Module 3 Cash Flow Estimation BHS427 Health Care Finance (AUG2014-1) Essay - 1

Module 3 Cash Flow Estimation BHS427 Health Care Finance (AUG2014-1) (SLP) - Essay Example Secondly, the business needs to look at some of the investments made by the organization in terms of creating future growth. Failure to outlay the investments made by the organization may result in the investments being categorized as capital expenditures (Damodaran, 2011). In the estimation of cash flows, certain advantages and disadvantages may arise from the entire process. Cash flow estimation is seen as a means of attaining an organization’s value or rate of return (Juhà ¡sz, 2011). Cash flows in and out of an organization’s projects are often used as inputs in various financial models, which in turn, assist an organization in determining the overall value placed on certain projects. Also, a business’s liquidity can be determined through cash flow estimation. It is imperative for businesses to find out if there is the availability of cash at hand, regardless of whether the business or organization is making profits from its operations. Cash flow estimations may forecast if the business is likely to fail, especially if they predict a shortage of cash in the business. Furthermore, cash flows are often used to assess the worth of income generated from certain projects (Damodaran, 2011). What this implies is that some of the projects carried out by organizations or businesses may fail to bring in the required or intended organizational targets, which means they may be of low quality. Cash flows provide the intended forecast to prevent long-term investments in such projects, which means that most organizations are capable of conducting operations that are composed of large cash items often considered high quality. Lastly, cash flows determine the risks involved with certain projects. Negative earnings need to be identified in cash flow estimations because they tend to become problematic at the end of a financial period. In this case, earnings need to be adjusted to reflect the effects of the accounting management. When an

Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example It is, however, vital to learn the organisation’s background to delve any further. IKEA prides itself to be the most successful and largest furniture retailer in the world, and boasts provision of everything and anything for a home, having products suited for people of all ages, and all this at low prices. The company promises excellent value for money spent with all of their products designed with an emphasis on natural colours to bring a light and airy atmosphere within a home. This concept is based purely on IKEA’s Swedish origins, where people pride themselves in living in harmony with nature with simple home designs which offer maximum efficiency in all weathers (http://www.iamaceo.com/marketing/ikea-brand-success-strategy/). IKEA’s vision, â€Å"to create a better everyday life for the many people† is reportedly largely aimed at the global middleclass which is also evident from their business idea, â€Å"to offer a wide range of well designed, funct ional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them† (http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/press_room/student_info.html). To achieve this global mission, IKEA is well known for having a rapid internationalisation process from its Swedish origins and its rapid expansion into countries with cultures very different from its original Swedish national culture (Hollensen, 2007). With 265 stores worldwide, where 235 are owned by the IKEA group while the remaining 30 by franchisees outside the group; the extent of IKEA’s expansion is obvious (IKEA, 2007). Although owned by franchisees in some countries, the IKEA concept and trademark are solely owned by Inter IKEA Systems B.V in Netherlands. This means Inter IKEA Systems B.V is the franchiser for all IKEA stores within or outside of the IKEA group, ensuring uniformity of corporate values right from the centre (IKEA, 2007). Having looked into the organisation’s ba ckground, it is now important to study Morgan’s metaphors, which can then be applied to the organisation. Firstly, Morgan suggests that organisation theorists, after decades of comparing organisations as mechanistic entities, have moved to the biological sciences for more apt comparisons, where individuals, groups, organisations, populations or species of organisations, and their social ecology are paralleled with molecules, cells, complex organisms, species and ecology (Morgan, 2006, pg 34). The idea derived from drawing such comparisons is that certain species of organisation are adapted to certain external conditions just as certain species of organisms are to certain environments (Morgan, 2006, pg 33). Such metaphoric views have changed the classical mechanistic focus on efficiency, and structure to the basic element of survival with more emphasis on the organisation-environment relationship (Morgan, 2006; 1998). This can be further complimented with modern environmental analysis methods like SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and PEST (political, economical, sociological and technological) analyses, that have been developed solely for comparing an organisation’s internal abilities to the external factors that may or are affecting its survival and performance in that environment (Johnson et al, 2008; Kotler, 2003). Within the metaphor of an organisation as a living organism, Morgan introduces certain

Child Rearing in the Us and Colombia Essay Example for Free

Child Rearing in the Us and Colombia Essay Early care-giving is a major factor for a child to feel secure to explore the world around them (Carbonell, Alzate, Bustamente Quiceno , 2002). How different is this early care-giving between two cultures such as the United States and Colombia? This is a look at the differences and similiaries of raising girls, both born in 1988, in Colombia and the United States. Both girls were raised in nuclear families, with one older sibling, close enough in age to be a major part of each girls daily life. One was raised in Colombia, although she moved to the United States at the age of eleven, while the other was raised completely in the United States. Both parents of each girl were interviewed as well as the girl herself. The basic stepping stones, the times that parents love to videotape, the babys first moments all seem to happen relatively similarly in both girls. Self-reported by Paulina, was that she walked around the age of ten months. Similarly, Jane walked at the age of ten months. Both were somewhat delayed in speech, enough so to be taken to doctors. In each case, the parents were told that the child would speak if the family stopped following the non-verbal directions from the child. Paulinas first words were eso, Spanish for that, and Ma. Janes first word was Ah-yah which was meant to be Alex, her brothers name. Paulina stood alone at the age of eight months (personal communication with subject), as did Jane (personal communication with subject). Punishment is something all parents must figure out. Hispanics tend to mollify children and be more lenient (Figueroa-Moseley, Ramey, Keltner Lanzi, 2006). Hispanic parents tend to try to calm their child rather than work towards developmental goals, which tend to be more valued in the United States. Neither girl was punished in the form of grounding, but both were warned with simple looks from their parents, such as glaring and both girls were yelled at as well. Corporal punishment was used for each girl as well. Paulina was smacked, and Jane was occasionally spanked. Jane would be sent to her room or made to sit in a chair as in a Time Out, however Paulina never experienced a Time Out and recollects that such a thing was not common in Colombia. Both girls were raised to speak their mind, and not wait to be spoken to, as long as what was said was respectful. Questions were welcomed by both families, but the girls were expected to know the time and place in which to ask questions. Each girl was also allowed to pick out her own clothes, which has been shown to be good for children, as children see it is important for them to make some of their own decisions, and identify with the choices (Ardila-Rey, Killen, 2001). Paulinas mother tried to teach her what matched, but eventually gave up trying when it, although Colombian mothers tend to worry about the outward appearance of their children (Carbonell et al, 2002). When asked what Jane would choose to wear, Janes mother replied, Anything that didnt match, although she, too, tried to teach her daughter matching. No major restrictions were set upon either girl, except to be respectful. Respect was emphasized in both situations. As respect was emphasized from child to adult, so was it shown from adult to child. Both children were kept informed of what was happening in the family. Children were expected to be a part of dinner conversation and were allowed to participate in the adults lives. Also, both children were given reasoning behind decisions and had things explained? because I said so was used only when the situation would be later explained, and the consequences of an action were described rather than a mere dont do it. Chores were a part of each girls life as well. Both were expected to do what was asked of them to help around the house dusting, vacuuming, clearing the table, etc. Jane was expected to help with dinner, which included getting food from the refrigerator, carrying things to the table, loading the dishwasher, setting the table, and occasionally stirring. Jane was given an allowance of approximately five dollars a week, but this was never in exchange for doing her chores. Paulina, too, was not paid for doing her chores. She states, I was part of the family and therefore I was expected to work in the house without any sort of reward (personal communication, April 10, 2007). Colombia tends to be a collective society that looks to the benefit of the group, rather than the individual (Pilgrim, Reuda-Riedle, 2002), which applies to this situation in that Paulina was expected to help keep the house in order, without ? payment because it was for the greater good of the family, being part of the group is an important aspects of a collective culture. Family relationships and interdependence? a common bond between family members, working together for the benefit of the family? tend to be much more emphasized in Hispanic cultures (Carbonell et al, 2002). A major part of any culture is food and dining, and children are a part of that. Children often lose some of their appetite between ages two and six, and because parents worry, bad food habits are put into place. Sugary foods are offered if a child finishes a meal, and many foods have vitamins and nutrients added. However iron, zinc, and calcium are seen to be deficient because juices and sodas are replacing milk, and cereals and processed foods replace fresh fruits and vegetables (Berger, 2006). It is also hard to maintain good eating habits during this age, because children often need meals to be just right. Children have very determined ideas for what should be eaten, how it should be eaten, and the entire situation surrounding the meal. Often times the food required is not healthy food, but rather sugary or similar to fast-food, like chicken nuggets or French fries. Paulina ate dinner together with her family every night, generally at eight oclock, as is customary in Colombia. Her mother did most of the cooking, and after dinner, either her mom would not clean up, or her mother would, but with the help of her daughters, while her father did other household things. On weekends, most meals were eaten together. Breakfast was generally around ten oclock in the morning and lunch was around three oclock in the afternoon. Very few times, her father would cook, although he cooks more now that they live in the United States. Food was as healthy and fresh as possible. Snacks were fresh fruits, and there were never packaged foods in the house. Jane would eat dinner with her family as well, often around seven oclock in the evening, when her father came home. She would eat breakfast and lunch with her brother until this was no longer possible because of school. Janes mother did most of the cooking, and the children were expected to help. Snacks were often dry cereal like Cheerios, apples, crackers, or cheese. Paulina started learning numbers and how to read and write at the age of four, when she went to preschool. The debate of how children should be taught to read can be broken into two sides; phonetics and whole language (Berger, 2006). Phonetics looks at each sound of each letter, while whole language, encouraged by Piaget, says that concentrating on the goal of fluency and communication is more important than individual words (Berger, 2006). Jane also attended a preschool at the age of four, but it was not as much structured, formal schooling. Both were taken to a part-day day-care or nursery school for the opportunity to socialize with other children. While at nursery school, Paulina was mostly made to play with toys. Jane attended a Co-op nursery school at a Unitarian Universalist church. In a Co-op nursery school parents take turns coming into the school to help supervise stations and participate in the nursery school experience. Stations were set up, such as a Reading Corner, Snacks, and a daily feature, such as tracing bodies on large sheets of paper or crafts. Co-op nursery schools are not typical in the United States, but Janes parents thought it was important to be involved with their children when possible and for their children to have the socialization experience. Both were read to everyday. Jane was read to a two to three times a day, for about fifteen minutes each time, but also had labels, signs, and anything printed read to her during everyday life. Jane was occasionally, but not often spoken to in Baby Talk, while Paulina was never spoken to in Baby Talk, as her parents thought speaking to her regularly would help her learn to understand. Both parents acknowledge that their children were not raised in a way that is typical to their individual cultures, and that is evident looking at the two girls in adolescence and early adulthood. Both girls realize that because their parents were stricter when they were young, that as the girls grew older; their parents didnt need to be as strict. Each girl knew what was expected of her and was therefore given more freedom as she matured. Many times this appeared to friends as though the girl could do what she pleased, although this was not the case. The girls knew the limits of what they could do without being told. Both sets of parents relied more on their trust in their daughter than blatantly telling her what she could or could not do. Obviously, there are some differences and some similarities between raising children in Colombia versus the United States. Developmentally, the children seem to be similar, and most of the parenting is more alike than different. References Ardila-Rey, A. Killen, M. (2001). Middle class Colombian childrens evaluations of personal, moral, and social-conventional interactions in the classroom. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 25 (3), 246-255 Berger, K. (2006). The Developing Person: Through Childhood and Adolescence (7th ed. ). New York: Worth Publishers. Figueroa, C. , Ramey, C. , Keltner, B. , Lanzi, R. (2006). Variations in Latino Parenting Practices and Their Effects on Child Cognitive Developmental Outcomes. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 28, 102-114. Pilgram, C. Rueda-Riedle, A. (2002). The importance of social context in cross-cultural comparisions: First graders in Colombia and the United States. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 163 (3), 283- 296. Posada, G. , Jacobs, A. , Richmond, M. , Carbonell, O. , Alzate, G. , Bustamante, M. , Quiceno, J. (2002). Maternal Caregiving and Infant Security in Two Cultures. Developmental Psychology, 38 (1), 67-78.

Baroque Architecture Characteristics

Baroque Architecture Characteristics Introduction The Baroque period took the humanist Roman view of Renaissance architecture and showed it in a new rhetorical, theatrical and sculptural fashion they expressed the triumph of absolutist church and state. The main view of Baroque architecture was more concerned about color, light and shade, sculptural values and intensity which could be seen in its characteristics. Baroque is defined periods in literature as well as music; however critics perceived it to be unstructured, over ornamented, theatrical and grotesque. Although many things influenced the Baroque period it was also influenced by religion as well as the countries politics. Architects were interested in the space of the unfolding universe as well as the workings of the mind and attempted to portray passions of the soul through facial expressions. Features The features of the baroque era showed long, narrow naves that were replaced by a broader, or occasionally with circular forms. It displayed dramatic use of light that could be either strong light-and-shade contrast (known as chiaroscuro)effects; or they used uniform lighting by means of several windows. Another feature was opulent use of ornaments (puttos made of wood (often gilded), plaster or stucco, marble or faux finishing), they used large-scale ceiling frescoes and Baroques external faà §ade is often characterized by a dramatic central projection, however the interior is often no more than a shell for painting and sculpture which was seen in the late Baroque period. Baroque features also include illusory effects like trompe loeil and the blending of painting and architecture and in other countries such as Bavaria, Czech, Polish, and Ukrainian the Baroque style contained, pear domes that were are ubiquitous. Characteristics The main characteristics for the Baroque era were energy, great amounts of tension and a sense of movement from the buildings. Its painting, sculpture and architecture evolved from mannerism and broke away from the rules of contemporary architecture, they demanded freedom to plan, design and decorate their buildings with what they wanted. Columns had twisted shafts which were placed in front of pilasters surrounded by cornices and covered with curved and broken pediments. They contained â€Å"over the top† and often unsuitable details with carved decoration. Interiors had gilded sculptures often in awkward poses; the architecture was noted for its curved lines. Many of Baroques additions were finished in bronze, marble, gold and silver. Baroque had a dynamic look and feel to its design; it was a useful classification for isolating the tendencies and products of stylistic change. It was seen as spacious, brilliant, theatrical, passionate, sensual, ecstatic, opulent, extravagant , versatile and virtuoso. It was an age of expansion following on an age of discovery, its expansion led to still further discovery about architectural design and decoration. Section A: Interiors S.Maria Della Salute (1631-1682) The interior of S.Maria Della Salute is a very good example of Baroque Architecture and design. It displays the Baroque essence in a way but is not completely over ornamented nor does it contain any unsuitable details. Marble is mainly used in the columns and the base appears to be gilded in bronze. Sculptures are carved from marble and stand high in the round of the dome. An altar can be seen and one might assume it is also gilded in bronze. It is an artwork in a way but it is not â€Å"over the top† in any way which can be seen from this view point. S.Pietro (1656 – 1667) The S.Pietro is another great example of Baroque architecture and design. In this photo we can see the bronze altar that stands just in front of the apse, we can see paintings that are decorated with gold boarders, marble columns and high walls, the domes contain gold ceilings. Walls are decorated with sculptures in free standing positions in the walls also made of marble. Light is given through high standing windows and the main dome from above through a sky light. Versailles (1660 – 1685) The Palace of Versailles is the most well known piece of Baroque Architecture and design known to date. It defines what the baroque period was about. It was extravagant, sensual, dynamic, passionate (paintings), versatile and opulent. Decorations were not silver but pure gold. Soft fabrics, bright colours and beautiful sculptures decorated the interiors of the Palace. In the Hall of Mirrors as seen in figure 8 sculptures themselves were cast in gold high windows offered light and glass chandeliers hung from a ceiling decorated in painting and gilded gold boarders. In the Queens Chambers as seen in figure 7 one can tell that not even the bedrooms were kept simple. Gold was also used and to an extent it was overly used. The focus of ones eye is led to the gold decoration and not the architectural values of the building. The exterior as seen in figure 6 one can see that the balcony railings were gilded in gold decoration as the sun makes this easy to see. Marble is also used on the faà §ade of the building but it is mainly decorated in gold. Rich vibrant colours can be seen throughout the palace as seen in figure 7 of the Queens Chambers. Section B: Interior Design Although the Baroque era contributed to the great buildings we see today, one cannot forget about the interiors. Although lavishly decorated the interiors are very well designed to accommodate certain aspects. Architects need to think like that in order to obtain a good sense of what works and what does not. I believe interior design does actually hint about it along the lines. We design what we think the client would like and then get an idea if the client likes it of not, if not we simply make a few changes to get a better feel and a better view of what they want. It is the same now as it is then. Interior designers design the space in which the client will be in every day. It requires a great deal of insight and a knowledge about a person, one might consider reading your client by talking to them, when you do that you can get better ideas. Simple designs often make better designs in these days however in the past if it was big, spacious and contained lavish decorations it was clas sified as good. Conclusion So from looking at the baroque architecture one can say that it played a great role in the design of buildings today. Many people who obtain an over and above salary sometimes have one or two rooms that give remembrance to the baroque style. It was certainly lavish, dynamic and â€Å"over the top† decorations were definitely a bit much for today’s modern society. Bibliography Tansey, R.G Kleiner, F.S. 1954. Chapter 24. Gardener’s Art Through The Ages: tenth edition. United States of America: Ted Buchhloz. Pages 816 – 904. Gardener, L. Chapter 10. Gardener’s Art Through The Ages: fourth edition. United States of America: G.Bell and Son Ltd, London. Page 397 onwards. Honour, H Fleming, J. 1982. Part 3: Chapter 13. A World History of Art. United Kingdom: RB Macmillion. Page 426 onwards. Wikipedia. 2008. Baroque.[online].[Accessed August 20, 2008]. Available from world wide web: Versailles. [online]. [Accessed August 20, 2008]. Available from world wide web: History of Baroque Architecture. [online]. [Accessed August 20, 2008]. Available from world wide web: Baroque Age. [online]. [Accessed August 20, 2008]. Available from world wide web:

World Trade Organisation Essay -- essays papers

World Trade Organisation The official World Trade Organisation web site, defines the WTO as â€Å"the only global international organisation dealing with the rules of trade between nations . . . [through] helping producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers (to) conduct their business†1. It was formed in 1995 after growing out of and extending the institution of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. As of the thirtieth of November 2000, the WTO has 140 member-countries, over three-quarters of which are developing or least-developed countries. As the WTO implies, its current role is to serve as the lubrication for the joints in the engine of globalisation; although just how effective and fair this lubrication may be, is still a point of great contention. The WTO preaches that its purpose and effect are to â€Å"improve the welfare of the people of the member countries†2, and it claims that this is achieved by administering trade agreements, and monitoring and handling trade disputes. This essay will test the truth in this statement, of whether or not the actions taken by the WTO have failed to further enhance the welfare of the people of its member countries, and if so, whether the WTO therefore needs to be either reformed or even abolished. The criteria by which I will assess this truth, takes into account the three major arguments that are held against the WTO, with regard to its affect on the welfare of the people of its member countries. One of these arguments is that the international rules the WTO authors, consistently favour multinational corporations at the expense of workers and small farmers. Another argument is that by removing trade barriers as the WTO seeks to achieve, jobs are ‘exported’ to lower labour cost countries where the standards to which the labourers are subjected, are below what is internationally accepted. The final main argument against the WTO’s aims that is raised, is that if countries cannot make their industries globally competitive, they will experience a decline in their people’s standards of living. Judging the results of these arguments, will allow me to decide whether or not the WTO is in need of reform, abolishment, or if it should continue without alt eration. The basic premise of the WTO is to open up trade between nations, and one of its potential disadvantages is that its opera... ...) â€Å"Slow out of the blocs† The Australian February 1 p.28. Mitchell, A. (2001) â€Å"Let community have its say† The Australian Financial Review March 7 p.6. Steketee, M. (2000) â€Å"Unhappy days are here again† The Australian June 17 p.4. The Australian (2000) â€Å"Fabric of the fair go ripped to shreds† June 17 p.4. Internet: Ebeling, R. (2000) Free Trade Versus Protectionism [ON-LINE] http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3950b6be763d.htm S-11 Online (2001) Frequently Asked Questions: FAQ [ON-LINE] http://www.s11.org/s14/s11.html Sirico, R. (2000) Free Trade and Human Rights: The Moral Case For Engagement [ON-LINE] http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a392420130b93.htm Wills, J. (2000) Multinationals and the Poverty Trap [ON-LINE] http://www.unfairtrade.co.uk/pov/articles.shtml WTO Online(1) (1999) 10 Benefits of the WTO Trading System [ON-LINE] http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/10ben_e/10b03_e.htm WTO Online(2) (1999) 10 Benefits of the WTO Trading System [ON-LINE] http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/fact1_e.htm WTO Online(3) (1999) What is the WTO? [ON-LINE] http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/whatis_e.htm

The Barkley Marathons :: Description Place Essays

I. Course Description The Barkley Marathons are run in the Frozen Head State Park and Natural Area near Oak Ridge in Tennessee. The park is bordered by two prisons and a coal mine and is thirty five minutes away from closest the city. The course consists of a twenty mile loop, which for the most part traces the border of the park. The actual length of the course is an issue of large debate however. The twenty mile figure was derived by the race director from a topographic map. Most that have run the loop feel that it is longer, since the distance associated with elevation change and winding trails isn't taken into account. Some feel that the loop could be as long as twenty six miles. At the other end of the argument is the distance that was derived from a survey crew in who measured the park to make a new map in 1993. The distances they got for many portions of the course were actually shorter than Gary Cantrell had listed them to be. On any account the distance assumes that the runner does not get lost, which is a rarity at the Barkley. The course is run on a variety of surfaces, none of which come close to ideal . Around 10% is run on rough dirt roads while 10% is run on old dirt roads which are now overgrown with grass. Approximately 20% is run on rough trails with 40% being on old abandoned trails which are said to be easily mistaken for the deer trails that are actually better. The remaining 20% is run on no trails at all but is actually bushwhacking through the forest. To add to the difficulty of the trails is the extreme elevation changes. The re are ironically enough thirteen climbs which result in more than 10,000 feet of climb per loop. This is obviously accompanied by an equal amount of descent. One runner described it as climbing 100 floors of stairs in your first mile, going back down on second mile and continuing this for twenty miles. The course amasses an average grade of over 20% and between 50 and near 100 percent grade on the abandoned trails and bushwhacking sections. The grade is the reason that the trails have been abandoned or not built in the first pace. Each climb bears a unique name which in many cases gives a good idea of their nature.

Numerous genetic and environmental factors contribute

Oldest sisters or baby brothers are more than simple labels on the family tree. Psychologists say that birth order affects all aspects of a child's personality. Birth order is defined as a person's rank by age among his or her brothers and sisters. A great deal of research has been devoted to the phenomena of birth order and how it impacts children within a family. Many differences in the behavior of siblings have been attributed to birth order.â€Å"Such differences range from general expressions of achievement to more specific behaviors including tendencies toward entrepreneurship, attainment of higher education and eminent occupational status, endorsement of unconventional ideas, and leadership of scientific revolutions, to name only a few. (Claxton, 1994) Birth order is not alone in the development of children’s personality traits. Numerous genetic and environmental factors contribute to differences among siblings.The different socialization patterns that children experie nce, based on birth order, can result in overt personality and behavior trait differences between firstborns and later-borns. (Claxton, 1994) Studies have related birth order to personality, intelligence, and vocational tendencies. Firstborns tend to be socialized by adults, where later-borns, have progressively more opportunity to be exposed to the socializing influences of older siblings. Adult-socialized firstborns are sometimes assumed to be more achievement oriented.Later-borns, experiencing a greater proportion of socialization are often characterized as more popular, more accepting of risk, and more independent of authority than firstborns. Such socialization differentials suggest qualitative differences between firstborns and later-borns in terms of behavioral and personality characteristics. (Claxton, 1994) Firstborns have a greater tendency than later-borns to be conformist and oriented toward authority and responsibility. As a special type of firstborn, only children tend to be highly motivated, self-confident, and achievement oriented.Only children are believed to be more accustomed to dealing with adults than are other birth positions. In contrast to firstborns, middle-borns have been generally described in terms of relatively greater orientation toward peers, group cooperation, and other social activities. The middle birth positions are often considered the most difficult, in part because middle-borns may receive less individual attention from parents. (Seff, 1993) Middle children may compensate by developing many non-parental relationships.Middle-borns often have excellent people skills and are good listeners, mediators, and negotiators, perhaps because they must navigate through a world of siblings who are both older and younger. A family's last born child is often believed to be favored by parents. Last-borns have been characterized as being especially vivacious and fun. (Claxton, 1994) Children in different ordinal positions experience differ ent socialization environments. Interaction with both parents and other siblings is affected by one's position in the sibling order.Firstborns tend to receive more parental attention, in terms of both support and control. They are also more likely to be given responsibility and control over younger siblings and to have higher expectations associated with their own performance. Children who report that they spent time teaching younger siblings had higher levels of reading and language achievement themselves. Such socialization experiences are the basis for the expectation or the perception that firstborns are more dependable, responsible, cautious, conservative, and have higher achievement motivation than later born children. (Parrot, 1992)The distinctive feature of the position of younger children in the birth order is that they are subject to more child-level interaction and are typically subordinate to the oldest child. Younger children (with the possible exception of the last bor n) receive less attention from parents, less encouragement, less responsibility, and lower expectations and have a harder time carving out a distinct niche for themselves in the family system. These tendencies are, of course, attenuated by a number of factors, including the number of siblings, the sex composition of the sibling order, and the spacing between positions.(Carter, et. al. , 2002) Firstborns may become conservative in their outlooks. Later-born children develop strategies of survival that may entail risk-taking and daring behavior. These differences in competitive strategies can generate personality differences across birth orders, and have lifelong implications. (Carter, et. al. , 2002) Part of the unique family environment is birth order. Although genetically related, siblings differ in age, experience, and in reproductive value to their parents. Differences between siblings growing up together can be magnified by contrast effects.First-borns tend to be more extraverte d and conscientious but less emotionally stable, agreeable, or open than are later-borns. (Revelle, 1995) Some variables are believed to affect the above descriptions. For instance, if there are several years between the first and second child, the second child will have some characteristics of a firstborn. Or, if the firstborn is a girl and the second a boy, the son will have some first-born characteristics because he is the family's first male offspring. Further, if there are more than four years between siblings, the next born takes on the traits of the oldest or first born.Sibling deaths, adoptions and blended families can also upset the traditional birth order. (Revelle, 1995) Studies have shown that while first-borns males may be more creative, the opposite is true for females, with later-borns being the highest in creativity. Test scores demonstrate that the highest creativity are found among first born males and later born females. According to Eisenman, it may be that first -born males receive greater intellectual stimulation in their family and this predisposes them to be high in achievement and creativity.While the first-born female may receive the same sort of intellectual stimulation, she may be restricted by both her birth order and gender. It is believed that that parents tend to be more restrictive toward their first child, and toward females in general. The first-born female may be exposed to a higher level of parental anxiety and also more restrictive parenting styles, because of being female. This is thought to inhibit creativity in first-born females and reduce the risk taking behavior often associated with creativity.â€Å"The first born male would also be inhibited somewhat by the overly strong parental concern, but overcomes this as far as creativity is concerned, perhaps due to the greater intellectual emphasis the first born male gets, as a child having only adult companionship in the family, until the birth of the second child. † (Boling, et. al. , 1993) Parents may be more aggressive with their approach to the first male child to achieve intellectually and academically. The first-born female seems to be over-socialized by parents, in response to their fear for the welfare of the female child.As a family grows, parents typically loosen up some of their controls, on both male and female children. The first-born female learns responsibility, usually in socially typical roles, having to care for her younger siblings. She may achieve well in intellectual and academic pursuits. But, the over-socialization may make her less likely than later born females to take risk, and thus may decrease creativity in the first-born female. (Eisenman, 2001) Birth order has been shown to have an effect on vocational tendencies as well.Firstborns' are shown to that require mechanical, technical, clerical or business system competencies, or toward positions that require leadership or persuasive skills. They may value economic and political achievement, their own as well as that of others. Firstborns are less likely to seek occupations which promote artistic, musical, dramatic, and literary interests, or involve a high degree of human and interpersonal relations activities. The later-borns gravitate towards vocation that are investigative, social, and artistic.â€Å"They would gravitate toward occupations that would utilize their scientific and mathematical abilities, promote their artistic, musical, dramatic, or literary interests, or involve interpersonal and human relations activities. Further, they are less apt to value political and economic achievements and more apt to value scientific, social, and artistic achievements. † (Lynch, 1980) Kevin Leman, author of The New Birth Order, notes in his book that 23 of America's 41 presidents were first-born or â€Å"functional first-born,† meaning the first male child.So were 21 of the first 23 astronauts the United States sent into space (the othe r two were only children). A much greater proportion of first-born end up in professions such as science, medicine and law, occupations that require analytical skills and hard-driving personalities. He also notes that an unusual number of comedians – such as Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy, Drew Carey, Martin Short, Jim Carrey and Leslie Nielsen – are babies of their families, â€Å"funny people who got away with murder as kids,† he says. (Stewart, 1999) There are some theorists who propose that as families have gotten smaller, test scoreshave risen, because the intellect is higher. â€Å"SAT scores will continue to rise for the rest of the century. When today's 4-year-olds take the SAT 14 years from now, the average score will be even higher than it was in 1963 when the 40-point decline began. But then scores will probably begin to drop again. You see, after 1980, the birth rate began to rise and family size seems to be increasing. † (Hall, 1986) This belief is based upon confluence theory, proposing that because the intellectual development of a family is like a river with the inputs of each family memberflowing into it. Tests, which indicate intelligence, are dependent heavily on verbal ability. Then imagine the intellectual environment as providing a pool of words to the growing child. Adults contribute a large vocabulary to the pool and babies contribute nothing. The pool of words surrounding the only child at age 5 is different from the pool surrounding the second-born child of the same age who has a 7-year-old sibling. As families get larger, children's intellectual development suffers, and the effect is accentuated by birth order, the more older siblings aperson has, the lower his or her intellectual level because of the decrease within the family intellectual environment. (Hall, 1986) There are many additional factors that can influence intelligence. If there are higher numbers of adults present in a child’s daily life, as in an extended family, this may have an impact on verbal ability as well. Works Cited Claxton, R. P. (1994). 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