalued. Over the next year Google had predicted that their P/E ratio would decrease to 17.88. Return on equity or ROE, shows a corporation’s profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. Relative to the industry average of 15.30% Google has a relatively high ROE of 17.18%. Meaning Google generates a strong profit with the money shareholders invested in the company. In comparison to Google, Microsoft has a ROE of 24.5%, EBay has a ROE of 21.28%, Akamai Technologies has a ROE of 8.94%, and Baidu with an exceptionally high ROE of 53.6%. Another way to compare Google to its competitors is to compare benchmarks. Benchmarking of Google’s competitors would be measured in terms of profit margin. The higher the profit margin the more profitable a company is. Google has a profit margin of 59.92 % while its biggest competitor Microsoft has a profit margin of 75.23% and Apple has a profit margin of 43.87%. This means that Microsoft has a competitive advantage of cost control compared to Google, Apple, and other com petitors in this industry. Throughout the years Google has remained a strong well-known company that supplies organized information from all around the world to thousands of consumers every day. Through exploiting strengths, executing opportunities, fixing weaknesses, and distinguishing threats Google can remain a top-notch company and continue to dominate the Internet Information system. Some recent news for this company is the mind-blowing lawsuit between Apple and Google. Within the last year Apple had sewed Google for seeking unreasonably high license fees for patent use on wireless technology. Apple claimed that Motorola was in violation of their patent by seeking a license fee of 2.25 percent of the price of devices. Over the last week Google was  pleased to hear that this lawsuit was dropped due to the fact that there was no basis for the claim. References: â€Å"Google Inc.† Yahoo Finance. Yahoo, n.d. Web. . â€Å"Google Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results Investor Relations Google.† Google Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ‚€Ã‚“ Investor Relations ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ‚€Ã‚“ Google.n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012. â€Å"Reference for Business.† Google, Inc.N.p. n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah vs Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah Essay

As time goes by, Malaysia’s education system undergoes big changes. In 1983, Kurikulum Baru Sekolah Rendah (KBSR) was introduced and made some changes to the education system. 10 years later, its name was changed to Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah (KBSR). Now, a new curriculum was introduced a year ago, 2011 to replace KBSR: Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR). KSSR was introduced to reorganize and upgrade the current curriculum. Changes can be clearly seen in the aspect of key areas, curriculum documentation, curriculum design, curriculum organization, curriculum content, elements and focus. In the aspect of key areas, KBSR focused on three key areas: communication, man and his environment and self-development whereas KSSR focused on six key areas: communication, spiritual, attitude and values, humanitarian, physical and aesthetical development, science and technology and lastly, physical and personal development. KBSR focused only on individuals whereas KSSR focused not only on individuals but also their surroundings. KSSR’s aim was to produce holistic individuals. KSSR focused on values for character building through the curriculum and co-curriculum. In curriculum documentation, KBSR follows the syllabus for teaching materials whereas KSSR formulated based on Standard Document which consists of Content Standards which covers on students’ skills, knowledge and thinking and Learning Standards which are a set of achievements which can be measured for each content standard. The curriculum design for KBSR is linear which only involves listening, speaking, reading and writing whereas for KSSR is modular which involves not only listening, speaking, reading and writing but also covers language arts and grammar. In KBSR, level 1 has Core, Compulsory and additional subjects whereas in KSSR, level 1 has Basic Core Modules, Thematic Core Modules and Elective Modules. In level 2, KBSR implemented Core, Compulsory and additional subjects similar to level 1 whereas KSSR only implemented Core and Elective subjects. As it can clearly be seen, in level 1, a new subject is introduced: Thematic Core Modules. This new subject was introduced to reduce the number of subjects taken in level 1. This module consist themes of the World of Art and World of Science and Technology. In the World of Arts, two subjects are introduced: Visual Arts and Music. In the World of Science and Technology, basic ICT skills are taught. The curriculum content in KBSR only focuses on listening, reading, writing, speaking, sound system and grammar in context. KSSR focuses on the same content but replaced sound system with phonics. Phonics is a more detailed version of sound system which teaches students the sounds of English specifically. Three new contents are also added: basic literacy which teaches students the ability to read and write adequately, penmanship which teaches students the right way to hold and use a pen or a pencil and lastly, language arts which exposes students to poems and songs enabling students to appreciate and enjoy them thus, building creative minds in students. Lastly, the focus of KBSR is the 3M (membaca, menulis dan mengira) which is reading, writing and counting whereas KSSR’s focus is the 4M (membaca, menulis, mengira dan menaakul). KSSR added a new focus which is thinking. This newly added focus helps students to understand more about what was taught and at the same time improve their thinking skills. To sum up, KSSR is a curriculum which is student centered. This new curriculum diminishes Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) which means it is less-exam oriented and more to project and activity based. This new curriculum also focuses on ICT and independent learning. KSSR also aims to strengthen the command of Bahasa Malaysia and English among students. Mathematics and Science subjects are all in Bahasa Malaysia and English periods have been increased.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

International Business Case Study Essay

The first question: how has the globalization of market benefited IKEA? The globalization of market refers to the merging of historically distinct and separate national markets into one huge global marketplace. Falling barriers to cross-border trade have more easier to sell internationally, so it is easier for IKEA to grow into a global cult brand with 230 stores in 33countries and have 5 suppliers of the frames in Europe, plus 3 in the United States and two in China. Because a fewer barriers to cross-border trade. IKEA can easily to open a store in other countries. the second question: how has the globalization of production benefited IKEA? The globalization of production refers to sourcing of goods and services from locations around the globe to take advantage of national differences in the cost and quality of factors of productions, IKEA did a good job, in order to reduce the cost of cotton slipcovers, IKEA has concentrated production in four core suppliers in China. The resulting efficiencies from these global sourcing decisions enabled IKEA to reduce the price of the Klippen by some 40 present between 1995 and2005, because in China we have cheaper labour and lower price of source, it will reduce the cost of production in IKEA, thereby allow IKEA to compete more effectively. What does the IKEA story teach you about the limits of treating the entire world as single integrated global marketplace? In my opinion, every country is unique and has different cultures. If the strategies to provide low price of product offer a company must identify what and which factor that can bring the lowest cost in term of labour, transportation, materials and so on. IKEA first discovered in the early1990s. The company found that its European-style offerings. However, it didn’t always resonatewith American consumers. Because of this reason, IKEA has redesigned its US offerings appeal to American consumers, which has resulted in stronger sales. It is obvious that tastes and preference play an important role in the globalization market. Also, since not everyone had a car, IKEA ensured that their stores were located near public transport.

Friday, September 27, 2019

How the spaniards (conquistadors) destroyed the economic structure of Essay

How the spaniards (conquistadors) destroyed the economic structure of the Incan Empire - Essay Example were doing these people a favor, they have led to the long term destruction of what is now Latin America, due to the overwhelming poverty and elitism that dominates the continent. Through this conquest, the conquistadors destroyed the economic structure of the Incan Empire and of the region altogether. The Incas were a civilization in what is now South America that had a history of being led strongly, which included its economic structures, even though â€Å"The Inca Empire was actually quite short-lived, lasting only about 100 years, from ca.1438AD, when the Inca ruler Pachacuti and his army began conquering the neighbors of the Inca heartland of Cuzco, until the coming of the Spaniards in 1532† (Ogburn 1997). The Incas were led, during their best periods, by Huayna Capac. After Capac and his heir apparent both died of smallpox, however, a war broke out in order to decide who would take over the civilization and become its new leader. At the center of this conflict were Huascar and Atahualpa, who were brothers and were also the sons of Huayna Capac. Huascar became the emperor of the civilization, although there is no evidence to suggest that he was meant to assume this power when his father died. Huascar was a madman, who came close to murdering his mother and his sister, but he was still very popular amongst most of the population that he governed over in the southern part of the region. Atahualpa, on the other hand, took over the northern part of the region during this time period. These two brothers were able to live in peace for a few years, but problems eventually broke out, which caused a war between the two sides. Consequently, over 100,000 people were killed during this war, which shows the savage demeanor of this society. Atahualpa’s side eventually won the war, but he soon started to go insane as well. He treated members of the losing side very horribly and even killed Huascar’s children right in front of him. While Atahualpa now had full control of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Case Study (Tyco International LTD) - Easy Work

(Tyco International LTD) - Easy Work - Case Study Example within the multi-step income statement such as extraordinary activities demonstrate lack of transparency in business reporting and this justifies prohibition of IFRS for the presentation of extraordinary activities within the income statement. Tyco is characterized by acquisitions which aim at diversifying globally which has made it to have a highly decentralized structure. The working culture of the organization is motivated by the pursuit for continual growth and development. The company has many divisions which report to the head office. The decentralization within the company has led to the need for each of its divisions reporting their own financial statements separately. The senior management is the corporate office has led to aggressive reporting of financial statements by the company’s divisions through the high targets that they are expected to meet. Capitalization is the conversion of income into the value that the property that raised the income is estimated to be worthy. Capitalization also refers to the estimation of the present value of income for future earnings or payments. The $200 cash collection from the dealers of Tyco’s ADT subsidiary should be recorded as operating income. The operating income of a company must be included in its financial statement to enable accurate determination of the earnings of the company in relation to its expenses (Roxas 56). The $200 that was paid to the dealers as a growth bones would be equated to the same amount of income from the dealers if it is not capitalized and thus lead to an overall balancing of the financial statement. The fraud that Tyco was involved in led to an exaggeration of its operating income. The $1.76 billion should be recorded within its multi-step income statement as sales returns under the sales revenue of the operating section instead of categorizing this amount as gains from discontinued operations. This is because the IPO which generated the amount is a sale of one of the

Social Darwinism and Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Darwinism and Business Ethics - Essay Example Apart from the practical issues in business ethics like corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, stakeholder concept etc there area also philosophical issues conflicting with the nature of business. One of the most important issues among them is 'Social Darwinism'. The encyclopedia Britannica defines Social Darwinism as "the theory that persons, groups, and races are subject to the same laws of natural selection as Charles Darwin had perceived in plants and animals in nature". The essential similarity between Social Darwinism and the nature of business is the term 'competition'. It is competition that drives progress. The alleged propounder of Social Darwinism, the late Victorian English philosopher Herbert Spencer coined the term 'survival of the fittest' to society, inspired by the scientific support from Darwin's work. This led to the belief that the weak exist solely for exploitation by the strong. Critics think Social Darwinism is to be blamed for issues like the eugenic programs of nineteenth century, the Nazi holocaust, imperialism, racism etc. The eighteenth century philosopher Kant had a viewpoint quite similar to the social Darwinists, but much more superior. He argued that the theory of evolution was actually a step backwards in theoretical analysis of the species and illogical.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

A Brief Analysis of the Development of English as a Global Language Essay

A Brief Analysis of the Development of English as a Global Language - Essay Example As the report declares social change will contribute to change in status of a language, as Gerry Knowles implies in a study of the history of language. This paper stresses that medium can become the official language of a country when it is adopted as the mother tongue and used by â€Å"such domains as government, the law courts, media, and the educational system. English did not achieve global status by way of one or two variables: several factors contributed to the process and arrival, factors which are part of a slowly evolving phenomenon that parallels the social changes experienced by numerous cultures over many eras. The culture of nationalism and the revolutions lead to worldwide expansion, as does the Industrial Revolution: electricity, roads, railroads, and airways introduce and facilitate transportation, commerce, migration. The farmer, no longer isolated in rural domains, picks up the local dialect or brings his own to the towns. Tradesmen, needing a common medium, trade words. With the printing press, administrations, and the London-based dialect passing to greater reaches, the shifts and adaptations make English both l ocalized and â€Å"normalised†. With education, standardised English is formalised. With film, television, and satellite technology, a trend is clearly toward the globalised. And with language change facilitated by the development of new technology that leads to improved communications.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Work Based Learning in the Creative and Cultural Industries Assignment

Work Based Learning in the Creative and Cultural Industries - Assignment Example As the paper declares the concept of the employer caring for the employee through symbolic means is not only cultural significant because of the interactions that take place on several levels. More importantly, there is an association with the cultural expectations that come into the work organization. From the report findings mass culture is developed through commercialization and the expectations that are a part of the culture that is created. From the mass culture, there is a development of specific attitudes and understandings that relate to the overall values of society. The idea of culture is one that is not only based on movements and expressions, but instead is significant of different industries and the commercialization that is included in culture. It is not only the cultural expectations that have developed the responses to the swine flu and the organizational environment that responds to this. The knowledge that is depicted with the swine flu, health issues and expectations from the work place come specifically from the media and the regulations that are a part of this. When the media presents specific information to the public, it is required to first find imperative information that makes a difference in the knowledge that the mass culture is given. The impact that th is has is one that directly affects the mass public and can create controversy as well as alternative expectations that can be held in different arenas of life.

Monday, September 23, 2019

CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Case Study Example Reason being, it acquired land secretly through undetectable means (Daft & Marac, 2007). Furthermore, the citizens saw the possibility of the emergence of hotels and restaurants that were not proper for their country. Similarly, it was feared that the Disney’s America Park might have a negative impact to the environment. Thirdly, some citizens disliked the nature of secrecy of the company. Reason being, it did not consult them on what should the history of America be made of (Theme Park History: Disneys America and the Historian Dilema , 2013). The information about the closure of the project was conveyed through the external form of communication. The level of knowledge about Disney Park differed among citizens within the county. For instance, majority of those who opposed the project were individuals who were less informed about it. On the other hand, the leaders seemed knowledgeable about the project. At the end of the project, many politicians were disappointed. (The Third Battle of Bull Rumn the Disneys America Theme Park, 1994) In conclusion, the success of Disney’s America Park was unachievable because of its: possessive nature as seen in the naming, and secrecy, which saw the citizens being less informed about the progress of the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Transport Economics of Ktmb Essay Example for Free

Transport Economics of Ktmb Essay Introduction Generally, transportation is the safe, efficient, reliable, and sustainable movement of persons and goods by over time and space. Several available types of transportation are used widely in the real life, which including railroads, buses, air, automobile, truck and, etc. In addition, the value-added activities, for example, door-to-door service, for transportation is essential to the elderly or disabled. No one can doubt the important of transportation to the economy, for instance; an excellent transportation spurs economic development by giving mobility to production factors, which permits scale economics and increase efficiency. Whats more, it also enlarges the area that consumers and industries can draw on for resources and products. KTM Komuter in Malaysia is a well-known transportation company, because it earns its great reputation by the profound history, advanced management, and all. The following parts will focus on the background, the success and limitation, the role and importance of the KTM Komuter to the economy. It was on June 1, 1885 where the first train in Malaysia to take its schedule during British colonial era. Previously it was known as the Federated Malay States Railways (FMSR) and the Malayan Railway Administration (MRA). Keretapi Tanah Melayu acquired its current name in 1962. 30 years later, which was on 1992, the company was corporatize but remains wholly owned by the Malaysian government. During the times, fares offered by KTMB are generally reasonable, but the low frequency of the intercity trains does make them competitive with other modes of transportation. However, KTMB has made numerous changes that lead to its current success. Until recently, the turnaround effort to steer KTMB back on track with reasonable profit or at the very least self-sustainable to cover its operating cost has been way too long overdue. Over the years, many of that turnaround effort have been proven failure. In KTMBs latest publicly available financial statement as at December 2009, it was reported that the company managed to rake in net profits of between RM9mil and RM15mil from 1993 to 1995.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Political Communication Strategies

Political Communication Strategies Political Culture in Comparative Perspective DERYA CIHAN Core Topics and Findings of the Research on Political Cultures Introduction In today’s world when we refer the term political culture which has recently become a very popular concept in political science, has remarkable constructs and theories in terms of political science. In fact, it is hard to reach a consensus in the sense of definitions, theories, methods and paradigms of political culture. Political culture of a society needs to take place within the political community, as well as other political formations such as the state, the parliament, political parties, the government, associations, public administrations trade unions, political power, democracy, election, constitution and etc. In the modern era, debates on culture role in politics have an incontrovertible significance in different states that has been discussed by many scholars. In this paper, I will try to clarify one of the core topics of political culture in political communication, and make an attempt the importance of the major changes of political culture in different societies. We will see the importance of one of the core topics of political culture and how it effects the political communication. Political Communication First of all, when we handle the term ‘communication’, we should say that during the last decades it is the basis of social relations through the developments of technologies of communication. Actually, the basis of the term political communication refers to the methods of communication which are put forth by political actors or organisational structures and convey to the mass through media systems. Franklin gives one of the broadest definitions of political communication in these words; ‘The field of political communication studies the interactions between media and political systems, locally, nationally, and internationally’’ (Gibson and Rà ¶mmele, 2008; p.475). As we sketchy see that the definitions of political communication, which is not only related with media and political systems, but also mostly the impact and the role of political systems to media and the meaning of media in terms of political communication, has indisputable importance in t erms of the fundamental interactions between governments, media and societies in general terms. Actually political communication is defined in terms of comparative politics that political communication is related with society, media and politicians through its interdependency and connection. In fact, the actors of political communication are seen in the central with the following phases; voters, the media and politics. It should be clearly remarked that these actors induce each other and if something changes or develops in one of these actors, the others are affected by nature (Ibid, p.475). We should need to indicate that the role of the media at governmental processes is one of the most attracting parts within the relationships among main actors of political communication. On the other side, Street refers that the modern political communications is related with the political marketing and it is different kind of business, show-business. It is seen that it is all related with how politicians make much of their appearance and their voices, because of that politicians are associated with celebrity and fame. In the article of ‘Political Style and Popular Culture’, Street emphasizes that political communication should be comprehended as ‘marketing’ moreover it is kind of buying reputations and power, selling performances and policies. Two criticisms are constructed for stressing on political communication. The first one is correlated with venturing political marketing and the second criticism is importance on political communication. Street emphasizes two analyses under the conception of selling performances and buying reputations (Street, 2003; pp. 86-91). It should be taken into consideration that political marketing as we know, is made before the electoral campaign in order to increase the chance to stand for election of candidates. In these circumstances, political marketing is creating a certain kind of political actors. Research on Communication in Four Phases Research on communication in politics has significant occurrences in term of how media influences public opinion, voters. Research on communication is a very broad topic in order to comprehend in detail. In the article of Gibson and Rà ¶mmele, the research on communication is distinguished in four stages and it is brought with historical perspective. The first phase covers 19th and 20th centuries till the 1930s, and in this stage, the media has a significant effect (direct and decisive) on citizens. Moreover, the media was used to form habits of life, belief and thought of societies. It was used as propaganda by the World War I propagandists and dictatorial states between the years of World War I and World War II. Besides that it was also used by the new revolutionary regime of Russia in order to promote its new political systems. It should be taken into consideration that in the conception of media, political actors have a great impact and a kind of powerful event at governmental p rocesses. As we see above that public opinion is formed by the mass media which has a direct and decisive effect upon choices of voting. In the second phase, the time period consists from the 1930s to the 1960s, which has rather sophisticated empirical studies. In this period, interpersonal communication has the greatest impact and investigations of empirical studies were about media effects and content in different classifications, having minimal effects in terms of the media is another point of this time period. The research results about the above mentioned investigations proposed a much more modest function for media in term of effecting unintended and planned effects. Joseph Klapper put in an appearance a useful summarization of research phase in these words; â€Å"mass communication does not ordinarily serve as a necessary or sufficient cause of audience effects, but rather functions through a nexus of mediating factors†(Gibson and Rà ¶mmele, 2008; p.477) Following thi s, Lang and Lang debate about conclusion of ‘minimal effect’ with this perspective; â€Å"The evidence available by the end of the 1950s, even when balanced against some of the negative findings, gives no justification for an overall verdict of â€Å"media impotence†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(Ibid, p.477). Media effects in the third phase, built actually around the emergence of television in the period of 1950s and 1960s. The third period has the greatest importance around the appreciated influence of television. It should be mentioned that the third phase of media effects was the most powerful period which affected social life more than any other type of media systems. The fourth phase of media effects based on agenda setting and priming. It is different than above-mentioned phases and it is generally related with long-term changes, revolving around cognitions and collective phenomena, for instance; delimitations of social reality and ideologies, climates of thoughts and structures of belief. It should be taken into consideration that agenda setting is the basis of this phase. It is not only related about ‘what to think’, but also saying ‘what to think about’ to direct public opinion; hereby it is seen that agenda setting is for society and the theory concent rates on the quantity of coverage not actually its content or tone (Ibid, pp.477-478). It should be taken into account in these circumstances that, media effects in four phases have different influence in each other, but mostly when we consider today’s media effects, television still has significance in terms of affecting social life, besides that social media has obtained much more importance when we compare it with its emerging period. Political Parties, Electoral Campaigns and Communication As we see above that how media influences public opinion in terms of research on communication in four different periods. In this part, we will see the relationship between political parties and communication. Political communication is inquired into from a party research perspective without any doubt. It should be taken into account that political parties make suitable for the demands of change of the society and media, due to this reason party headquarters have been reinforced in order to be able to match new demands. In the paper of Gibson and Rà ¶mmele, the new campaign process influences the parties as well as the character of the parties in the new campaign process. Empirical research evidences illustrate that there are many distinctions within party systems in the course of time and on the step of their professionalization level at political communication in general and professionalized campaigning in particular. For the sake of example, in the US, the Republicans were profes sionalized their campaign functioning approximately a decade before the Democrats and they used political communication techniques more than before. On the other side, in the UK, Conservatives sustained it before Labour with the new style of campaigning in the late 1970s. In Germany, a new kind of professionalized campaigning appeared although the 1998 campaign occur by the Social Democratic Party (SPD). In the process of professionalizing, political communication can be more active when considering above-mentioned arguments (Ibid, pp.478-479). Actually, in the USA, before the presidential elections, the internet is used intensively at the electoral campaigns. In the USA, it should be taken into consideration that innovations and improvements related with actors of political communication play an important role. Because of that reason, it can be said that the USA stays one step ahead of other countries. On the other hand, it can be said that under favour of the research findings of political party, the party headquarters’ significance would be increased day by day in such a way that the candidate acquires more significance, due to the increasing appropriateness of television. Political parties make suitable their organizational dynamics besides that their strategies of communication. On the other hand, John Street remarks about party issue that a party’s conduct could be influenced by the particular orientations of the part. Two different-based parties are mentioned, these are; product-oriented party and sales-oriented party. The aim of a sales-oriented party is; persuading. Utilizing ‘the latest advertising and communication techniques to persuade voters that it is right’, whereas a product-oriented party occurs its ideas and its product; whatsoever happens to its electoral results, a product-oriented party would not be adapted or sacrificed. It is specif ied in the paper ‘The Celebrity Politician’ by John Street that political marketing in these circumstances not only describing viewpoint of the party practice but also it interprets how parties perform (Street, 2003; p.90). When we turn to the paper, ‘Political Communication’, scholars identify two different steps for the political campaigns which are comparative and historical perspectives. Firstly, in the new campaign communication, there are three phases which are measured by scholars. These historical phases are; the pre-modern campaign consists between mid-nineteenth century and 1950s, and the modern phase consists between early 1960s and late 1980s, lastly professionalized campaign phase occurs after 1990s. The third phase of campaign communication-professionalized- is defined by many scholars as modernization and Americanization. It is described as a US campaign model and is claimed that campaigning in most democracies change more Americanized. On th e other hand, when handling modernization term in terms of third phase of communication; it is quiet broader perspective and there is a reduction in party identification and an increase in electoral campaigns, therefore there are two models in these circumstances; an adoption model and a shopping model. For the example of US election campaigns could be shopping model which is related with accepted techniques in the campaigns (Gibson and Rà ¶mmele, 2008; pp. 480-483). On the other side, according to the scholars the two general phases in political campaigning are; in the pre-modern era, the strength of the local organization and face-to-face contact was significant in terms of political communication which is based on these factors. In the second phase of campaigning, party organization and face-to-face contact changed with mass media communication between citizens-voters- and parties in the second general phase of political campaigning. Citizens do not obtain information about part y programs from rallies and party meetings in the second phase. They certainly receive information through the mass media. Besides that the message of the party makes an overwhelmingly impression through the mass media. On the other hand, there is a new campaign era which is mentioned early 1990s and new challenges have the significance in terms of Americanized style of campaigning and it is called like a professionalized campaigning, a post-modern phase 3 or a post-Fordism. It has the historical and developmental characteristics besides that, parties enlarge the efforts of this phase in order to reach out individual citizens-voters- through telemarketing, direct mail or internet (Ibid, pp.480-481). However, referring the media systems, there are different styles in political communication which are mentioned by Hallin and Mancini. Three key models of media systems are pluralist or Mediterranean model, the democratic corporatist model and lastly liberal or the North Atlantic model. In the pluralist model which is most effective in Southern Europe, electronic media has the higher impress rather than newspaper spread. In the democratic corporatist model, commercial media and the relationships between civil, political groups and media can be seen very strong. Lastly the liberal model of media system has a greatest occurrence in commercial broadcasting. Furthermore, the media is independent from social groups and political parties (Ibid, pp.481-483). In these circumstances, the relationship among political parties- electoral campaigns and voters with the perspective of political communication, I want to mention about the case of Turkey. The ruling party in Turkey applies the methods and practises of political communication not only from one election, they fasten political communication practises every day and it can be seen that among the other parties in Turkey, AKP (the party in power) manipulates the practises of political communication effectively that is seen in the last electoral campaign which is resulted by 44.19 %[1] in AKP votes. On the other hand, when we compare it with other parties- vote rate- after AKP in electoral campaigns, it can be seen that these parties attach importance to political communication in recent years and they receive support from professionals in this field. However, when we consider the close relationship between political communication and democracies, it should be taken into consideration that , although AKP takes cognizance of practices of political communication mostly, democracy issue is still one of the most disputable arguments in Turkey. Based on this, how we could be of one mind about the effectiveness of the practises of political communication which is put account by ruling party in Turkey. On the other hand, when we consider the relationship between voters and electoral campaigns in Turkey that the results of elections in Turkey shows that the large part of the voters do not have the consciousness of political culture. For instance, Cem Uzan, who is the founder of The Young Party (Genà § Parti), gained 7.25%[2] vote rate in 2002, in a short time period while wandering from town to town with some concerts and dinner, the party reached different groups of masses through incompatible practices and techniques of political communication, discourses and techniques of political culture, however the success of the GP could not be maintained. It should be taken into con sideration in these circumstances that the success of political communication directly contributes to the political success. Conclusion As we see above that political communication is a very broad topic which is defined in the first years of the term as a relationship between governmental processes and its citizens which we mean here voters. We familiarized with the main actors of political communication which are media, political actors and voters. It should be taken into consideration that these political actors influence each other and in order to make the political communication effectively and successfully, the relationship among these actors is very significant issue. On the other hand, we referred integrity of both political communication and political culture. We saw the relationship among the actors of political communication such as political parties, governments, local governments, pressure groups, non-governmental organizations, the voters, the media, and etc. Furthermore, we clarified how media effects to the political communication referring to the comparative and historical perspectives of media systems. Furthermore, we saw that the practises of political communication contribute freewill, right of election and political information which voters need. The relationship between media and political parties has an incontrovertible impact in terms of political communication, as we remarked. It should be said that, in order to make political communication more effective in near future, it has to be sprawled more and should not be restricted with electoral campaigns, lastly applying the practises of political communication in everyday life will bring a new dimension to political communication. Bibliography 1-Gibson K. Rachel, Rà ¶mmele, 2008: â€Å"Political Communication†, within â€Å"Comparative Politics†, edited by Caramani D.Oxford Publications, 2-Street, J. , 2003: â€Å"Political Style and Popular Culture†, within â€Å"Media and the Restyling of Politics†, edited by Corner J. and Pels D. Online-accessed http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/modules/secim2007/secim2002/genel.asp http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yerel-secim-2014/ 1 [1] http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yerel-secim-2014/ [2] http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/modules/secim2007/secim2002/genel.asp

Friday, September 20, 2019

Globalisation And Its Effect On Sovereignty

Globalisation And Its Effect On Sovereignty In essence, understanding the consequences that subsequently emerge from globalization and sovereignty depends on how we define both the globalization and sovereignty. Once defined it is much clearer to draw out the central themes concerning the relationship between globalisation and sovereignty. In this essay, the subject matter I have chosen to address pays focal attention to the three most palpable issues; political, economic and security-related safekeeping. In each case, I aim to demonstrate that globalization has both threatened sovereignty and strengthened it. Ultimately, I intend to show that whilst globalization has transformed our understanding of sovereignty it has progressed in such a way that globalization has, to a large degree, been structured around the Westphalian concept. If we are to understand how the consequences of globalization affect our understanding of sovereignty, we must first define what we mean when we speak of sovereignty and globalisation. For the sake of simplicity, I will offer a definition of both globalisation and sovereignty and proceeding from that basis draw out the consequences such a definition of globalization has on such a definition of sovereignty. Globalization is best defined as a relatively recent process of worldwide integration, cooperation and conscious building whereby an increase in the flows and trade of ideas, people, goods and services between national state borders is prevalent. Sovereignty is best defined as the recognised privilege of nation-states to legitimately hold and exercise complete authority over a territorialized jurisdiction, determine ones own destiny within ones territorialized jurisdiction and the freedom from external interference to dictate such domestic governing. Throughout human history, the globe has gone through a series of material epochs that have also brought with it a series of epochs concerning human political organization. The two most striking epochs shaping human political or ganisation in recent times have been firstly; the emergence of the modern state, and secondly; the emergence of an era many contemporary political analysts regard as the post-modern epoch. It is these two prominent concepts of human political organisation that have fashioned the debate of globalization and sovereignty. The era in which the modern state emerged can be expectedly traced back to the Westphalian Peace Treaty of 1648 where the idea of state sovereignty arose and set the foundations to the normative structure for international relations in the last several hundred years (McGrew, 2009: 23). As the sovereign state arose because of a particular conjunction of social and political interests in Europe (Mansbach, 2000: 59) so too have interests dictated that sovereign states be drawn into union in the post-modern era. The most defining interests of the post-modern era that have drawn sovereign states into union have centred on political, economic and security-related safekeepin g. International political relations in the 20th century have drastically transformed the way in which nation-states co-operate. Since the 1940s, substantial political integration has become so predominant that some political theorists believe that the idea of Westphalian sovereignty no longer pertains. Political interconnectedness via international and regional organisations such as the United Nations and European Union has meant that nation-states are increasingly coalescing and thus sacrificing their recognition as sovereign. Advocates of such a view argue that supranational entities such as the European Union demand unified conformity and thus gradually erode the individual legal characteristics set by the legitimate authority put in place to govern over a territorialized jurisdiction. As such, they argue member states of the European Union have forfeited their freedom to determine their own destiny by willingly granting external entities the privilege to interfere and dictate d omestic governing. A classic contemporary example we can take into consideration of where critics argue that the monopoly of domestic-retained governing is undermined and reduced can be found in the European Unions European Court of Justice. Via the European Arrest Warrant, the European Court of Justice issued an extradition order for British citizen and controversial historian Frederick Toben in 2008 for alleged denial of the Holocaust. Whilst the German government who had initiated the arrest warrant eventually abandoned the extradition order, critics of globalization would argue that the incident demonstrates that the extent of British integration into the European Union calls into question the definitive distinctions between state sovereignty and supranational interference. Conversely, however, advocates of British membership to the European Union would argue that the fact that the extradition order was dropped demonstrates that member states clearly still retain the legitimate monopoly to exercise complete enforcement of domestic laws. Nevertheless, whilst critics of globalization may perceive the consequences of globalization to be eroding the concept of state sovereignty, and political theorists such as Stephen D. Krasner accepts that state interdependence has somewhat reduced the Westphalian concept of state sovereignty when the domestic jurisdiction of sovereignty is taken into account, Krasner also argues that globalization is not necessarily eroding the concept of state sovereignty but evolving, enhancing and expanding the concept (Krasner, 1999). Supporters of this argument would point to international organisations such as the United Nations that stresses each member state recognise and uphold the principle of respect for the territorial and political jurisdiction of fellow states (Mansbach, 2000: 71). In this way, whilst some may see international organisations of this nature to have a negative influence on the idea of sovereignty, it is argued t hat such organisations in fact strengthen the value of sovereignty by including the idea as a central pillar to United Nations structure. Political integration is practically inseparable from economic integration. The latter has also been a historic product of globalization, specifically since the end of the Cold War. The internationalization of commerce, spreading global capitalism into all continents, has become so substantial that the issue of borders has become irrelevant and vanished as an effective control mechanism (Reynolds, 2000: 650-656). For national state sovereignty therefore, economic amalgamation has become an inevitable consequence to which many feel has both merits and demerits. International organisations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have played an extensive role in shaping intercontinental trade and thus created animosity and resentment in specifically non-Western states where it is properly accepted as an extension of Western ideolog y. In recent years, there has been some vocal opposition to the International Monetary Funds involvement in South Africa where the post-apartheid state continues to be indebted by International Monetary Fund loans dating back to the apartheid era. For many South Africans such colossal debt, they feel, has prevented them from making good their freedom in the post-apartheid era and ultimately restricted their ability to direct funds toward social programmes such as education, health and even policing within their territorial jurisdiction. In essence, many of those who resent economic integration feel The increasing internationalisation of national economies and the increasing transnational character of capital, suggests that policies designed to compete for inward investment favour transnational rather than national interests (Ralph, 2001: 158). However, advocates of global capitalism and the democratic peace theory argue that the internationalization of trade has not only created gre ater wealth (Osterhammel and Petersson, 2005: 121) but also lessened the prospect of military conflict among state actors that adopt liberal democratic political values and thus capitalist economics. Therefore, they argue, ensuring state stability on a global basis and accordingly reinforcing the effectiveness of state sovereignty, internally and externally. This is evident if one takes into account that since the 1940s, countries that have adopted liberal democracy and capitalist economics have not waged war against one another or had a civil war. Interlinked with state stability and sovereignty in a global era is the issue of security-related safekeeping. The issue of security-related safekeeping is also, like political relations, intertwined with the economic aspect. Technological advance in areas such as transport and communications has had an impact on sovereignty on a global scale so much so that it has shaped, if not dictated, greater co-operation among state actors in times of peace and in times of conflict. Conflict, specifically, has drastically changed over the last several centuries due to the global integration of both technology and communications. In contemporary international relations, state actors have been effectively forced to collaborate on related national security interests (Mansbach, 2000: 80-92). International relations in the 21st century has been commonly referred to an era whereby global cooperation between state actors will be crucial in managing the phenomenon of global terror (Eriksen, 2007: 134-138). This phenomenon of global terror has greatly benefited from the technological advance of transport and communications and thus revolutionized contemporary warfare. The War in Afghanistan, for example, was prompted not by any central authority in the nation-state but by non-state actors Al Qaeda. As a result of the September 11th Attacks the War on Terror has challenged the state sovereignty of numerous nation-states, predominantly Iraq and most recently Iran. Greater emphasis has also been placed on international stability and human rights. Thus, the globalization of terrorism has transformed the way in which we conceptualise the right to the privilege of sovereignty of other nation-state and the way in which we ourselves perceive our own sovereignty in the post-modern age (Arnold, 2008: 190-209). However, there are those that whilst recognizing that the art of war has changed over time, of which globalization has had an immeasurable impact upon, who argue that If we think of global politics today as unfolding in an arena without superordinate authority, in which overlapping groups compete with each otherand in which the potential for violence is present, then the politics of medieval Europe may not seem so alien (Mansbach, 2000: 43). Some would even go as far to say that the art of war, or rather terrorism, has only superficially changed (Baylis and Rengger, 1992: 229-230). In this sense, the Hobbesian view that the period in which the Westphalian concept of state sovereignty arose in Europe was a time where lack of security and the absence of clear centres of authorityerased the distinction between the domestic and foreign realms (Mansbach, 2000: 44) can be considered exceptionally relevant to how the Westphalian concept still remains a central pillar to the normative structure of inter-state security relations since its emergence. In conclusion, understanding the consequences that subsequently emerge from globalization and sovereignty depends on how we define both concepts. Proceeding from that basis there are three central issues that are instantly recognizable to such a discussion, namely; political, economic and security-related safekeeping. In each case, globalization has both threatened sovereignty and strengthened it. Ultimately, I consider that Since state evolution was gradual, states managed to monopolize the means of coercionToday, some states have surrendered that monopoly . This does not suggest that states will become irrelevant or disappear. Rather they must share pride of place with other actors and must co-operate with one anotherto cope with todays challenges (Mansbach, 2000: 59).

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay --

The Solutions to Note-Taking Problems for Students By: Timothy Cooks 12/3/2013 Learning Challenge/Solution Project Dr. Samuelson Note taking is a process that involves the writing down of information that has been received from another source such as a professor or boss. Note taking provides the user with reference material to use for future use. Note taking is one of the most important and useful study skills to have while in college. Students must expect to take a lot of notes in college. Professors will expect their students to take notes during lectures in order to go back and review at home alone or with other classmates. Note taking is a skill, so in order to make this skill efficient, we must develop multiple techniques in order to make note taking more profitable. Chapter 6 in our textbooks gives us plenty of techniques of note taking to improve our note taking skills. But before that lets point out that note taking has two basic functions that note taking serves. Note taking serves as a way to help you store or encode the material and a way to keep the information in written form until you need it for later reference (Pintrich & VanderStoep, 137). Chapter 6 serves as a good guide in presenting students with strategies for effective note taking. The chapter focus is on strategies instead of style in order to help us think about the process of note taking while we are in class. Before we begin note taking we should ask ourselves these questions: What should I pay attention to? What should I write down? How should I organize my notes? We are now at the beginning stages of improving the process of taking notes (Pintrich & VanderStoep, 137). This will help being organized while taking notes. Remember that good note ... ...es. In result, my quiz and exam scores dramatically increased. When I enter anatomy I used the more the same method but I needed to incorporate more techniques such as comparing notes with other students in my class because we had less instruction from the professor. Exchanging notes with other students helped me not fall behind or miss out on important information. In my current semester, I have learned more techniques and methods to include with what I already know. The results are fulfilling allowing me to potentially have straight A’s. I learned that it’s beneficial for every student to become a stronger note taker because it’s necessary for successful studying and researching. I recommend anyone who read this to become proficient in note taking for one main reason which is, to remember important information such as dates, times, key points or facts.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Romanticism in Scarlet Letter, Ministers Black Veil, and Young Goodma

American Romanticism in The Scarlet Letter, The Minister's Black Veil, and Young Goodman Brown      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne took elements of the European romanticism and reshaped them into a new literary form that is called American Romanticism. "The American Romanticists created a form that, at first glance, seems ancient and traditional; they borrowed from classical romance, adapted pastoral themes and incorporated Gothic elements" (Reuben 22). Some of the definable elements of romanticism combined with the Gothic including the crossing of some boundary or a taboo broken (Crow 1), the emotional response of pleasure and pain that the reader experiences and the mixing of good and evil to form a flawed hero. "Hawthorne developed a literature of shadows and moonlight" to questions what is real and made-up (Crow, 106). Examining Hawthorne’s writings in the works of The Scarlet Letter, "The Minister's Black Veil," and "Young Goodman Brown" exemplifies American Romanticism at its best.    Hawthorne used extensive study and his own innate knowledge from his own family history to examine the New England Puritan to give the reader an accurate picture of seventeenth century life. In the introduction to The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne describes his ancestor as "a soldier, legislator, judge; he was a ruler in the Church; he had all the Puritanical traits, both good and evil. He was likewise a bitter persecutor ·" (Scarlet Letter 89). The women waiting for Hester to emerge from prison pronounce the sentence of the "A" not harsh enough. " ·they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynneà ¢s forehead" (Scarlet Letter 114). The people used their severe beliefs to ward off any workings of the devil among there midst through t... ...Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998. 2207-2216. ---The Scarlet Letter. The Complete Novels and Selected Tales of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ed. Norman Holmes Pearson. New York: Random House, 1937. 81-240. Melville, Herman. "Hawthorne and His Mosses." Literary World. 17 and 24 Aug. 1850. Pearson, Norman Holmes. Introduction. The Complete Novels and Selected Tales of Nathaniel Hawthorne. By Pearson. New York: Random House, 1937. vii-xv. Poe, Edgar Allan. "Tale-Writing." Rev. of Twice-Told Tales and Mosses From An Old Manse. Godeyà ¢s Ladyà ¢s Book. Nov. 1847: 252-256. Reuben, Paul P. "Chapter 3: Early Nineteenth Century: Romanticism à ¶ An Introduction" PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. 1-38. http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap3/hawthorne Â