Saturday, August 31, 2019

Child developmend from birth to 19 year old Essay

1. Describe the expected pattern of children and young people’s development from birth to 19 years , to include: a) Physical development. b) Communication and intellectual development. c) Social, emotional and behavioural development. Answer: Physical development: At 0-3 years New born babies have little control over their bodies. Their movement depends on series of reflexes, as they get older they start to develop series of movements and actions called the ‘gross motor skills’ such as crawling, sitting, grabbing, pointing, running rolling, hopping, jumping, and so on. In their second year, children should have better ability to control their movement. In their third year, children would start to develop some ‘fine motor skills’ such as painting, colouring, and scribbling. They would enjoy looking at, and turning the pages of books. At this age they should be able to use a cup and feed themselves. At 3-7 years. At this stage, children will be refining the skills developed so far, they will have more confidence and more control over the fine motor skills such as cutting, writing and drawing. At 7-12 year. Children would start to have hobbies and interest such as sports, dance, drama, and songs. Children will continue to develop and refine many of their skills. The girls will start to show signs of early puberty from age 10-11. Puberty in boys usually start later. At 12-16 years. The boys will be starting to go through puberty and many of the girls would  be completing their puberty and having regular periods, as a result of the different stages of puberty, the boys and girls would vary in height. At this stage most girls are taller than boys and the young people will be growing stronger. At 16-19 years. Young people are considered as adult, although many girls may be physically matured at this stage, the boys will continue to grow until their mid 20s. Communication and intellectual development: Children’s communication and intellectual development depends to a large extent on their own experiences and the opportunities they are given from the earliest age. At 0-3 years Babies will start to be listening to languages around them and enjoy songs and games. Some children will start to speak at 12 months, although not clearly. By 1 and 2 years, children will start to put words together and their vocabulary will increase. Between age 2 and 3, Chhildren will start to used negative and plurals in their speech, although they will make errors in their grammar when speaking. At 3-7 years Children become more social and have wider experiences. They ask large amount of questions and will be able to talk about things in past and future tenses with greater confidence. They will start looking for adult approval and will be starting to learn how to read. At 7-12 years By now most children will be fluent in speaking a language, they would be able to transfer information and think in a more abstract way. At this stage, children will be developing and refining their skills at reading and writing. They will be more able to think and discuss ideas. At 12-16 years Young people will be selecting and taking GSCEs and A levels, they will usually now have a clear idea about their favourite subject .this is the stage young people want to feel like they belong. At 16-19 years Most young people are leaving school and are thinking of the career path to take and university choices. They will be able to focus on their area of strength and be able to develop it more. Social, emotional and behavioural development: At 0-3 years Children will be starting to find out about their own identities. They will form strong attachment to parents and careers. At this stage children have tantrums through frustration and will want to do things by themselves. At 3-7 years Children will start to play with peers and socialise using imaginative play. They will start to learn to understand the importance of boundaries and why they are necessary. They will still seek approval from adult. At 7 -12 years Children will be increasingly aware of what others may think of them. At this age children’s friendship becomes more settled and they have more friends. At 12-16 years At this age young people find themselves under the pressure of growing up and with increasing expectations from adults. Their self esteem can be very vulnerable. They will want to be independent of adult, therefore spend more time with their friends. They may look all grown up but at time they still display childish behaviour. At 16-19 years At this stage the young people have now in adulthood, they will still need  advice and guidance from more experience adult. They will lack experience and emotional maturity in the ways they interact with others. Question: 1.2 Describe with examples how different aspect of development can affect one another. Answer: Example 1: sports; this is considered a physical activity. It develops the child physically and it also affects other aspects of a child’s development. Physical development: a child that is active in sports refines their motor skills, will be strong, healthy, have an improved hand-eye coordination, normal growth and a toned body. Social, emotional and behavioural development: sports can improve a child’s relationship with other especially when it is a team sport. It builds confidence in the child. Child learns to share and take turns. Communication and intellectual development: sports can help to improve the intellect of a child. It is well known that physical exercise allows the body to pump blob to the brain thereby nourishing the brain. This improves sharpness/alertness of the mind and body. It promotes communication as child communicates among team members. It improves the child’s measurement of speed, time, quantity, how to tackle and overcome obstacles, therefore improving reasoning abilities. Over-all the child will be more confident with himself, other people and situations. Example 2: Disability: this refers to a condition which restricts a person’s mental, sensory, or mobility functions to perform a task. Physical development: some disability can cause stunted growth or make a child not to be able to participate in some physical activities. Social, emotional and behavioural development: Because of this disability in the child, he may not make many friends; this can cause the child to be emotionally withdrawn because some children make fun of his disability. This could create lack of confidence in the child. Communication and intellectual development: due to this lack of confidence in the child because of his disability, the child becomes shy and an introvert. Example 3: Illness: this refers to a child being sick. Physical development: a child that is sick or sickly would not develop well physically. The child would be unable to participate in physical activities. Social, emotional and behavioural: the child would not have many friends. The child may be withdrawn and shy. Communication and intellectual development: The child may grow to lack self confidence. Since he/she is always in and out of hospitals, his/her learning in school will suffer. Question: 2.1 describe with examples the kind of influences that affect children and young people’s development including: (a) Background (b) Health (c) Environment Answer: a) Background: the background of a child affects the child in many ways. For example, most children from broken or unstable family background with lack of parental guidance, can lack self confidence, may be withdrawn from their studies and have the tendency to pick up fights in school. On the other hand, children from stable family with both parents and parental guidance, would have confidence, is more likely to be attentive in class and emotionally stable. (b) Health: the health of a child can affect the child all aspect of development of the child. Example: a child that is suffering from some medical condition, will not be able to participate in sporting activities, therefore would not be physically strong like the others. This ill health can create lack of confidence in the child. The child is likely not to have many friends. The child may become shy and reserve. (c) Environment: people are usually the product of the environment they grew up in. Example: when a child lives in a poor and deprived environment, this Affects the child. Statistics show that children who are from deprived background are less likely to thrive and achieve well. Question: 2.2 Describe with examples the importance of recognising and responding to concern about children and young people’s development. Answer: Example 1: if I feel some concern about a child’s ability to read in a certain class, in the case of primary pupils, I refer to the class teacher and also the SENCO so that they can be aware of the situation. The class teacher then can inform the school and after the parents of the pupil so that some extra help can be given to the child at home. It is important to recognise and respond to concern about child development early so that children don’t struggle through out school and later drop out. Example 2: in the case of a young person being destructive or showing inappropriate behaviour in secondary school, I refer to the SENCO (special education needs coordinator) and also give date and example for the reasons for my concerns. This is important for the young person’s proper development and also that the other young people in the school would not be influenced by this inappropriate behaviour. Question: 3.1 Identify the transition experienced by most children and young people. Answer: Transition is any significant stage or experience in life of a child or young person that can affect behaviour and/or development. 1) Child being promoted to a higher class in primary school. 2) Year 6 pupil in primary school moving on to year 7 in secondary school. 3) Young people getting into college or university after their secondary school. Question: 3.2 identify transition that only some children and young people may experience. Answer: 1) Parental separation: This is when parents become divorced or separated. One parent moves out of the family. This can destabilize children and affect their learning and development in school. 2) New sibling: when a new child is born into the family, all attention shifts to take care of the new baby and the other children may feel abandoned. 3) Bereavement: the death of a close family member can be very traumatic for a child; school should have some procedures in place to help a child deal with it. 4) Moving house: Moving can be unsettling for children, especially if they move from a distance away and had to change school and friends. Procedures should be in place to help the child settle well in school. 5) Parental change of partner: This can affect the child greatly, depending on the amount of contact they have with the absent parent and the way they relate to the new partner. 6) Change of carer: Pupil who is in care or who had a number of different homes may find it difficult to cope with change of carer. 7) Illness or injury: Pupils may be affected by ill health or injury and would have to come to terms with the change in circumstances, whether these are their own or of loved ones. Question: 3.3 Describe with examples how transition may affect children and young people’s behaviour and development. Answer: 1) Children going through the transition of illness /injury may become quiet and withdrawn due to their illness. 2) Children who just got a new sibling in the family may become attention seeking and start to demonstrate uncharacteristic behaviour so as to gain the attention of his/her parents. 3) Children who just moved to a new location may become anxious about the new school and environment, wondering if they would be able to cope with the change in circumstance. REFERENCES 1. Understanding child development by Lindon Jennie 2. Supporting teaching and learning in schools- By Louise Burnham and Brenda Baker. Describe the Expected Pattern of Children and Young People’s Development from Birth to 19 Years 7.8 of 10 on the basis of 2786 Review.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Principal’s Role in Teachers Motivation

INTRODUCTION The principal or leader of any learning institution is the key component in creating an effective school. In creating an effective school, the principal must be effective in his role as a leader. The principal is the centre of attention and will be observed by teachers, students and parents. In addition, the principal is the one who should lead by example. Then it is of utmost importance that the principal exhibits qualities of an effective leader that are conducive to creating an effective school. School culture and the relationship that the parents, teachers and students have with the school have been linked closely to school effectiveness. According to Sergiovanni (2000), most successful leaders will tell you that getting the culture right and paying attention to how parents, teachers and students define and experience meaning are two widely accepted rules for creating effective schools. O’Hanlon and Clifton (2004) posit that the principal is on stage all the time and must be effective in maintaining order and establishing a sense of integrity for the school. Having an effective school can be seen as the ‘life blood’ of every principal and highlights the type of leadership style used by the principal to bring about such a school. In addition, school effectiveness results in teachers’ satisfaction and a high level of academic achievement by the students. An effective school is seen as one that promotes the progress of its students in a broad range of intellectual, social and emotional outcomes, where students progress further than might be expected from knowledge of their backgrounds (Sammons et al. , 1995). STATEMENT OF PROBLEM The purpose of this study is to identify the role of principal in creating an effective school. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY We can all remember childhood moments when at school, the principal would announce at full assembly the outstanding performance of some athletes or the spelling team for achieving first place in the spelling competition. The expression on the faces of the principal, teachers and students is evidence that the school has achieved something great. It is moments like these that we vividly remember and recall the events with much joy and anticipation. However school effectiveness and the principal’s role are of major concern to principals, teachers, students and parents. For some concern parents, the principal is the deciding factor when it comes to the school that their child will attend. If the principal is one that they believe to have good leadership qualities, they will be comfortable that their child or children will do well at that particular school. It would be extremely difficult for schools to be effective if they are characterised by ineffective leaders or low achieving students. Literature clearly states that a strong leader and high student achievement are clear indicators of an effective school. An effective principal supports high student achievement and ensures that staff makes worthy contributions towards the school being effective (O’Hanlon & Clifton, 2004). This research paper will be guided by the following questions: What are the factors influencing school effectiveness? What are the qualities of an effective principal? How does school effectiveness impact on student achievement? SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This paper seeks to show the importance of the role of the principal in creating an effective school. It will also examine the qualities needed by the principal in order to create an effective school and points out that the student is first priority in an effective school. Research of this topic will also provide educators, researchers and policy holders with a better understanding of effective schools and principal leadership and how they can improve on these areas. This study will also examine the views of the teachers, students and parents in relation to the relationship between school effectiveness and principal leadership. DEFINITION OF TERMS It is important that the following terms be defined in the context in which they are used in this paper: Effective school- achieves exceptional academic performances and engenders students who are disciplined and well-rounded. Role- a socially expected behavioural pattern usually determined by an individual’s status in a particular society Principal- a person who has controlling authority or is in a leading position School culture- a set of common understandings for organizing actions and language and other symbolic vehicles for expressing common understandings Student achievement- refers to academic success by a student LITERATURE REVIEW Significant efforts have been made in recent times to establish a relationship between effective schools and principal leadership. This is supported by Rice (2010) as she cites Horng et al. , (2009) who states that for decades, the principal has been recognized as an important contributor to the effectiveness of the school and furthermore the principal constitutes the core of the leadership team in school and influences a variety of school outcomes which include student achievement, through their recruitment and motivation of quality teachers and the ability to identify and articulate school vision and goals. Ubben et al. , (2011) define an effective school as one that is achieving high and equitable levels of student learning. They further state that there are seven correlates of an effective school which are as follows: 1. Clear School Mission 2. High Expectations for Success 3. Instructional Leadership 4. Frequent Mentoring of Student Progress 5. Opportunity to Learn and Time on Task 6. Safe and Orderly Environment 7. Home/School Relations Edmonds and Lezotte (2008) offer another perspective of an effective school. They state that 95 percent or more of the students at each grade level must demonstrate minimum academic mastery and are prepared to succeed in the next grade anywhere in the United States, there shall be no significant difference in the proportion of students demonstrating minimum academic mastery as a function of socioeconomic class and the above two conditions must be obtained for a minimum of three consecutive years. Sergiovanni (2009) posits that an effective school is understood to be a school whose students achieve well in basic skills as measured by achievement tests. He also opines that an effective school is one with a shared covenant clearly articulating the school's core values and providing a standard by which actions will be judged (Sergiovanni, 1992).

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Adolescence Acting Out In Group Theraphy

Acting-out means performing an act that expresses emotional conflict in the individual. The emotional conflict may be subconscious. The actions done in acting out are usually antisocial and are meant for getting attention. Behaviors acted out include drug taking, or behaving promiscuously.Actions in this category are harmful to the individual and stand in the way of the individual developing constructive behavioral responses to feelings. Acting out is the opposite of response to feelings in ways like talking out, or psychodrama. (Blatner, 1996)This behavior happens within group processes and is studied in group dynamics which is the study of groups. The group dynamics study’s primary concern is small group behavior. A group is a number of individuals who are brought together by social relations. Groups develop peculiar dynamic behaviors among its members due to their close interaction.According to psychoanalysis findings by Sigmund Freud, human actions can be explained by look ing at the conscious and the subconscious part of the mind. The unconscious is a section of the mind that is not immediately connected to perceptions but is a store of a persons past experiences. The past experiences come out of the unconscious to the conscious and in a way affect our personalities.The imperative here is that the motivations for acting out are beyond conscious control. However the motivations can be accessible through inference on behavior as the actions are believed to be the expression of repressed material. (Jones, 1973)The term used to describe the relation of experiences from one interpersonal setting to another is called transference. It deals with revisiting past experiences in existing circumstances. The relation of past and present behaviors are established by other people who come into contact with the individual. The individual will be discovered to be trying to address the unresolved issues from his/her past.  In this paper, group therapy is tackled on the basis of psychotherapy, and psychoanalytic studies. Psychotherapy is the field that specializes in investigating the manifestations of relations of past actions on the present actions with aim of helping the persons overcomes the influence. Psychotherapists look into the unconscious projections of transference.In psychoanalytic study transference is seen as a source of conflict and as one of the influences of choices in life including occupations. They lead a person to be interested in certain things like settings, and people. It therefore unites the past and the present.A good understanding of transference helps psychotherapists understand the causes of some human behavior more clearly in order to be able to implement effective interventions. According to Sigmund Freud the formative experiences of a person are critical, and relationships of childhood years are reflected with other significant ones through life. The earlier events come out in repeated difficulties in relationsh ips and dreams.Lack of happiness and conflict can in this case be understood through knowledge of unconscious human motivations. (Nickel, 1987)The repressed materials are thus acted out. Interpretations of acting out of individuals vary with the contexts under which they act, and the audiences that witness the actions. In the context of parenting acting out is literally understood. It means acting those desires that are forbidden by the society.According to psychoanalysis study the laws in the society make the Superego and a person’s body of desires is called the Id. The Superego acts on the Id to make a person behave in socially acceptable manner. Freud used the theory of psychoanalysis to devise ways of treating patients with mental problems.  The initial desires of the individual are replaced with socially accepted behavior in a process called sublimation. However, in acting out the individual goes contrary to the authority of the superego on the Id. Acting out entails c oping with pressure by giving in to the desires of the Id. The person who acts out their desires do it with little or no regard to their conscience and with little thought.Hence the acts are either deliberately bad or unpremeditated wrongdoing. Even when the people are aware of their wrongdoing they try to protect themselves against the society’s censure by hiding their deeds. Other coping mechanisms that use are such as denial which is used to protect one from feelings of shame. (Freud, 1972)Acting out in essence is handling pressure by giving in to the desires. It is however not actually coping, for coping mechanisms try to handle pressure and not conforming to it.Acting out is the opposite of sublimation. Unlike in sublimation where the desired action is replaced by another socially acceptable activity, here the desire is acted out bluntly. Such things as temper tantrums are episodes of acting out. At the early age the children have not developed communication means for th eir distress feelings.Thus they use tantrums as an effective means of alerting parents of their needs and commanding attention. But then when the children pass through the society they learn to get attention through strategies that are socially acceptable and that are constructive.It is then interesting that the behavior of acting out shows again during the years of adolescence in many youths. It comes in the form of acts of rebellious nature such as smoking, and drug abuse that can be seen as a cry for recognition.The youth may be disruptive, a behavior that is caused by an inability to control emotions in other ways. During adolescence emergence of antisocial and criminal behavior occurs. This behavior goes on into adulthood with considerable loss that comes from the action to the individual, families and also the community. Attempts to identify risk factors of antisocial and criminal behavior have been done with aim of preventing the problems.Some of the risk factors are identifi ed in the years of beginning primary school. At this age there is identified difference of acting in that two groups are found. The groups are the antisocial and social. From this age there is difference of behavior between the two groups. In mid childhood the antisocial group manifested higher levels of acting out, and showed more trouble behaviors like hyper action and aggression. They were also found to act in manner craving for attention.Problematic behavior continues in late childhood. The children continue showing problematic behavior. They also become less cooperative; have lesser self control, as well as poor communication with their parents. At this age the children probably have acquired friends who practice antisocial behavior. During adolescence, the antisocial group gets more significantly different from the social group.The differences between the groups were centered on aspects of temperamence such as negativity, low persistence, volatility, involvement in risky activ ities, and acting out. Acting out is a manifestation of all the other aspects of the individual psyche at this time.A study on the prevalence of HIV and AIDS among Australian youths illuminates the study of acting out. Heckerman in the report of the study states that there has been an increase in infection rates of youths with the deadly HIV through engaging in promiscuous behaviors. The rate of levels of adolescents who are infected with the HIV has increased in the past ten years, in spite of the education on the disease being taught in the schools and family courses.With the teens receiving this information it becomes a matter of concern that the rate of infection continue to rise.  Ã‚   However, studies show that knowledge and behavioral changes are not directly correlated.   It has been established that despite the youths having adequate knowledge on HIV, the knowledge does not influence a change of risky sexual behavior.It is seen here that the youths who act out by resort ing to risky social behavior have influence that is manifested in the subconscious. (Heckerman, 2002)  In an essay on group analysis Rosenthal relates the issue of the persistent influence of subconscious on the actions of the individual on an aspect of psychoanalytic study called resistance. Resistance is understood to be an inadequate, wrongly adopted, and an indirect manner of self revelation.Using the media of resistance the psychoanalytic patient tips that he/she cannot engage in verbal communication with emotional significance. (Rosenthal, 1979).Analytic treatment exacts great demands for efforts on the part of the patient as it does on the physician. They are both demanded to overcome their inner resistances. By overcoming the resistances the patients’ mental, life is changed permanently.The patient is hence lifted into a higher level of development and remains above possibilities of regression. It takes effort to overcome the resistances as the analytic treatment is achieved. (Freud, 1916)In the essay above it has been seen that the phenomenon of acting out has got many sides to itself. A clear understanding of the concepts of transference, resistance, psychotherapy, leads one to a better understanding of the concept of acting out and helps in discerning the processes involved in the minds of those who act out and hence help in administering group therapy.References Blatner, A. (1996). Acting-in: Practical Applications of Psycho-dramatic Methods.Springer Publishing Company.Freud, Sigmund (1922) Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego. New York: Liveright Publishing.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Art in Parkour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Art in Parkour - Essay Example Belle began Parkour when he was fifteen, and claims it was inspired by the ideas of the French physician George Hebert, who promoted the 'methode naturelle' (Grimsley 1961) of medical treatment. This focused on the pure benefits of exercise over other methods like drug treatment for simple illnesses and injuries. Belle took these principles and used them in his own fitness regime, which turned quickly into something of a post-modern art form in itself (Gire 2006). Post-modern art takes many ideas on board, but the main feature of this art form that is embodied in Parkour is the aspect of realism through another medium: "Reality itself founders in hyperrealism, the meticulous reduplication of the real, preferably through another, reproductive medium, such as photography" (Harrison et al 2003). Post-modern art deals with new and fresh takes on the reality all around us in the world. The question with Belle and Parkour is simple; is freerunning actually an art or merely a sport that has been copied by followers across the world Van Esterik, Van Esterik and Miller describe an artist as someone who "may be revered and wealthy as individuals or groups, or stigmatized and economically marginal." (Van Esterik et al 2001). Overall, artists must use unique concepts or create new ideas from reality or already established forms of art; in this Belle certainly did succeed and can therefore be thought of as an artist and Parkour as the ultimate in post-modern art. Miles notes how the "forms and spaces of the city are at the heart of academic enquiry across a number of disciplines from architecture and planning to geography, sociology, cultural and media studies" (2000). People like David Belle and his followers have been enthralled by the stark reality that is the inner city, and this is what Parkour is based upon fundamentally (Pinch 2004). A similar remark can be made about skateboarding and its use of the city space in such a comprehensive, post-modern way. Iain Borden explains how skateboarders have taken a new l ook at their surroundings and discovered how to interact with them and take a real interest in all the elements of the city they live in. Borden challenges his readers to adopt the same way of thinking and to take a more hands on approach to the spaces in which they live (Borden 2001). Nevertheless, it must be noted that Parkour is a dangerous art form, and many of its practitioners have sustained injury from its execution; Josephson mentions reknown Parkour practitioner Cris Burden in this vein, since he was the type of artist not only to use Parkour to express himself but other forms of self harm that were thought life threatening and uniquely shocking to American society (Josephson 1996). In fact, Parkour seems to attract the sort of artists looking for innovative and entirely shocking ways of drawing attention both to themselves and their ideas about societal ills. To overcome these dangers, a freerunner must posses "a good pair of sneakers, cat burglarlike agility and a lot of courage" (Washington Times 2004). So what do freerunners feel they are getting out of Parkour The opinions are varied and very interesting to researchers like Western Mail writers who comment on how the art form is "graceful and strict" (2005) at the same time. Piers Hernu remarks that the jumps involved are difficult and dangerous, something

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Health and Safety Practices Plan (Part Six) Health and Safety Research Paper

Health and Safety Practices Plan (Part Six) Health and Safety Monitoring and Final Summary - Research Paper Example It also delivers digital applications such as iPhones, Mac, Apple TV and a portfolio of clients and specialized software applications and does its marketing and selling through online retail stores, direct line stores and direct sales force globally. The involvement of human labor in all the stages necessitates that the company adopts a well-designed safety and health plan targeting improved working conditions for the employees (Karen, 200). Discussion The organization has adopted in the past professional external auditors as well as internal auditors to analyze the capacity of the company to provide safe and healthy environment to workers. Professionalism has been the basis on which the auditors are evaluated on before they are contracted in order to ensure that they deliver on the expected results in order to have the organization improve through the strategic recommendations that are given. Among other findings by the teams in the past has been the non compliance in wearing protec tive gears while working, insufficient installation of fire detection and management kits within the premises as well as poor structural designs which limit exit paths in such times of emergencies like fire outbreaks. The working environment of the apple Inc exposes the workers to various health hazards, which include increased exposure to harmful gases such as n-hexane commonly used to clean appliances’ screens, which have often led to sicknesses in the past. Other unfortunate features within the working conditions in Apple Inc are violence, stress as well as substance abuse. Nevertheless, it is to be acknowledged that the company has had the burden to improve on the health and safety standards of employees and have organized on safety trainings in the past to raise awareness and empower workers through social responsibility. Besides, team awareness campaigns have been in use in the past to address such issues as drug use, stress as well as violence at workplace. Although th e mitigation strategies adopted in the past have not been fully effective, this paper adopts such forms to be the basis of many of our recommendations. This is because with only some improvements, the strategies would be very effective and efficient in mitigating the concerns. Besides, the design and adoption of favorable emergency response plans are quite commendable efforts because they have the capacity to revolutionize the working of the organization greatly. The safety and response plans that have been discussed above are very basic tools for any organization and thus should be embraced and harnessed (Anonymous, 1996). They are basic tools, which show the ethical compliance of any company as it explains responsiveness to regulations within an organization, prevention mechanisms on injuries and illnesses, emergency plans as well as social responsibility. Besides ethics dictate that companies take up the role of investigating non compliance with such predefined tools by workers a nd the subsequent adoption of appropriate measures in order to ensure that the standards of compliant employees is guaranteed. Ethics are fundamental in management of any business entity as well as such companies as the Apple Inc. Based on the previously discussed safety, illness and response plans, the company has the ethical responsibilities to ensure that regulations and procedures are adhered to. This is not

Diversities in Health and Healing Beliefs and Its Implication to Research Paper

Diversities in Health and Healing Beliefs and Its Implication to Health Care Delivery - Research Paper Example Holistic care has been the new paradigm of healing hospitals as the world faces the challenge of diversity in each nation. This poses a challenge to institutions to render a loving service rather than mere customer service. It is utilized in understanding that patients, as human beings, are composed of mind, body, and soul and its interconnectedness must be dealt with simultaneously. The final part of this paper examines the health care provider’s attitude and management for patients with different health belief from their own. Diversities in Health and Healing Beliefs and Its Implication to Health Care Delivery Migration is a common phenomenon that transpires throughout the world in this era of globalization and capitalism. Today, each nation has diverse nationalities residing within their territories for purposes of education, business, work, or leisure. This trend posts a challenge to health care professionals, particularly nurses, in delivery of health care services and un derstanding their total well being. Through time, the hospital has shifted its paradigm from being a place where illness is treated to a place aimed to render wellness and holistic services. Practitioners now embrace this holistic approach recognizing the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and soul and treating each aspect in respect of one another rather than the traditional approach of medicine which is focused only with the bodily manifestations (Moodly and West, 2005, p.257). The concept of holistic healing transformed social institutions such as hospitals toward a more just and loving health and healing practices. As the bible says, â€Å"The Lord will strengthen him in his bed of illness, you will sustain him in his sick bed (Psalm 41:3),† Christian institutions and practitioners acknowledge the value of psycho-spiritual assistance to both the ill and well patients. The usual challenged faced by holistic hospitals is marking delineation between the Christian concept of loving service and the capitalist’s value for customer service. While most administrators aim is to increase patient satisfaction, the caregivers and patients seek for a more humanitarian and loving approach when acquiring services from institutions. Health care systems must go beyond the superficial approach of customer service and dig deeper to a more genuine loving service and care (Chapman, 2005). Holistic approach and loving service are two valuable principles that must be carried out by health caregivers. This encompasses the need for better understanding of the patient’s health beliefs, healing preferences, and religion. Respect is the key point of success in this avenue of care (Chapman, 2005), therefore, diversities among these beliefs and preferences must be fully understood by nurses and health practitioners. Christian, Native American, and Buddhist’s Healing Beliefs The Christians focus on God as the Great Physician who heals all forms of illness and this healing could be attained through prayers. They recognize Jesus as the Christ, son of God, who healed thousand of sinners and ill people though prayer and faith during his stay on earth as narrated in the New Testament of the Bible. Christians believe in the power of the Holy Spirit as a current that flows and promotes healing of the mind, body, and soul (Plante and Sherman, 2001). The bible dictated that one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit

Monday, August 26, 2019

How does underwater birth affect neonatal health and well being Essay

How does underwater birth affect neonatal health and well being - Essay Example Naturally, this procedure of birth requires a large accumulation of water like a pool or a tub, which can be utilized as an effective receptive medium of labor (Cluett, Burns, 2011, p.2). Water birth represents a unique way of giving birth and marks a departure from the traditional labor procedure. People have been curious to know the effectiveness and success of this new process. For this purpose, there have been numerous studies and researches undertaken to find out the effects of water birth on the pregnant women and also on the newborn infants. For expectant mothers, giving birth in water is considered to a much more gentle process than the conventional labor method lying on a bed. Studies have shown that water birth enhances maternal relaxation, decreases the analgesia requirements and encourages the women to easily adopt a model of care for their newborns. However, the benefits of the water birth process on neonatal health have not yet been so emphatically established. There is still a lot of discussion and research being undertaken on the impact of water birth on the health of the babies born by this method. This literature review has attempted to examine the information available on this topic. Women from across the world often opt for water birth as this eases the process of labor. However, they should also be made aware of the impacts on this method on the health condition of the new born infants. This would help expectant mothers to make an informed decision regarding a suitable procedure of giving birth. The findings of the different reviews are expected to provide conclusive results on the relevant subject. The existing research work will be examined and evaluated to find out whether there exist valid inferences which can help expecting women to make a prudent decision regarding their own health and that of their newborn children. (Ros, 2009, p.36) The

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Vincent Van Gogh at the National Gallery of Art Essay

Vincent Van Gogh at the National Gallery of Art - Essay Example Reproductions of his work appear on posters, calendars, mouse pads, and other widespread consumer items. His influence was especially strong on the French Fauvists and German Expressionists immediately following his death. Even those works not immediately known today are quickly recognized by his unique style and approach, yet Van Gogh himself saw little of this success or popularity while he was alive. No publications can be found discussing his work while he was alive and only a few mentions of him, mostly negative, are found before 1910. However, paintings such as Wheatfield with Cypress reveal a great deal of the artist’s approach and emotion as well as the various ways in which he revolutionized the art world. Wheatfield with Cypress is an example of Van Gogh’s work while he was a resident at Saint-Remy hospital for the mentally unstable. It is a member of a series of paintings in which Van Gogh explored an image or a theme. Whether it was this painting or another one of the series, he wrote to his brother Theo that the trees â€Å"are always occupying my thoughts, I should like to make something of them like the canvases of the sunflowers, because it astonishes me that they have not yet been done as I see them. The tree is as beautiful of line and proportion as an Egyptian obelisk. And the green has a quality of such distinction. It is a splash of black in a sunny landscape, but it is one of the most interesting black notes, and the most difficult to hit off exactly that I can imagine† (cited in Wallace, 1969: 144). His fascination with the trees themselves as well as their contribution to the landscape overall is evident within this painting. The image depicts an initially confusing scene. The brightly lit landscape is covered by a swirling mass of clouds in a sky that seems eternally blue. The scene depicts a golden wheatfield not far from the hospital in which Van Gogh stayed in southern France.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Non-Tariff Barriers in South Korean Automobile Market Essay

Non-Tariff Barriers in South Korean Automobile Market - Essay Example South Korea and the U.S share a great deal of interest in pursuing positive development in the automobile industry’s trade performance. Both countries substantially rely on the profits of the automobile trade for their economic growth and their market sizes are often large. (Dyer & Chu, 2000). Consequently, S. Korea and the U.S Free Trade Agreement is about to come into effect and one of the biggest issues that prolonged the deal while negotiating for the FTA was regarding the automobile, especially passenger vehicle industry trade. President Obama and the U.S industry representatives claimed that the FTA deal regarding automobile trading regime is not fair if they start to trade bilaterally in the current condition and regulation. Opponents of recent FTA provision even claimed that the U.S automakers exaggerate the potential sales in S. Korea of cars produced in U.S. assembly plants (Schott, 2010). What are the causes of the U.S showing the lack of confidence for trading auto mobile goods with S. Korea under similar conditions and regulations? It is important to understand that there is a big difference between the two countries. The U.S. automobile industry has been primarily served domestic demand, whereas that of S. Korea has been export-oriented after 1997 (Choi, 2010). In often cases, the situation is also being illustrated as the failure of U.S auto-manufacture to compete in the global market. For an extended time, Korea has very successfully used a whole armory of trade tools, starting with absolute imports bans.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 10

Assignment Example e researchers argue that this definition is inefficient because they believe that some individuals may diverge from biological norms and be alright without being sick. The World Health Organization (WHO) came up with their definition to cover the gap that exists in the biomedical definition. The organization defines health as the status in which a person has completeness in the social, physical, and mental being. WHO formulated this definition of health in 1946 during the development of its constitution. Researchers argue that this definition is superior to the biomedical meaning because it considers the physical, social, and mental conditions of human beings (Gedge, & Waluchow, 2012). This definition also does not ignore the impact of the society on the health of individuals. However, the WHO meaning of health also has a weakness because scientists argue that it is impossible to achieve completeness in the social, physical, and mental being at the same time. The third definition of individual health is that of Health Canada, which states that health is a state in which people familiarize and respond to their daily activities (Gedge, & Wacluchow, 2012). This description of health improves that of WHO because it does not require individuals to achieve completeness in physical, social, and mental condition. The fact that this definition is superior to that of WHO indicates that it is also superior to the biomedical description of health. The word health may also be defined in terms of the wellbeing of the whole population in the society rather than individuals only. The health of the population refers to the wellbeing of all individuals in the society as indicated by physical, social, and economic surroundings, health pointers, health services, and childhood development (Gedge, & Wacluchow, 2012). This means that population health deals with the factors that affect the health of numerous individuals in the society at the same time. This interrelationship between

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Discuss the Types of Unemployment and the Benefits of Controlling It In the UK Essay Example for Free

Discuss the Types of Unemployment and the Benefits of Controlling It In the UK Essay Unemployment is the number of people out of work who are actively seeking employment at the current wage rates. To be actively seeking work you must be of working age: 16-64 for males and 16-59 for females and not economically inactive. That means you cannot be in full time education, be on a training scheme, have retired early or be raising children at home. To measure unemployment in the UK the government uses two methods to quantify the rate. The first is the Labour Force Survey, in a monthly survey of a sample of households representing the entire population. The surveys are based on the activities of each person of working age in the households, within a one week period. A person who did any work during that week for pay or profit, worked 15 hours or more as an unpaid worker in a family business, or had a job from which he or she was temporarily absent, is counted as employed. A person who was not working but was looking for work or was on a temporary lay-off and available to take a job is counted as unemployed. The second is the claimant count, where the governments collect figures on the number of people claiming unemployment benefits from the DSS. This second method often gives lower values as they is likely to be many people who do not except the benefits, purely on principal or because they do not need the extra cash. There are five main types of unemployment which all affect the economy in different ways. These are cyclical or demand deficient unemployment, frictional unemployment, seasonal unemployment and structural unemployment. The first of these, cyclical or demand deficient unemployment is based around what will happen to demand in a recession. When the economy goes into a recession there is a rise in unemployment as there is insufficient demand within the economy. This is really only a short term cause to unemployment, because when in recession the economy is in disequilibrium. However macroeconomic forces will work to restore the economy to its long run equilibrium, however in the short run there will be unemployment. In a recession the demand curve will shift left to D2. With the wage rate remaining constant at W in the short term there will be unemployment of GE created. In response macroeconomic forces will cause one of two changes. Either the economy will move out of recession, causing the demand curve to shift right and back to the equilibrium point of W , E. Else if the economy stays in recession the forces will cause the wage rate to drop to Y and cause the number of workers employed to rise to F. However as the economy moves out of recession the demand curve will shift right, causing the economy to move back towards its equilibrium at W , E. The second types of unemployment, frictional unemployment is the term used to define workers who have recently lost a job and are in short term unemployment until they find further employment. There is always turnover of labour in a free market, so frictional unemployment is not regarded as a major problem. Seasonal unemployment is when workers work within an industry that only requires them to be employed at certain times of the year. For example in the tourist industry workers tend to work in the summer, but are then laid off in autumn months before taking up their jobs again the next spring. There is very little that can be done to prevent seasonal unemployment in a market where the demand for labour varies throughout the year. Structural unemployment is when the demand for labour is less than the supply in an individual labour market. There are three main examples of this. Regional unemployment, where different areas of the country have different rates of unemployment and because of a lack of factor mobility, labour is not able to freely move between regions and balance unemployment. Sectoral unemployment is when workers from one industry are unable to adapt to a different industry, therefore not being able to follow the changes in demand. Finally if technological unemployment, where technology advances and replaces manual labour, therefore without retraining workers would not have the skills to operate these machines and therefore would not be suitable for the demand of labour. Controlling the rate of unemployment in the UK is going to be a key element in the performance of the UK economy. The rate of unemployment is directly related to real GDP. So in both the short run and the long run if the economy is to grow then unemployment most be controlled. The rate of unemployment will also determine the kind of policy the government will have in place to boost the economy, although this is also based on the type of government in power. The current labour government are Keynesian economists and believe that in the long run there may be mass unemployment. They also use fiscal policy, which is a demand side policy. So their economic goals will depend a lot on the long term unemployment levels that are predicted. If the government are predicting a period of sustained unemployment they are likely to be aiming at lowering inflation. Whereas if they predict full employment they can aim for increased GDP. Because of the shape of the long run aggregate supply curve, both these goals can be achieved without altering any other elements of the economy. To lower inflation the demand function would need to be shifted left. This could be achieved by an increase in the National Insurance contributions of workers. This would cause more of peoples income being taken in taxation leaving them with less money to spend on goods and services, which would cause a decrease in the total demand in the economy. To help increase economic growth the total demand in the economy would need to be increased. This would need a shift left in the demand function, which could be caused by a fall in interest rates. This would cause more people to borrow money and less to save, leaving more money in the economy which will increase the demand for goods and services. If unemployment can be kept low then the costs of unemployment are minimised as well. Not only do the government have to spend less on unemployment benefits but also have less trouble with crime and vandalism, which will also save them valuable money. Also everyone will have more money to spend, not only the previous unemployed, but also previous taxpayers as the government will require less money from them. This will increase total money in the economy and cause the aggregate demand to shift right, which will cause the growth of the economy to increase. So sustainable unemployment is good for the economy as it enables the government to set goals and work towards them around the long term predictions for unemployment rates. This is only an option if unemployment is kept in a boundary. Else if it is too fluctuated then it is hard to judge what the government will need to do from one day to the next. However controlling unemployment may not always be a good thing. For example because unemployment is directly related to economic growth, if you are controlling unemployment then you are also controlling economic growth. This will not be a good thing as the economy is at its most efficient when economic growth is climbing at a rate constant to the economy, not controlled by the government.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Habits Speech Essay Example for Free

Habits Speech Essay It is commonly accepted that a person’s bad habits are bad. Right? Wrong. Today I’ll be giving some examples of habits of mine that are actually in a way, beneficial to me. ANGER – Ever since I remember, I’ve had the habit of getting angry very easily, but it turns out that letting off a head of steam may bring physical benefits. Researchers have found that people who respond to high-stress situations with some righteous anger maintain lower blood pressure and secrete less cortisol, known as the stress hormone, than people who respond with fear or bottle up their feelings. VIDEO GAMES Despite being blamed for their part in the obesity epidemic, video games can actually help us get fit and lose weight. It turns out it actually boosts your metabolism! Whilst playing video games, a person’s heart rates speeds up; they used more energy and begin breathing faster. This could have a positive effect on health, provided theyre not substituted for real sport. SWEARING Did you know that swearing is actually good for you? Yes, scientists have proven that swearing eases pain and allows you to withstand pain for longer. Swearing is connected to our adrenaline and when people swear, they have an elevated heart rate, so it could be that swearing increases their aggression levels. Increased aggression has been shown to reduce peoples sensitivity to pain. LAZING ABOUT – This kind of behavior is believed to add years to your life. People who get up early and busy themselves all day long are heading for an early grave. Lazing about is the key to a long life and an antidote to personal stress. People who would rather take a midday nap instead of playing squash have a better chance of living into old age. If you don’t believe me. An example of this is the increased lifespan of zoo animals for instance lions in the Serengeti live only eight yea rs, but can live to an age of 20 in captivity. STRESS – Stress, while long periods of stress can leave your immune system depleted and prone to infection, researchers have found that a short stressful incident can boost your learning and memory. Acute stress increases transmission of glutamate, the substance that passes messages to and from the brain. This improves working memory. Stress hormones have both protective and damaging effects on the body. This is why we need stress to perform better, but dont want to be stressed out. LOUD MUSIC – Most people believe that listening to music very loud is damaging to your ears. This may be true; however it also stimulates part of the inner ear known as the sacculus, which responds to the beat of music. The sacculus, has no hearing function in humans, but is sensitive only to very loud volumes. It has a connection to the part of the brain responsible for drives such as hunger and sex. When these desires are satisfied, the brain is stimulated into releasing feel-good hormones that make us calm, happy and responsive. FIDGETING It may be irritating, but natural fidgets are doing themselves a favour by fighting obesity. Researchers have found that people who always seem to be on the go are more likely to be slim. The extra motion, whether it is tapping, twitching, stretching or yawning, accounts for an extra 350 calories a day. The amount of this low-grade activity is so large it could be the only thing keeping some from becoming obese. So the next time someone tells you to stop whatever habit it is you’re doing, because they don’t approve. Think twice, and ask yourself. Is it benefitting you!

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Examination Of The Motifs In Till Eulenspiegel Music Essay

Examination Of The Motifs In Till Eulenspiegel Music Essay After an unsuccessful premiere of the opera Guntram in 1894, Strauss was consistently looking for new material for an opera. It appears he became more concrete about plans for an opera after finding the Eulenspiegel material from the chapbook Ein kurtzweilig lesen von Dyl Ulenspiegel [an amusing reading of Dyl Ulenspiegel] from 1515. The opera libretto for Till Eulenspiegel remained only a sketch, but the symphonic poem became a triumph. Franz Wà ¼llner conducted the premiere in November 1895. He asked Strauss for a few programmatic explanations, but the composer restricted himself to enunciating the two Eulenspiegel themes at the beginning. Further, he said that it would be impossible to produce a programme for Eulenspiegel. So this time we will leave the audience to crack the nuts themselves the rogue hands out to them. 615. Up that ladder. See him hang, he is running out of breath, one last convulsion. Till, the mortal, is no longer In my work I have decided to focus on Till Eulenspiegel ´s melodic motifs and their interpretations presented by Mathias Hansen, Thomas Armstrong and Michael Kennedy (see bibliographical references at the end). I have compared and examined them in reference to points on which they agree or disagree and I have integrated my own ideas by implying text to the score. In the first few bars we can find disagreement between the different observations. Mathias Hansen writes that the six introductory bars do not play a role until the epilogue in bar 633. It is true that this introduction does not take over the function of a ritornello in the sense of a Rondeau, but I disagree with the claim that this once upon a time theme has a separate status in the story. The opening phrase is in a folk-lore character taking as back to the times when Till was a historical figure. The first half of Tills theme, starting in bar six, is hesitant, however the second, identical entry is confident and self-assured, as if Till was checking the scene before appearing. Das war ein arger Kobolt wrote Strauss himself under this phrase (He was a wicked Goblin) and the above musical example portrays Till according to Strauss description. Thomas Armstrong notices that prologue is based on the second Till theme in bar 46/47: By writing this theme in its simplest form, we can easily detect that the prologue is a conclusion of it: Hansen also notices the Till-chord, which is the dominant chord in bar 47/48 (related to C and leading to the F home key); further on, he shows the relationship between this chord and the Tristan-chord: written in another tone or interval position, the harmony of the Till-chord corresponds with the one from the Tristan-chord. Strauss: Till EulenspiegeWagner: Tristan und Isolde The section between bars 51 -111 Strauss uses for exposition of the Till themes. One interesting thing is noticed by Armstrong, who shows the appearance of the wicked goblin theme in bar 53, starting with the clarinet and continuing with the first violins, further developments takes place in bassoon and lower strings part. Hansen also refers to these theme in his observation on bar 63 (et sqq) where a compressing through a massive overlapping of the first part of the wicked goblin theme takes place. Hansen writes that the passage from bar 46 et sqq. is dominated by one motif Regardless of its meaning, it [material compression] tries to integrate approximately every note in the context relating to motifs. Such complexity, that tries to dissolve the contrast of primary and secondary material, of foreground and background of a piece, is emerging emphatically in Strausss way of composing Till  [1]  . Hansens dissolving of foreground and background material might be suitable for the passage he is describing; however, if we think of Strausss Don Quixote, which was written two years after Till, we can find a quite clear separation of primary and secondary material. Strauss even assigned the characters of the piece to instruments: there is Don Quixote, who is represented by the solo cello and his squire Sancho Panza, who is described by the solo viola and the bass clarinet. In Till Eulenspiegel the whole passage from bar 46 to bar 134 includes figures that imply use of verbal text; this musical narration finds the words and their meaning in the actual notation of the music; e.g.: Bar. 71 et sqq.: Till is ready for his first prank Bar. 81-85: But when? But where? Bar. 98 et sqq.: Tills zest for action Bar. 105-109: Till is thinking of a crude prank Bar. 111 133: Just you wait you bootlicker! War ten mal! (just you wait) This is when the first true episode takes place. Clarinets rush upwards, cymbal clashes and Till mounts a horse andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦jumps! (137et sqq.) Riding roughshod through the market square as the beginning is presented in the string section: Strauss noted down in the score Away in seven-league-boots for bar 151 and 152 notes that depict that theme are assigned to the flutes, the oboes and the clarinets and refer these two bars to the first part of the wicked goblin theme. There is a pause in bar 154 when Till hides himself in a mouse-hole and carefully puts out his head. Armstrong explains the pause in bar 154 with the words: Till seems to be lost. I would rather say that the break has the character of Phew that was a near thing! Starting from bar 157 until 169 Till is again in the heart of a new adventure. Strausss note on that passage: He emerges in disguise as a priest, oozing unction and morality lets us expect a musical caricature. On the contrary, whatever the clarinet, the bassoon and the violas play in a folksong-way of simplicity it has nothing to do with open mockery or cautious irony. The repeated inclusion of the first part of the wicked goblin theme does not radiate the effect of a caricature. With his note The knave peeps out of [his disguise] at the big toe, Strauss must have meant the figure in bar 191: It is when D clarinet presents Tills second theme revealing who is under preacher disguise! The chromatic runs of the horn, trumpets and violins (bars 196 198) show how dangerous Tills practice of mocking religion is at that moment. 9 bars later a glissando in solo violin opens another adventure: Bar. 209 et sqq.: Till the cavalier, exchanging sweet courtesies with beautiful girls Tills horn theme is presented in a romantic way Till felt in love with one of the girls and the music is coated with harmonically richer material. When Till is mistreated by the girl, his themes stomp through the orchestra until the four horns seem to be shaking their fist at the world and this is when in bar. 287 288: He [Till] vows he will take revenge on all mankind The most promoted part of the tone poem starts here (bar 293 et sqq.). Strauss brings the rhythmical energy of the motifs into play. Till is amongst the Philistines whose motif is played by bass clarinet and four bassoons (bar 293 299). Tills horn motif is now played by strings as if Till was asking the pedagogues his questions; this is how Strauss puts it: After he has posed a couple of atrocious theses to the philistines, he leaves them to their fate dumbfounded. The music of this section portrays pointlessness of pedagogues calculations; They have been cornered by Till and left puzzled. Concerning the Philistines, a series of variations develops, in which the formative force is in the rhythmical richness of creation, some of them are composed as canonical variations: In the following passage Strauss tries to create a deceptive silence after the council of the Philistines decided to end Tills days. Till is waiting cautiously for revenge, he takes advantage of this situation and does more and more mischief, rather than trying to become an ordinary citizen. The first Till theme sounds again, Till reappears first in first horn in F in bar 429, then in bar 436 horn in D presents Tills theme enriching the tonality. Starting in bar 429 (et sqq) Till appears again for new pranks and these know no bounds anymore. Consumed by disappointments, he does not appear as a harmless humorist, but as a revengeful human being in a fools costume. It gives a feeling of wildness and in this broadening atmosphere Strauss develops an intensity and complexity of motives combinatory that is difficult to beat. Armstrongs description is also in this direction: The music is keyed up to a higher pitch of excitement than ever. Tills last stretch of development, some 140 bars in length, shows Strausss music in full and unhesitating flight.  [2]   Trying to describe this long passage, I would put the following words: Bar 410 to 429: There is a deceptive silence From bar 486: Till is very successful From bar 546 Till gets up to more and more mischief, he becomes more high-spirited, livelierà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and even daredevil (bar 555 et sqq.) He feels like the lord of the world, even a god! (Bar 567 et sqq.) Fanfares in trumpets and horns: Straus puts an extra emphasis on this passage by expanding the brass section by three trumpets and an optional second quartet of horns. The boldness and arrogance of Tills behaviour is growing. He gets arrested and faces judges accusations (bars 573 581) accompanied by violent side-drum roll that lasts for fifteen bars. Till wants to keep his nonchalant attitude but starts to realize he has gone too far. The biggest penalty is given pictured in music by second Tills theme instrument D clarinet playing upward notes falling into major seventh chord (bars 615 616), when Till is going up the ladder to be hanged. This is when D clarinet reaches its highest A flat, holding it awhile and starts to move down, accompanied by the flute-trill (bars 619- 620) that describes Till running out of breath. This passage does not only sound like a sharp cry, though, it also portrays the breathlessness of Till. None of the authors specifies the epilogue. Kennedy refers the epilogue to Till himself: A gentle epilogue recalls the works fairy tale opening, as if to remind us, before he scampers away, that Till was not such a bad fellow.  [3]   Armstrong writes similarly: It is Tills characteristic tune with the devil taken out of it, so that it seems almost tender. This epilogue shows the composers insight at its keenest  [4]  . The epilogue recalls and extends Once upon a time version of Tills second theme (bar 632 et sqq). The atmosphere is similar to the one from the opening of the piece with it folk-lore narration and charm. In my opinion, Strauss composed the following content: Once upon a time, there was a foolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦he diedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but through this story, he is still alive. Hansen and Werbeck have differing opinions about the form of Till Eulenspiegel. Hansen describes the form as follows: Basically, there are only two central events, and they are actually a combination of theme and motif those two of the hero, of which Strauss informs Wà ¼llner in his letter  [5]  . Walter Werbeck tries to explain the form more accurately: Strauss composes neither an authentic sonata rondo nor a traditional rondo chain  [6]  . The element of a rondo that is missing is ritornello, but if we see rondo as representation of two themes then we might be dealing with a variant of rondo in Till Eulen spiegel. Walter Werbeck continues: One could easily describe the first part of Till as a free variation form, or, preferably, as a form in which rondo and variation are combined as follows: A (Exposition); Aà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² (market scene, variation 1); B (sermon scene, episode 1); A à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² (love scene, variation 2); and C (Philistines, episode 2). Strauss also drew on principles of sonata form. As evidence we might cite especially the emphatic recapitulation of the initial horn theme in bar 429 that opens the second part of the piece.  [7]   Both Hansen and Werbeck divide the piece in the same way into two main parts. Whereas Hansen only tells us approximately where his second part starts, Werbeck gives us the exact bar number (429) of his division. Hansen is content with the division into two central events; Werbeck, however, tries to show that Till is undoubtedly much more than a sonata rondo. The composer combines sonata form, variations and rondo. These forms cannot be seen separately they overlap and penetrate each other to varying degrees. At some points the form of a set of variations dominates, sometimes as sonata or as rondo. Warbecks quotation As Till Eulenspiegel, the protagonist of the tone poem, resists societal norms by mocking them with continuous pranks, so does the composer thwart the expectations of those who want to pin him down to the norms of a rondo  [8]   seems to be especially appropriate here. Trying to fit Till into a rondo form, the following division makes sense: 1. Prologue and Exposition; bar 1-111, the fool is introduced 2. Variation I; bar 112-178, the upsetting of the market place 3. Episode I; bar 179-206, the mockery of the sermon 4. Variation II; bar 207-288, Till in love 5. Episode II; bar 289-409, the confusing of the professors 6. Recapitulation (Variation III); bar 410-594, Till goes on his way 7. Coda (Episode III); bar 595-632, Till is arrested and hung 8. Epilogue; bar 633-658 At this point I would like to summarise the themes of Till Eulenspiegel: The wicked goblin theme and its modifications: BASIC FORM: NARRATIVE: AS A CAPER: HE LIES IN WAITING AT A GALLOP RELIEVED, AT A SAFE PLACE IN LOVE AS AN OATH OF REVENGE IN A CONFIDENT WAY UP THE LADDER FURTHER THEMES: Till Eu len spie gel, till Eu-len-spie gel, Till Eu-len spie-gel NAMING OF TILL NEW PRANKS IN LOVE COURTING AGAINST THE PHILISTINES DECEPTIVE SAFETY MISCHIEVOUS Richard Strausss Till Eulenspiegel appears as a masterpiece in composers career. In this piece Strauss used yet the biggest orchestra with massive woodwind section and optional second horn quartet. It is in some way symbolical that after serious labour on Guntram Strauss composes such a spectacular work inspired only by a folk legend. Richard Strauss himself leads us well and truly to believe in something with his title Nach alter Schelmenweise in Rondeauform [after an old rascal manner in rondo form]. Whoever thinks that Strauss came to a compromise with the traditional form will notice quickly that any pattern is avoided. It is not the form of the rondo with the methodical; umpteen times reprise of the theme, the unity is reached by the consistent development of the melodical-thematical elements. These elements, which come in the most varying forms, in the bravest disguises and the rhythmical and harmonical transformations, are the two main themes. Strauss uses the specific sound character of an instrument in the score very carefully. This is what gives the whole tone poem the humorous colour. When the notes become alive, everything sounds so simple, natural and unconstrained. Strauss makes high demands on the musical intelligence of the musicians playing his works.

Dennis Kozlowski: The Implications of Unethical Behavior Essay

Brief Historical Summary Dennis Kozlowski, is the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tyco International Ltd. During his tenure, Kozlowski engaged in activities that were considered unethical. In 2005 Kozlowski was convicted of misappropriation of corporate funds. Kozlowski had been involved in illegal and unethical behavior during most of his tenure. The findings that lead to the conviction of the former CEO were due to the persistent questioning and interrogating tactics of the shareholders and stakeholders because Kozlowski held within his authority to make decisions that could change the course of the company. Business ethics, auditing practices, and government regulations will forever be affected by the $500 million loss endured by the company. Needless to say this scandal had an major impact on the economy and the business world. Kozlowski’s long line of bad decision making is used by businesses as well as academics as an examples of unethical behavior and why internal controls are important to corporate governance. As the primary indicator of performance, corporate governance reports often display the strength and weaknesses of the company but are only as reliable as the set of values and ethics of the person’s implementing the rules. â€Æ' Unethical behavior/event examined Was it unethical practices, poor governmental regulations, or bad organizational behavior that lead Kozlowski to make the decisions that lead to the 2005 conviction? Vasile (2004) defined business ethics as â€Å"learning what is right and what is wrong and simply doing what is right† (p. 2). However, the actions attached to the decisions are not always as easily derived. In most instances, leaders are faced with making the decision as to what is... ...934 USA Today. (2005) Timeline of Tyco International Scandal. Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/manufacturing/2005-06-17-tyco- timeline_x.htm Valentine, S., & Fleischman, G. (2008). Professional ethical standards, corporate social responsibility, and the perceived role of ethics and social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 82(3), 657-666. doi:10.1007/s10551-007-9584-0 Bandsuch, M., Pate, L., & Thies, J. (2008). Rebuilding stakeholder trust in business: An examination of principle-centered leadership and organizational transparency in corporate governance. Business & Society Review. 113(1), 99-127. doi:10.1111/j.1467- 8594.2008.00315.x Caldwell, C., Hayes, L.A., & Long, D.T., (2010). Leadership, trustworthiness, and ethical stewardship. Journal of Business Ethics. 96:497–512. doi: 10.1007/s10551-010-0489-y Dennis Kozlowski: The Implications of Unethical Behavior Essay Brief Historical Summary Dennis Kozlowski, is the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tyco International Ltd. During his tenure, Kozlowski engaged in activities that were considered unethical. In 2005 Kozlowski was convicted of misappropriation of corporate funds. Kozlowski had been involved in illegal and unethical behavior during most of his tenure. The findings that lead to the conviction of the former CEO were due to the persistent questioning and interrogating tactics of the shareholders and stakeholders because Kozlowski held within his authority to make decisions that could change the course of the company. Business ethics, auditing practices, and government regulations will forever be affected by the $500 million loss endured by the company. Needless to say this scandal had an major impact on the economy and the business world. Kozlowski’s long line of bad decision making is used by businesses as well as academics as an examples of unethical behavior and why internal controls are important to corporate governance. As the primary indicator of performance, corporate governance reports often display the strength and weaknesses of the company but are only as reliable as the set of values and ethics of the person’s implementing the rules. â€Æ' Unethical behavior/event examined Was it unethical practices, poor governmental regulations, or bad organizational behavior that lead Kozlowski to make the decisions that lead to the 2005 conviction? Vasile (2004) defined business ethics as â€Å"learning what is right and what is wrong and simply doing what is right† (p. 2). However, the actions attached to the decisions are not always as easily derived. In most instances, leaders are faced with making the decision as to what is... ...934 USA Today. (2005) Timeline of Tyco International Scandal. Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/manufacturing/2005-06-17-tyco- timeline_x.htm Valentine, S., & Fleischman, G. (2008). Professional ethical standards, corporate social responsibility, and the perceived role of ethics and social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 82(3), 657-666. doi:10.1007/s10551-007-9584-0 Bandsuch, M., Pate, L., & Thies, J. (2008). Rebuilding stakeholder trust in business: An examination of principle-centered leadership and organizational transparency in corporate governance. Business & Society Review. 113(1), 99-127. doi:10.1111/j.1467- 8594.2008.00315.x Caldwell, C., Hayes, L.A., & Long, D.T., (2010). Leadership, trustworthiness, and ethical stewardship. Journal of Business Ethics. 96:497–512. doi: 10.1007/s10551-010-0489-y

Monday, August 19, 2019

Christianity in a Postmodern World :: essays research papers

Christian Belief in a Postmodern World: The Full Wealth of Conviction Others have tried to do what Diogenes Allen, Professor of Philosophy at Princeton Theological Seminary, does in his book but none with his breadth or effectiveness. That is, others have attempted to exploit for theism's benefit the hard times now befalling the modern world's emphasis on scientific reasoning and pure rationality, which for quite a while had placed Christianity (and religious belief in general) on the intellectual and cultural defensive. Many of these earlier attempts made use of the Wittgensteinian concepts of "form of life" or "language game" to show that both science and religion depended on unproven assumptions and therefore rested equally on grounds without firm foundations. These kinds of attempts, however, could most always aim no higher than to make the world safe for fideism. And fideism is not to defend the faith. What makes Allen's contribution special and important is his effort to examine in a philosophically rigorous way what we mean w hen we say Christianity is true. He quotes Colossians 2:2 at the start of his book, but I Peter 3:15 is just as appropriate for what follows: "Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence." Allen is very clear whom he is writing for and what his intentions are: "to give those who have no faith compelling rational grounds to become seekers and to those who have faith a greater degree of assurance and understanding than they can attain while constrained by the modern mentality." He divides his book into three parts. The first part begins with a mapping of our current intellectual terrain. In many ways, modernism committed the docetist heresy to human thought. It failed to see human thought as truly embodied and enculturated. Rather, human intellection consisted in pristine, pure rationality undisturbed by culture, bias, or the vagaries of historical situation. Modernism valued evidence and empirical confirmation and therefore strived to remain valueneutral to mirror a phenomenal world that was itself held value-neutral. The author challenges this way of human knowing and finds it insufficient and incapable of meeting the deepest needs of being human. In so doing , he sheds light on the relation between science and religion. Much of this material is rather provocative intellectual history, including a particularly interesting analysis of the Galileo affair and how it was used for polemical purposes by those hostile to theism.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Airline Pilots Should not be Armed Essay -- essays research papers

After the events of September 11, nearly every American has thought about what it would be like to be on board an airline flight during a terrorist attack. We imagine ourselves on one of the hijacked planes and feel a surge of fear. The adrenaline rushes, the heart pounds, we go pale. If we allow the panic to escalate, we begin to feel desperate: Somebody do something! These understandable feelings of fear and desperation have moved people to argue that we should arm commercial airline pilots. Certainly it is reassuring to imagine pilots as our protectors, the last defense against crazed passengers bent on harm. Certainly we should take all reasonable measures to safeguard flights. However, is it really a good idea to let pilots act as gun-toting cowboys in the sky? When one considers the possible consequence of arming pilots, this policy does not seem at all prudent. Commercial airline pilots should concentrate on flying the plane rather than acting out a fantasy that may well turn into a nightmare. A well-trained extremist could conceivably disarm a pilot. A terrorist could als...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Masters of the Universe

Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities A Roadmap to Applying the Variable Interest Entities Consolidation Model March 2010 FASB material, copyright  © by the Financial Accounting Foundation, 401 Merritt 7, PO Box 5116, Norwalk, CT 06856-5116, is reproduced with permission. This publication is provided as an information service by the Accounting Standards and Communications Group of Deloitte & Touche LLP. It does not address all possible fact patterns and the guidance is subject to change.Deloitte & Touche LLP is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. Deloitte & Touche LLP shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by any person who relies on this publication.As used in this document, â€Å"Deloitte† means Deloitte & Touche LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www. deloitte. com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. March 2010 Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Section 1 — Overview, Background, and Scope 1. 01 1. 02 Determining Which Consolidation Model to Apply Consideration of Substantive Terms, Transactions, and Arrangements Substantive Terms and Arrangements Scope and Scope Exceptions Overall Scope Considerations 1. 3 1. 04 1. 05 1. 06 1. 07 1. 08 1. 09 1. 10 1. 11 Application of the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 to Non-SPEs Qualification of a SPE as a Voting Interest Entity Application of the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 to Multitiered Legal Entity Structures Application of the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 to a Single Entity Held by a Holding Company Elimination of the QSPE Scop e Exception Determining Whether Employee Benefit Plans Should Apply the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 to Their Investments Scope Exception for Certain Investment CompaniesDefinition of Governmental Organization Determining Whether a Governmental Organization Was Used to Circumvent the Provisions of the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 Scope Exception for Not-for-Profit Organizations Scope Exception for Not-for-Profit Organizations: Circumvention of the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 Accounting Guidance for NFPs as a Result of the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 Determining Whether Entities That Present Their Financial Statements Similarly to a NFP Can Qualify for the Not-for-Profit Scope Exception Retention of a For-Profit Reporting Entity’s Accounting Policies in the Consolidated Financial Statements of a Not-for-Profit Reporting Entity Scope Exception for Separate Accounts of Life Insurance Entities Meaning of the Term â€Å"Exhaustive Effort† Application of Exhaustive-Efforts Scope Exception to an Inactive Entity Created Before December 31, 2003 Definition of a Business Under ASC 810-10-15-17(d) Effect of the Change in the Definition of a Business on the Business Scope Exception 1 2 5 6 8 8 9 10 10 10 11 12 13 14 14 14 15 15 15 16 17 17 17 18 18 18 19 19 19 20 20 21 21 21 Scope Exception for Employee Benefit Plans Scope Exception Related to Investments Accounted for at Fair Value Scope Exception for Governmental Organizations Scope Exception for Not-for-Profit Organizations 1. 12 1. 13 1. 14 1. 15 1. 16 Scope Exception Related to Separate Accounts of Life Insurance Entities 1. 17 1. 18 1. 19 1. 20 1. 21 Exhaustive-Efforts Scope Exception Business Scope Exception i 1. 22 1. 23 1. 24 1. 25 1. 26 1. 27 1. 28 1. 29 1. 30 1. 31 Applying the Business Scope Exception on aReporting-Entity-by-Reporting-Entity Basis Determining When a Reporting Entity Should Assess Whether It Meets the Business Scope Exception Under the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 Definition of a Joint Venture and Joint Control as Used in the VIE Model in ASC 810-10-15-17(d)(1) Determining Whether the Reporting Entity Participated Significantly in the Design or Redesign of the Legal Entity Scope Exception for Legal Entities Deemed to Be a Business — Determining Whether Substantially All of the Activities Either Involve or Are Conducted on Behalf of the Reporting Entity Scope Exception for an Entity Deemed to Be a Business — Determining Whether Financing Is Subordinated Additional Financial Support — Put and Call Options Business Scope Exception — Determining Whether More Than Half the Total of Equity, Debt, and Other Subordinated Financial Support Has Been Provided Lessee’s Determination of Whether a Capital Lease With an Entity Should Be Assessed Under the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 Consideration of Leasing Activities in Which the Legal Entity Is the Lessor 22 22 24 25 25 27 28 29 30 30 Section 2 — Determination of Whether the Reporting Entity Holds a Variab le Interest Identifying a Variable Interest 2. 01 2. 02 2. 03 2. 04 2. 05 2. 06 2. 07 2. 08 2. 09 2. 10 2. 11 2. 12 2. 13 2. 14 2. 15 2. 16 2. 17 2. 18 2. 19 2. 20 2. 21 2. 22 2. 23 2. 24 2. 5 Determining Whether a Holding Is a Variable Interest Identifying Whether a Reporting Entity Holds a Variable Interest Requiring Analysis Under the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 Determining When a Lease Represents a Variable Interest — Potential VIE Is a Lessor Determining When a Lease Represents a Variable Interest — Potential VIE Is a Lessee Determining Variable Interests Under the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 in a Synthetic CDO Structure When Decision-Maker Fees Are Not Treated as a Variable Interest Determining Variable Interests Under the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 in a Synthetic CDO Structure When Decision-Maker Fees Are Treated as a Variable Interest Netting of Instruments Other Than Equity Applying the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 to Trust Preferred Security Arrangements and Similar Structur es Implicit Variable Interests and â€Å"Activities Around the Entity† — Illustration Implicit Variable Interests — Call and Put Options Implicit Variable Interests — Total Return Swap Implicit Variable Interests —Back-to-Back Asset Guarantee Determining When an Implicit Guarantee (Variable Interest) Exists in a Related-Party Transaction Implicit Variable Interests — Waiving of a Management Fee Overview of the Guidance in ASC 810-10-25-21 Through 25-36 Applying the Guidance in ASC 810-10-25-21 Through 25-36 to Purchase and Supply Arrangements Applying ASC 810-10-25-21 Through 25-36 to PPAs, Tolling Agreements, and Similar Arrangements Off-Market Supply Agreements Determining Whether a Variable Interest Is Subordinated Financial Support Analyzing a MMF for Consolidation How to Determine Whether an Embedded Derivative Is Clearly and Closely Related Economically to Its Asset or Liability Host Applying the Guidance in ASC 810-10-25-35 and 25-36 Meaning of the Term â€Å"Derivative Instrument† in ASC 810-10-25-35 and 25-36 Meaning of the Term â€Å"Market-Observable Variable† in ASC 810-10-25-35 Meaning of the Term â€Å"Essentially All† in ASC 810-10-25-36 32 32 32 35 36 37 37 39 39 40 43 43 46 46 47 47 51 51 53 55 56 58 59 60 62 63 65 66 66 Implicit Variable Interests The By-Design Approach to Determining Variability ii Section 3 — Determination of Whether an Entity Is a VIE Determination of Whether Equity Investment at Risk Is Sufficient Under ASC 810-10-15-14(a) 3. 01 3. 2 3. 03 3. 04 3. 05 3. 06 3. 07 3. 08 3. 09 3. 10 3. 11 3. 12 3. 13 Determination of Equity Investment at Risk When the Investor’s Initial Accounting Basis of Its Equity Differs From Fair Value Including Mezzanine Equity Instruments in Total Equity Investment at Risk Determination of Whether a Personal Guarantee Provided by an Equity Holder Represents Equity Investment at Risk Determining Whether an Instrument With a R isks-and-Rewards Profile Similar to That of an Equity Investment Qualifies as Equity Impact of ASC 810-10-15-14(a) on the Determination of Total Equity Investment at Risk When the Investee Is a Foreign Entity Non-At-Risk EquityInvestment as a Variable Interest Definition of â€Å"Profits and Losses,† as Used in ASC 810-10-15-14(a)(1) Including Fixed-Rate, Nonparticipating Preferred Stock in the Total Equity Investment at Risk Determining Whether an Equity Interest Participates Significantly in the Profits and Losses of an Entity Impact of Put Options, Call Options, and Total Return Swaps on Equity Investment at Risk Impact of Contracts and Instruments That Protect an Equity Investor on Equity Investment at Risk Qualification of Equity Investments Issued in Exchange for Promises to Perform Services as Equity Investment at Risk Determining Whether Fees Received by an Equity Investor for Services Performed at Inception or in the Future Reduce Equity Investment at Risk Determinin g Whether Funds Borrowed by a Reporting Entity Qualify as Equity Investment at Risk Determining Whether a Quantitative Assessment of Equity Investment at Risk Is Necessary Qualitative Versus Quantitative Analysis of Whether an Entity Is a VIE Quantitative Expected-Loss Calculation — After Adoption of ASU 2009-17 Consideration of Subordinated Debt in a Qualitative Assessment of Sufficiency of Equity at Risk 68 69 70 70 70 71 71 71 72 72 73 73 74 76 77 77 78 78 78 79 80 81 81 82 83 84 84 85 86 87 87 88 88 90 90 91 92 92 93 94 94 95Equity Investments That Participate in Profits and Losses Equity Investments Provided Directly or Indirectly by the Entity Equity Investments Financed by the Entity 3. 14 3. 15 3. 16 3. 17 3. 18 Sufficiency of Equity Investment at Risk Determining Whether, as a Group, the Holders of the Equity Investment at Risk Lack Any of the Characteristics in ASC 810-10-15-14(b) 3. 19 3. 20 3. 21 3. 22 3. 23 3. 24 3. 25 3. 26 Characteristics in ASC 810-10-15-14(b) Held Within the Group of At-Risk Equity Investors Meaning of the Phrase â€Å"As a Group† in ASC 810-10-15-14(b) Impact of ASC 810-10-15-14(b) on Determining Characteristics of Control or Lack of Control by the Group of Holders of Equity Investment t Risk Minimum Amount of Equity Held By an Investment Manager or GP Ability of Holders of Equity Investment at Risk to Remove a Decision Maker Decision-Making Rights Granted to an Equity Holder Separately From Its Equity Investment at Risk Nonsubstantive Equity Investment of a GP Determining Whether a GP Interest Should Be Aggregated With an LP (or Other) Interest in the Evaluation of a Legal Entity Under ASC 810-10-15-14 Meaning of â€Å"Insignificant† in the Analysis of Fees Paid to a Decision Maker or Service Provider Meaning of the Term â€Å"Same Level of Seniority† Whether a Fee Paid to a Decision Maker or Service Provider That Represents a Variable Interest Could Potentially Not Be Significant to a VIE Determi ning Whether a Decision Maker or Service Provider Must Evaluate ASC 810-10-25-38A If the Fees Paid to the Decision Maker or Service Provider Do Not Represent a Variable Interest Reassessment of Fees Paid to a Decision Maker or Service Provider Determining Whether a Reporting Entity Lacks the Obligation to Absorb Expected Losses of the Entity Use of a Qualitative Approach to Determine Whether a Reporting Entity Has the Obligation to Absorb Expected Losses iii Analysis of Fees Paid to a Decision Maker or Service Provider 3. 27 3. 28 3. 29 3. 30 3. 31 3. 32 3. 33 Obligation to Absorb the Expected Losses of the Legal Entity 3. 34 3. 35 3. 36Determining Whether a Put Option on an Equity Interest Causes the Holders of the Equity Investment at Risk to Lack the Obligation to Absorb the Expected Losses of the Entity Determining Whether a Put Option on a Potential VIE’s Assets Causes the Holders of the Equity Investment at Risk to Lack the Obligation to Absorb the Expected Losses of th e Potential VIE Determining the Effect of Other Arrangements on the Ability of the Equity Group to Absorb Expected Losses or Receive Residual Returns Determining Whether an Investor Has the Right to Receive the Expected Residual Returns of a Legal Entity and Whether the Investor’s Return Is Capped Impact of an Outstanding Equity Call Option on Whether a Return Is Capped Impact of a Call Option on n Entity’s Assets on Whether a Return Is Capped Application of the VIE Test Under ASC 810-10-15-14(c) Considering a Reporting Entity’s Obligations to Absorb Expected Losses and Rights to Receive Expected Residual Returns Other Than Those Provided Through Equity Interests When Applying ASC 810-10-15-14(c) Anticipated Changes in the Assessment of Whether an Entity Is a VIE Future Sources of Financing to Include in a Potential VIE’s Expected Cash Flows Guidance on Reconsideration of Whether an Entity Is a VIE Valuation of Equity Investment at Risk When a Reconsidera tion Event Occurs Isolating the Impact of a Change in the Entity’s Governing Documents or Contractual Arrangements and the Impact of Undertaking Additional Activities or Acquiring Additional Assets Entering Into Bankruptcy Emerging From Bankruptcy Determining Whether a Development-Stage Entity Is a Business Development Stage Entities — Assessing the Sufficiency of Equity Investment at Risk 96 96 96 98 98 99 99 99 100 101 102 102 103 104 104 107 107 108 108 109 109 109Right to Receive the Expected Residual Returns of the Legal Entity 3. 37 3. 38 3. 39 3. 40 3. 41 Determining When the Equity Investors as a Group Are Considered to Lack the Characteristics in ASC 810-10-15-14(b)(1) Initial Determination of Whether an Entity Is a VIE 3. 42 3. 43 3. 44 3. 45 3. 46 3. 47 3. 48 3. 49 3. 50 Reconsideration of Whether the Entity Is a VIE Development-Stage Entities Section 4 — Expected Variability and the Calculation of Expected Losses and Expected Residual Returns 4. 01 4 . 02 4. 03 4. 04 4. 05 4. 06 4. 07 4. 08 4. 09 4. 10 4. 11 4. 12 4. 13 4. 14 4. 15 4. 16 Definitions of Expected Losses and Expected Residual Returns The Meaning of â€Å"Net Assets† Under the VIE Model in ASC 10-10 Purpose of Calculating the Expected Losses and Expected Residual Returns of the Entity How to Determine the Expected Losses and Expected Residual Returns of the Entity How to Determine the Expected Losses and Expected Residual Returns of the Entity — Example Use of the Indirect Method to Calculate Estimated Cash Flows Noncash Receipts or Distributions in the Determination of an Entity’s Estimated Cash Flow Scenarios Inclusion of Low-Income Housing or Similar Tax Credits in a Calculation of Expected Losses and Expected Residual Returns Effect of Options on Specific Assets in the Determination of the Entity’s Estimated Cash Flows Developing Estimated Cash Flow Scenarios and Assigning Probabilities for Expected Loss and Expected Residual Return C alculations Discount Rate to Use in the Calculation of Expected Losses and Expected Residual Returns Cash Flow and Fair Value Approaches to Calculating Expected Losses and Expected Residual Returns Appropriateness of Using Either the Cash Flow Approach or Fair Value Approach to Calculate Expected Losses and Expected Residual Returns Determining Whether Decision-Maker and Service-Provider Fees Are Included in Expected Losses and Expected Residual Returns Whether ASC 820-10 Affects an Expected Losses/Residual Returns Calculation Allocation Methods That May Be Used to Determine Whether Fees Paid to Decision Makers or Service Providers Are Variable Interests iv 111 111 112 113 113 116 121 123 124 124 125 127 128 128 129 129 130 Section 5 — Interests in Specified Assets of the VIE and Silo Provisions 5. 01 5. 02 5. 03 5. 04 5. 05 5. 06 5. 07 5. 08 5. 9 Accounting for Interests in Specified Assets and Silos Consideration of Interests in Specified Assets Guarantees That Represent a Variable Interest in the Entity Versus a Variable Interest in Specified Assets of the Entity Considering a Party’s Other Interests in the Analysis of a Variable Interest in Specified Assets of an Entity Considering a Related Party’s Interest in the Analysis of a Variable Interest in Specified Assets of an Entity Determining Whether a Silo Exists Determining Whether a Host Entity Is a VIE When a Silo Exists Determining Whether the Silo Is a VIE If the Host Entity Is a VIE Determining the Primary Beneficiary of the Host Entity and Silo 133 133 135 136 136 137 138 139 140 141 Section 6 — Determination of the Primary Beneficiary 6. 01 6. 02 6. 03 6. 04 6. 05 6. 06 6. 07 6. 08 6. 09 6. 10 6. 11 6. 12 6. 13 6. 14 6. 15 6. 16 6. 17 6. 18 6. 19 6. 20 6. 21 6. 22 6. 23 6. 24 6. 25 6. 26 6. 27 6. 28 6. 9 How a Reporting Entity Applies the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 When It Appears Not to Be the Primary Beneficiary Determining Whether More Than One Reporting Entity Can Consol idate a VIE Risks to Which an Entity Is Designed to Be Exposed Risks and Related Activities Assessing Power to Direct When Decisions Are Made by a Board of Directors and a Manager Consideration of All Risks in the Determination of the Power to Direct Activities of the VIE Evaluating Power to Direct the Most Significant Activities of the VIE in Scenarios Involving a PPA Determination of a Primary Beneficiary for Every VIE Evaluating the Characteristic in ASC 810-10-25-38A(b) Reconsideration of the Primary Beneficiary of a VIE The Effect of Contingencies on Determining the Primary Beneficiary Consideration of Forward Starting Rights in the Primary Beneficiary Analysis Determination of Whether Kickout Rights are Substantive Consideration of a Board of Directors as a Single Party in the Assessment of Kickout Rights Withdrawal and Liquidation Rights Evaluation of Shared Power Versus Multiple Unrelated Parties Performing Different Significant Activities Shared Power Within a Related-Party Group VIEs With No Ongoing Activities That Significantly Affect Their Economic Performance Factors to Consider in the Determination of Whether a Relationship Represents a De Facto Agency Aggregation of Variable Interests When the Reporting Entity Does Not Hold a Variable Interest Directly in the Entity De Facto Agency Relationship When Only Part of an Interest Is Received as a Loan or Contribution From Another Reporting Entity Related-Party Determination — Interests Received as a Loan Considering Whether Restrictions on a Reporting Entity’s Ability to Sell, Transfer, or Encumber Its Interests in a VIE Constitute Constraint The Effect of a Put Option on a De Facto Agency Relationship Consideration of De Facto Agent Requirements in the Determination of the Primary Beneficiary in a Joint Venture Arrangement Determining Which Party in a Related-Party Group Is Most Closely Associated With a VIE Determining the Primary Beneficiary in a Related-Party Group When Members of th e Related-Party Group Are Under Common Control Consideration of the Factors in ASC 810-20 in the Determination of Which Related Party Is Most Closely Associated Application of ASC 810-10-25-38A and ASC 810-10-25-44 When a Fee Paid to an Asset Manager Represents a Variable Interest and the Asset Manager Is Part of a Related-Party Group 42 143 143 144 144 145 147 148 149 149 151 153 155 156 156 157 157 158 159 160 160 162 162 163 164 165 166 166 169 169 170 Related-Party Considerations v Section 7 — Initial Measurement and Subsequent Accounting Initial Measurement 7. 01 7. 02 7. 03 Balance Sheet Classification of Parent’s Interest — Primary Beneficiary and VIE Under Common Control Qualification of an Entity as a Business for Recording Goodwill Upon Consolidation of a VIE Accounting After Initial Measurement — Intercompany Eliminations 173 173 173 174 175 175 Accounting After Initial Measurement Section 8 — Presentation and Disclosures Presentation 8. 01 8. 02 8. 03 8. 04 8. 5 Application of the Presentation Requirements of ASC 810-10-45-25 to a Consolidated VIE Separate Presentation of Certain Assets and Liabilities of Consolidated VIEs Optional Separate Presentation of Certain Assets and Liabilities of Consolidated VIEs Disclosures About Securitizations Under ASC 860 Versus Disclosures About Securitizations Under the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 Definition of Maximum Exposure to Loss for Disclosure Purposes 177 177 177 178 179 179 181 182 Disclosures Section 9 — Transition 9. 01 9. 02 Whether a Reporting Entity Can Elect the FVO for a VIE Upon Adopting ASU 2009-17 Determining VIE and Primary-Beneficiary Status Upon Transition to ASU 2009-17 183 186 186 Appendix A — Implementation Guidance Appendix B — Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations Used in the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 Glossary of Terms Abbreviations 189 205 205 206 Appendix C — Key Differences Between U. S. GAAP and IFRSs — Consolidated Financ ial Statements Appendix D — Reference Guide Appendix E — Glossary of Standards 208 212 214 vi AcknowledgmentsAshley Carpenter, Rob Comerford, Jon Howard, Jeff Nickell, Randall Sogoloff, Joe Ucuzoglu, and Bob Uhl provided the thought leadership necessary to formulate our views on the application of the key principles of Statement 167. James Barker worked with our Energy & Resources practice to develop our views on the application of Statement 167 to power purchase arrangements. Jim Schnurr continues to work with our Investment Management practice to provide input on Statement 167 and the ongoing joint consolidations project. Xihao Hu and Sherif Sakr provided invaluable insight and perspective from our Financial Accounting and Reporting Services group.Joe Renouf, Michael Lorenzo, Lynne Campbell, Yvonne Donnachie, and Joan Meyers delivered the first class production effort that we have come to rely on for all of Deloitte’s publications. Courtney Sachtleben worked t irelessly to ensure this Roadmap was of the highest quality. Her dedication and commitment got this publication to the finish line. Others deserving of mention and appreciation are Robin Kramer, Shan Nemeth, Adrian Schwartz, Kirsten Aunapu, Angela Bacarella, Chris Rogers, Trevor Farber, Catherine Smith, Madhu Gopinath, Shane Burak, Joseph Berry, Kirby Rattenbury, Will Estilo, Chris Toppin, and Thalia Smith. 1 Introduction March 2010 To the clients, friends, and people of Deloitte: Welcome back to the land of variable interest entities (VIEs).It’s been two-and-a-half years since we last updated our Roadmap on consolidation of VIEs, and the consolidations terrain has changed significantly in that time. The most noteworthy changes are (1) the issuance of Statement 167, (2) the release of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (the â€Å"Codification†), and (3) the continued work of the FASB and IASB on a joint consolidations project. Statement 167 — Whatâ€℠¢s All the Fuss About? In June 2009, the FASB issued Statement 167, which amends the consolidation guidance applicable to VIEs. The Statement 167 amendments are effective as of the first annual reporting period that begins after November 15, 2009, and for interim periods within that first annual reporting period.Statement 167 replaces Interpretation 46(R)’s risks-and-rewards-based quantitative approach to consolidation with a more qualitative approach that requires a reporting entity to have some economic exposure to a VIE along with â€Å"the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the entity. † The FASB also reminded its constituents that only substantive terms, transactions, and arrangements should affect the accounting conclusions under Statement 167; the SEC has reiterated this principle in numerous public speeches. It’s not surprising that many initially concentrated on understanding how Statement 167 would affect qualifying special-purpose entities (QSPEs) and other structured finance entities because that seemed to be the FASB’s focus, particularly given that six of the nine implementation examples in Statement 167 address structured finance entities.However, the initial adoption of Statement 167 has proved time-consuming because it does not just apply to structured finance entities or entities historically considered VIEs under Interpretation 46(R). In addition, even if a reporting entity determines that it does not need to consolidate a VIE under Statement 167, it must provide extensive disclosures for any VIEs in which it holds a variable interest. In addition to the overall change in the Interpretation 46(R) consolidation model, Statement 167 contains the following significant provisions and amendments: †¢ †¢ ThescopeexemptionforQSPEsisremovedfromInterpretation46(R). Asaresult,transferors,sponsors, and investors in QSPEs need to consider the consolidation and di sclosure provisions in Statement 167.Kickoutrightsandparticipatingrightsareignoredin(1)thedeterminationofwhetheranentityisaVIE and (2) the identification of the VIE’s primary beneficiary, unless the rights are held by a single reporting entity. AreportingentitymustcontinuallyreconsiderwhichvariableinterestholderistheVIE’sprimary beneficiary. Areportingentitymustreconsideranentity’sVIEstatusiftheequityinterestholderslosethepowerfrom the voting rights of those investments to direct the entity’s most significant activities. Anexemptiontothedefactoagentrequirementsexistswhenmutualtransferrestrictionsarebasedon terms mutually agreed to by willing, independent parties. Areportingentitymustmeetsixconditionstodeterminethatfeespaidtoadecisionmakerorservice provider do not represent a variable interest.The FASB believes that fees paid to a reporting entity that acts solely as a fiduciary or agent should typically not represent a variable interest because those fees would typically meet these six conditions. 2 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Aprimarybeneficiarymustpresentseparately,onthefaceofthebalancesheet,(1)assetsofconsolidated VIEs that can only be used to settle obligations of those VIEs and (2) liabilities of consolidated VIEs for which creditors do not have recourse to the general credit of the primary beneficiary. Powerisonlyconsideredshared(andnopartyconsolidates)if(1)twoormoreunrelatedpartiestogether have the power to direct the VIE’s most significant activities and (2) decisions about those activities require the consent of each of the parties sharing power. †¢To address the new consolidations guidance under Statement 167, this edition of the Roadmap (1) includes over 30 new Q&As and (2) updates our existing Interpretation 46(R) Q&As. The Codification — Do You Have All the New Topics, Subtopics, Sections, Subsections, and Paragraphs Memorized? In July 2009, the Codification became the single source of aut horitative nongovernmental U. S. GAAP. The Codification’s hierarchy is topic, subtopic, section, and paragraph, in that order, each with a numerical designation (e. g. , ASC 810-10-25-37, which was formerly paragraph 6 of Interpretation 46(R)). ASU 2009-17 incorporated Statement 167’s amendments to the VIE model into the Codification. The beginning of each section of this Roadmap contains quotes from the appropriate Codification paragraphs.In addition, for those of you still trying to find your way through the Codification, we thought it would be helpful for each Codification paragraph to be followed by a reference to the corresponding pre-Codification paragraph from Interpretation 46(R), as amended by Statement 167. Although ASC 810-10-55-37 (paragraph B22 of Interpretation 46(R)1) might not roll off your tongue like â€Å"B22 of FIN 46(R)† used to, the Codification is here to stay. However, we suspect that just as there are probably a few accountants who are c linging to their last version of the FASB’s Original Pronouncements (we know you are out there! ), there are some that might need a little help finding the new VIE guidance in the Codification.Accordingly, Appendix D of this Roadmap includes a guide that cross-references the paragraphs from ASC 810-10 to the guidance in Interpretation 46(R), as amended by Statement 167. The reference guide also lists the accounting topic and section from the Roadmap that these paragraph references apply to. (We thought a few hints and a little â€Å"cheat sheet† among friends might be helpful while we all adjust to the new layout of the Codification. ) No More Big Changes Expected Anytime Soon — Right? Well — not really. Did we mention the joint consolidations project that the FASB and the IASB are working on? The IASB and FASB are jointly developing guidance for consolidation of all entities, including entities currently considered VIEs.Although Statement 167 was not dev eloped as part of the joint project, the IASB staff closely followed the FASB’s work on Statement 167. The boards’ goal is to have one consolidation model whose principles are similar to those in Statement 167 and that would apply to all entities. In December 2008, the IASB issued Exposure Draft 10 (ED 10), Consolidated Financial Statements. Although the boards believe that the objectives for assessing control of structures under Statement 167 and ED 10 are fundamentally consistent, they also acknowledged that the guidance in ED 10 can potentially result in different consolidation conclusions — particularly for certain investment funds.The boards are continuing to jointly deliberate several critical issues, including the evaluation of principal and agent relationships, the concept of effective control (e. g. , the ability to control a voting interest entity when a reporting entity holds fewer than half of the voting rights), related parties, disclosures, and pre sentation requirements. The boards have stated their goal to issue an exposure draft during the second quarter of 2010 and a final standard before the end of 2010. We will continue to keep you updated on these developments through our Heads Up newsletters as well as through our Dbriefs webcast series. 2 For a discussion of the current differences between the consolidation models under IFRSs and U. S. GAAP, see Appendix C of this Roadmap. 1 2You see – that’s helpful – isn’t it? If you wish to receive Heads Up and other accounting publications issued by Deloitte’s Accounting Standards and Communications Group, please register at www. deloitte. com/us/subscriptions. Join Dbriefs to receive notifications about future webcasts at www. deloitte. com/us/dbriefs. 3 What’s This I Hear About a Deferral of Statement 167? Can I Get One Too? In February 2010, the FASB issued ASU 2010-10, which amends certain provisions of the VIE model in ASC 810-10. The ASU defers the effective date of Statement 167 for a reporting entity’s interest in certain entities and certain money market mutual funds.It also addresses concerns that the joint consolidation model under development by the FASB and IASB may result in a different consolidation conclusion for asset managers and that an asset manager consolidating certain funds would not necessarily provide useful information to investors. In addition, the ASU amends certain provisions of ASC 810-10-55-37 (paragraph B22 of Interpretation 46(R), as amended by Statement 167) to change how a decision maker or service provider determines whether its fee is a variable interest. This Roadmap reflects the changes to ASC 810-10-55-37. The ASU will defer the application of Statement 167 for a reporting entity’s interest in an entity (1) that has all the attributes of an investment company or (2) for which it is industry practice to apply measurement principles for financial reporting purposes that are consistent with those followed by investment companies.The deferral does not apply in situations in which a reporting entity has the explicit or implicit obligation to fund losses of an entity that could potentially be significant to the entity. The deferral also does not apply to interests in securitization entities, asset-backed financing entities, or entities formerly considered QSPEs. In addition, the deferral applies to a reporting entity’s interest in an entity that is required to comply with or operate in accordance with requirements similar to those in Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 for registered money market funds. These entities will be subject to the deferral even if the money market fund manager has an xplicit or implicit obligation to fund losses of the entity. For reporting entities that meet the deferral conditions, the guidance on VIEs in ASC 810-10 (before the amendments in ASU 2009-17 and the amendments to 810-10-55-37 in ASU 2010- 10) would be used to determine whether (1) the legal entity is a VIE, (2) the reporting entity has a variable interest in a VIE, and (3) the reporting entity is the primary beneficiary of a VIE. However, all reporting entities must provide the disclosures in ASC 81010, as amended by ASU 2009-17, for all VIEs in which they hold a variable interest or for which they are the primary beneficiary — regardless of whether the entity qualifies for the deferral. Q&A 1. 1 of this Roadmap includes a decision tree to help you understand how the deferral may affect which consolidation model you will need to apply. In addition, see our January 27, 2010, Heads Up for information about the ASU’s other significant provisions. The Road Forward We understand that Statement 167 (like Interpretation 46(R) before it) can be a difficult standard to apply — particularly when you are new to its provisions. We believe this Roadmap can help you find your way and can help make the complex sound a little simpler. To those new to VIE land, and to our grizzled VIE veterans, we look forward to working with you. Deloitte & Touche LLP 4 Section 1 — Overview, Background, and Scope ASC 810-10 5-8 The Variable Interest Entities Subsections clarify the application of the General Subsections to certain legal entities in which equity investors do not have sufficient equity at risk for the legal entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support or, as a group, the holders of the equity investment at risk lack any one of the following three characteristics: a. b. c. The power, through voting rights or similar rights, to direct the activities of a legal entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance The obligation to absorb the expected losses of the legal entity The right to receive the expected residual returns of the legal entity.Paragraph 810-10-10-1 states that consolidated financial statements are usually necessary for a fair presentation if one of the entities in the consolidated group directly or indirectly has a controlling financial interest in the other entities. Paragraph 81010-15-8 states that the usual condition for a controlling financial interest is ownership of a majority voting interest. However, application of the majority voting interest requirement in the General Subsections of this Subtopic to certain types of entities may not identify the party with a controlling financial interest because the controlling financial interest may be achieved through arrangements that do not involve voting interests. Paragraph 1] 05-8A The reporting entity with a variable interest or interests that provide the reporting entity with a controlling financial interest in a variable interest entity (VIE) will have both of the following characteristics: a. b. The power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance The obligation to abs orb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. [Paragraph 1A] 05-9 The Variable Interest Entities Subsections explain how to identify VIEs and how to determine when a reporting entity should include the assets, liabilities, noncontrolling interests, and results of activities of a VIE in its consolidated financial statements. Transactions involving VIEs are common.Some reporting entities have entered into arrangements using VIEs that appear to be designed to avoid reporting assets and liabilities for which they are responsible, to delay reporting losses that have already been incurred, or to report gains that are illusory. At the same time, many reporting entities have used VIEs for valid business purposes and have properly accounted for those VIEs based on guidance and accepted practice. [Paragraph E5] 05-10 Some relationships between reporting entities and VIEs ar e similar to relationships established by majority voting interests, but VIEs often are arranged without a governing board or with a governing board that has limited ability to make decisions that affect the VIE’s activities.A VIE’s activities may be limited or predetermined by the articles of incorporation, bylaws, partnership agreements, trust agreements, other establishing documents, or contractual agreements between the parties involved with the VIE. A reporting entity implicitly chooses at the time of its investment to accept the activities in which the VIE is permitted to engage. That reporting entity may not need the ability to make decisions if the activities are predetermined or limited in ways the reporting entity chooses to accept. Alternatively, the reporting entity may obtain an ability to make decisions that affect a VIE’s activities through contracts or the VIE’s governing documents. There may be other techniques for protecting a reporting entity’s interests.In any case, the reporting entity may receive benefits similar to those received from a controlling financial interest and be exposed to risks similar to those received from a controlling financial interest without holding a majority voting interest (or without holding any voting interest). [Paragraph E7] The power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and the reporting entity’s exposure to the entity’s losses or benefits [Paragraph 14A] are determinants of consolidation in the Variable Interest Entities Subsections. [Paragraph E7] The Variable Interest Entities Subsections also provide guidance on determining whether fees paid to a decision maker or service provider should be considered a variable interest in a VIE. 5 ASC 810-10 (continued) 5-11 VIEs often are created for a single specified purpose, for example, to facilitate securitization, leasing, hedging, research and dev elopment, reinsurance, or other transactions or arrangements. The activities may be predetermined by the documents that establish the VIEs or by contracts or other arrangements between the parties involved. However, those characteristics do not define the scope of the Variable Interest Entities Subsections because other entities may have those same characteristics. The distinction between VIEs and other entities is based on the nature and amount of the equity investment and the rights and obligations of the equity investors. Paragraph E18] 05-12 Because the equity investors in an entity other than a VIE generally absorb losses first, they can be expected to resist arrangements that give other parties the ability to significantly increase their risk or reduce their benefits. Other parties can be expected to align their interests with those of the equity investors, protect their interests contractually, or avoid any involvement with the entity. [Paragraph E19] 05-13 In contrast, eithe r a VIE does not issue voting interests (or other interests with similar rights) or the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the legal entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support.If a legal entity does not issue voting or similar interests or if the equity investment is insufficient, that legal entity’s activities may be predetermined or decision-making ability is determined contractually. If the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the legal entity to finance its activities, the parties providing the necessary additional subordinated financial support most likely will not permit an equity investor to make decisions that may be counter to their interests. That means that the usual condition for establishing a controlling financial interest as a majority voting interest does not apply to VIEs. Consequently, a standard that requires ownership of voting stock is not appropriate for such entities . [Paragraph E20] 1. 01 Determining Which Consolidation Model to ApplyUnder ASC 810-10, there are two primary1 models for determining whether consolidation is appropriate: the VIE model and the voting interest model. ASU 2009-17 amends the VIE model and is effective as of the beginning of each reporting entity’s first annual reporting period that begins after November 15, 2009, and for interim periods within those reporting periods. ASU 2010-10 indefinitely defers the amendments in ASU 2009-17 for a reporting entity’s interest in certain entities and amends the guidance in paragraph 810-10-55-37 (as amended by ASU 2009-17) on determining whether a decision-maker or service-provider fee represents a variable interest. The deferral will be most applicable to interests in certain investment funds.For reporting entities that meet the deferral conditions, the guidance on VIEs in ASC 810-10 (before the amendments in ASU 2009-17 and the amendments to 810-10-55-37 in ASU 2010- 10) would be used to determine whether the legal entity is a VIE, whether the reporting entity has a variable interest in a VIE, and whether the reporting entity is the primary beneficiary of a VIE. However, all reporting entities must provide the disclosures in ASC 810-10, as amended by ASU 2009-17, for all VIEs in which they hold a variable interest or for which they are the primary beneficiary — regardless of whether the entity qualifies for the deferral. Question How should a reporting entity determine which consolidation model is appropriate under ASC 810-10? 1While ASC 810-10 primarily focuses on the voting interest model and the VIE model, it also discusses consolidation of entities controlled by contract. Although the guidance in the Consolidation of Entities Controlled by Contract subsection applies to all entities (except entities that are determined to be VIEs), the context of the guidance is physician practice management entities. 6 Answer When determining which c onsolidation model to apply, a reporting entity should consider the following flowchart: Does one of the scope exceptions in ASC 810-10-15-12 or 15-17 apply? No Does the potential VIE and the reporting entity’s interest in the potential VIE meet the deferral conditions in ASC 810-10-65-2(aa)?Yes Apply the voting interest model in ASC 810-10. Yes No Does the reporting entity have a variable interest in the potential VIE under ASC 810-10 (before the amendments by ASU 2009-17)? Yes Is the entity a VIE under ASC 81010 (before the amendments by ASU 2009-17)? Yes Determine whether the reporting entity is the primary beneficiary of the VIE under ASC 810-10 (before the amendments by ASU 2009-17). No No No Does the reporting entity have a variable interest in the potential VIE under ASC 810-10 (as amended by ASU 2009-17)? Yes No Is the entity a VIE under ASC 81010 (as amended by ASU 2009-17)? Yes Apply the voting interest model in ASC 810-10 to the entity.Determine whether the reporti ng entity is the primary beneficiary of the VIE under ASC 810-10 (as amended by ASU 2009-17)? Apply the disclosure requirements in ASC 810-10-5 (as amended by ASU 2009-17) for all VIEs in which the reporting entity holds a variable interest, regardless of whether the deferral conditions in ASC 810-10-65-2(aa) are met. If one of the scope exceptions in ASC 810-10-15-12 or 15-17 does not apply to the potential accounting parent or potential accounting subsidiary, determining whether the potential VIE and the reporting entity’s interest in the potential VIE meet the deferral conditions in ASC 810-10-65-2(aa) is the first step in the assessment of whether an entity should be consolidated.Note that this determination is performed first because the analysis of whether the reporting entity has a variable interest in the entity, the entity is a VIE, or the reporting entity is the primary beneficiary may differ depending on whether the potential VIE and the reporting entity’s i nterest in the potential VIE meet the deferral conditions in ASC 810-10-65-2(aa). After a reporting entity determines whether the deferral criteria are met, determining whether an entity is a VIE is the next step in assessing whether an entity should be consolidated. Even a company with wholly owned consolidated subsidiaries must determine whether any of its subsidiaries (as well as any interests it may have in other entities) are VIEs.Note that because of a change in facts and circumstances, a potential VIE and the reporting entity’s interest in a potential VIE that initially met the deferral conditions in ASC 810-10-65-2(aa) may subsequently lose the ability to apply the deferral. In this situation, ASU 2009-17 becomes effective for the potential VIE and the reporting entity’s interest in the potential VIE. If a reporting entity must consolidate an entity that no longer qualifies for the deferral, the assets, liabilities, and noncontrolling interests of the VIE shoul d be measured in accordance with ASC 810-1030-1 through 30-6. Once a reporting entity applies the amendments of ASU 2009-17 to the potential VIE, it cannot subsequently requalify for the deferral conditions in ASC 810-10-65-2(aa). 7 ExampleEnterprise A has 60 percent of the voting interest in Entity B. Enterprise A also receives fees for providing asset management services to B. Unless one of the scope exceptions in ASC 810-10-15-12 and 15-17 applies to A (the potential accounting parent) or B (the potential accounting subsidiary), A must determine (1) whether B, and A’s interest in B, meets the conditions in ASC 810-10-65-2(aa), (2) whether A holds a variable interest or variable interests in B, and (3) whether B is a VIE. Scenario 1: If B, and A’s interest in B, meets the conditions in ASC 810-10-65-2(aa), A must determine whether B is a VIE, as defined in ASC 810-10-15-14 (before the amendments in ASU 2009-17).If A holds a variable interest, as defined in ASC 810-10 -20 and illustrated in ASC 810-10-55-16 through 55-41 (before the amendments in ASU 2009-17), in B and B is a VIE, A should assess whether it is the primary beneficiary in accordance with ASC 810-1025-38 (before the amendments in ASU 2009-17). Enterprise A should also provide the disclosures in ASC 810-10 (as amended by ASU 2009-17). Scenario 2: If B does not meet the conditions in ASC 810-10-65-2(aa), A must determine whether B is a VIE, as defined in ASC 810-10-15-14 (as amended by ASU 2009-17). If A holds a variable interest, as defined in ASC 81010-20 and illustrated in ASC 810-10-55-16 through 55-41 (as amended by ASU 2009-17), in B and B is a VIE, A should assess whether it is the primary beneficiary in accordance with ASC 810-10-25-38A (as amended by ASU 2009-17). Enterprise A should also provide the disclosures in ASC 810-10 (as amended by ASU 2009-17).Scenario 3: If B meets the conditions in ASC 810-10-65-2(aa) but is not a VIE, as defined in ASC 810-10-15-14 (before the am endments by ASU 2009-17), A should apply the voting interest model in ASC 810-10 to B. Scenario 4: If B does not meet the conditions in ASC 810-10-65-2(aa) and is not a VIE, as defined in ASC 810-1015-14 (as amended by ASU 2009-17), A should apply the voting interest model in ASC 810-10 to B. Substantive Terms and Arrangements ASC 810-10 15-13A For purposes of applying the Variable Interest Entities Subsections, only substantive terms, transactions, and arrangements, whether contractual or noncontractual, shall be considered.Any term, transaction, or arrangement shall be disregarded when applying the provisions of the Variable Interest Entities Subsections if the term, transaction, or arrangement does not have a substantive effect on any of the following: a. b. c. A legal entity’s status as a VIE A reporting entity’s power over a VIE A reporting entity’s obligation to absorb losses or its right to receive benefits of the legal entity. [Paragraph 2A] 15-13B Judgm ent, based on consideration of all the facts and circumstances, is needed to distinguish substantive terms, transactions, and arrangements from nonsubstantive terms, transactions, and arrangements. [Paragraph 2A] 1. 02 Consideration of Substantive Terms, Transactions, and Arrangements Question What is meant by â€Å"substantive terms, transactions, and arrangements† in ASC 810-10-15-13A? AnswerIn ASU 2009-17, the FASB added guidance to emphasize that when applying the provisions of the VIE subsections of ASC 810-10, a reporting entity should only consider substantive terms, transactions, and arrangements, whether contractual or noncontractual. The Board thought that it needed to add this language to avoid situations in which the form of an entity may indicate that an entity is not a VIE or that a reporting entity is not a primary beneficiary when the substance of the arrangement may indicate otherwise. Paragraph A35 in the Basis for Conclusions of Statement 167 states, in par t: The Board considered whether additional guidance was needed for determining whether a variable interest holder has power when the economics of the holder’s interest(s) or other involvements is inconsistent with its stated power from such interest(s) or other involvements.The Board agreed that an increased level of skepticism is needed in situations in which an enterprise’s economic interest in a [VIE], including its obligation to absorb losses or its right to receive benefits, is disproportionately greater than its stated power. In the Board’s view, the level of skepticism about an enterprise’s lack of power should increase as the disparity between an enterprise’s economic interest and its power increases. 8 When the provisions of ASC 810-10 (as amended by ASU 2009-17) are applied, the consolidation conclusion should not be affected by any term, transaction, or arrangement that does not truly affect the reporting entity’s power or rights to receive benefits or obligations to absorb losses.A reporting entity should use judgment, based on consideration of all the facts and circumstances, to distinguish substantive terms, transactions, and arrangements from nonsubstantive terms, transactions, and arrangements. To further emphasize this point, the SEC has reminded registrants of the staff’s skepticism about accounting conclusions that do not conform to the economic substance of the arrangement. For example, in remarks regarding the implementation of ASU 2009-17 before the 2009 AICPA National Conference on Current SEC and PCAOB Developments, Arie Wilgenburg, a professional accounting fellow in the SEC’s Office of the Chief Accountant, discussed the following examples: [A]ssume a company has transferred assets to a structure to be managed by a third party, but the anager’s equity interest in the structure is minimal and appears to be guaranteed given the management fee structure. In addition, assume t he manager can be removed by the reporting enterprise if the manager’s performance is unsatisfactory. The combination of the above factors indicates that the company may not have relinquished control; rather the manager may simply be acting as an agent on behalf of the reporting enterprise. We have also seen other, similar structures that include a buy-sell clause rather than a removal right, as a mechanism for dissolving the structure. However, if the manager does not have the financial ability to exercise its rights under the buy-sell provision, the substance of this provision may be a call option by the transferor.Again, this may be an indication that the manager is simply acting as an agent on behalf of the reporting enterprise. At the same conference, James Kroeker, chief accountant in the SEC’s Office of the Chief Accountant, indicated that the staff would consider involving the Division of Enforcement if it becomes aware of arrangements such as those discussed b y Mr. Wilgenburg. Scope and Scope Exceptions ASC 810-10 15-12 a. b. c. d. e. The guidance in this Topic does not apply in any of the following circumstances: An employer shall not consolidate an employee benefit plan subject to the provisions of Topic 712 or 715. [Subparagraph superseded by Accounting Standards Update No. 009-16] [Subparagraph superseded by Accounting Standards Update No. 2009-16] Investments accounted for at fair value in accordance with the specialized accounting guidance in Topic 946 are not subject to consolidation according to the requirements of this Topic. A reporting entity shall not consolidate a governmental organization and shall not consolidate a financing entity established by a governmental organization unless the financing entity meets both of the following conditions: 1. 2. Is not a governmental organization Is used by the business entity in a manner similar to a (VIE) in an effort to circumvent the provisions of the Variable Interest Entities Subsec tions. [Paragraph 4] 5-17 The following exceptions to the Variable Interest Entities Subsections apply to all legal entities in addition to the exceptions listed in paragraph 810-10-15-12: a. Not-for-profit entities (NFPs) are not subject to the Variable Interest Entities Subsections, except that they may be related parties for purposes of applying paragraphs 810-10-25-42 through 25-44. In addition, if an NFP is used by business reporting entities in a manner similar to a VIE in an effort to circumvent the provisions of the Variable Interest Entities Subsections, that NFP shall be subject to the guidance in the Variable Interest Entities Subsections. Separate accounts of life insurance entities as described in Topic 944 are not subject to consolidation according to the requirements of the Variable Interest Entities Subsections.A reporting entity with an interest in a VIE or potential VIE created before December 31, 2003, is not required to apply the guidance in the Variable Interest Entities Subsections to that VIE or legal entity if the reporting entity, after making an exhaustive effort, is unable to obtain the information necessary to do any one of the following: 1. 2. 3. Determine whether the legal entity is a VIE Determine whether the reporting entity is the VIE’s primary beneficiary Perform the accounting required to consolidate the VIE for which it is determined to be the primary beneficiary. b. c. 9 ASC 810-10 (continued) This inability to obtain the necessary information is expected to be infrequent, especially if the reporting entity participated significantly in the design or redesign of the legal entity. The scope exception in this provision applies only as long as the reporting entity continues to be unable to obtain the necessary information.Paragraph 810-10-50-6 requires certain disclosures to be made about interests in VIEs subject to this provision. Paragraphs 810-10-30-7 through 30-9 provide transition guidance for a reporting entity t hat subsequently obtains the information necessary to apply the Variable Interest Entities Subsections to a VIE subject to this exception. d. A legal entity that is deemed to be a business need not be evaluated by a reporting entity to determine if the legal entity is a VIE under the requirements of the Variable Interest Entities Subsections unless any of the following conditions exist (however, for legal entities that are excluded by this provision, other generally accepted accounting principles [GAAP] should be applied): 1.The reporting entity, its related parties (all parties identified in paragraph 810-10-25-43, except for de facto agents under paragraph 810-10-25-43(d)), or both participated significantly in the design or redesign of the legal entity. However, this condition does not apply if the legal entity is an operating joint venture under joint control of the reporting entity and one or more independent parties or a franchisee. The legal entity is designed so that substan tially all of its activities either involve or are conducted on behalf of the reporting entity and its related parties. The reporting entity and its related parties provide more than half of the total of the equity, subordinated debt, and other forms of subordinated financial support to the legal entity based on an analysis of the fair values of the interests in the legal entity.The activities of the legal entity are primarily related to securitizations or other forms of asset-backed financings or single-lessee leasing arrangements. 2. 3. 4. A legal entity that previously was not evaluated to determine if it was a VIE because of this provision need not be evaluated in future periods as long as the legal entity continues to meet the conditions in (d). [Paragraph 4] Overall Scope Considerations 1. 03 Application of the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 to Non-SPEs Question Does the VIE model in ASC 810-10 apply only to SPEs? Answer No. ASC 810-10-15-12 and 15-17 provide scope exceptions for cer tain reporting entities and potential VIEs.Variable interest holders should evaluate all entities that do not fall under these scope exceptions (such entities may include limited partnerships, joint ventures, cooperatives, and trusts) to determine whether they represent VIEs. (For more information about the determination of which consolidation model to apply, see Q&A 1. 01. ) Note that ASU 2009-16 eliminated the scope exception for QSPEs. Therefore, transferors, sponsors, and investors in QSPEs should consider the consolidation and disclosure provisions in ASC 810-10. (For more information about the elimination of the QSPE scope exception, see Q&A 1. 07. ) 1. 04 Qualification of a SPE as a Voting Interest EntityIf an SPE is a VIE, it is subject to consolidation under the VIE model in ASC 810-10. Question Are all SPEs automatically considered VIEs and within the scope of the VIE model in ASC 810-10? Answer No. An SPE can qualify as a voting interest entity and therefore be outside th e scope of the VIE model in ASC 81010. To determine whether the SPE is outside the scope of the VIE model, a reporting entity must evaluate the SPE under ASC 810-10-15-14. To not be a VIE, such an entity must fail to satisfy all conditions in ASC 810-10-15-14. Demonstrating only that an entity possesses one attribute of a voting interest entity, as described in ASC 810-1015-14 (e. g. simply having sufficient equity investment at risk, giving the equity holders voting rights with respect to activities of the entity), is not sufficient evidence that an entity is not a VIE. 10 If an entity is outside the scope of the VIE model in ASC 810-10, it should be considered for consolidation under the voting interest model in ASC 810-10. 1. 05 Application of the VIE Model in ASC 810-10 to Multitiered Legal Entity Structures Question In an ownership structure in which multiple layers of legal entities exist, should a reporting entity apply the VIE model in ASC 810-10 to each of its subsidiaries on a consolidated or nonconsolidated basis? AnswerIn a multitiered legal-entity structure, a reporting entity should generally begin its evaluation at the lowest-level entity. Each entity within the structure should then be evaluated on a consolidated basis. The attributes and variable interests of the underlying consolidated entities become those of the parent company upon consolidation. When a reporting entity applies the VIE model in ASC 810-10 to a consolidated entity, it should analyze the design of the consolidated entity, including an analysis of the risks of the entity, why the entity was created (e. g. , the primary activities of the entity), and the variability the entity was designed to create and pass along to its interest holders (see ASC 810-10-25-21 through 25-36).Note that there are situations in which a reporting entity may â€Å"look through† a holding company and in which it therefore would not be required to examine the structure on a consolidated basis. F or more information, see Q&A 1. 06. Example 1 Two investors each hold 50 percent of the ownership interests in Company H. Company H has 100 percent of the ownership interests in Entity X and consolidates X. Entity X is a business as defined in ASC 805 and represents substantially all of H’s consolidated activities and cash flows. On a nonconsolidated basis, H does not meet the definition of a business in ASC 805. There are no other relationships or agreements between the investors, H, or X.As noted above, the attributes of a consolidated entity become the attributes of the parent company. In this example, X’s attributes become those of H. When the investors are evaluating their ownership interests, they should consider H’s design on a consolidated basis. Because X meets ASC 805’s definition of a business and its activities and cash flows represent substantially all of H’s consolidated activities and cash flows, H also meets ASC 805’s definit ion of a business. Before applying the business scope exception, the investors must first determine whether any of the four conditions in ASC 810-10-1517(d) exist for H’s consolidated activities and cash flows. If so, the business scope exception cannot be applied.A holding company that has ownership interests in a single entity in multitiered structures should also consider the guidance in Q&A 1. 06. Example 2 Two investors each hold 50 percent of the ownership interests in a holding company. The holding company has 100 percent of the ownership interests in Entity E and consolidates E. Entity E meets ASC 805’s definition of a business and represents substantially all of the holding company’s consolidated activities and cash flows. The holding company also consolidates Entity N, which does not meet ASC 805’s definition of a business. Other than its investments in E and N, the holding company has no assets, liabilities, or activities. There are no other re lationships or agreements between the investors, the holding company, E, or N.As in Example 1, the attributes of the consolidated entity become those of the parent company. In this example, the attributes of E and N become those of the holding company. When the investors are evaluating their ownership interests, they should consider the holding company’s design on a consolidated basis. Because substantially all of the holding company’s consolidated activities and cash flows are derived from E, the holding company meets ASC 805’s definition of a business. Before applying the business scope exception, the investors must first determine whether any of the four conditions in ASC 810-10-15-17(d) exist for the holding company’s consolidated activities and cash flows.If so, the business scope exception cannot be applied. 11 Example 3 An investor holds 50 percent of the ownership interests in a holding company. The holding company consolidates the following two e ntities, both of which meet ASC 805’s definition of a business: †¢ †¢ EntityJ,anoperatingentity. EntityL,whoseonlyassetisabuildingthatisleasedtotheinvestor. Entity L’s activities and cash flows represent substantially all of the holding company’s activities and cash flows. Other than its investments in J and L, the holding company has no assets, liabilitie