Le Coq Sportif

Governance of le coq In 2005, a Swiss Holding buys the brand Le Coq Sportif. Indeed the results of the brands were well below the desired expectations. With the partnership of Sir Robert Louis Dreyfus, a great Swiss businessman who was leader of the group including Adidas, Le Coq sportif sees the opportunity for a fresh start with this strategic alliance for the future. Airesis immediately set up a plan to revive the brand that demonstrates the strong interest of the group to give new life to this legendary French brand.Here is a chart explaining the governance of the brand Le Coq Sportif since it creation (1882) until the takeover by the Swiss holding Airesis. Few words about Airesis: Historic part: HPI Holding AG is a name that marked the industrial history of western Switzerland since 1920, date of creation of the company. Hermes Precisa International (formerly Plants Paillard) has built its success on the production of typewriters Hermes known internationally. Since 1981, the hol ding company HPI has been used as an investment vehicle for investments in new technologies that have suffered damage in the industry with full force in early 2000.Currently, there are eight entries all together in the sub-holding A2I SA. In 2004, reducing the part value of its shares cleaned up the company. A capital increase of the arrival of four participants (the Boards & More group, the group Fidexpert, group and society Ouat Hazard Properties SA). These arrivals have been extraordinary for the group which has restored and a new life HPI Holding AG, which has since become Airesis. The majority shareholders (Sirs: Robert Louis-Dreyfus, Yves Marchand and Marc-Henri Beausire) then set up the new company strategy: active management of its investments in private equity and residential property.Today the group owns brands such as: * Le Coq Sportif * Fanatic * Ion * North Kite boarding * North Sails Windsurf Here we are going to explain few words about each brand, because most of them are unknown. Fanatic: In 1999, leaving his first kite a board, Fanatic has to believe in this new trend. With its history in windsurfing, the company was able Fanatic showcase its expertise to make its entry into the sport in the making. Ion: In spring 2005, Boards & More brand launches Ion.The technical skills of the mark are highlighted in the wet suits, neoprene accessories, harnesses, a range of clothes and carrying bags, all items used in sports on the water. North Kite boarding: Kite boarding world leader. North Kite boarding has entered the market in 2001 and became leader. This brand has a very good technical level recognized. North Sails Windsurf: The company specializes North Sails sailboat U. S. and world number 1 in this sector. Boards & More has acquired the exclusive license for the sail of surfboards since 1981.Its strategic axis is oriented technique and style. Since late 2005, Robert Louis-Dreyfus, former owner of Addidas and Yves Marchand, who was the boss of the three stripes for France, have gained a foothold in the business and have made some good seeds to make: 10 million euros through the Swiss investment fund Airesis. And some big marketers have been poached in market heavyweights such as Reebok, Nike, Puma and Quicksilver†¦ For example, the arrival of Antoine Sathicq, former CEO of Adidas, which was transferred to the head as general manager of Le Coq Sportif.After joining Adidas in 1997 as director of sales, this former Procter & Gamble, aged 44, joined a new team of Le Coq Sportif establishment since its acquisition by Airesis. A team already marked by the culture of this Adidas Swiss investment funds: Airesis is held by Robert Louis-Dreyfus, former CEO of Adidas France, Marc-Henri Beausire and Yves Marchand, former CEO of three stripes. The latter assumed the presidency of Le Coq Sportif, replacing Olivier Jacques, former majority shareholder. Antoine Sathicq therefore had the task of launching again the Coq Sportif.Porterâ⠂¬â„¢s Five Forces: Sportswear Industry Internal Rivalry – Fierce Competition Adidas,Reebok, Nike – Mature Industry – Mostly Non-Price competition – Differentiation strategy Threat of New entrants – Capital Intensive – Strong Brand Following Economies of scale – High R & D Costs – Industry in consolidation phase Supplier Power – Raw Materials are abundantly available – Cheap resources commodity items – Cheap labor on the East World. Buyer Power – Everything depends on Customer Preferences – Price sensitivity issues – Growing power of retail chainsSubstitutes * Other types of products from other brands * New brands that make the sport more ready to wear high-end (15 Serge Blanco, Eden Park †¦ ) * Entertainment brand to substitute to sport activities (Reading, video games†¦) Internal Rivalry – Fierce Competition Adidas,Reebok, Nike – Mature Industry – Mostly Non-Price competition – Differentiation strategy Threat of New entrants – Capital Intensive – Strong Brand Following Economies of scale – High R & D Costs – Industry in consolidation phase Supplier Power – Raw Materials are abundantly available Cheap resources commodity items – Cheap labor on the East World. Buyer Power – Everything depends on Customer Preferences – Price sensitivity issues – Growing power of retail chains Substitutes * Other types of products from other brands * New brands that make the sport more ready to wear high-end (15 Serge Blanco, Eden Park †¦ ) * Entertainment brand to substitute to sport activities (Reading, video games†¦) Explanation: 1. Internal Rivalry * Fierce competition: In effect in the sportswear industry, there are many competitors.Two leaders have the most important share value on the market (Nike and Adidas). The competitors are smaller than the two big groups, whic h have much money to invest in marketing investment, and can develop easily than the smaller. * Mature industry: In this market, it’s difficult to innovate much more than today. The innovation exists for sure but it comes from details. It’s really hard to find for the company the perfect innovation. However companies works hard and try to find the best innovation possible to increase their share value. Mostly non-price competition: In this market, the price war doesn’t exist. In effect the competition between companies comes from the marketing, brand image and innovation (sometimes) but not on the price. All the brand are close and cannot compete on the price. * Differentiation strategy: A differentiation strategy will pursue a unique position among your competitors. The aim of the strategy is for the business to become unique in the minds of its customers. For this reason, a small business needs to create a product offering that is somehow unique.Uniqueness can be achieved through different factors like design or brand image, technology, customer service or other attractive features. 2. Threat of new entrants * Capital intensive and strong brand: It is as very capital-intensive industry. Even though it would not be difficult for a new company to obtain the raw materials and the labor needed to produce shoes, there is almost no chance for them to gain popularity in such a mature industry with some of the strongest brand names in the world. Brand loyalty is extremely strong and it would be very hard for a new entrant to â€Å"steal† loyal customers from the already existent players. Economies of scales: Economies of scale play a huge role as well and the bigger players have an advantage of producing the products at a lower price than compared with newer entrants. As the output is bigger and the fixed costs of factories, machinery, marketing and R&D will be decreased per unit. Both marketing and R&D constitute high costs and since new entrants will not be able to take advantage of the economies of scale they will be less competitive. * High R&D costs: It means that it’s necessary to invest in R&D if they want to compete against others brands.It’s a survival question in this market. * Industry in consolidation phase: The industry itself is in a consolidation phase and only the big ones will survive. The large companies are strategically and constantly acquiring smaller companies. Some of the most popular acquisitions include Reebok by Adidas, Converse by Nike. Small companies are bought before they become a threat to the bigger ones and before they have a chance to gain market share. In other words, it is impossible to grow in this industry because someone will take over your company. . Substitutes * Other types of product from other brands: Each company has the same product (shoes, tee-shirts, socks†¦). If the customer is not satisfied with one product, it’s easy for him to go in anothe r brand and acquire something close to the first purchase. That’s why each company has to be aware of what it sells and what is the customer’s reaction. * New brand with different strategies: As said in the PORTER’s analysis, today there is some sport brand which are producing apparels but higher than the best known.For example the brand Quinze of Serge Blanco, famous in the rugby world is producing clothes which are expensive than Nike for example but not with the same quality. This kind of brand products with another savoir-faire and the price are not the same but the customer can be attracting to try it. * Entertainment brand: To have fun today and doing something else than working, the customer has plenty of substitution products. The customer can read and there are many brands, which allow reading. Video games are product to entertain people (Sony, Nintendo†¦) . Supplier power * Raw materials and cheap resources: Typically apparels and shoes are manufa ctured using major raw materials cotton, rubber, and foam. All of these materials are commodity goods. In other words, the suppliers do not have the power to bargain the price of their product, since there are numerous suppliers. Hence the supplier power is low. However, there has been some standardization of production in the industry due to growing concerns of labor practices of the suppliers and manufacturers.These practices have been damaging the image of some companies including Nike. Therefore, the big companies prefer to work only with approved manufacturers and suppliers that are known to follow these labor standards. Both Adidas and Nike have created a system to ensure that all the high quality of the product, the working conditions, and the distribution are at high standards. Therefore, suppliers are trying to establish themselves as reliable because once they gain Nike as a customer they know that they will request enormous volumes. However, to reach this level, the suppl ier needs to make investments in their facilities to improve working conditions and many suppliers cannot afford to do so. * Cheap labor: Many people works for â€Å"nothing† in the eastern countries, in Asia to be precise. Competition against the labor cost is impossible and many company delocalize the production abroad to reduce costs. 5. Buyer power: * Everything depends on customer’s preferences: The customer has the choice to buy product in retailing store with general brand or he could go to the special store, branding store as Nike store or Adidas store to get a product.It’s a question of desire and where the customer lives too. * Price sensitivity issue: In the general retailer store, prices are lower than official store. That’s why some customer prefers to go in retailer store and purchase product for lower price and maybe get more compare to the official store. * Growing retailer store: More and more retailer store open and sell apparels and sho es from all sportswear brand. The customer has a lot of choice today and can choose whatever he wants and with his own criteria.

Company Auditing

Group Assignment – HBC614B Company Auditing PART 1 THE INTERNATIONAL AUDITING STANDARDS BOARD AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUDITING STANDARDS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) is an independent standard setting body within the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). Established in 1978, originally known as International Auditing Practices Committee (IAPC), it changed its name to IAASB in early 2001 and was then reformed by IFAC in 2003.IAASB puts public interest first and aims to improve the quality and uniformity of practice throughout the world and to strengthen public confidence in the global auditing and assurance profession by facilitating the convergence of international and national standards. IAASB is committed to achieve its objectives through the following works: †¢ Developing Standards – establish high quality auditing, review, other assurance, quality control and related ser vices standards, such as International Standards on Auditing (ISAs). Global Acceptance & Convergence – promote the acceptance and adoption of IAASB pronouncements throughout the world and support a strong and solid international accountancy profession by coordinating with IFAC member bodies, regional organisations and national standard setters. †¢ Communication – encourage debate and present papers on a variety of audit and assurance issues and increase the public image and awareness of the activities of the IAASB. To date, the IAASB has earned increasing recognition for the quality of its standards and the credibility of its standard setting process.This has contributed to the increasing use of its standards worldwide. Over 100 countries are now using or are in the process of adopting ISAs into their national auditing standards. For investors in international capital markets, the quality of audit reports and audit opinions on financial reports are crucial when th ey make decisions about capital allocation. Audits, working within internationally accepted auditing standards, increase the credibility and reliability of the financial information provided in the financial reports.As Australian capital markets are increasingly linked with overseas markets, it is important to have a globally standardised financial reporting framework that is supported by globally accepted auditing standards. The Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) made the compliance with IAASB standards easier via a long-standing policy of convergence and harmonisation with ISAs. The AUASB uses ISAs as a base to develop Australian Standards on Auditing (ASA).For any revision and enhancement of ISAs initiated by the IAASB, the AUASB will make appropriate consequential amendments to ASA. The AUASB and IAASB generally issue an exposure draft of a proposed auditing and assurance standard concurrently for consideration by interested parties. In New Zealand, New Ze aland Auditing Standards (AS) and Audit Guidance Statements (AGS) are also based on ISAs and International Auditing Practice Statements (IAPS). The New Zealand auditing authority adopts the IFAC documents and amends them only as necessary to achieve its – 1 of 11 –Group Assignment – HBC614B Company Auditing objectives. Amendments to the IFAC documents may be made to reflect specific New Zealand legislative requirements or to reflect specific audit practising arrangements within New Zealand. As we can see, for years since IAPC or IAASB was established, it has played a very important role in enhancing and standardizing the quality of auditing and assurance services around the world. ============================= – 2 of 11 – Group Assignment – HBC614B Company Auditing PART 2 CO-REGULATION OF AUDITING PRACTICE IN AUSTRALIAIn most developed countries, including Australia, the auditing regulatory framework is provided, at least to some extent, by government through legislation and government agencies. In the past, however, the auditing profession in Australia was largely self-regulated through the rules and requirements self-imposed by the principal players in the field, i. e. auditing firms and auditing professional bodies. As a result of the Corporate Law Economic Reform Program (CLERP) 9, the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) became a statutory (government) body.Since April 28th 2006, the Australian Auditing Standards (ASAs), which have been released by AUASB for purposes of section 336 of Corporation Act 2001, have Force of Law. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC), a statutory body under the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (ASIC Act), is responsible for providing broad oversight of the process for setting accounting and auditing standards as well as monitoring the effectiveness of auditor independence requirements in Australia.Yet the control and enforcement mechanism of these sta ndards is also supported by the auditing profession represented by two primary professional accounting organisations: CPA Australia and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA). Although the membership in these two organizations is voluntarily, it is still a necessary condition to get registration as a Company Auditor or a Liquidator. Some methods of control of quality of the auditing services imposed by these professional organisations include peer reviews, continued professional development and periodical rotation of the auditors.There are also disciplinary procedures in place to encourage improved ethical behaviour and quality of service provided. This particular model of co-existence of government regulation and industry self-regulation in Australia is called ‘co-regulation’ of auditing practice. Co-regulation provides ‘interactions that produce pressures for the refinement of regulatory structures in terms of openness, consultation, independ ence and speed of response to urgent accounting problems’ [Malcolm C. Miller]. ============================= – 3 of 11 – Group Assignment – HBC614B Company Auditing PART 3 QUESTION 6. 3 – ASA 315 UNDERSTANDING THE ENTITY AND ITS ENVIRONMENT AND ASSESSING THE RISKS OF MATERIAL MISSTATEMENT – HOMECHEF PTY LTD. A first and very important step of the audit process involves the auditor gaining an early understanding and knowledge of the client’s business. In fact, ASA 315 requires that this step is carried out during the audit planning stage. The auditor must obtain or update their understanding of the client’s operations and circumstances, including its organisational structure, management policies, the company’ position in its industry, the economy and its legal obligations.ASA 315 provides extensive guidance on matters related to obtaining an understanding of the entity and its environment, which may be classified into thr ee main categories: (1) Internal control / organisational structure (2) Operational and legal structure (3) Industry and economic conditions An understanding of these three elements helps the auditor assess the client’s business risk and identify the events, transactions and practices that may have a significant effect on its financial report. This report presents a recent review of the operations and circumstances of one of our clients, HomeChef Pty Ltd. in accordance with the requirements of ASA 315. The main objective was to identify the events and developments at HomeChef which may have a significant bearing on the company’s business risk and consequently affect our audit. This understanding will help us plan and perform the audit more efficiently and effectively and will ultimately improve the services we provide to our client. HomeChef Pty Ltd has been the market leader in the boutique food and beverage industry for the last two years.The company manufactures, su pplies and retails quality ingredients for use in the home kitchen and small restaurant market. During the review our audit team identified a number of major events/transactions that may have a significant impact on the business and affect our audit process. Below is a brief discussion on each of these events/transactions: 1) New products and services: Recently, HomeChef introduced ‘pre-packaged’ meals suitable to be served at a dinner party. Preparation of the ‘ready to serve meals’ would require extra steps to produce the final product.This would involve more processing facilities, more staff and more advertising. One potential related business risk might be the increased product liability. There may be extra compliance requirements from the Food Safety Regulators. There could also be risk that the demand has not been accurately estimated. The company’s capital and current expenditure may increase significantly because of the launch of the new prod uct. This situation tends to increase our audit risk. The auditor, therefore, should carefully consider how this changing operating characteristic may affect his/her auditing process.For example, he/she may need to review some Food Safety Regulation requirements to assess that correct amounts of expenditure is attributed to this particular type of compliance; or refer to some industry literature to get a better understanding of the niche market for this type of product. Reviewing – 4 of 11 – Group Assignment – HBC614B Company Auditing sales figures and sale forecasts may also help to assess to what degree the company’s business risk may be affected by this new development. 2) New lines of business: HomeChef has recently opened a number of small cafe where customers can sample the s company’s product range.By doing so, the company is venturing into unfamiliar territory. In addition, the notes of HomeChef’s draft financial report reveal that t he company has entered into agreements for building and developing a new entertainment complex. These events indicate not only changes in the company’s operational structure, but also those relating to its environment. New opportunities bring new risks. As this is HomeChef’s first venture into a new business area, lack of expertise and experience could be a real concern. The hospitality industry operates quite differently from the food manufacturing.There could be many more competitive forces and regulations in place. This move could change the organisational/operational structure of the company drastically. For example, new divisions may need to be established and the company hierarchy changed. Apart from the potential risks of increased product liability and inaccurate demand estimates, similar to the case of all new products, this could introduce new risks associated with the company’s internal control. Also, the company’s potential business risk would increase its inherent risk. In general, this event is likely to increase our audit risk.It is very important that the auditor familiarises him/herself with the company’s new operational structure, the industry conditions and regulatory environment related to this new line of business. Reviewing the hospitality industry publications and significant industry legislation may assist with basic understanding of how the company business risk is affected by this move. Aggressive marketing and acquisition strategy – Rapid growth: Over the last two years HomeChef has acquired a number of smaller competitors and become the market leader in its industry.This is an indication of the company’s aggressive approach to expansion and growth. In such situations, it is often noticed that a company’s infrastructure is likely to lag behind in the process. In a hurry to expand, the organisational structure of the company may be changing too fast. There could be staff members with insufficient experience, the IT system may not cope well under the new conditions as new procedures and processes are added in. This significant and rapid expansion of operations could create strain and increase the risk of a breakdown in controls.The auditor needs to discuss with the senior management and gather evidence from the company’s documents to assess this risk. He/she may need further understanding of the current cycle in the industry, to assess how this ‘acquisition spree’ could affect HomeChef’s business risk, and consequently the audit risk. Reviewing government statistics, trend forecasts, trade journals and financial newspapers may help improve the auditor’s understanding of the industry in general and the business in particular.Changes in key personnel: The departure of a key executive (HomeChef’s finance director), probably with a significant loss of corporate history and experience, may also have an impact on the busine ss. The new finance manager has been with the company for less than a month and may take some time to gain the knowledge and understanding of the business. He may have a different focus or 3) 4) – 5 of 11 – Group Assignment – HBC614B Company Auditing understanding of the company’s internal control.The auditor should take this factor into account when assessing the risks of misstatements associated with the company’s financial report which, possibly, has been prepared under the instructions of the new finance director. 5) Newly-established internal audit group: HomeChef started using the service of an internal audit group for the first time this year. Generally, the existence and operation of an internal audit group indicate the commitment and serious consideration given to maintaining high standards of internal control by the management. This would normally reduce the control risk in a business and subsequently reduce the audit risk.In addition, th e external auditor could, to some extent, use the work of an internal auditor, after having gained knowledge of and satisfied with the scope of internal auditing and the audit team’s technical competence and professional care. However, in this case, as HomeChef’s audit team is new, careful considerations are required if the auditor is to rely on the internal team’s audit work. Installation of a significant new IT system related to financial reporting: HomeChef switched to a new computer system early this year. The system was installed by a professional computer company and the old and new systems were run parallel for 3 months.Some new functions/modules have been introduced in the new system, including the ability to process stocktake results, account payable invoices and payments at the store level. This event highlighted a major change in one of the company’s internal control components. It seems that the new system is rather reliable as a systematic te sting plan and an integrity checking process were carried out by the professional computer company and there have been no major problems with the system so far. The use of this new system could potentially decrease the company’s control risk. The audit strategy could focus on test of control.A proper and systematic testing plan on the new system is recommended, especially on the new modules for stocktake and accounts payable process. Significant amount of non-routine/non-systematic transactions: HomeChef’s draft Income Statement includes an ‘extraordinary item’ of $231 million without any notes or explanations attached to it. The existence of this ‘extraordinary’ loss would certainly have a significant impact on the business and would increase the audit risk considerably. This particular transaction requires a significant amount of attention by the auditor.Enquiries should be made to understand the nature and extent of all relevant details of this transaction. This would help the auditor assess if the transaction is legal, not dismissing the possibility of fraud, or errors, such as transactions recorded without substance, intentional misapplication of accounting policies, mathematical mistakes, oversight or misinterpretation of facts. The auditor should also examine if the valuation and allocation of the amounts have been done correctly. Company records and legal documents will need to be reviewed. An extensive substantive audit approach would be suitable for this particular area of the audit.Debt structure – Covenant agreement: Note (e) to the draft Financial Report reveals that a covenant agreement exists between HomeChef and its bank. The bank loans are secured against the company’s remaining property, plant and equipment. This agreement specifies that the company should maintain a 6) 7) 8) – 6 of 11 – Group Assignment – HBC614B Company Auditing positive net tangible asset ratio and a positive current ratio. Given the large amount at stake, there is a great incentive for the company to falsify, alter and manipulate figures to achieve these positive ratios at any cost.This situation would increase HomeChef’s business risk significantly and consequently increase our audit risk. The audit plan could focus on substantive testing of the accounts related to the current ratio and net asset ratio. The auditor must exercise reasonable care and skill and maintain an attitude of professional scepticism throughout the audit. Based on HomeChef’s financial ratios being adverse and the subsequent difficulty in complying with the terms of loan agreements, the auditor may need to raise a going concern issue.It would be necessary for the auditor to discuss this problem with HomeChef’s management so that appropriate measures could be taken by the company to overcome this situation. As a result of reviewing HomeChef’s operations and environment, includi ng its financial and marketing position, using the precepts of ASA 315, our audit team has been able to update our knowledge of the company’s situation and assess our audit risk accordingly. This understanding and assessment will direct the development of our strategy and plan for the audit of HomeChef. ============================ – 7 of 11 – Group Assignment – HBC614B Company Auditing PART 4 QUESTION 6. 22 – IMPACT OF BUSINESS RISK ASSESSMENT ON AUDIT STRATEGY This report presents a short case study of Weave Limited. The main purpose of the case study is to look at how Business Risk impacts on Audit Risk, and consequently, on Audit Strategy and Plan. Weave Limited is a closely held private company, manufacturing high-quality woollen cloth. It has been in operation for almost 60 years and the CEO of the company is also its major shareholder.Currently, the company is under a great financial stress due to increased competition and falling sales volu me. Three years ago the company was sued for dumping chemical pollutants into the local river. As a result, a settlement was signed with the Environmental Protection Agency providing that Weave construct a water treatment facility within five years. Our Audit Firm has been auditing Weave for the last ten years, and the current year interim audit revealed that there has been virtually no activity in the Water Treatment Facility Construction account in the current financial year.To prepare for this year audit we need to take the following steps: (1) review the company’s business risk i. e. the risk that Weave’s business objectives will not be attained due to the above-mentioned pressures and, ultimately, the risk associated with its profitability and survival. (2) assess the implications of the company’s business risk on our audit risk (3) develop our audit strategy and audit program in response to the assessed risks. In order to assess Weave’s business ris k, we felt that a PEST analysis would be the most appropriate approach.It involves identifying the political/legal, economic, social and technological influences on an entity. †¢ Environmental Protection Laws may have a heavy toll on the business. Compliance with these Laws (such as building a water treatment facility) may be very expensive, but non-compliance may actually have a suicidal effect on the company. †¢ Economic risk should also be taken into account. Increased competition and limited market for Weave’s high quality and possibly expensive products could pose a serious threat to the company’s profitability and ultimately its very survival. Social risk component is also present in this case. The surrounding area is poor and unemployment rate is high. The company’s management may feel a social pressure to provide employment at any cost. The obligation to build a water treatment facility could be very expensive and resource-consuming. It is not an easy task to estimate or to make provisions for the resources required to meet this obligation. It is even harder to estimate the costs of not meeting this obligation. This adds unusual pressure on the management.Potential incentives could arise for management to understate the company’s profit/cash flow to use as an excuse in an attempt to avoid fulfilling this particular liability. This situation is likely to increase Weave’s inherent risks. – 8 of 11 – Group Assignment – HBC614B Company Auditing In assessing the company’s control risks, certain observations and issues have come to our attention which suggest an unsatisfactory internal control system: †¢ The company’s CEO is also its major shareholder who seems to be a strong character that has the overriding authority and decision making power. The CEO does not seem to take the compliance with the conditions imposed by the Government’s Environmental Protection Agency seriously. He decided to stop work on the water treatment facility as he thought that the State would not fine or close the company down for non-compliance. †¢ The company does not seem to have any risk assessment policies or procedures for dealing with business risk. Based on the above findings, the audit team agreed that Weave’s business/inherent risks and control risks could be assessed as high.This conclusion has had an impact on our audit strategy and audit plan. As we believe that the control risks are high, an audit strategy of a predominantly substantive approach has been adopted. We do not plan to obtain a thorough understanding of the company’s internal control or to carry out tests of control. Instead, we plan extensive substantive audit procedures based on a low to medium acceptable level of detection risk (depending whether the assertions under examination are at risk).In response to the high level of inherent risks, we decided to assign more experie nced audit personnel and to conduct the audit with a heightened degree of professional scepticism. As mentioned earlier, an accurate assessment of the extent of liability related to the breach of the environmental laws is not easy to achieve. As the company’s management does not seem to recognise the seriousness of this risk or to respond to it properly, we decided to engage environmental and technical experts to assist by providing us with legal/environmental opinion and estimates.The engagement of an environmental consultant will be scheduled to happen before the year end audit. Weave’s increased inherent risk and control risk increase our audit risk. Some assertions in the company’s financial reports have been identified as the key audit assertions as they tend to be more at risk. These assertions will be examined closely (please refer to the matrix below) and more efforts will be focused on obtaining sufficient and appropriate evidence to test these assertio ns.Financial Acct Liability Acct (provision for water treatment facility) Contingent Liabilties Valuation of the provision Sales Acct (Income Statement Assertions) Completeness all sales recorded Accuracy of recorded sales amounts Correct accounting period cut-off Inherent Risk Control Risk Debtor's confirmation Assertions at risk (Balance Sheet Assertions) Completeness of all liabilities Inherent Risk Engagement of environmental expert/consultant Quotation / project estimations are recorded properly with appropriate amounts Audit Risk Procedures/Evidence 9 of 11 – Group Assignment – HBC614B Company Auditing To test if the liability account for the water treatment facility contains any material misstatement we will focus on whether the account has included all liabilities as per the environmental specialist’s advice and the amounts are properly estimated and recorded (completeness and valuation). We could do this by seeking confirmation from the environmental sp ecialist and checking estimates/quotations for the project.To support the company’s claim of ‘low sales volume’ and ‘low level of cash flow’, we will test if all sales transactions pertaining to the company have been included in the income statement (completeness) and all sales occurred during the current accounting period have been properly recorded with the correct amounts (accuracy and cut-off). Collecting debtors’ confirmations could be the approach to carry out this test. As our team has audited the company for the last ten years, it is assumed that there must be a certain degree of familiarity and complacency.However, due to the new developments in the company’ situation, more specifically, higher level of business risk, this year’s audit strategy and plan have been revised accordingly. Apart from additional audit procedures and probably a larger sample size, our team will need to maintain a higher level of professional sce pticism to make sure that the company’s accounts contain no material misstatements. It should be noted that had this audit been undertaken in the seventh year after the signing of the settlement with the Government’s Environmental Protection Agency, the situation would be different.As the condition of the settlement to build a water treatment facility would have been breached by now, there is an imminent threat of the company being closed down by the government. A ‘going concern’ assessment at the planning stage (as required by ASA 570) would provide the following going concern problem indications: (1) increased competition and falling sales, (2) noncompliance with statutory requirements, and (3) legal proceedings against the entity. In cases where going concern is related to cash flow or solvency problems, some mitigating factors could be considered (such as sale of assets or additional contributions by owners).However, in this case, it could be judged th at a going concern basis is not appropriate as the business is now subject to closure by government regulation enforcement. We, as the auditors, would need to discuss ways to deal with the problem with the company’s management. The possible outcomes could range from renegotiating the settlement agreement to making the decision to liquidate. In the latter case, the auditors would have to assess the impact that a forced sale of assets would have on the book values and the classifications of assets.The auditors would also need to assess the amount and classification of liabilities, including any provision for staff termination payments and other closing-down expenses. In any way, if going concern is an issue it should be adequately reflected (disclosed) in the Financial Reports. The Auditor’s Report should also include an ‘emphasis of matter’ [ASA701. 09 & ASA570], clearly stating that there is a significant uncertainty regarding a going concern problem. ==== ========================= – 10 of 11 – Group Assignment – HBC614B Company Auditing REFERENCES: 1. 2.Australian Auditing and Assurance Handbook, 2007 Edition, CPA Australia Australian Government’s Financial Reporting Council 2005, Australian Government’s Financial Reporting Council, viewed 20 May 2008, http://www. frc. gov. au/about 3. Brief History 2008, International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, IAS Plus, Deloitte, viewed 18 May 2008, http://www. iasplus. com/ifac/iaasb. htm 4. Chris Pearce, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, 22 November 2004, â€Å"The future of governance regulation in Australia, Address to the 21st National Conference of Chartered Secretaries Australia†, viewed 19 May 2008, http://www. reasurer. gov. au/DisplayDocs. aspx? doc=speeches/2004/001. htm=005=cjp=20 04=1 5. Gay & Simnett, 2007, ‘Chapter 6 Planning, Knowledge of the Business and Evaluating Business Risk’, Auditing and Assurance Serv ices in Australia, revised edn 3, McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd. 6. International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board 2008, IFAC, viewed 18 May 2008, http://www. ifac. org/IAASB/ 7. James M. Sylph, January 14, 2005, â€Å"Global Convergence – Near or Far? †, American Accounting Association Auditing Section 2005 Mid Year Conference

Burts Bees Essay Example for Free

Burts Bees Essay A while back in 2007, Burts Bee’s was bought out by Clorox for $913 million. In buying Burts Bee’s Clorox is promising to go green. This was Clorox’s start in buying out other green companies to help them achieve their goal in going completely green. Mr. Shavitz and Ms. Quimby the original owners of Burt’s Bees had a huge fall out that began in the late 1990’s which has been going on ever since. (1) The reason that Clorox was willing to pay almost $1 Billion for Burts Bee’s because they see a big opportunity in the market to make their products green. The Burt’s Bess is really into the whole giving back to the community, and always helping. A few events they have done for the community is Urban Gardening when they teamed up with NEEM, to help make Durham, North Carolina greener, and help them plant more community gardens. Another event that they have done is help create green homes in North Carolina. As I was looking on the Burt’s Bees website on their most frequently asked questions someone asked how they can receive donations, and the answer the company gave threw me aback. â€Å"At this time, Burt’s Bees is not currently providing product or financial donations. We remain committed to supporting local community organizations committed to The Greater Good† (2) Personally in reading this I feel like if they want to help create that customer satisfaction, they should be willing to help everyone go green and not just the community. Since the buyout according to Clorox, their natural care products already account for over $6 billion in sales and is growing at a fast rate. The sales are climbing to a yearly rate of around 9%. As for the stalk holder Clorox states, they rose from $1. 69, 2. 8%. to $62. 69. This was a huge boost for the stockholders, and for people who wanted to buy into the stalk. As of 25th 2013, the stalks are at $83. 25. (3) This was also helping Clorox’s public relations by helping them get well known. Clorox does a whole bunch of press releases to help show that they have turned green. They also do press releases when they win an award or do contests for people to enter. When you go on the Clorox website they give you three options to choose from, Press Releases, Media Resources, and Press contacts. Since working together with Burt’s Bee’s, Clorox is also trying to get more involved in the community which they never used to do. On their website they state, â€Å"Clorox knows that it can’t do it alone and actively seeks partners and other affiliations to help us become a more sustainable company. Clorox also cares. In addition to our work to make Clorox a more sustainable company, we strive to make a positive eco impact beyond Clorox. † (4) Clorox donates nearly $1 million dollars to environmental causes. Some of things they do to help the community is they donate products to the Save the Frogs, and Save the California Oaks. They also have their own foundations to help Keep America Beautiful. Burts Bees. (2016, Oct 01).

Importance of maintaining balance to achieve wellness and academic Essay

Importance of maintaining balance to achieve wellness and academic success - Essay Example Striving to achieve balance between physical health, mental health, emotional health, and even spiritual health is key to be at an optimum level, so that one may also be able to achieve maximum success in different areas, such as in academics. Wellness is greatly related to achieving academic success because doing well in school requires one to be well physically, mentally and emotionally. For example, a student will not be able to concentrate and study well if his or her mental wellness is not being given proper care and concern. The brain is a powerful yet delicate organ, which requires tending and caring. Students must get enough of sleep in order to b able to focus on the lessons in school the next day, and to be able to retain the information that is being taught as well. We see that it is very common for many high school and college students who dont get enough sleep and rest, they have a hard time staying awake and alert for class the next day. It is also harder for them to st ay focused and to remember what they have just learned. For another example, it is also important to maintain physical health, because these aspects also greatly focus a person’s ability and potential to keep learning and improving in school. It is key for a student to eat the right kind and amount of food, and to also regularly exercise in order to be physically fit and well. Without this, students may get sick, which will prevent them from being able to go to school and be able to do all the required work that is assigned to them. This then will prevent them from achieving academic success. Of course, at every stage in a person’s lifetime, the needs of wellbeing are different. Kids, for example, need more rest and more fat as they are at the stage of maximum activity and continuous growing. Their body needs all the energy and nutrition that it needs for the cells to continue to grow healthily and properly. As we all grow older,

Write your own editorial Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Write your own editorial - Assignment Example This unfortunate situation can be exacerbated even more by the fact that some teachers feel they must punish students who arrive even a minute or two late with a detention, giving students a sense of stress, anxiety and urgency, and encouraging them to do whatever they can to make it to class on time, even if it means being rude or behaving dangerously towards fellow students or themselves, by, for instance, running in hallways or down staircases. Luckily, however, there are some solutions to this problem. By far the simplest is to simply change it back to the old system where students were allowed four minutes to get between classes. This represents an increase of thirty-three percent of time between classes, and would give students all the time they need. The downside is that this would make some classes longer than others, but only by a minute, and most classes tend not to use exactly the amount of time allotted anyways. Another solution is to allow students a grace period of one or two minutes after classes start where they will not be given detentions for lateness – this will mean students will still have to rush to classes but will be more judicious knowing that serious consequences will not result from minor tardiness. The bottom line is the current system does not work, and must be

Identify an entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial venture that has Research Paper

Identify an entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial venture that has leveraged global and social media - Research Paper Example The company involved its business owners from the onset to close of their operations. The company attempted to avoid promotional messages to the clients but rather involve them in the entire process of business (Hibbard 1). Sandoval indicates that Microsoft covers over 100 countries; thus, has a responsibility to advance their social as well as economic opportunities (152). This, therefore, led to the sharing of Microsoft messages that touched on â€Å"Your Office, Your Terms† slogan which led to more likes on Facebook and follows on Twitter (Hibbard 1). What I liked the most about the Microsoft’s approach in leveraging social media is the incorporation of women in their campaigns as the women occupy a considerable percentage of the audience group (Hibbard 1). I also loved the aspect that the company opted not to focus on promotion messages but emphasized on the usability of the site and how to improve their experience of the site. This explains why the Microsoft campaign led to more likes than expected. The female executives were targeted, and through file sharing and web conferencing, their businesses grew with a huge margin. What was exceptional and effective about the Microsoft’s approach was the editorial calendar. This calendar as Hibbard indicates included the mix of women who are in businesses (1). Through this platform, the women were provided with a platform for making discussions and post their contributions as far as business deals were concerned. It is through this calendar that the company managed to publish the stories of about 30 women in less than two months. In their social media-based initiative, the venture achieved social action as opposed to the usual interactions (Hibbard 1). The bloggers and users of the social media sites of the Microsoft page were engaged in learning more from the site such as the women who were

Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics - Assignment Example The common form of genetic manipulation involves the insertion of new genetic material to a place that’s not specified in the host genome. This is done by isolating and copying the genetic material of interest by using molecular cloning methods in order to come up with a DNA sequence that contain the necessary genetic elements for expression. The construct is then inserted into the host organism. There exist other forms of genetic engineering such as gene targeting and knocking out of specific genes through engineered nucleases (Lemaux, 2006). Cloning though not considered genetic engineering or modification is closely related and genetic engineering has been seen to be used within it. Synthetic biology on the other hand is a discipline that is emerging where there is an introduction of artificially synthesized genetic material from raw materials into an organism. There are many resultants of genetic manipulations. When genetic materials from other species of organisms are add ed to a host the outcome is called a transgenic. When genes from same species that can interbreed are added to the result is a cisgenic. When genetic material is used to remove genetic material from another organism it results in a knockout organism (Lemaux, 2006). The process of genetic manipulation The first stage in genetic engineering is isolation of the gene. ... The third stage is called gene targeting where the gene is inserted in the host genome. The most common technique for doing his is random placement. Other techniques involve placing the gene in specific locations. Gene targeting uses is known to use homologous recombination to target desired changes to a specified endogenous gene (Beardmore & Porter, 2003). The fourth stage is called transformation and this is where the DNA is moved into an organism thereby altering its genotype or genetic makeup. There are various types of transformations but the most common is the Microinjection-injecting the DNA directly into the cell nucleus using an ultrafine needle. The fifth stage is called selection where the transformed cells are differentiated from the untransformed cells. If a given cell has been transformed successfully it usually contains a marker gene. The selection is done by growing the cell in a chemical that marks the cells that express that gene. The sixth stage is called regenerat ion where the organism is grown from the single transformed cell. In plants it is done through tissue culture while in animals it is done in embryonic cells. The last stage is confirmation and this is where the organism is analyzed to ensure that the genes will be expressed in an appropriate manner in the tissues of the organism. All the above seven steps are followed for successful genetic manipulation (Beardmore & Porter, 2003). Genetic safety There are many safety concerns that are brought about by genetically modified organisms. This has made studies be undertaken in this area to ascertain the extent to which the genetically modified organisms are safe in our environment or are safe for our consumption

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Focus The focus of this paper will be on the effect of environmental factors on the HRM systems utilized for employee resourcing and talent management in an organisation in the U.K. Organizations do not work in a vacuum and have to rely on cues from the external environment to decide where the company is headed and the kind of talent it needs to take it there. While the environment can prove favourable at times, it can also drastically and negatively affect company business; consequently, having an understanding on how to deal with these, from an HRM point of view, is very important. Employee Resourcing and Talent Management: Analysis and Significance For the purpose of this essay, the chosen system is the Employee resourcing and talent management system of HR. Identifying new resource and hiring it happens to be the most basic function of any HR manager in any organization, irrespective of size and scale of operations. A more advanced but still extremely crucial level of HRM is the management of that talent and utilizing it in such a way so as to maximize overall output and efficiency. Unemployed talent represents people who are living within the same external environment of the organization and are experiencing similar pressures but are not a component of the internal culture and environment of the company. ... External environmental influences and their impact on HRM systems and service delivery there are many influences that affect HR decision making and strategy. A detailed analysis of the external ones is given below: Political The government has been making deliberate attempts at curtailing the influx of foreighners into the U.K. – whether as workers or as immigrants. Fluendy (2011) comments on the great demand for foreigners in the U.K. for the fields of IT, engineering and accountancy, as well as in nursing and technicians. The government has been openly and sometimes surreptitiously implementing laws that discourage people from hiring workers from outside. The policy on immigration here has not been as it is implemented in other countries, with its aim since the 1960s to limit provision of U.K. citizenship and acclimatizing immigrants already present in the country (Boswell 2008). Despite that, more than 2 million immigrants have come and settled in the U.K. in the past decad e or so. Job creation, unfortunately, has not been able to match this influx. These affect directly the labour market and thus the resourcing needs of HRM. Legal The stock market crash has instigated investigation into the effectiveness of the Financial Services Authority. Of late, insider dealing has been banned in the U.K., says Barnes (2010). Furthermore, discrimination control laws are in place. In late 2010, the Equality Act 2010 was implemented which is aimed at harmonising all existing anti-discrimination legislation (Davies 2010). With the labour market an amalgamation of so many nationals, HR needs to be well cognisant of the law for proper talent

Anything in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anything in business - Essay Example The tablet will be access beyond the Wife only. It will be able to catch Web access via simple linking it to the Blackberry. But the tablet will also function as a standalone advice. RIM’S COEE claims that the ultimate aim of this tablet is to provide a full on computer and web experience on the tablet. This means that the dependency of tablet would be very little on third party applications. On its end, the Playbook is a step taken by RIM to protect its position as the top notch provider of mobile gadgets for the business set. It will also have flash applications. On the other hand, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has voiced his restraint in allowing Flash on company’s mobile gadgets claiming that the software has too many bugs and rips apart too much battery life. RIM’s close relationship with its various corporate clients can help the company extract a certain portion of the tablet market which is originally Apple’s niche. If it moves strategically, then it can take away that portion of the market share. IDC predicts that the corporate market for tablet computer will keep growing with the growth of sales of these tablets in the next few years. It is forecasted that roughly 11 percent of the overall sales of the tablet PCs will be directed to schools till 2014. Playbook and Ipad will be at loggerheads with each other. It remains to be seen who beats whom. While Playbook will not just be work oriented, it will have video games, it looks like Ipad will take the edge in styling. And the market is not just restricted to RIM’s tablet. When Ipad came, it brought with itself, a wave of competitors, so naturally Ipad is not the only competitor out there. Even Dell is headed in this direction. It came up with its own tablet computer called Streak in August. Similarly Samsung is all set to launch Galaxy tab next month and already has four carriers in its kitty booked. The battle is on and it is only going to get

Seasons of the Year Essay Example for Free

Seasons of the Year Essay It was the summer break and we were hanging out at Nadias back porch. The day was the   epitome of summer: warm day, light breeze, white cotton dresses swaying among green grass. We were enjoying tall glasses of iced tea and freshly-baked oatmeal cookies, while trading stories. It was just like when we were kids, barely into puberty and boys. That was a time of daily neighborhood bike trips, of flowers nicked from unsuspecting neighbors, of promises that we will never be separated from each other, which we swore to by having identical ballpoint tattoos, of ending our daily adventures with tall, cold glasses of iced tea and freshly-baked cookies supplied by Nadias accommodating father, while listening to Lizs never ending (but never boring) tall tales. Those were the best months of my life, and I only realize that now, when they have become a distant past. Like the tire tracks we left with our bikes, the flowers we innocently uprooted, the washable tattoos, the ice cubes in the long-since consumed iced tea and oatmeal cookies, the words Liz used to narrate her imaginative stories, we took these for granted, reassured that we can do them again and again. The foolishness of youth. Who would have thought that Nadias father would be involved in a car accident, and become semi-paralyzed while we were in high school? Who would have thought that vibrant Liz would drop out of college in our second year to join an organization that deals with human rights violations overseas? And who would have thought Diana would become separated from Nadia, Carrie, and me as she leaves for Florida in a few days before flying to Japan? Our last summer of being together, before high school graduation, I realized that autumn does come early. And so does the desolation of winter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We were looking up at the blue sky when Liz suggested we go somewhere. We were all for it, as it was our first summer together since we started college, but we had no idea where to go. All of a sudden, Diana suggested we go to Hollywood now. We knew it was crazy, but we immediately got up, piled into Carries car, and drove away with all five of us in the car. All we had were the bills and coins in our pockets and knapsacks, the clothes on our backs, Carries car, Nadias camera, and each other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the first stop, we bought beer and junk food. Everyone except for Carrie drank; Nadia also drank, albeit she only had a bottle. She kept taking pictures of everyone, from Lizs crazy tongue stunts, to Dianas impersonations, to my dazed reaction to everything (â€Å"What? Where are we? Whats that?†), to the view of outside from Carries seat. We were being crazy and immature, and it was like being back again to our childhood summers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was a long car ride, but I do not remember much of what transpired then. Only, I was looking outside for sometime, and I was amazed at how one feels a certain attachment towards clouds; we were in a moving vehicle, yet I kept on looking at a certain cloud, pulling it towards me as we drove to Hollywood. The sky behind it kept on changing hues: blue, red, purple. I knew that no two clouds looked alike, especially in different seasons; yet, they are still clouds, made of the same material.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We soon reached Hollywood, and being inebriated, transformed into giddy kids in a playground. The rest of the Hollywood tour I can only remember in a drunken blur: taking pictures with nadias camera hand prints of stars taking pictures of the stars themselves of crazy food in crowded diners of break dancing kids of shimmering lights of gangs approaching people and bashing pounding shouting running around hollywood looking for the car walking to the same places over and over and over again   losing the car carrie panicking shivering shouting crying taking the bus home drowsy because of the rocking bus like waves of the sea   looking up at night-time clouds still same clouds though different diana running frantic to airport plane bound for florida is boarding when we arrive hugging goodbye waving tears laughter friends   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Looking back, I have always seen summer as the best time of the year. It was the most familiar to me, the most comforting; I get to be with my friends again, and just hang out. Cotton dresses are always softer, and green grass is greener during summer. I get to watch the blue sky as familiar, white fluffy clouds drift. Yet, I have forgotten that they are the same water vapor forming shapes, whatever the season, just as my friends are still my friends, wherever we may be, how old we may be. I have also forgotten that though autumn may come early, it also brings with it the promise of a new summer. And if summer does end early, I can always pull out all those summer memories and remember.

Theories to explain narcissistic personality disorder

Theories to explain narcissistic personality disorder Theories are explanations of cause-effect relationship of human phenomenon. A well-developed theory presents a set of testable propositions stating the relationships of variables producing a phenomenon i.e. it should be capable of explaining the dynamics of human behaviour. All theories of human behaviour are not alike. They do not enjoy equal status both in dimensions and depth. Some are major theories, others are mini theories, and still others are simply concepts. For example, psychoanalytic theory and reinforcement theory are major theories; cognitive dissonance theory and attribution theory are mini theories; and complementary theory of attraction and narcissistic theory of personality disorder are simply concepts. We take up Freudian psychoanalytic theory first. Freuds (1910, 1911) first explicit formulation of narcissism conceived it is a normal phase of development standing midway between autoeroticism and object love. During this transitory period, initially diverse and unconnected autoerotic sensations were fused into what was experienced as ones body, which then become a single, unified love-object. In 1914 Freud aligned narcissism with libido theory and proposed that it ultimately matured and diffused into object relationships. Shortly thereafter he reformulated his thinking on the developmental sequence and spoke of the autoerotic phase as the primary narcissistic condition. This first phase became the initial repository of libido from which emerged not only the love of self but love in general. In time narcissism was conceived by Freud as a universal developmental process that continued through life but unfolded through se ­quential stages. He recognized that difficulties may arise in this normal, sequential progression. First, the re may be failures to advance from li ­bidinal self-love to object-love, and, second, pe ­culiarities may occur in the way the person expresses narcissistic love. Freud (l914/ I925) described this latter difficulty as follows: We have found, especially in persons whose libidinal development has suffered some disturbance, as in perverts and homosexuals that in their choice of love-object they have taken as their model not the mother; but their own selves. They are plainly seek ­ing themselves as love object and their type of object choice may be termed narcissistic. (p. 45) In this only major paper devoted exclusively to narcissism, Freud (1914) suggested that in certain casesnotably among perverts and ho ­mosexuals libidinal self-centeredness stems from the childs feeling that caretakers cannot be depended on to provide love reliably. Either re ­buffed by their parents or subjected to fickle and erratic attention (seductive one moment and dep ­recating the next) these children give up as far as trusting and investing in others as love-objects. Rather than rely on the capriciousness of others or risk their rejection, these youngsters avoid the lasting attachment they achingly desire and de ­cide instead that it is only themselves they can trust and therefore love. In light of current debates within psychoana ­lytic circles, it is important to note that the devel ­opmental origin of the term narcissism described here was only one of several concepts that Freud posited as the source of libidinal self-cathexis. Moreover, the paper was not written for the purpose of formulating either a narcissistic personal ­ity type or a narcissistic character structure. Rather, Freuds interest lay in exploring and elaborating variations in both the development and the nature of libidinal cathexis. As far as clinical syn ­dromes were concerned, he referred in this paper to characteristics observed among paraphrenics (paranoid schizophrenics), megalomaniacs, and hypochondriacs. When Freud wrote, for the first time in 1931, about narcissistic libidinal type, he de ­scribed this individual as follows: The main interest is focused on self-preservation; the type is independent and not easily overawed, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦People of this type impress others, being personalities; it is on them that their fellow men are specially likely to lean; they readily as ­sume the role of leader, give a fresh stimulus to cultural development or break down existing con ­ditions. (p. 249) What is striking in this quote is Freuds charac ­terization of the narcissists strength and confi ­dence, especially since it contrasts so markedly with the low self-esteem, feelings of emptiness, pain, and depression that certain of his recent disci ­ples (Forman, 1975; Kohut, 1971) attribute to this personality, Disparities in characterizations such as these often arise as a consequence of shifts in Freuds formulations from one period to another: over his productive and long career. In this case, it can be traced to the fact that Freud identified sev ­eral origins of narcissistic self-cathexis, only one of which is the type of parental caprice and rejec ­tion that may lead to feelings of emptiness and low self-esteem. As evident from earlier excerpts, and as later elaborated further, Freuds description of the narcissistic libidinal type, brief though it is, corresponds much more closely to the DSM-III portrayal of the narcissistic personality than do several contemporary characterizations that trace their antecedents to either parental rebuff or unreliability. Relevant to this issue is a Freuds view that that narcissistic self-investment is more likely to be a prod ­uct of parental overvaluation than of parental devaluation. Moving back somewhat to the 1920s, we find three analytically oriented theorists who addressed the concept of a narcissistic personality. Wilhelm Reich claimed to have first formulated what he termed the phallic-narcissistic character at a Vienna Psychoanalytic Society meeting in 1926, although Waelder (1925) made reference to narcis ­sistic personality features in an earlier paper focusing on the mechanisms of the psychotic process. According to Kernberg (1967) narcissists present an unusual degree of self-ref ­erence in their interactions with other people, a great need to be loved and admired by others and a curious apparent contradiction between a very in ­flated concept of themselves and an inordinate need for tribute from others. Their emotional life is shallow. They experience little empathy for the feelings of others, they obtain very little enjoyment from life other than from the tributes they receive from others or from their own grandiose fantasies, and they feel restless and bored when external glit ­ter wears off and no new sources feed their self  ­regard. They envy others, tend to idealize some people from whom they expect narcissistic supplies, and to depreciate and treat with contempt those from whom they do not expect anything (often their former idols). In general, their relationships with other people are clearly exploitative and sometimes parasitic. It is as if they feel they have the right to control and possess others and to exploit them with ­out guilt feelings, and behind a surface which very often is charming and engaging, one senses coldness and ruthlessness. Very often such patients are considered to be dependent because they need so much tribute and adoration from others, but on a deeper level they are completely unable really to de ­pend on anybody because of their deep distrust and depreciation of other. (p. 655) Kernberg (1967) asserted that the haughty and grandiose constellation of behaviors that charac ­terizes the narcissist is a defense against the pro ­jection of oral rage that, in turn, stems from the narcissists incapacity to depend on inter ­nalized good objects. In this etiologic formula ­tion, Kernberg claimed that the experiential background of most narcissists includes chroni ­cally cold parental figures who exhibit either in ­difference or covert, but spitefully aggressive, attitudes toward their children. At the same time, the young, future narcissist is often found to pos ­sess some special talent or status within the fam ­ily, such as playing the role of genius or being the only child. This quality of specialness serves as a refuge, at first only temporarily but ultimately an often-returned-to haven that reli ­ably offsets the underlying feeling of having been unloved by the vengefully rejecting parent. Kernberg (1975) describes the following pointwise eleven characteristics of narcissistic personality: Excessive self absorption. Superficially smooth, appropriate and effective social adaptation covering profound distortions in internal relations with other people. Intense ambitiousness. Grandiose fantasies existing side by side with feelings of inferiority. Over dependence on external admiration and acclaim. Feelings of boredom and emptiness. Endless search for gratification of strivings for brilliance, wealth, power and beauty. Incapacity to love to be concerned or to be empathic toward others. Chronic uncertainty and dissatisfaction about oneself. Exploitativeness and ruthlessness toward others. Chronic, intense envy, and defenses against such envy e.g., devaluation, omnipotent central and narcissistic withdrawal. Kohuts Approach Kohuts (1971) views are more difficult to summa ­rize than those of Kernberg, perhaps as a conse ­quence of their greater originality. Despite having been written in esoteric, if not obscure, psychoanalytic jargon and having been formulated in an ingenious, if at times ponderous and tautological fashion, Kohuts work has attracted numerous disciples. Fortunately, a score of in ­terpreters have sought to elucidate his metapsy ­chological assertions, which many consider among the more imaginative advances in recent analytic theory (Forman, 1975; Gedo Gold ­berg, 1973; Palombo, 1976; Wolf, 1976). Kohut (1971) rejects the traditional Freudian and Kernbergian thesis that narcissistic self-investment re ­sults from a defensive withdrawal of object-love attachments following a pattern of chronic parental coldness or vengeful spite. This classical view con ­tends that narcissism is a result of developmental arrests or regressions to earlier points of fixation. Thus, the future narcissist, according to standard analytic metapsychology, regresses to or fails to progress through the usual developmental sequence of initial undifferentiated libido, followed by auto ­eroticism, narcissism, and, finally, object-love. It is not the content as such but the sequence of libidinal maturation that Kohut challenges. His clinical ob ­servations have led him to assert that the primitive narcissistic libido has its own developmental line and sequence of continuity into adulthood. That is, it does not fade away by becoming transformed into object-libido, as contended by classical theo ­ri sts, but unfolds into its own set of mature narcis ­sistic processes and structures. In healthy form, for example, these processes might include behaviors such as humor and creativity; similarly, and most significantly, it is through this narcissistic develop ­mental sequence that the cohesive psychic structure of self ultimately emerges. Pathology in narcissistic development, according to Kohut, occurs as a consequence of failures to in ­tegrate one of two major spheres of self-maturation, the grandiose self and the idealized parental image. Confronted by realistic shortcomings that undermine early feelings of grandiose omnipotence, or subsequently recognizing the equally illusory na ­ture of the idealized powers they have attributed to their parents, these children must find a way to overcome their disappointments so as not to fragment If disillusioned, rejected, or experienc ­ing cold and unempathic care at the earliest stages of self-development, serious pathology, such as psy ­chotic or borderline states, will occur. Trauma or disappointment at a later phase will have somewhat different repercussions depending on whether the difficulty centered on the development of the grandiose self or on the parental imago. In the for ­mer, the child will fail to develop the sense of ful ­fillment and self-confiden ce that comes from I feeling worthwhile and valued; as a consequence, these needs will split off and result in the persis ­tent seeking of narcissistic recognition through adulthood. Along the second line of self-develop ­ment, children who are unable to idealize their par ­ents because of the latters indifference or rejection will feel devastated, depressed, and empty. Through adulthood, they will seek idealized parental surro ­gates who, inevitably, will fail to live up to the om ­nipotent powers the narcissists hoped to find within them. In their desperate search for an ideal that is greater than themselves, they are often led to be ­ have in a weak and self-effacing manner that will enable others to overshadow them. What is notable is that Kohuts is a developmen ­tal theory of self and not a personality characterization. Nevertheless, it leads to a clinical picture that at variance with those of Freud, Kernberg, and the DSM..III and IV. The features that emerge from Kohuts descriptions have been summarized by Forman (1975). Listed among the more promi ­nent are (a) low self-esteem, (b) tendencies toward periodic hypochondriasis, and (c) feelings of emptiness or deadness. Bursten (1973) has sought to distinguish four personality variants within the narcissistic grouping, speaking of them as the craving, paranoid, ma ­nipulative, and phallic types, He refers to the craving variety as clinging, demanding, often pouting and whining (p. 290). Those labelled paranoid narcissists correspond with general descrip ­tions of the paranoid personality. Manipulative narcissists encompass a large segment of what are referred to as antisocial personalities in the DSM-II. The fourth subtype, phallic narcissists, describes patients who are exhibitionistic, reckless, cold, and arrogant. In seeking to contrast borderline from narcissistic personalities, Bursten makes reference to the distinction as bearing on the cohesiveness of self. Elaborating this distinction, he speaks of the narcissistic personality as comprisingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a group of people whose sense of self is suffi ­ciently cohesive that they do not suffer from these types of fragility problems, The striking feature of this cluster of personality types centers around self-esteem, They maintain an intense interest in themselves and harbor both grandiose fantasies, al ­beit not to a delusional extent, and the need to as ­sociate with powerful figures, When one frustrates their vanity or their need for an ideal parent, they become dysfunctional-they suffer severe dis ­appointment, depression, rage, and hypochondria ­sis, They may even have fleeting episodes of confusion, but such mental disintegration is very brief and does not have the prominence and the persistence of people whose personalities fall in the borderline cluster. To be noted, cohesiveness of their sense of self is maintained by the intensity focus on themselves. (Bursten 1973, p. 414). Drawing on Burstens conceptions of self ­ cohesiveness, Adler (1981) elaborates further on the continuum of narcissistic and borderline personalities: Borderline patients have serious difficulties in maintaining stable self-object transferences as well as a sense of self-cohesivenessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Patients with narcissistic personality disorders on the upper end of the continuum are able to main ­tain self-cohesiveness, except for transient fragmentation. These fragmentation experiences can often be examined in the therapeutic situation with ­out serious disruptionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Finally, patients with a narcissistic personality disorder do not experience the feelings of aloneness experienced by borderline patients. From the borderline patient capable of a serious regression at one end of the continuum to the patient with a stable narcissistic personality disorder at the other end, we can evaluate our patients, using cohesiveness of the self; self-object transference stability, and the achievement of aloneness. (pp. 47-48) Coopers Approach Cooper (1984, 1988, 1989) has written exten ­sively on different facets of the narcissistic char ­acter, describing aspects of its development, the central role of an integrated self-image, and its in ­tertwining with masochistic like tendencies. In each sphere, his Insights have been unusually as ­tute and his themes both scholarly and eloquently expressed. Speaking of the importance of an integrated self-image, Cooper (1984) writes: A vital aspect of normal self-development is the achievement of an internalized, integrated self image (p.46) Different workers have referred to these integrative capacities and failures .in a variety of ways Kohut spoke of enfeebled selves lacking co ­hesion, Kernberg speaks of splits in self-represen ­tations. Erikson referred to identity diffusion, and winnicott spoke of the false Self. Under many different headings, every investigator in this area has emphasized the core importance of the cre ­ation of a unified, coherent, integrated i nner sense of self. (p. 47) Describing the intermeshing of narcissistic and masochistic pathology, Cooper (1989) comments: Frustrations of narcissistic strivings lead to repara ­tive attempts to maintain omnipotent fantasiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Self esteem takes on a pathological quality when an individual begins to derive satisfaction from mas ­tery of his own humiliations. A pattern of deriv ­ing pleasure out of displeasure has begun. This pattern provides the groundwork for the later clini ­cal picture of . . . the injustice collector. These individuals are basically narcissistic- ­masochistic characters and their analysis regularly reveals that narcissistic defenses of grandiosity and entitlement are used to ward off masochistic tenden ­cies toward self-abasement and self-damage. (p. 314) Taking issue with the descriptively narrow for ­mulations of the narcissistic personality in the DSM, Cooper and Sacks (1991) offer the following comments: The diagnostic features are a caricature not a clinical picture. The core issue is a conflict over self-esteem in defense of self-inflation. This grandiosity is more or less fragile or becomes more or less pathologically unrealistic when threats to self-esteem and self-representation .are present in the form of criticism tasks beyond ones capacity, etc. These patients often have a slippery ethical sys ­tem, not out of intent to exploit, but out of the need to hide flaws and keep their defects secret. Narcissistic characters also have frequent paranoid tendencies, again arising out of the need to hide im ­perfections. The sense of needing to feel perfect is as much a part of the picture as grandiosity, which is an overt characteristic. (p.3) Akhtar and Thomsans Approach In a series of particularly insightful papers, Akhtar and Thomson (1982) have sought to bring the scattered literature on the narcissi into a multifaceted profile, including their characteristic overt and covert features in six areas of psychoso ­cial functioning. In a recent book, Akhtar (1992) indicates that narcissists appear overtly grandiose, exploitative, seductive and articulate. Covertly, however, they are doubt-ridden, envious of others; chronically bored corruptible, and unable to love. Akhtars format for differentiating the overt from the covert is an extremely helpful distinction owing to the disparity that exists among many narcissists between their self-presentations and their intrapsychic doubts. Gundersons Approach Another important contributor in the narcissistic personality literature is Gunderson (1983; Gunderson Ronningstam, 1991, Gunderson. Ronningstam, 1991 Smith. In summarizing the features of the narcissist, he includes several criteria (Gunderson Ronningstam, 1991): Narcissistic patients are usually talented and have had sustained periods of successful academic employment, or creative achievement, This is frequently a source for their sense of superiority, It is also a reason why they are more apt to appear in private practice settings than in either institutions or clinics. Narcissistically disturbed patients reported histories in which they have reacted with hostility and suspicion to the perception of other peoples envy toward them. They believe that because of envy other peoples envy toward them. They believe that because of envy other people have set out to hurt them spoil their work, diminish their achievements, or criticize them behind their back. Feelings of devaluation/or contempt may occur toward many people but are especially evident to ­ward anyone why they believe has betrayed or oth ­erwise disappointed them. These become sustained attitudes of dislike or dismissal. (pp. 114-115) Stones Approach Another astute contemporary theorist. Stone (1993) further amplifies the divergent back ­grounds and psychic states of the narcissist as the following: Narcissistic traits can develop, curiously, when there are deviations from ideal rearing on either side: pampering or neglecting; expecting too much or too little. Excessive praise of a child . . . can give rise to . . . feelings of superiority, of being destined for greatness. . . . But compensatory feel ­ings of a similar kind can arise where there has been parental indifference and neglect, for in this situation a child may develop an exaggerated de ­sire for greatness by way of shoring up a sense of self-worth in the absence of the ordinary parental praise. Whereas the overly praised child may regard himself as better than he really is, the neglected child may present a dual picture: an outward sense of (compensatory) specialness cov ­ering an inward sense worthlessness. (p. 260) Learys Approach: Timothy Leary (1957), a disciple of Homey and others of the social and interpersonal school of thought, extended their notions to what he terms adjustment through competition. Leary speaks of this pattern as demonstrating a competitive self-confident narcissism, described in the follow ­ing quotes: In its maladaptive extreme it becomes a smug, cold, selfish, exploitive social role. In this case the adaptive self-confidence and independence be ­come exaggerated into a self-oriented rejection of othersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The individuals feel most secure when they are independent of other peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The narcissist putsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦distance between himself and others- wants to be independent of and superior to the other one. Dependence is terrifying. (p. 332) The second group of . . . patients . . . are those whose self-regard has received a decent defeat. They often report the most colorful and fearful symptomatology . . . The superficial impression of depression or dependence is deceptive. Psychologi ­cal testing or perceptive interviewing will reveal that the patients are not as anxious or depressed as they appear. What becomes evident is a narcissistic concern with their own reactions, their own sensi ­tivities. The precipitating cause for their entrance to the clinic is usually a shift in their life situation, which causes frustration or a blow to their pride. (p. 335) Benjamins Approach Following the interpersonal perspective of Leary are a number of interpersonally oriented theorists who drafted their model of various personality disorders in highly fruitful work. Notable among this group is Benjamin (1993), who has formulated a complex analysis of the narcis ­sistic character. In her recent work, she describes this personality as follows: There is extreme vulnerability to criticism or being ignored, together with a strong wish for love, sup ­port, and admiring deference from others. The baseline position involves noncontingent love of self and presumptive control of others. If the support is withdrawn, or if there is any evidence of lack of perfection, the self-concept degrades to severe self-criticism. Totally lacking in empathy, these persons treat others with contempt, and hold the self above and beyond the fray. (p. 147) [The narcissist] expects to be given whatever he or she wants and needs, no matter what it might mean to others. This does not include active decep ­tion, but rather is a consequence of the belief that he or she is entitled. For example, the NPD would not set out to con a little old lady out of her life savings; however, if she offered them, the NPD would accept such a gift without reflection about its impact on her. [He/She] will expect great dedication, overwork, and heroic performance from the people associated with him or her without giving any thought to the impact of this pattern in their lives. (p. 150) Beck and Freemans Approach Contributing the insightful analysis of the nar ­cissistic personality from a cognitive point of view. Beck and Freeman (1990) provide the following proposal concerning this individuals dis ­torted belief system: The core narcissistic beliefs are as follows: Since I am special, I deserve special dispensations, privi ­leges, and prerogatives, Im superior to others and they should acknowledge this, Im above the rules. Their main strategies consist of doing whatever they can to reinforce their superior status and to expand their personal domain. Thus, they may seek glory, wealth, position, power, and prestige as a way of continuously reinforcing their superior image. Their main affect is anger when other people do not accord them the admiration or respect that they believe they are entitled to, or otherwise thwart them in some way. They are prone to becom ­ing depressed, however, if their strategies are foiled. (Beck Freeman 1990. p. 50) Narcissistic Personality Disorder can be conceptualized as stemming from a combination of dysfunctional schemas about the self, the world, and the future. The early founda ­tion of these schemas is developed by direct and indirect messages from parents, siblings, and sig ­nificant others, and by experiences that mold beliefs about personal uniqueness and self-impor ­tanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Narcissists regard themselves as spe ­cial, exceptional, and justified in focusing exclusively on personal gratification; they expect admiration, deference, and compliance from oth ­ers, and their expectations of the future focus on the realization of grandiose fantasies. At the same time, beliefs about the importance of other peoples feelings are conspicuously lacking. Be ­havior is affected by deficits in cooperation and reciprocal social interaction, as well as by ex ­cesses in demanding, self-indulgent, and some ­times aggressive behaviors. (p. 238). In writing theories of narcissistic personality disorder, the stereotyped pattern was not adopted. Rather, attempt was made to present the view of clinicians, theoreticians and social thinkers. Highlights are given below: Psycho dynamically oriented theorists conclude that the narcissistic disorders are the product of emotionally unhealthy parent child relationship. The cold and callous mother/father produce a sense of rejection and unworthiness in child with he result that such a child spends his life defending himself that he is good and loved child and he deserves admiration and attention form all others around him. Object-relation theorists are basically psychodynamically oriented. They are as a matter of fact both derivatives and deviationists. Since they give much more importance to mother-child relationship than what is commonly given to parent-child relationship, they are described as object-relation (mother-child relation) theorists. According to object-relation theorists, negative relationship between mother-child relationship has negative impact on the growing negative personality of the child. Generally such a child develops a grandiose self-image, consequently, illusion of self-sufficiency and freedom from parental restriction is reported. Such a child is much prone to narcissistic personality tendencies. Those who give importance both to behavioural and cognitive aspects or personality development do not approve the extreme sides of child-rearing practices. They approve neither too much love nor too much negligence. Extremity of approach to the child is held to be a responsible factor in the development of narcissistic disorder. In support of this proposition, first born/the only born child who is generally over-loved is said to be prone to the development of narcissistic tendencies. Socio-cultural theorists hold that in a society where freedom of living life in the way parents are living is not questioned, adolescents feel free to adopt individualistic life-pattern. In other words, narcissism is held to have link with fading interest in ones culture. That is, where individualism is preferred to collectivism, where new values are getting recognition, narcissistic lifestyle is very likely to gain strong ground. It may be summarized that articles and books have been written about narcissistic personality disorders from two opposite perspectives. The first perspective is psycho, analytic theory which suggests that personalities are compensating for inadequate affection and approval from their parents in early childhood (Kernberg, 1975; Kohut, 1972). The second perspective is social learning perspective (Millon, 1969, 1981) which holds that narcissistic personality disorders are the product of home life, created by parents who have inflated views of their childrens intelligence, achievements, and beauty of face, figure and complexion.

Religion Essay -- Catechism, Catholic Church

In 1999, police officers killed a man who they were chasing for three-consecutive hours. While he was being chased, five California TV helicopters broadcasted the event live, and the entire public, including his family, saw his death. The Church’s teaching reveals whether the live broadcasting of violent acts is ethical or unethical. Throughout the years the media has increased the reporting of real violent acts, but they are not beneficial to the common good due to the negative effects it has on human dignity. Firstly, the Catechism Of The Catholic Church teaches that all media is limited to what the common good requires. To illustrate, Pope Paul VI says that, â€Å"The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good† (CCC 2494). This shows that all information disclosed by the media must be beneficial to the common good. Secondly, the Catechism states that all media that is broadcasted to the public must never oppose the common good. For example Pope Paul VI says the, â€Å"[the media] must adjust their economic, political or artistic and technical aspects so as never to oppose the common good† (Inter Mirifica 11). Revealing that the media must not disclose any information that may â€Å"oppose the common good†. Thirdly, the media releases wanton violent acts, which u ndermine the value of human dignity. For instance, the Catechism Of The Catholic Church teaches that, â€Å"Social justice can be obtained only in respecting the transcendent dignity of man† (CCC 1929). This means that â€Å"real† news reports can only be beneficial to the common good if they respect the dignity of man. Lastly, The Catechism Of The Catholic Church teaches that no matter what physical or mental state the person(s) are in the media must still respect ... ...s and dignity of† the person(s) must be always respected. Thus, the media must take into consideration the harm they may cause to the public and the loss of respect for human dignity. To conclude, the media's coverage of real violent acts in the news does not benefit the common good. The media uses the human right to information as a tool to broadcast as much news as possible for profit. They do not censor any of the gratuitous violence. The journalists are left to blame due to the responsibility they hold when disclosing the information they have learned to the public. Also, the uncensored violence can harm the public and it disrespects the dignity of the person(s). Over the years the media’s perspective of what â€Å"news† is has changed drastically, from information to entertainment. No matter where you go or what you watch, for some reason there is always violence.

Speech on Smoking -- Papers

Speech on Smoking Good afternoon ladies and Gentlemen I am here today to illustrate the points against banning smoking in public places. I will be addressing the following issues 1. Whether passive smoking has a significant impact on our health 2. The Economic factor 3. The unenforceability of the act 4. How this proposition will affect society Turning to the first issue: its impact on our health. The strongest argument in favour of banning smoking in public places is that it is harmful to people who work in that environment and those who don't smoke however the reality is that we still have no conclusive evidence to suggest that passive smoking is as harmful as to health as it is made to be. The British Medical Journal on of the most influential and well respected medical journals has published an explosive new study published in May 2003 that seriously questions the impact of environmental tobacco smoke on our health and concludes that the link between environmental tobacco smoke and coronary heart disease may be considerably weaker than generally first believed. One of the few scientists who has managed to publicize attempts to measure significant exposure to environmental tobacco is Professor Robert Nilsson. He quoted findings that showed that non-smokers who consistently breathe second hand smoke are smoking the equivalent of one cigarette a week to two cigarettes a year. What is this in comparison to all the car fumes that we breathe? I ask you even if there is a weak link between environmental smoke and heart disease the answer is not take draconian measures and snatch away smoker's right to e... ...eople indefinitely without charge, which I would like to remind you is a blatant contravention of the UN declaration of Human Rights. Is this the route we want society to take a turn in, do we want this nation to become a policed state? Conclusion In conclusion I would like to say that banning smoking in public places is not only a violation of our human rights but there is also no inclusive evidence to suggest that smoking harms health. The only thing we will be harming if we this proposition is put into legislation will be our economic heath and our integral right to freedom. An amicable solution would be to provide better ventilation in public places and more smoke free areas in pubs and clubs. Surely millions did not give their life in 2 world wars, to have this great nations freedom robbed so disgustingly!

Look at the significance of chapter five to the novel as a whole. Essay

Look at the significance of chapter five to the novel as a whole. Focus on the relevance and effect of writer’s use of language to describe setting and character and what it shows about social and historical influences. ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley is a complex horror novel that was written during the age of Romanticism. It contains many themes common to a Romantic novel such as death, tragedy, and loneliness. These themes have all arrived through Mary Shelley’s background as the events in this novel have been influenced greatly by her life. We can see that this novel has been written as a warning to tell the reader what the consequences are of playing with nature. This is highly relevant to today as even now scientists feel they can experiment with nature, for example, cloning. A highly crucial part of this novel is Chapter five. It is where the story really begins as now Frankenstein has reached his goal and realizes the horror of what he has done. This essay will be discussing how chapter five is made so significant to the novel and will look at why certain language is used to describe setting and character and to see what this shows us about social and historical influences. From a very young age, Victor Frankenstein shows a clear interest in science and in Chapter two of the novel Shelley focuses on Victors desire to be a discoverer, when he declares, â€Å"It was the search of heaven and earth that I desired to learn.† In this chapter it is clear that Victor’s ambitions are entirely noble as all he wants is to help mankind, which is also what Robert Walton wanted when discovering unknown lands. When we see two men like this who are clearly obsessed with discovery it shows us how important the pu... ...uel treatment of the creature stands in stark contrast to both his parents’ devotion and Clerval’s care for him. If we conclude to look at Chapter five compared to the rest of the novel we can see it is a central part to the story as it is where the horror really begins. The later chapters in the novel all show the disastrous consequences of Frankenstein’s actions. The purpose of this novel is to teach all a lesson as it shows us what might happen if we continue to play with nature and ‘play God.’ It also tells us the importance of not judging on appearance, as the creature although kind and benevolent was punished because of the way it looked. It is through the language that we are able to understand the significance of Chapter five as it tells us more about life in the 19th Century, more about the life of Mary Shelley and the way the novel came about.