Bram Stoker Essay Example for Free

Bram Stoker Essay Inside Dracula, Stoker unmistakably presents the male characters in the book as saints, without over underlining this by giving them remarkably solid forces. They are depicted as would be expected individuals with deficiencies and shortcomings. This can be seen when Van Helsing experiences panic, yet in spite of this despite everything assumes a significant job in the pursuit for Dracula, and carries certainty to their mission at edgy occasions. He depicts the Band of Brothers as those , who are eager to risk even our own spirits for the wellbeing of one we love to benefit humankind, and for the respect and magnificence of God. A comparative examination could be made to anecdotal characters/superheroes in funnies, for example, Superman. They spare the frail and cut down the reprobate while likewise having ordinary existences. Be that as it may, in spite of doing this, these superheroes still forces certain vulnerabilities, in the example of superman, he has a shortcoming to kryptonite. In a similar sense, individuals from the fraternity have their own shortcomings. Consequently, most would agree that there is some nearness of a comic book nature in Stokers works, and the characters in the book speak to this. Stoker does well not to make the attributes of his male saints all man and butch, similar to our form of the male legend today. I trust Stokers perspective on the ideal saint, is one that is truly solid however in contact with his female side. I accept such a character to be Van Helsing. At the opening of Jonathan Harkers diary it says, God protect my mental soundness, and later Dr. Seward says, What does this all mean? I am starting to think about whether my long propensity for life among the crazy is starting to tell upon my own cerebrum. Obviously inside the novel, the male characters give indications of delicacy and affectability, which would be a basic characteristic for a ladies of the time. In spite of this, inside the Band of Brothers every individual part have their very own shortcoming, and this again equals to that of a superhuman in a comic book, (a perfect present day legend), how everybody has their own shortcomings, and regularly all have an all inclusive shortcoming, eg. Breathing, in a comic world. For this situation, the general shortcoming of the Band of the Brothers is the common love and defensive nature over their ladies/accomplices. I accept that the men in the novel feel compromised by Dracula, who is a totally alluring, who is genuinely ground-breaking, and all the more significantly focusing on their ladies. The men may have felt this new species may draw their ladies from them, since it very well may be seen that his prey needs a type of eagerness or co-activity for him to act. It isn't clear in the novel if Jonathan and Mina have fulfilled their marriage, since Jonathan was in such an awful state at the hour of the wedding, yet later in the play he again shows insufficiencies in the room division, and can just watch Mina sucking at the chest of Dracula having been deadened by the more predominant player, Dracula. In the novel, individual and general qualities and shortcomings are available in the Band of Brothers. Since all the characters concerned are human, there is no particular line between the two, maybe rather they speak to singularity of characters. Because of the gatherings excitement, and their perception to spare their adored from Dracula, they play straightforwardly under the control of Dracula, and this can be found in London. This shows the energetic and appetite of the man misuses their shortcoming of not thinking effectively, racing into things and a little naïveté. Mina is disregarded at the house an exposed target for Dracula to assault, a neglectful activity indicating human shortcoming. Anyway the gathering show incredible devotion and comprehension to the undertaking close by as Van Helsing says, Our drudge must be peacefully, and our endeavors stealthily; for in this illuminated age

Every Rose has its Thorn Essay

The rose is an excellent bloom. Its appearance is certain; anyway a rose has thistles; its thistles are a piece of what it's identity is. On the off chance that an individual needs to have a rose, he/she will likewise need to acknowledge the thistles, despite the fact that they are agonizing. A rose can look like an individual whom you love; on the off chance that you wish to adore them you should likewise cherish them when they are even under the least favorable conditions of mind-sets, which is the main way you can have them at their best. Roses are not great; they have flaws recently like everything else on the planet. There was a stone tune in the late 1980’s by the band poison. The verses depended on Bret Michaels’ educational experience where he discovered that while he was out and about visiting, his accomplice was with another man. After learning of this upsetting news, he immediately composed the verses with the assistance of his acoustic guitar, which in the e nd transformed into the acoustic’s that can be heard all through the tune. Each rose has its thistle is a similarity that represents both the great and terrible things of a relationship, where love can be as sweet as a rose, however loss of adoration can be as brutal as rose thistles. Much the same as consistently has its first light, night and sunrise, similar to a rose and thistles, further stress the differentiating point of view of adoration. In life everything won't be great. There is continually something that looks to great to be valid. Life is going to scoop soil on you. The secret to escaping the earth is to shake it off and make a stride up. Every one of our difficulties is a venturing stone. We can escape the most profound earth heaps just by not halting, and never surrendering. Shake it off and make a stride upward Life is loaded up with high points and low points. We face issues from time to time. Like they state â€Å"Every Rose Has Its Thorn†, each issue that we face gives a chance to develop ourselves. On the off chance that we figure out how to locate the silver coating, we can change over those issues into open doors for progress. Peruse more: Person you appreciate discourse paper A negative that I have while dealing with my representatives is the point at which I give out a task, and it’s not followed the manner in which I need it to be followed. In spite of the fact that it might have a similar result, I will in general as it done the manner in which I would have done it. Toward the day's end as long as it is done the correct way, it ought not make any difference how it was practiced. Along these lines, when living, remember that everyâ rose has its thistle. Much of the time the thistle speaks to a negative. At the point when you experience negatives, consistently attempt to transform it into a positive. Live so the individual you become later on can think back with appreciation and deference at the individual you are correct today.

Abraham Maslows Life and Legacy

Abraham Maslows Life and Legacy More in Psychology History and Biographies Psychotherapy Basics Student Resources Theories Phobias Emotions Sleep and Dreaming In This Article Table of Contents Expand Best Known For Maslow's Early Life Career and Theories Contributions Selected Publications Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist perhaps best known as one of the founders of humanistic psychology and for his famous hierarchy of needs. Maslow felt that Freuds psychoanalytic theory and Skinners behavioral theory were too focused on the negative or pathological aspects of existence and neglected all of the potential and creativity that human beings possess. Maslows hierarchy of needs suggested that people have a number of needs, and as these needs are met they are able to go on to pursue other needs. The needs at the base of his hierarchy are more basic in nature, gradually moving up into more social, emotional and self-actualizing needs as one moves up the hierarchy. The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short. â€" Abraham Maslow Best Known For Hierarchy of NeedsFounder of Humanistic Psychology Maslows Early Life Abraham Maslow was born on April 1, 1908, in Brooklyn, New York, where he grew up the first of seven children born to his Jewish parents who emigrated from Russia. Maslow later described his early childhood as unhappy and lonely, and he spent much of his time in the library immersed in books. Eventually, Maslow went on to study law at City College of New York (CCNY) and married his first cousin Bertha Goodman. He later switched to the University of Wisconsin where he developed an interested in psychology and found a mentor in psychologist Harry Harlow who served as his doctoral advisor. Maslow earned all three of his degrees in psychology from the University of Wisconsin: a bachelors degree in 1930, a masters degree in 1931 and a doctorate in 1934. Career and Humanistic Theories Abraham Maslow began teaching at Brooklyn College in 1937 and continued to work as a member of the schools faculty until 1951. During this time, he was heavily influenced by Gestalt psychologist Max Wertheimer and anthropologist Ruth Benedict. Maslow believed that they were such exceptional people that he began to analyze and take notes on their behavior. This analysis served as the basis for his theories and research on human potential. During the 1950s, Maslow became one of the founders and driving forces behind the school of thought known as humanistic psychology. His theories including the hierarchy of needs, self-actualization and peak experiences became fundamental subjects in the humanist movement. The process of self-actualization played a critical role in Maslows theory. He defined this tendency as the full use and exploitation of talents, capacities, potentialities, etc. In other words, people are constantly in the process of striving to reach their full potential. Self-actualization is not an endpoint or a destination. It is an ongoing process in which people continue to stretch themselves and achieve new heights of well-being, creativity, and fulfillment. Maslow believed that self-actualizing people possess a number of key characteristics. Some of these include self-acceptance, spontaneity, independence and the ability to have peak experiences. Contributions to Psychology At a time when most psychologists focused aspects of human nature that were considered abnormal, Abraham Maslow shifted focus to look at the positive sides of mental health. His interest in human potential, seeking peak experiences and improving mental health by seeking personal growth had a lasting influence on psychology. While Maslow’s work fell out of favor with many academic psychologists and some suggest his hierarchy might be due for an update, his theories are enjoying a resurgence due to the rising interest in positive psychology. Maslow died in California on June 8, 1970, due to a heart attack. Selected Publications Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and Personality. NY: Harper.Maslow, A. (1962). Toward a Psychology of Being. NY: Van Nostrand.

How Steinbeck creates sympathy for Candy in Of Mice and Men

How does Steinbeck create sympathy for Candy and his position on the ranch? Of Mice and Men is a novel written by John Steinbeck, set in America in the Great Depression of the 1930s. The main characters in the book are the clever, quick George, and his slow, child-like companion Lennie. They are itinerant workers who find work on a ranch in California’s Salinas Valley. There are many characters on the ranch, including Curley, Slim, and Crooks. However, the first ranch worker George and Lennie meet is the general cleaner/handyman, Candy. Steinbeck gives the reader a first impression of Candy as a ‘tall, stoop-shouldered old man’ with only one hand. The author constantly refers to him as ‘the old man’, ‘the old swamper’, and ‘old†¦show more content†¦Candy and his dog also draw similarities to George and Lennie, who are companions. When the dog is shot, and Candy is alone, it foreshadows what will happen to Lennie and how George will be alone. But the difference is that Candy lets Carlson shoot the dog, while George will not let anyone but himself shoot Lennie. However, Candy later admits that he ‘ought to of shot that dog myself’, which again creates sympathy for him, because the reader knows that he regrets letting Carlson shoot the dog for him. When Candy hears about George and Lennie’s dream, he is ‘entranced’, and when he is accepted to achieve the dream with them, he shares the dream. He wants the dream just as much as George and Lennie do, and his ‘greatest fear’ is the loss of the dream. However, when Lennie dies, the dream dies with him, and Candy is left with no hope. This creates sympathy for Candy, as he is in a worse position now than he was at the start of the novel, because now he has an understanding of what could have been. Despite this, when Curley’s wife dies, Candy is clearly more upset by the loss of the dream than by her death, which creates a sense of antipathy for Candy. Steinbeck makes use of Candy’s name to emphasise Candy’s nature and his lowly position on the ranch. ‘Candy’ is a synonym for ‘sweets’, which are commonly associated with children. Many people describe children as ‘sweet’ and ‘innocent’ andShow MoreRelatedThe Character Crook from Steinbecks Novel Essay1222 Words   |  5 Pagesrelationships and vocabulary and language in relation to the social status of certain characters. There is an authorial judgement of Crooks and the introduction of Crooks into the novel. Also, Steinbeck ´s style is demonstrated very well. The descriptions in the extract reflect the style of Steinbeck as he lists Crooks ´ possessions in a simple way inorder for the reader to understand the bareness of Crooks ´ life. This includes a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905. ´ This alongRead More Of Mice and Men Essay1119 Words   |  5 PagesOf Mice and Men John Steinbeck’s novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ is one of those books which make you believe everything that takes place between the covers. Books like these always remain as classics, because of their very informative and believable stories. John Steinbeck especially excels in this, and therefore is the reason I have chosen this book to describe. ‘Of Mice and Men’, the title of the novel, originates from the poem ‘To a Mouse’, by Robert Burns. It means that no matter what youRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel Of Mice And Men 1530 Words   |  7 PagesSteinbeck’s novel was written and set in the 1930s. In the novella, of Mice and Men, the autor gave his characters The American Dream but the obsacles always seem to get in the way. Steinbeck show us the theme, American Dream, as it is in real life and demonstrates the effect of isolation through prejudice, broken dreams and the setting. Every character from the ranch is discriminated in Of Mice and Men. The book Of mice and men was written in a period when people with mental illness were treatedRead MoreNew Log : Of Mice And Men892 Words   |  4 PagesSeptember 30, 2015 New Log: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck John Steinbeck creates an odd pair of men to assume the role of protagonist in his novel, Of Mice and Men. George, a small and quick-witted man, is the dominant personality. Lennie, his clumsy companion, is a character who displays a child-like demeanor and is often compared to an animal throughout the novel. The couple’s relationship closely resembles that which is often found between a father and son. Steinbeck later introduces Curley,Read MoreOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck1081 Words   |  4 PagesIn Steinbeck’s ‘of mice and men’ set in 1930’s, both Crooks and Curley’s wife are defenseless victims of social prejudice which leads to their sadness and depression. Crooks, being a black man is discriminated and segregated towards by all the other ranchers â€Å"They play cards in there but I can’t play because I’m black- Crooks† whereas Curley’s wife being a woman is expected to stay at home and take care of the house â€Å"Why dont she get the hell back in the house where she belongs- Carlson†. FurthermoreRead MoreOF MICE AND MEN1721 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿In the book Of Mice and Men, the single women that appeared in the book resented herself as an object. The statement Women today are more often treated by men as equals rather than objects can be true or false. A man that goes to Gentleman s Cubs every night is a different man that studies at Harvard Law School. A striper is going to be a different person than a CEO of a successful business. It’s all about how you present yourself. In Of Mice and Men, Curley s wife presents herself in a seductiveRead MoreAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men 1181 Words   |  5 PagesQ) How does Steinbeck present the good and bad in Curley’s wife? Of mice and men is a novel written by John Steinbeck, which was published in 1937. This novel is set in the 1930’s America when women’s were being oppressed. This story informs the reader about Steinbeck’s experience in those particular times, as people with different races, disabilities and especially women were treated poorly and below their status. When Curley’s wife first appears in the book, she is described negatively by theRead MoreThe American Dream998 Words   |  4 PagesYet when society lacks these basic behaviors, the American Dream is unattainable. John Steinbeck’s classic novel, Of Mice and Men, incorporates various characters which create sympathy in readers, characters such as Lennie, Curley’s wife, and Crooks. First, an exploration of Lennie’s character with his struggle between mental and physical strength elicits an abundance of sympathy. Lennie Smalls is anything but small. Lennies last name is an oxymoron as he is a very large man. George describes hisRead MoreEssay Symbolism of Loneliness in ‘Of Mice and Men’ by Steinbeck925 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism of Loneliness in ‘Of Mice and Men’ by Steinbeck Steinbeck’s novel ‘of mice and men’ is set in the time of the Great Depression after the stock market crash of 1929. The currency is almost worthless and people can afford little possessions. Because of the situation there are many people moving from place to place to find work. This means they are never in one place long enough to form any relationships, so this is a very lonely existence: â€Å"Guys likeRead MoreHow Curleys wife is presented in Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck2118 Words   |  9 PagesExplore the ways one or two minor characters are presented in the text â€Å"Of Mice and Men† â€Å"I never get to talk to nobody† – Curley’s Wife Of mice and men is a novella set in the 1930s. It is based on the theme of dreams and how they are crushed, amongst others. This book also gives an insight into the lives of men and women on ranch in America during the depression. Women pot the right to vote in the late 1920s, but during the depression, people lost interest in the women’s rights. There was a

The Role of God in Descartes Epistemology - 1356 Words

The presence of God, and more so the role god plays in our lives, has forever troubled philosophers. Some completely neglect the existence of god, others toy with the idea, and some use religion as the basis of their epistemology. Throughout this essay, I aim to critically examine the role of God in Descartes’ epistemology. Renà © Descartes’ epistemological contribution to western philosophy attempted to inaugurate a coherent method of questioning whereby knowledge of the world is attained independently of the authority of the Church or Bible. Strangely enough this separation had no intention on removing god from our lives or minds. Descartes’ project was to prove the existence of God, and to establish that only God can guarantee true knowledge (Skirry, 2011). Through critical observation of Descartes’ most prominent writings: Meditations on First Philosophy, focusing on his ideals concerning existence of God and the role God plays in the acquisition of c ertain knowledge, we are able to see that although Descartes’ belief in independent attainment of knowledge is extremely commendable, the occurrence of numerous philosophical discrepancies and presumptive speculation debilitated its legitimacy. Establishing the existence of god is critical within Descartes’ epistemology. Abiding by his own method of systematic doubt and absolute rejection of the products of sense experience, Descartes’ establishes God’s existence without referring to the perceptual evidence the worldShow MoreRelatedOrganizational Behaviour Analysis28615 Words   |  115 Pagesprocesses which are fundamentally related to the expectations, values and interests of all organisation members. Related to this, as a major theme of the workshop, is a consideration of the importance of understanding organisational politics and its role in maintaining organisations. Understanding Change Change and change processes are fundamental to many aspects of organisations, and, indeed, life itself. We will consider the appearance of change; social psychological approaches to change; macroRead MoreLanguage and the Destiny of Man12402 Words   |  50 Pagesmodern and somewhat unrestrained man (an image once promoted by Ferdinand Brunetià ¨re, and later by Georges 108 Åžtefan Afloroaei / Descartes and the â€Å"metaphysical dualism† Friedmann). To support this view, certain less speculative episodes in Descarte’s life are evoked, such as: a duel he fought over a beautiful lady, in 1625, at the age of 29; the longstanding suspicion (originated by Voetius) that he had fathered several illegitimate children; a secret affair with Hà ©là ¨ne Jans, a woman of means

A General Definition of Financial Reporting Free Essays

Fiscal coverage in authorities can be seen as a sum-up of the authoritiess public presentation, or capacity, in raising, managing, and utilizing public money. Another manner of showing the function of fiscal coverage is to state it goes manus in manus with answerability. Accountability is frequently considered one of the basiss of good democratic authoritiess. We will write a custom essay sample on A General Definition of Financial Reporting or any similar topic only for you Order Now Officials are given authorization and duty and it is the undertaking of the functionaries to clearly convey actions taken and whether these actions fall within the prescriptions of jurisprudence and community wants. Measuring public presentation or accounting with regard to raising, managing, and utilizing public money is a complex issue. The standards are many, diverse, and sometimes conflicting. In some instances there is a accepted regulation or criterions doing organic structure that can cover selected facets of fiscal answerability. In general, nevertheless, there may be more than one regulation doing organic structure. For case, there can be governmental and private regulation doing organic structures. Residents of the affected legal power may hold their ain positions or inadvertence commissions. More by and large, in a democratic society there are frequently norms that provide counsel on answerability. These norms, excessively, may diverge. As an illustration, see the dissension that can originate over a revenue enhancement determination. Is it equal to cover current and future duties made by determination shapers ; does it associate payments to benefits received ; does it enforce greater loads on one group as opposed to others ; and is it hard to roll up? Fiscal studies can be generated on all these issues. This text focuses more on the collectivity of fiscal determinations made by authorities, province and local authorities in peculiar. How does money raised screen disbursement and duties? What is the current and future fiscal wellness of the legal power or subentities covered. How make these determinations comply with the outlooks of regulation or criterion doing organic structures? Governments issue many types of fiscal studies, but the most across-the-board and seeable at the province and local degree is the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report ( see this chapter, lesson 2 ) ( CAFR ) . The CAFR includes the fiscal statements. In this text the fiscal statements provide the chief focal point and therefore the term fiscal statement is sometimes used interchangeably with the phrase fiscal study. Fiscal statements are reasonably demanding in format and supply a quantitative expression at the operating success, fiscal wellness, and conformity of the authorities describing units. The fiscal statements are frequently referred to as the GPFS ( General Purpose Financial Statements ) and can on occasion be taken out of the CAFR and shown individually. The signifier of these statements and the definitions of what they seek to measure are germinating. One signifier or definition may do success, wellness, and conformity appear adequate while another, less so. For case, wit h some signifiers and definitions adoption can be used to hike opportunities for reported success ; in others, it can non. As a consequence, this text will look critically at the current signifier and definitions and examine options. Another of import issue is that historically, the focal point of governmental fiscal coverage is on how good the authorities did in transporting out lawfully authorised maps for the different subentities and financess of authorities. In general, fiscal studies for authorities do non cover the authorities as a whole, but instead the studies screen separate subentities and financess such as all the money raised and spent for diversion or all the money raised and spent for a parking garage or all the fiscal activity for a constituent of the authorities such as school territory. Subentities and financess are at a degree below the full authorities organic structure or legal power. Subsequently, more attending will be given to the separate subentities and financess that are the soon the cardinal unit for governmental accounting. The chief private regulation doing organic structure, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board ( GASB ) , is sing many alterations for describing, such as a stu dy for the authorities as a whole which will probably be called the entity broad position to possibly supplement the fund position. Theoretical contentions aside, at a given point in clip, fiscal studies are based in portion on accounting regulations and other types of regulations or criterions that frequently capture the daily pecuniary minutess and events of authorities. The minutess are are so summarized into fiscal studies. These studies typically make direct appraisals of fiscal public presentation and many affairs that impinge on fiscal public presentation. Technically, one of the major ends of fiscal studies is to measure fiscal success, conditions, and conformity of the financess and other accounting subentities. With such information, one possible benefit of fiscal studies is to assist people make better determinations about their community, their authorities, and their economic system. These determinations may associate to the election of functionaries, ballots on new undertakings, and even the determination to remain in or travel off from a community. Further, the coverage may supply information so that determinations that make the legal power better off. Considerable systematic and official work on governmental fiscal coverage has been done for province and local authoritiess. This text focuses on the work done for province and local authoritiess. This text besides concentrates chiefly on the CAFR ( this chapter, lesson 2 ) and the fiscal statements ( this chapter, lessor 4 ) in the CAFR. Elementss of Financial Reports — Government and Business In general, authorities has significantly different accounting regulations for developing fiscal studies than does concern. Government relies more on a hard currency footing or liquidness and one-year logic to measure one-year activities, whereas concern relies more on an accrual logic to incorporate appraisal of both one-year and long term events. Besides accounting regulations, authorities Torahs and ordinances play a big function in the these governmental fiscal studies. Therefore, the frequent refer to conformity. The lawfully authorised budget of the legal power is critical to fiscal coverage in authorities. That is, the fiscal studies assess the grade to which the authorities disposal, peculiarly fiscal direction, was in conformity with the budget. Because of the importance of the importance of the one-year budget in answerability, authoritiess soon make a clear differentiation between current or one-year points and long term points in their fiscal studies, with accent on current points. Similarly, authoritiess differentiate between liquid assets and fixed assets, with more attending to liquid assets. For the most portion, fiscal studies are intended to supply information for people outside the direction of the authorities. These people are frequently referred to as external users. Because these external users do non hold direct control over the content of fiscal studies, parts of the studies are audited, for illustration, the hearer seeks to certify that the fiscal statements are soon reasonably in agreement with by and large accepted accounting rules ( GAAP ) . Regardless of where or how accounting criterions are developed for fiscal coverage, the standard scene procedure is extremely controversial since a good trade can be at interest in describing fiscal success, conditions, and conformity. A study exudating hapless consequences, conditions, or conformity can upset users. Therefore, the standard scene procedure is sometimes shaped by values and political force per unit areas to obtain favourable fiscal screenings. Many of the alterations in accounting and coverage that have shaped concern accounting criterions have merely begun to come in or be discussed in authorities. The attempt to mensurate current and long term economic chances and convey that information in a blunt manner so external users can apportion resources to those concern they feel will gain has non made a important impact of province and local fiscal coverage. Some of the grounds have to make with the legal nature of province and local authorities. Some have to make with political reserve to publically expose hapless consequences. Some have to make with the questionable rightness of an accent on economic sciences instead than a balance toward economic sciences, societal equity, involvement group political relations, and conformity. Recent proposal by GASB suggest as greater involvement in economic success and chances. A List of Important Footings Associated with Financial Reports — A Expression at single points. accounting regulations Called by and large accepted accounting rules ( GAAP ) , accounting regulations are developed through a due-process system or became accepted with common usage. one-year budget The legislative assembly yearly ( some biannually ) authorizes what grosss to raise, what money to borrow, what promises to do, and what activities to pay for. one-year or current points v. long term Government fiscal studies emphasize and by and large have more stiff accounting regulations for fiscal minutess that involve money raised, spent, or due during the current twelvemonth. Long term points are set aside or de-emphasized until they come due. audited In general, audits effort to find whether the presentation of fiscal information conforms to a set of standards, with the standards in authorities including both accounting regulations and authorities Torahs and ordinances. authorized Given authoritiess ‘ heavy trust on legality, fiscal studies focal point well on whether money was raised, handled, and spent harmonizing to legal mandates. The word conformity becomes really important. better determinations Fiscal studies are intended to better determination devising. These determination can be economic such as a good return on investing or political such as how to vote on a campaigner or issue. capacity How to cite A General Definition of Financial Reporting, Essay examples

Cfo Doc free essay sample

How a CFO can graduate to CEO Janine Brewis. Corporate Finance. London:  Jun 1999. ,  Iss. 175;   pg. 13 Abstract (Summary) Positions of power within corporates are highly sought after, and todays chief financial officers and finance directors are increasingly becoming aware that they now have a realistic opportunity of becoming CEO. Part of the reason for the trend towards recruiting CFOs who can behave as strategic partners is that the investor community looks much more critically at the business performance and management strengths and weaknesses of corporates. This strategic positioning gives them an opportunity to buff up their image, and make themselves seen as a more credible candidate to take over the CEO role. Full Text  (897   words)| Copyright Euromoney Publications PLC Jun 1999 There will always be leadership battles in corporates, either bubbling under the surface away from the watchful eye of the public, or high-profile feuds that make the headlines. Positions of power within corporates are highly sought after, and todays chief financial officers and finance directors are increasingly becoming aware that they now have a realistic opportunity of becoming chief executive officer. The role of the CFO is evolving and there are more opportunities for the right kind of candidates to achieve CEO status, although not all CFOs have the potential. Such career issues came into focus last month when Phil Yea, group finance director at UK food and drink group Diageo, announced that he would leave the company after six years service with the group and with Guinness before it merged with Grand Metropolitan in 1997 to create Diageo (see plO). Yea refuted speculation that he had based his decision on the knowledge that he would not get the CEO position in the company that will become vacant when chief executive John McGrath retires at the end of the year. Chairman Tony Greener also retires this year. CFOs are now expected to interact with their management boards, and in particular with the CEO, and contribute to strategic planning. Says Rucker McCarty, partner-in-charge at the chief financial officer practice of US executive search firm Heidrick ; Struggles: In the past the CFO was looked at more as a storekeeper. Today many companies see CFOs as strategic partners, helping to build shareholder value. It really is a different role, and it is evolving. That is why we are seeing more CFOs having the opportunity to become CEO. Part of the reason for the trend towards recruiting CFOs who can behave as strategic partners is that the investor community looks much more critically at the business performance and management strengths and weaknesses of corporates. Says Ian Butcher, finance director at UK recruitment firm Whitehead Mann Group: The two most visible people in the company to the investor community are the chief executive and the finance director. The finance director is an even more important ambassador in the investment community than he or she might have been a few years ago, he adds. It does give them an opportunity to buff up their image, and make themselves seen as a more credible candidate to take over the CEO role. There are many reasons why some competent CFOs fail to move into the CEO role. Those who come from a purely accounting background are not generally expected to make such a speedy rise up the corporate ladder, but much has to do with the character of the individual and the mentoring system that the corporates provide. Individuals who are able to gain a breadth of experience across several functions may stand a better chance of rising to CEO, and will be more indispensable to the kind of CEO who seeks advice from his or her staff. Most boards do not focus on one effective individual but are more concerned about teams working together. A CFO who can think outside the pure finance function is useful to the organization, whether he or she remains CFO for life or moves on, because the function areas within corporates are becoming more integrated. Says Janina Harper, senior manager at UK recruitment firm KPMG Search Selection: If you go back to the basics of accountancy training, it is changing quite a lot in terms of trying to be broader early in peoples careers. And maybe that will lay the seeds in the future that people will start to think more about the chief executive role. Sometimes CFOs or finance directors switch into the CEO role unexpectedly. Last month Jamie Dundas moved from being finance director to CEO of UK property group MEPC, ending speculation over what former CEO James Tuckey was going to do with the business, following a couple of years of refocusing the company and fighting off a hostile takeover bid (see opposite). Others that have succeeded in moving from CFO to CEO include Doug Ivester, who was controller, then CFO, then chief operating officer and then CEO at US beverages group Coca-Cola. And Jerome York left IBM in 1996, where he was CFO, to become chief executive at entertainment group Tracinda. Last year Richard Nanula, who at 31 became the youngest CFO ever of a Fortune 500 company in 1991 at Disney, quit to become CEO at US group Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide (see Corporate Finance, May 1998). Although the relationship between Nanula and Starwood chief Barry Sternlicht has since soured, the achievement was a great one for Nanula. When recruiting a CFO a company should be clear about what kind of candidate it wants. The criteria that recruitment firms are having to meet are shifting. There is a greater expectation that their staff should know everyone in the market and have an intimate knowledge of clients business strategies. Many large recruitment firms conduct searches for a wide range of executive functions, but the emphasis has changed. In the old days of executive recruitment, recalls McCarty at Heidrick ; Struggles, the recruitment executives were generalists. They would get a call, the client might say: `Have you ever done an assignment for a controller? And even if a person had not done it, they would say: `Oh sure, I can do that. JB References * Cited by (1) Indexing (document details) Subjects:| Chief executive officers,   Chief financial officers,   Roles,   Trends,   Corporate management| Classification Codes| 9190,   2130| Locations:| US| Author(s):| Janine Brewis| Publication title:| Corporate Finance. London:  Jun 1999. ,  Iss. 175;   pg. 13| Source type:| Periodical| ISSN:| 09582053| ProQuest document ID:| 42599396| Text Word Co unt| 897| Document URL:| http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? did=42599396sid=1Fmt=3clie ntId=29440RQT=309VName=PQD|