A preliminary assessment of the Survey of the Gaelic :: Scottish Gaelic dialectology

Scottish Gaelic dialectology: A preliminary assessment of the Survey of the Gaelic Dialects of Scotland Between 1994 and 1997, the transcribed questionnaires of the Survey of the Gaelic Dialects of Scotland were published as a five-volume series (O Dochartaigh 1994- 97), presenting narrow phonetic transcriptions of over 200 speakers responding to a fortypage questionnaire. This publication marks the culmination of a project of nearly fifty years’ duration; the main body of the interviews took place between 1950 and 1970 across much of the Scottish mainland as well as the Western Isles. In many cases, some of the very last Gaelic speakers in a particular region were interviewed, and we thus have transcribed material—and some audio recordings—of dialects that are now practically extinct. Naturally, the historic quality of these transcribed and audio records renders them all the more valuable for close study. This paper will assess the current state of Scottish Gaelic dialect study, with a particular focus on the Survey’s current and future contributions. Designed in 1950 by Kenneth Jackson to elicit data informing phonetic and phonological questions of both regional and historical interest, the original Survey focused on pronunciation variation, providing limited information on morphology (although see especially O Maolalaigh1999), and virtually none on syntactic variation or lexical choice. With the publication of the Survey’s â€Å"raw data† in the form of unanalyzed narrow transcriptions, it is appropriate now to ascertain what we can learn from the published material. However, in the approximately 50 years since the fieldwork for the Survey was begun, methods, goals, and principles of dialect study have changed dramatically (cf. Kretzschmar 1996); furthermore, advances in media technologies have enabled linguists to analyze and to present data in compelling new ways (cf. Kretzschmar & Konopka 1996). In recent years there has been an important move towards a discipline-wide agreement on â€Å"best practices† for dialect study, language data management, and the presentation of data and analysis (cf. â€Å"Methods XI† Conference on Methods in Dialectology, August 2002, Joensuu, Finland; the E-MELD website and affiliated work; the Linguistic Data Archiving Project at CNRS, etc). The presentation will conclude with a discussion of desiderata for Scottish Gaelic dialect study, and for the presentation and analysis of Gaelic dialect data.

The neoliberal economic and political situation

The $30-billion loan from IMF in 2002, which initially had to give rise to the Brazilian economy and lead it from the existing financial crisis, has proven to be ineffective. The presidential election and the Lula government have not met the goals, set by the International Monetary Fund and other international institutions. The government has neither taken the right orientation of carrying out legal and regulatory policies, nor opened the way out for others.The neoliberal economic and political situation have only caused confrontation and worsened the existing problems with public debt, poverty, wage rates and other essential issues. The core problems of Brazilian political climate contain: budget deficit (which causes increase of public debt and high inflation rates), lack of agrarian, pension, military and social-program reforms, bureaucracy of trade unions, privatization (the most of the businesses are in the hands of Lula government and its allies), and violation of workersâ€⠄¢ rights. The key element of any country – the worker – is over-discriminated by the state.Women and Afro-Brazilians are discriminated and underpaid, the number of slaves and forced workers drastically increases, the corrupted government is involved in bribery, therefore, the illegal land exploitations (forest clearing, mining, etc. ) that violate the right to adequate housing are widespread (Danish Institute for Human Rights, 2006). The lower tax rate for private business do not meet the efficiency and equity for macroeconomic stable situation and fiscal control, for income and property taxes are reduced by decreasing number of official workers.According to the risk data, the Brazil government effectiveness risk is 68 of 100, tax policy risk is 63, with Brazil overall risk rating assessment of 47 (data obtained from viewswire. com). These numbers give the clear picture that the 250-billion debt in Brazil, violation of laws, illegal actions of the government and key e ntrepreneurs, create the disfavorable and unstable ground to foreign-owned businesses and dollarization does not give confidence in Brazilian economy.Moreover, the IMF debt can be cut off in the case if the Brazilian government does not meet the target. References: Danish Institute for Human Rights. (2006). Executive summary of the Brazil country Risk Assessment. Online. October 29, 2007. Available: http://www. humanrightsbusiness. org/pdf_files/Brazil_%20Executive%20Summary. pdf. Risk ratings. (2007). Brazil risk ratings. Online. October 29, 2007. Available: http://www. viewswire. com/index. asp? layout=RKcountryVW3&country_id=1480000148&rf=0

Happy Days By Samuel Beckett - 1273 Words

Happy Days by Samuel Beckett is not an easy play to categorize by genre. However, I could not qualify it as purely a comedy. It does have comedic components, but the humor is more of a tool to distract from the desolate tragedy of the play. Happy Days is an attempt at a satirical piece that targets the audience of the play. It implies that those watching the play are tragic beings themselves, who inhabit a world a routine, lost memories, and futile efforts to find fulfillment in language. Though, Happy Days cannot be solely treated as a tragic play about the existential crisis, either. There still are elements that draw the play into the conventions of comedy. Therefore, the play is more of a tragi-comedy than anything else, falling†¦show more content†¦Isherwood describes her spirit as indomitably chipper...as she spends her long hours babbling merrily, keeping up a bright sheen of optimism, expecting every day to be a happy day, in benign acceptance of her strange predicam ent (Isherwood, Review). This is a key theme of the play. Winnie s refusal to give up opposes the tragedy within the play with her enduring optimism. She pulls them out of her bag with purpose, it is a routine. These items are all she has. Winnie makes do with what she has, and she persuades herself that her belongings and Willie s presence for her monologues are enough to sustain purpose. These items also connect Winnie to her memories of certain occasions that are important. What is interesting about these objects is that they are all getting clearly old. These items clearly keep Winnie happy, and as they run out she has to fight harder to stay optimistic. She is slowly losing the materials that give her hope and meaning. It is ironic that the only item from her bag that does not change is the gun. Unfortunately, the available sources of Winnie s optimism are being used up and she has to work harder and harder to keep up her positive front which is already wafer-thin when we first meet her. brings out toothbrush, rummages again, brings out flat tube of tooth-paste, turns back front, unscrews cap of tube, lays cap on ground, squeezes withShow MoreRelatedWinnies Dramatic Story in â€Å"Happy Days by Samuel Beckett Essay1210 Words   |  5 PagesSamuel Beckett’s play, â€Å"Happy Days,† portrays a woman, Winnie, buried in the ground, first up to her waist, then up to her neck, determined to live out her meaningful life. Although her situation is hopeless because she has no idea how she got there, Winnie trusts that her life is meaningful and truly believes that there is nothing she can do to change it. Consequently, Winnie focuses on trivial details to pass each day. Beckett definitely succeeds in making this character’s life dramatic by consumingRead MoreViolation Of The Maxims Of Cooperative Principle7912 Words   |  32 Pages Chapter –I For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English (Ph. D.) Research Topic Violation of the Maxims of Cooperative Principle in Samuel Beckett’s Selected Plays. Research Student Mr. Mundhe Ganesh Balavantrao Research Guide Dr. B. A. Jarange Place of Research Institute of Advanced Studies in English, Pune CONTENTS 1) Introduction 2) Rationale of the Study 3) Hypothesis 4) Review of the Research Work 5) Aims and Objectives of the Research Project 6) Data, Methodology and TechniquesRead MoreWaiting For Godot1686 Words   |  7 PagesWaiting for Godot: Time Waits For No Man Waiting for Godot is an original French play written in 1948 by author Samuel Beckett. The play was first performed in 1953, and then later translated into English. The aftermath of World War II left the entire country of France unstable and in desperate need of government and economic reform. Beckett uses the crisis of this time period in France to emphasize the time passing for two characters, Estragon and Vladimir who hopelessly wait for Godot, whom isRead More Waiting for Godot and The House of Bernarda Alba Essay1535 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough Adela’s rebellious spirit signifies living a life that is passionate, while in Waiting for Godot Beckett seems to imply that life is meaningless. Whilst Waiting for Godot focuses more on the metaphorical aspect of death, The House of Bernarda Alba takes on the literal death through Adela’s suicide. As playwrights, Lorca and Beckett convey their views on life and death through their works. Beckett portrays a cyclical, bor ing existence in Waiting for Godot, whilst dramatic action is explicitly evidentRead MoreBeckett And The Realism Theatre Of Henrik Ibsen2026 Words   |  9 PagesIn the very basic formats of theatre, including plot, form, and stage design, there are a large amount of differences between the absurd theatre of Samuel Beckett and the realism theatre of Henrik Ibsen; however, both these playwrights look to challenge their audience and the theatrical conventions and expectations of their time. Beckett challenges the idea of how language, time, and human existence are presented and perceived within a play; Ibsen challenges the conventional ideas of his time withRead MoreMans Search for Meaning in Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot1155 Words   |  5 Pages Beckett was interested in putting everyday banality onto the stage in an experimentation of what theatre is. He attempts to provide a truer interpretation of ‘real life’ than that often depicted in previous theatre, which may typically contain excitement, exaggeration and liveliness. He suggests that one of the major constituents of human experience is boredom, indeed the very concept of ‘Waiting for Godot’ echoes this, and Beckett implies that much of life is spent waiting Read MoreSamuel Beckett: Sound and Silence Essay2214 Words   |  9 PagesSamuel Beckett: Sound and Silence Patrick Richert FHSU February 15, 2013 Samuel Beckett was a world renown author of poetry, novels, and theatrical plays. He was born in Ireland and spent much of his adult life in Paris. His works were primarily written in French, and then translated, many times by the author himself, into English. He is known for creating works of dark comedy, and absurdism, and later in his career a minimalist. Due to his late start as an author, he is considered oneRead MoreThe Ones Who Walk Away1715 Words   |  7 Pagesby the narrator, using cruel and unpleasant descriptions that illustrate the presence of suffering and evil in Omelas (Posella 3). It is so thin there are no calves to its legs; its belly protrudes; it lives on a half-bowl of corn meal and grease a day. It is naked. Its buttocks and thighs are a mass of festered sores, as it sits in its own excrement continually. They all know it is there, all the people of Omelas (LeGuin 7). It is revealed to readers that all of the citizens of Omelas know of thisRead MoreAnalysis Of The Ones Who Walk Away From 1625 Words   |  7 Pagesby the narrator, using cruel and unpleasant descriptions that illustrate the presence of suffering and evil in Omelas (Posella 3). It is so thin there are no calves to its legs; its belly protrudes; it lives on a half-bowl of corn meal and grease a day. It is naked. Its buttocks and thighs are a mass of festered sores, as it sits in its own excrement continually. They all know it is there, all the people of Omelas (LeGuin 7). It is revealed to readers that all of the citizens of Omelas know of thisRead MoreThe Belief in a Savior in Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett967 Words   |  4 Pages Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett entails more than one moral or lesson within the story. I feel that the moral of the story is up to the perception of the reader, however. It has been discussed that there is no relationship between God and waiting for salvation. However, in my opinion, I think that Estragon and Vladimir were waiting for God to â€Å"show up† for them and were unable to receive any salvation. This ties into the idea of struggling and striving for a better life while

A Closer Study At Mammy - 1851 Words

A closer study at Mammy, the quintessential Southern African-American nanny, as the core icon of African-American womanhood, during the Civil War, particularly in films, who has figured prominently on memory, reveals that her depiction and characteristics skewed the collective and individual memory of the role of real African-American women, such as Harriet Tubman. This powerful figure in Southern households created stereotyped images of African American women slaves, i.e. Gone with the Wind (1939), allowing audiences to believe this to be an accurate depiction of African American women rather than recognizing the major contributions they made in the Civil War. The stereotype overshadowed the real efforts and work of African American women, both enslaved and freed; and left a false image which affected women then and now. Particularly, in Civil War era films, African American women were predominantly shown as having a robust figure, a constant smile, and a happy disposition, i.e. mammies. â€Å"By the time the flood of Civil War features began in 1908, these racist cliches were set in stone† (Chadwick 80). The archetype of Mammy became a stereotype created by white producers in an effort to portray African American women in a more pleasing light, to satisfy white audiences. Filmmakers actions created an intensified racial stereotype and instilled a false image of African Americans. Chadwick called this â€Å"the Hollywood black†: a racial viewpoint filmmakers created about blacks.Show MoreRelatedBlack Women‚Äà ´s Identity in American Media and Culture1601 Words   |  7 Pageswe viewed in our own communities? Black women and their hair are so diverse. Do black women who straighten their hair hate themselves? This is a common belief among many people. Many think that women who straighten their hair are trying to get closer to whiteness and further from African heritage. There are many different reasons why a black woman would straighten her hair. Black experience in America has greatly shaped the black woman’s image of herself through white supremacy, slavery, andRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War1627 Words   |  7 PagesWind, it is the character of Mammy (played by Hattie McDaniel), another black maid, who embodies the film s implication that the social environment of the southern plantation was stable and even ideal. Mammy runs the day-to-day operations of the household, and has an unhinged sense of loyalty to her masters. The issue of slavery is not central to the film s plot, so it is not necessarily expected for it to define Mammy s relationship with her masters. How ever, Mammy s simplicity, lack of intellectRead MoreThe Stereotypical Black Woman Essay1985 Words   |  8 Pagesmaternal, family oriented, and self-sacrificing Mammies; (2) as threatening and argumentative Sapphires; and (3) as seductive, sexually irresponsible, promiscuous Jezebels.†(West, 1) The stereotypical black woman is also often loud, angry, and over the top, which has been used to add humor to today’s television programming and a lot of today’s media. Even though today, images of black women are more common than in the past the same stereotypes remain. The mammy can often be seen as asexual, larger darkRead MoreThe Natural Cognitive Process Is Based On Our Own Experiences With Other Individuals3363 Words   |  14 Pageslineage of forced cultural roles during a post slavery time period much like the ones mentioned above.. These perceptions are displayed in the hypersexualized and stereotypical categories imposed on African American women known as: The Jezebel, The Mammy, and The Matriarch. By analyzing these categories, it can be proven that the mainstream pre-established mindset of African American woman is bias and has placed Black women in a predetermined negative light due to historical deformation, misrepresentationRead MoreThe Way Wordsworth and Heaney Present Nature and Rural Life in Their Poetry4285 Words   |  18 Pages village in the Lake District. As can be seen in his poetry, the years he spent living in these rural surroundings provided many of the valuable experiences Wordsworth had as he grew up. At the age of 17, Wordsworth moved south to study at Saint Johns College, University of Cambridge. Later, in 1790, two years after the French Revolution had begun; he took a walking tour through France and Switzerland on vacation. France obviously captivated Wordsworths attentionRead MoreThe Impact Of Media On The Media2801 Words   |  12 PagesRaced: The Causes Behind the Misrepresentation of Blacks in the Media Mammies to nannies, bucks to thugs and deadbeats, servants to crooks in positions of power: this is the evolution of Black images in the media. Although in more recent years, it seems that film and television representation has evolved for the better, there are always messages that are not positive being subliminally sent through to the viewing audience. Regarding this, movie and television show characters are not the only representationsRead MoreEssay on Media Influence on Black Children5404 Words   |  22 Pagesself-esteem became very popular among whites and some blacks. The Amos ‘n Andy Show was taken off air after being protested by blacks including the NAACP. Through the years shows came a long way in the portrayal of blacks as slaves, maids or the jolly Mammy. Schools in the 1950s were segregated, poorly funded and focused primarily on industrial education. Children were hard pressed to find information about Black/African-American history especially in school texts. The media helped solve the lack ofRead MoreMandinka Empire21578 Words   |  87 PagesBound to Africa: the Mandinka Legacy in the New World Schaffer, Matt. History in Africa, Volume 32, 2005, pp. 321-369 (Article) Published by African Studies Association DOI: 10.1353/hia.2005.0021 For additional information about this article http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/hia/summary/v032/32.1schaffer.html Access Provided by your local institution at 03/10/13 1:43PM GMT BOUND TO AFRICA: THE MANDINKA LEGACY IN THE NEW WORLD MATT SCHAFFER I I offer here a theory of â€Å"cultural convergence

Creon from Antigone Essay - 612 Words

Creon from Antigone A tragedy, as defined by Ms. Tozar, is â€Å"the story of a falling from a high place to a lower place by a character.† In other words, a tragedy is a story of an individual who starts in a high position and descends throughout the story to end in a position that is lower than original position. The individual who makes the descent is known as the tragic hero. The tragic hero, as defined by Ms. Tozar, is â€Å"the character who falls from grace as a result of fate and/or a weakness. In the drama, Antigone by Sophocles, one could argue that there are many tragic heroes. However, the one who stands above them all is that of the character of Creon. Creon is understood by most as the tragic hero in Antigone as evident in his†¦show more content†¦However, the central conflict is between the protagonist, Creon, and the antagonist, Antigone. This conflict can be classified as Man vs. Man. Creon and Antigone compete with one another on the basis of which law is superior, man ’s law or god’s law. Creon believing that man-made laws should not be defied, is forced to, due to his beliefs, sentence Antigone to death upon defying the law. This leads to the internal conflict present within Creon. Should he kill Antigone for defying man-made law or acquit her because her intent to follow god’s law? Due to his relentless and uncompromising beliefs of man-made law being superior to all other laws, he is forced to sentence Antigone to death, though many disagree. It seems as the moral thing to do, however, in the end, it turns out to be more than he could bargain for. Soon after his decision of the fate of Antigone, Creon’s tragic flaw blooms the greatest. This Hubris focuses on the Creon’s relentless, uncompromising, and egotistical attitude. Many try to convince Creon to reconsider on his misguided decision, however, Creon does not yield. It is at this point when one realizes the Hubris of Antigone. Creon possesses a false sens e of pride and/or confidence in his intelligence. He believes he cannot be wrong, therefore his uncompromising and egotistical attitude shines brightest. It portrays him as â€Å"superficial, pigheaded, self-important man.† (Porter) This is Hamartia, his relentless,Show MoreRelatedAn Effective Leader : Creon, King Of Thebes, From The Play Antigone1471 Words   |  6 Pages What has this character taught you about effective leadership? The character that has taught me most about how to be an effective leader is Creon, king of Thebes, from the play Antigone. Unfortunately, it wasn’t because of his outstanding and effective leadership qualities that offered me insight, but rather it was the skills in which he lacked as a leader. Such as, compassion, understanding, communication, and humility, just to name a few. His character helped me identify and think more in-depthRead MoreDoes the Outcome of the Antigone Suggest That Creon Was Wrong from the Start?2275 Words   |  10 Pages Sophocles Antigone is, at its simplest, a tragedy of conflict and misunderstandings. In the play, the laws of the gods are set up against the laws of man, and the two appear irreconcilable as the values are upheld by equally opposing characters, Creon and Antigone respectively. Indeed, Wilkins and Macleod decide that in Antigone `not only is there conflict, there is also a refusal even to recognise the others point of view (23). Thus Chorus significantly warn against the pursuit of extremesRead MoreThe Production Of Antigone By Peta Tait Essay1708 Words   |  7 Pagesproduction of Antigone by Company B reviewed by Peta Tait is correct in multiple instances even though the production has an incorrect central conflict. Company B’s production is correct when Tait explains how it portrays why Creon did not bury Polyneices’ body and just left it out to the animals instead (71). The production is also correct when implying why Creon treats Antigone and Ismene badly as if th ey have the dignity of animals (73). By looking at Sophocles’ Antigone, it portrays Creon of havingRead MoreCreon as Tragic Hero1586 Words   |  7 PagesTragedy at its Finest In the Greek play Antigone, Creon and Antigone can both be claimed the title of Tragic Hero. Creon was made king when Oedipus Rex fled the kingship. Creon is the brother in law of Oedipus, and was giving the kingship only because Oedipus’s sons, Eteocles and Polyneices were killed trying to fight for the thrown. Antigone is Oedipus’s daughter and Creon’s niece. When it comes down to who the tragic hero is, Creon most definitely walks away with the title. A tragic heroRead MoreThe Punishment For Overstepping Creon s Authority Essay1235 Words   |  5 Pagesmore sinister. In Sophocles’ â€Å"Antigone† there is a clear gender conflict that forms between the protagonist Antigone and the antagonist Creon. Antigone’s determination to give her brother a just burial inspired the people of Thebes, but enraged Creon. Although Antigone does not obsess over the gender struggle as much as Creon, there is no disputing that the gender roles of Ancient Greece fueled the central conflict of the drama. The clash between Antigone and Creon was symbolic towards the subjugationRead MoreWho Is More Tragic, Creon or Antigone?863 Words   |  4 Pagescharacter. In Antigone, both Creon and Antigone share some tragic elements: tragic hero, hamartia, hubris, and nemesis. However, Creon is a more tragic hero than Antigone because his character has tragic elements that are absent from the character of Antigone: anagnorisis, peripeteia, and catharsis. There are many tragic elements that both Creon and Antigone share. According to Aristotle, the hero must be a character of high birth or national prominence. Since Antigone is royalty and Creon is the presentRead MoreThe Conflict Between Antigone And Creon1327 Words   |  6 PagesAntigone is a play that was written in ancient Greece by the playwright Sophocles. It is the third play in a trilogy of tragedies about the city-state of Thebes, revolving around Oedipus Rex. Antigone starts the day after a civil war fought between the two sons of Oedipus Rex after his death. The civil war ended in death for both brothers, so their uncle, Creon, assumed the role of King of Thebes. The main conflict of the play begins when Creon gives one brother, Eteocles, a burial with honors, butRead MoreThe Death Of Antigone By William Shakespeare1159 Words   |  5 PagesWhen Medea poisoned and burned Jason’s wife, Creon committed suicide. He tried to save his daughter, but by doing so, he als o died. In the play it states, â€Å"[Creon] moaned, and wrapped her in his arms, and kissed her, crying â€Å"Oh, my poor unhappy child, what god dishonors you? What god destroys you? Who has taken you away from me, an old man who has one foot in the grave? Let me die with you, child (1228-1233).† From this passage, one can assume that his child is his last thing he is living for.Read MoreWomen s Oppression Of Women1657 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing similar to birds, transform from powerful peoples to frail figures. The molestation of power from these birds is done by the hindering cage encompassing them. The thick bars of oppression slice the wings of the benevolent beings, strip the voice of the once vociferous, and above all destroy the benign life of the feminine. These feminine figures have the potential to provide light when light is dark, fly the silky sky, and, of utmost importance, break free from the shackles that bear them downRead MoreAntigone Role of Women1366 W ords   |  6 PagesTaylor Fleming Professor Stoner English 1301 October 16, 2012 Antigone Essay Throughout history, cultures from around the world has set hat standards for women to abide to. Up until the twentieth century, women were viewed as second class citizens by society and had less freedom and rights than their male counterparts as compare today in the modern world where women can be more involve in society. Although women still face discrimination such as the glass

Who benefits from take over resistance tactics Free Essays

Who benefits from take over resistance tactics? According to the finance literature, a takeover is a process whereby a firm acquires another firm, resulting in a change of the controlling interest of the acquired firm. Takeovers can occur through acquisitions, proxy contests and going-private transactions. They can be friendly when the management of the target firm is receptive to the bidder offer or they can be hostile when target firm managers resist takeover attempts by using defensive tactics. We will write a custom essay sample on Who benefits from take over resistance tactics or any similar topic only for you Order Now According to Ross et al (2010), takeovers can result in change of firm policies, layoffs, terminations, or overhaul of business operations. To analyze who benefits from a takeover resistance tactic, we should first examine the reasons or motivations of the defensive tactic by target firm managers. According to Ruback (1987), managers resist takeovers for the following reasons: Managers believe that firm has hidden values, this is due to the private information they have about the firms future prospects that is not available to the public and when managers assess the takeover bid by comparing the offer price with what they believe is the fair value of the firm (incorporating the private information) and the offer price turns out to be less, managers will oppose the offer. Managers believe the resistance will increase offer price, therefore, their attempt to resist slows the bid and create opportunity to an increase of the tender offer as the bidder after an initial unsuccessful friend offer, tries to buy through a tender offer and if not successful, try the auction for the firm. According to Ruback (1983) cited in Ruback (1987), the final offer price exceeded the initial offer price by 23% in 48 competitive tender offers between 1962-81. Managers may want to preserve their Jobs and positions, especially when they are ware that the bidder intends to replace the target firm’s management. Target firm managers use a variety of defensive tactics to avoid takeovers, from altering the terms of directors where managers amend charters of the firm to make takeovers more difficult; golden parachutes related to severance packages payable to managers in the event of takeover, increasing the cost of acquisition; poison pills provision that are deterrent to the acquirer diluting for example the acquirers share in the firm. Other tactics after the company in in play include greenmail and standstill agreement, white knight and white squire, recapitalization and repurchases where managers issue debt to repurchase shares aising the market share price, making it less attractive to the bidder; exclusionary self-tenders and asset restructuring. These tactics are built by management for self- protection reasons, being severe, (blocking takeovers) or soft tactics with no substantial impact on the offer price. However, empirical evidence shows that although manager’s defensive tactics may sometime rarely shareholders by increasing wealth, in general, these tactics do not have a positive impact in the share price of the target firm. According to DeAnglelo and Rice (1983) cited in Ruback (1987. p56-57), they found no evidence of share price reaction to adoption of orporate charters amendment when analyzing 53 firms using staggered boards as well as the ettect ot super majority provision. Ho ( 6) cited in Ruback 7), tound no evidence of existence of abnormal return for a sample of 23 poison pills. This conclusion is also consistent with findings of Kidder, Peabody and Company for a sample of 167 poison pills where no stock price change was observed. Evidence by Dann and DeAngelo (1983) proves that there is a negative stock price reaction with the use of standstill agreements by -4% whereas, greenmails, cause a negative stock reaction of -3%. Dann and DeAngelo (1986) cited in Ruback (1987), analyzed 20 transactions where they found that acquisitions and divestitures, reduce by 2% the share price of the target firm. In general, empirical evidence supports the idea that manager’s defensive tactics are harmful to the target firm value. For example, Bates et al (2012) reported that Microsoft Corporation offered USD 47 billion to Yahoo in 2008, a premium above 60% however; this offer was rejected by Yahoo executives. Following Microsoft’s withdrawal of the acquisition bid, Yahoo’s shares dropped by 1 5%; the CEO of Yahoo was later replaced for this costly and selfish behavior. According to Bradley et al (1988) cited in Devos (2009), companies merge to benefit from synergies. For a sample of 236 successful tender offers from 1963-1884, they noted that the equity value for the combined firms increased by 7,4% in average. Synergy is when the combined firm value exceeds the value of the acquirer and acquired firm before the acquisition. Therefore, synergy is attached to the incremental cash flows, coming from revenue enhancement, cost reduction, tax gains and reduced capital requirements. According to Brealey (2003), acquisitions can happen in three basic forms, merger or consolidation, acquisition of stock and cquisition of assets. The merger is the incorporation of assets and liabilities of one firm by another and the acquirer maintains its name whereas the acquired firm ceases to exist. The main advantage of this method over others rely on the minimum costs incurred on mergers as they do not require the transfer of title deed of individual assets of the acquired firm to the acquiring firm which is costly provided that the merger is approved. In addition, in the transfer of assets form according to Ross et al (2010), minority shareholders often cause problems to the majority shareholders. The acquisition of stock as we saw above, can be costly to the bidder because of the defensive tactics used by the target firm managers as an attempt to avoid the takeover. Therefore, the outcome aimed by the acquiring firm may not be achieved as the tender price may be pushed us, above the real market value of the acquired firm. How to cite Who benefits from take over resistance tactics, Papers

Auditing and Assurance Securities Exchange

Question: Discuss about the Auditing and Assurance for Securities Exchange. Answer: Introduction Risk can be defined as the possibility of witnessing negative outcomes or attaining unexpected results that might affect the accuracy and efficiency of the decisions taken. Risks are often treated as threats to the accuracy of forecasts made by the management to speculate strategic changes to ensure organisational benefits (Sadgrove, 1997). The case study reveals about certain risks that are associated with Beauty Limited In the following discussion, the risks likely to be faced by the company will be discussed accordingly. Business Risk Identified As the case reveals, the decision to float shares on the Australian Securities exchange has been adopted by Beauty Limited, which is subjected to the risks associated with the fluctuations in the share market trends. It will lead to changes in the value of shares of the company, which might in turn restrict the expected capital inflow. The companys share market performances will also be depended on market perceptions, wherein any unfavourable information about Beauty will reduce the investments made by the public in its freely traded shares. The value of shares will also face issues due to the poor performance of the industry context (ASX, 2016; Dhanorkar, 2014). Beauty may also face problems when planning to buyback class A shares from the public. Decisions taken by the company in future to buyback the shares can create doubts amid the public regarding its governance practices and hence, discourage future investments to the companys shares. In the similar context, at present the company is resorting to extensive use of online selling via its website. As the customers might lack adequate awareness about the quality of products that are available on the website of the company, it might in turn make the customers reluctant to buy the makeup and gift items online. Payment issues and fraudulent activities conducted online are other problems associated with the marketing techniques that in turn pose a certain degree of risk for Beauty. Any sort of delay in the delivery of the products will create negative perceptions among the customers (He Bach, 2014; Bubnjevic, 2011). It also makes the company prone to cyber risks due to use of its websites that include risks of theft of its intellectual property (Director Publications Ltd., 2012). Moreover, the company is presently highly dependent on its suppliers. This in turn also raises risks for its future stability in the supply process, as the suppliers at times, can fail to adhere to the commitment, resulting in poor efficiency of the company to satisfy its customers demands. There can be defects in the quality of the materials supplied or there can be delays, which will cause financial losses and competitive stress for Beauty (Director Publications Ltd., 2012). It might also make the customers dissatisfied and hence, reluctant to buy the products from the company. Impact of the Risks on Financial Statements The business risk associated with Beautys strategic direction is quite likely to create a negative impact on its financial statements. For instance, reduction in the amount of investment on behalf of the public will reduce the amount of share capital in the company balance sheet. This will also cause a reduction in the liability of the company to pay a part of its profits to the shareholders. Negative impacts can also be observed with the rising chances of scarcity of funds to run the business efficiently, as with the listing in the exchange, its capital investments becomes subjected to the performance of the industry as well as the share markets. The company will also becomes more prone to stakeholders perceptions towards its governance practices and credibility, wherein any gap in the communication process will lead to its deteriorating brand image. Fluctuations witnessed in the investments drawn from the public may further drive the company towards accumulating large sums of external borrowings as debts, to meet its obligations. It will further increase the burden of debt on Beauty, as high interest rates have to be paid, disregard of the amount of profits (Piper Weinhold, 2016). The case further reveals that the company has bought back shares of Class A from the public. This will create a fall in the price earning (P/E) ratio. The effect of shares buyback can also be identified with the reduction in the number of outstanding shares. Although it will increase the earnings per share (EPS) of the company, it might also lead to a fall in the P/E ratio (Dobbs Rehm, 2016). Similarly, when concentrating on its use of the e-commerce channels, it can be observed that excessive competition prevails in the market, as many companies have began to sell their products through online websites to add to customers conveniences. It might certainly create a competitive pressure on the company, as it has reduced use of personal selling techniques, which can in turn affect its customer base with the presence of strong substitution effects and higher bargaining power of the customers. This loss will create a fall in the profit and revenue earned by the company in the near future. However, use of company website will save the company from incurring high expenditures on physical advertisements and preserving financial stability in its brick and mortar stores. The uncertainty about product quality in online selling also hints towards a possible challenge for the company that can reduce sales of products and affect its profitability at large. The risk assessment conducted also reveals that the company is prone to supplier risks, which can affect its strategic performances, as suppliers failures to deliver products with quality and on time may lead to hindrances in its performances to balance the supply and demand in the market. It may therefore cause customer dissatisfaction and lead to market risks for the company (Wildgoose, 2014). Conclusions Beauty Ltd. offers a wide range of beauty products and gift items to its customers. Although its overall performances depict its competencies in the present context, its strategic decisions involve certain risk factors, which range from strategic to financial aspects. In order to mitigate these challenges, the company should take required measures to assess and interpret its current financial and strategic positioning. It also needs to speculate future market changes and build stronger association with its stakeholders. The company should also pay greater attentions when selecting its suppliers to ensure than the partners are efficient to meet its requirements. References ASX. (2016). Benefits and risks. Retrieved September 6, 2016, from, https://www.asx.com.au/products/managed-funds/benefits-risks.htm Bubnjevi, D. (2011). Position and role of personal selling in contemporary marketing management. International Symposium Engineering Management and Competitiveness, 371-376 Dhanorkar, S. (2014, Dec 8). Should you invest in low free-float stocks? Retrieved September 6, 2016, from, https://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-12-08/news/56839487_1_public-float-free-float-stocks Director Publications Ltd. (2012). Business risks a practical guide for board members. A Directors Guide, 2-80 Dobbs, R. Rehm, W. (2005, Aug 5). The value of share buybacks. 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